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NDC’s Assin North victory a product of sympathy not hard choice – Ahiagbah
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The Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has said that the victory of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Assin North by-election was largely a product of sympathy.
“The victory of the NDC was largely a product of sympathy and not necessarily that the NDC is the hard choice of the people of the Assin North,” he stated.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM in Accra on Wednesday, Mr Ahiagbah said that the NDC went to the Assin North Constituency with a message that painted a bad image of the government to the constituents.
“The NDC went to Assin North seeking appeal for sympathy with the message that the NPP is persecuting James Gyakye Quayson and not the law that is dealing with him. That is a false representation of the facts of the matter and that false narrative created a situation which incited the people against the government,” he stated.
Mr Ahiagbah also argued that the NPP did not remove Mr Quayson from Parliament, but that it was his own false declarations that led to the Supreme Court ordering Parliament to expunge his name from the records of the house.
He said that the NDC was “riding on a lot of falsehoods” and that they used this to appeal to the emotions of the people in order to win the election.
“A lot of falsehoods was what the NDC was riding on, and they used that to appeal to the emotions of the people, and they carried the day,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says he is confident that sooner than later, Assin North will be blue again.
He has therefore urged members of his party, the NPP, to keep their heads up, recognising that, in a democracy, there are winners and losers.
“I urge members of my party, the New Patriotic Party, to keep their heads up, recognising that, in a democracy, there are winners and losers, and that we live to fight another day. We once held the Assin North seat, and I am confident that, sooner rather than later, Assin North will be blue again,” he stated.
Again, the NPP in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Justin Koduah Frimpong says the Assin North by-election is a wake-up call which requires the party to evaluate its approach and make rational retrospective assessments.
The NPP’s candidate Charles Opoku received 12,630 votes, representing 42.15%, while the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) candidate, James Gyakye Quayson polled 17,245 votes representing 57.56%, after the by-election on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
The Liberal Party of Ghana’s (LPG) candidate, Sefenu Bernice Enyonam, garnered a paltry 87 votes, representing 0.29%.
The NPP in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Justin Koduah Frimpong, urged the party supporters to submit their comments and recommendations to the national secretariat for consideration and possible implementation.
Credit: Citinewsroom.com
In other jurisdictions, the commencement of a new football season was one soccer fans would party about.
Having endured about a three-month period without action, fans become anxious about what the new season brings and how their respective teams would perform.
But that is not the case in Ghana, especially where the current Ghana Premier League (GPL) football season is expected to get underway today.
Unlike other places where fans would be fantasising and visualising about the new players and what they bring on board, Ghanaian fans have been occupied with discussions about the present state of infrastructure.
Obviously, the game thrives when stadia appear in good condition. When the pitches are in perfect shapes, it enhances play and brings out the best from the players.
Sadly, the state of the pitches in the country have left many questioning the preparedness for the season that also coincides with the start of AFCON qualifiers.
Currently, the pitch at the Accra Sports Stadium is closed for Premier League matches in readiness for the qualifiers.
Alternative ones like the University of Ghana Stadium is also not in the best of shape.
The Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi is also a concern despite hosting the Democracy Cup. As a result, teams to be affected in the southern and northern sectors would turn their attention to the Abramkese and UG stadia, a situation that would take a toll on the surfaces.
The situation, therefore, raises questions over the country’s direction regarding the provision of sports infrastructure.
Apart from the Borteyman Sports Complex, which was constructed for the Africa Games, none of the facilities scattered across the country can be said to be in good shape to host local games; not to talk about high profile competitions.
This should be a wakeup call on the government to start initiating processes to ensure modern infrastructure were erected to put Ghana in a good position to host games without the unwarranted scrutiny of CAF.
This would come at a huge cost to the taxpayer but when the business aspect of that expenditure in considered, it should be a worthy outlay.
But the infrastructure challenges notwithstanding, the competition will kick start at Tema where Vision FC engages Young Apostles FC.
The Hearts of Oak versus Berekum Chelsea clash will lead tomorrow’s games pack that also sees debutants Debibi United and Port City FC engaged in battles against Asante Kotoko and FC Ashantigold, respectively.
In other games, Basake Holy Stars will welcome Swedru All Blacks; FC Samartex against Karela United; Heart of Lions versus Aduana FC and Bechem United against Goldstars.
Dreams FC will face Medeama SC at the Tuba astro turf on Monday.
By Andrew Nortey
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The 2026 Idea Challenge Pitch and media launch was held last Saturday at the Pentecost University in Accra.
It brought together innovators, entrepreneurs and stakeholders to promote creative ideas and solutions aimed at addressing societal challenges.
The initiative, organised by the Visionary Organisation Development and Entrepreneurial Club (VODEC) and National Emerging Leaders Economic Forum (NELEF) provided a platform for participants to showcase their ideas and highlight how innovation and creativity could be transformed into practical solutions.
The programme also sought to encourage young people to develop ideas that could contribute to national development and create opportunities for entrepreneurship.
Held on the theme: ‘building Africa’s future, emerging leaders driving inclusive growth and regional transformation,’ the event sought to serve as a strategic platform to transition youth talent from mere concepts into investable enterprises.
During the pitch session, shortlisted entrepreneurs presented viable business ideas which spanned critical sectors, including climate-smart agribusiness, sustainable waste management, digital technology, and assistive tech for persons with disabilities.
A member of the judging panel, Mr Blessed Amonoo, an Investment Analyst at the Ghana Amalgamated Trust Plc., praised the technical depth of the presentations.
“We are looking for scalability, market readiness, and projects that directly answer local problems,“ Mr Amonoo noted during the evaluation.
“The level of innovation displayed here proves that African youth possesses the answers to the continent’s economic riddles, provided they receive the right structural refinement.”
Finalists selected from this rigorous process will be officially announced and paired with corporate mentors at the flagship forum in September.
Speaking at the event, the Founder and Chief Executive of VODEC Africa, Mr. Daniel Asomani, urged African governments and financial institutions to systematically secure capital for youth-led startups.
Mr Asomani emphasised that Africa’s persistent brain drain can only be reversed if young minds find fertile ground to scale their enterprises locally.
“Our brilliant minds are leaving the shores of Africa not because they want to, but because the local ecosystem suffocates their dreams.”
“The Idea Challenge is our contribution to keeping this talent home but VODEC cannot do it alone. We need policy interventions, tax incentives for startups, and deliberate venture funding to turn these ideas into multi-million-dollarcorporations,” Mr Asomani stated.
By Desmond Aidoo
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