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UG SRC Elections: Guru disqualified from presidential race
According to the Electoral Commission, pursuant to article 40 and 41 of the UGSRC Constitution, the Veting Committee of the University of’ Ghana Students” Representative Council (UGSRC) conducted the vetting process for the 2024 UGSRC General Election on the evening of Sunday, 1 August 3024.
The Committee assessed three Treasurer aspirants, three General Secretary aspirants, and five
Presidential and Vice Presidential aspirants.
According to them, upon a careful examination of the documents submitted, it was discovered that two candidates from the Presidential and Vice Presidential aspirants indicated their non-resident status, which they further confirmed during the vetting process.
The Commission further disclosed that these aspirants are, Maradona Adjei Yeboah and Lawrence Edinam Egleh
They added that “a careful consideration of Article 30 (1)(a) of the UGSRC Constitution under “Qualification” as seen below: “(1) A student shall not be qualified for eleetion to any executive office unless: He is qualified to contest elections under his hall’s Constitution, except that a provision requiring a student to be in at least his third year in this University shall not disqualify such a person from contesting for any office under this article.”
“It is clear that the test of qualification of a candidate in UGSRC General Election includes Whether the candidate qualifies to be an Executive Officer of his or her residence (JCR). It follows that a critical qualification criteria is a person’s qualification to be an Executive Officer his or her hall of residence (JCR),” the statement added.
The EC explained that the quote from the constitution “further implies that where a person does not belong to any hall of residence (JCR) then the person does not qualify to be an Executive Officer of a hall of residence (JCR) and consequently not qualified or eligible to be an Executive Officer of the University of Ghana Students’ Representative Council (UGSRC).”
They revealed that “On a total reading of the UGSRC Constitution, it would be seen that it is the intention of the framers of the constitution that for a person to qualify to be an Executive Officer of the UGSRC, the person should have qualified to be an Executive
Officer of a hall of residence (JCR).”
The EC indicated that the Vetting Committee concluded after a critical assessment of the qualification criteria noticed that, Maradona Adjei Yeboah and Lawrence Edinam Egleh do not meet the criteria stated in article 30(1) (a) of the UGSRC Constitution and therefore do not qualify or are not eligible to contest for an Executive Officer position of the University of Ghana Students’ Representative Council (UGSRC).
Finally, it noted that the article 4 (d) (ii) of the Constitutional Instrument (CI 24) governing the electoral process states that, “In a case where on a ticket, especially the Presidential and Vice ticket, one of the aspirants, either the President or the Vice, does not meet any of the requirements as stated in the UGSRC Constitution, the whole ticket is therefore disqualified.”
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana has signed a debt restructuring agreement with the Kingdom of Belgium as part of efforts to restore the country’s economic stability after the financial crisis that hit the nation in 2022 and 2023.
The Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, today disclosed that he signed the agreement on behalf of the Government of Ghana.
He explained that Ghana experienced a very difficult period during the crisis, which forced the government at the time to declare a debt default.
However, he indicated that the country is now recovering and witnessing a significant economic turnaround.
According to him, stronger systems are also being put in place to ensure that Ghana does not return to such a situation again.
Dr Forson noted that the agreement with Belgium is the eighth deal Ghana has concluded with countries under the Official Creditor Committee as part of its external debt restructuring programme.
He expressed appreciation to the Government of Belgium for its support and partnership with Ghana during the process.
The Finance Minister thanked Carole van Eyll, Ambassador of Belgium to Ghana, for her role in strengthening relations between the two countries.
The agreement forms part of Ghana’s broader effort to restructure its external debts and stabilise the economy following the crisis.
By: Jacob Aggrey
