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National Peace Council commends NDC’s return to IPAC
The National Peace Council has commended the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for return to the Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) of Electoral Commission (EC).
This was contained in a statement signed by Chairman of Peace Council, Rev.Dr.Ernest Adu-Gyamfi.
According to the Council, “We are hopeful that the commitment made will be sustained to further strengthen the existing democratic credentials of Ghana.”
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Read full statement below
The National Peace Council (NPC) would like to commend the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for heeding its appeal to return to the Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC). It will be recalled that after the 2020 elections, the National Democratic Congress decided not to attend the Inter Party Advisory Committee meetings. This became a matter of concern to all Stakeholders in
Ghana’s democratic and elections space.
At a Post-Elections Stakeholders’ workshop organized by the National Peace Council at Ada in 2021, the participants tasked the National Peace Council to facilitate the return of the NDC to IPAC. The NPC therefore engaged the NDC, E.C and several other stakeholders to facilitate the NDC’s return to IPAC.
On 14th December 2023, during a Stock-taking conference, organized by the National Peace Council at Peduase, as part of the preparations towards the 2024 elections, the National Democratic Congress responded to the appeal of the National Peace Council by publicly committing to return to Inter Party Advisory Committee.
Pursuant to this commitment, the NDC has participated in two recent IPAC meetings on 22nd and 29th January 2024. We are hopeful that the commitment made will be sustained to further strengthen the existing democratic credentials of Ghana.
We would like to express our appreciation to the Electoral Commission, Political Parties, all Political Actors and Stakeholders within the electoral management system for their support to the NPC in the bid to promote sustainable peace in Ghana. We urge all stakeholders in the political space to use dialogue and consensus building to ensure a free, fair, credible, and peaceful 2024 elections.
In addition, we urge the public to appreciate the fact that peacebuilding can sometimes be a slow process. Therefore, we must all exercise patience and support the NPC and its partners in building a sustainable, peaceful country.
May the Lord bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
