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New voters’ register: It’s needless, incoherent–Marricke Gane
Marricke Kofi Gane, an independent presidential aspirant, has strongly kicked against the resolution by Electoral Commission (EC) to compile a new voters’ register for the December 7 polls.
He maintained that “it is not necessary for the EC to compile a new voters’ register before conducting a successful election since the existing register was used in 2012 and used for a “successful” district assembly election recently.
Mr Gane, who is a chartered accountant and an international development consultant, described EC’s resolution as needless and incoherent and he underscored the EC could go ahead to do a limited registration for people who just turned 18 years and were eligible to vote rather than compiling a new voters’ register in the face of the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the country.
“Even though the EC is permitted by law to call for a new voters’ register, it should look at the time constraint and consider the safety of Ghanaians, especially in the COVID-19 era, it is a constitutional right for the EC to call for a new voters’ register which I am not opposing but what I am saying is that where we are now it is unreasonable, especially looking at the time constraints and outbreak of COVID-19.
“Secondly, the EC needs to realise that its decision is likely to set in voter fatigue because people are still going through the National Identification Authority card registration, I have a challenge with the reasons the EC gave for not repairing the existing Biometric Verification System (BVS) machines and rather go for a new system.
“The suppliers of the BVS machines might have been gagged from confirming the prices as put across by the EC hence the refusal to speak to the media, I’m seeking to be an independent candidate in the December 7 elections, I’m optimistic civil society organisations have tried reaching out to the suppliers for interpretations of the prices but to no avail because they are believed to have been forbidden.
“It would have been good for BVS machine suppliers to have issued a statement about the development rather than keeping mute and allowing the EC to mislead the public,” Mr Gane bemoaned. -3news.com
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
