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‘Your demands are legitimate; cannot be ignored’ – Bawumia to OccupyJulorbiHouse protesters
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has acknowledged the legitimacy of the demands made by the #OccupyJulorbiHouse demonstrators.
According to him, these concerns cannot be overlooked.
The newly elected flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) assured that the government is actively taking these issues into account and is committed to addressing them.
During his victory speech on Saturday, November 4, Dr Bawumia called upon the youth to collaborate with the government in alleviating the challenges faced by Ghanaians.
“While on the campaign, I became aware of a 3-day demonstration staged by the young people of our country. They had a simple message for the political class: they needed more opportunities for work, they needed improved living conditions, and they wanted improved public services. These are legitimate demands and we cannot ignore them. We will continue to work hard for the people of Ghana.”
“I have spent the last seven years working alongside the President to fulfill many of these demands, including creating opportunities for the youth, improving the well-being of our people, expanding access to secondary education and healthcare, enhancing the country’s road infrastructure, streamlining access to public services, and leveraging technology for development.”
The #OccupyJulorbiHouse demonstration, which took place between Thursday, September 21 and Saturday, September 23, 2023, saw protesters, expressing their misgivings about some of the current happenings in the country.
They protested against the government’s economic policies and alleged corruption and had over 50 of their members arrested by the police.
The incident sparked outrage from Ghanaians, who accused the police of using excessive force against unarmed civilians.
source: Myjoyonline.com
The Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh Dompreh, has expressed concern over delays in the release of the District Assemblies Common Fund, warning that the situation is stalling development across the country.
On his facebook page, he described as a matter of urgent national importance, the Minority Chief Whip pointed to what he sees as a growing crisis of unpaid contractors, abandoned projects, and halted infrastructure works in many districts.
He noted that several communities are grappling with half completed schools, unfinished health facilities, abandoned markets, deteriorating roads, and stalled sanitation projects.
According to him, many contractors who have executed projects for district assemblies have not been paid, forcing some construction firms to demobilise from sites while workers lose their jobs.
He stressed that the District Assemblies Common Fund is not a discretionary allocation but a constitutional requirement under Article 252 of the 1992 Constitution, intended to support development at the local level.
In his view, years of delayed releases and accumulated arrears have weakened district development financing and disrupted projects meant to improve living conditions in communities.
He further argued that some payments made in recent years were largely the settlement of old debts rather than funding for new or ongoing projects, a situation he believes has affected contractor confidence and local economic activity.
He described the issue as more than a budgetary challenge, characterising it as a development emergency and a governance concern.
He therefore urged the appropriate authorities to pay outstanding DACF arrears, settle contractors who have completed their work, and ensure that transfers to districts are automatic and predictable.
He maintained that decentralisation can only succeed when district assemblies receive adequate and timely funding to carry out development projects.
He emphasised that stalled projects directly affect ordinary citizens, since they rely on such infrastructure for education, healthcare, transportation, sanitation, and economic activities.
He called for renewed attention to grassroots development, insisting that national progress should not be concentrated only in major cities but extended to all communities.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Richard Appiah, the footballer who killed two children and stored part of their bodies in a fridge at Abesim in the Bono Region in 2021 has been handed a lifetime sentence.
This was after a five member panel of judges at the Accra High Court returned a verdict of guilty against the convict.
Appiah, 32, also a draughtsman would spend the rest of his life in prison after he was convicted of murder.
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BY MALIK SULLEMANA
