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We miss your fire, return to IPAC – EC to NDC
The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) has extended an invitation to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to return to meetings of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC).
The NDC, after the 2020 general elections, boycotted all IPAC meetings.
The EC Chairperson, therefore, invited the NDC to return to the IPAC at a stakeholders’ meeting on inter-party dialogue organized by the National Peace Council (NPC) at Peduase in the Eastern Region on Thursday.
“I would like to use this opportunity to invite the leadership of the National Democratic Congress to our IPAC meetings. We do realize that since 2021, the NDC has not been present at our IPAC meetings.”
“We miss them, we miss their fire. I extend an olive branch, and in the interest of the peace of our country. We invite them to IPAC,” she stated.
Meanwhile, the EC Chairperson has justified the decision to shift the closing time ofvoting from 5:00 pm to 3:00 pm during the upcoming 2024 general elections.
She emphasized that this adjustment aims to facilitate the transparent and orderly collation of votes by electoral officers in broad daylight.
Mrs. Mensa highlighted that the proposal was grounded in the lessons learned from the 2020 elections, where approximately 70 percent of voting centers witnessed minimal activity by 1:00 pm.
She stressed that this adjustment aims to diminish the long queues that have historically characterized elections, streamlining the voting process for citizens.
“In 2020, 70 percent of our polling centers had a voter threshold of 500 and below. This time we intend to ensure that all our polling station centers have a threshold of 500 voters and below. In the same vein, we will increase the number of our polling stations nationwide. We believe that this will go a long way to reduce the long queues that characterize our elections and allow for a smooth, seamless, hassle-free voting process. In 2020, it took voters not more than five minutes to cast their votes due to the introduction of this policy.”
“Based on our 2020 experience and also feedback from several observer groups, we propose to close the polls at 3:00 pm. Our experience in 2020 reveals that by 1:00 pm, 70 per cent of our polling stations were empty of voters as most voters had cast their votes. This made it possible because the threshold of most polling centers was reduced to 500 voters per voting center. This was coupled with the robust verification devices that were deployed to the polling stations. We are convinced that by closing the polls at 3:00 pm, we will be able to count and collate in broad daylight, and this will promote the needed transparency and orderliness that we so desire,” Mrs. Mensa said.
Source: Citinewsroom.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
