Mahama chides WAEC; orders it to put house in order

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file photoPresident John Dramani Mahama says he is disappointed in the West African Examination Council  (WAEC) following the latest leakage of some examination papers.  
The president has therefore charged the sub regional examination body to put its house in order to prevent the recurring leakages. About four papers including Oral English, Integrated Science ad Social Studies in the ongoing West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) have been leaked. Even though WAEC has admitted to the leakage, it discounted the possibility of cancelling papers that have already been written. Addressing a gathering at the University of Mines and Technology at Tarkwa in the Western Region as part of his Accounting to the People Tour, President Mahama pointed out government’s inability to interfere in the operational affairs of WAEC as an international independent body. “But the government wishes to call on the West African Examination Council to put its house in order,” he said. The president noted it is “most discouraging for students who have prepared assiduously for three solid years only to be confronted with incidences of examination leakages”. He recalled last year’s leakage during the Basic Education Certificate Examination in which two persons are currently facing prosecution following investigations conducted by the Bureau of National Investigations. President Mahama also made reference to internal investigations by WAEC which led to the dismissal of three officials of the organisation. The examination body, he said, promised to conduct reforms in its examinations preparation. “We are therefore disappointed at news of a possible leakage in the secondary school certificate exams,” he said. “We therefore urge WAEC to urgently work to plug all loopholes to protect the integrity of the examination and I have asked the BNI to work with WAEC and deal drastically with anybody found to be involved in this negative practice.” More soon   Story by Isaac Essel | tv3network.com | Ghana

NPP will never win in Volta even if Nana Addo relocates to Volta Region – Gyapong

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Nana Akuffo-AddoVolta Regional Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Kwadwo Gyapong, has maintained that there is nothing the opposition New Patriotic Party can do to change the voting pattern in the region.
Even if the NPP flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo moves from Accra to resettle in the Volta Region from now till the elections, he would not make any impact, he assessed. According to Mr. Gyapong, the NDC has done a lot for the people of Volta Region to justify why they will not vote for the opposition NPP. He equally doubted if the NDC would be voted for in the Ashanti Region, which is the stronghold of the NPP. The Regional Chairman was reacting to comments by former President Kufuor that the NPP constructed the Ho Polytechnic and several major roads in the Region despite claims by President Mahama that the NPP did nothing for the Region. He conceded on Onua FM’s Yen Sempa hosted by Kwame Karikari that “Kufour did some developmental projects in the Region but what the NDC has done for the region is more than the NPP”. He however maintained, “we should stop the propaganda because the NPP can never win in Volta just as the NDC can never win in the Ashanti Region”. Story by Kweku Antwi-Otoo | Onua FM

Joyce Aryee, other influential women to headline Vodafone Girls Camp

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file photoDr Joyce Aryee and other influential women in Ghana are poised to mentor 200 Vodafone Scholars at a three-day camp meeting in Kumasi to empower girls studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) at the senior high school (SHS) level.
From Wednesday 6th to Friday 8th April, 2016, the camp meeting will have Dr Joyce Aryee, Executive Director of Salt and Light Ministries and Chairperson of the Vodafone Ghana Foundation, Constance Swaniker, Chief Executive Officer of Accents & Art Ltd, Farida Bedwei, a celebrated software engineer, and Anita Erskine, a renowned radio and TV personality, sharing their life experiences and success stories to encourage the students to do more. Vodafone Ghana Foundation’s Scholars Initiative is a three-year scholarship scheme aimed at offering financial support to brilliant but financially-challenged females at the SHS and university levels. Commenting on the camp meeting, Nana Yaa Ofori-Koree, Head of Vodafone Ghana Foundation and Sustainability, expressed excitement about the programme. “Vodafone Ghana Foundation is excited that the camp meeting is bringing all 200 brilliant females together to share ideas aimed at bridging the gender gap in STEM and thereby increasing females’ involvement in these subjects in Ghana.” Source: tv3network.om|Ghana

Black Queens beat Tunisia in AWC qualifier

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file photoGhana’s Black Queens put themselves in a pole position of qualifying to the 10th edition of the Africa Women’s Championship – to be now known as the Africa Women Cup of Nations – after a 2-1 away win over their Tunisian counterparts.
The match played at the Stade Oued Ellil in Tunisia on Wednesday, April 6 was the first leg of the final round of qualifiers. Fourteen teams are vying to make the final seven to join hosts Cameroon for the Championship, which begins November 19 and ends on December 3. The Queens are expected to seal off qualification on Tuesday, April 12, when they host the second leg at the Accra Sports Stadium. Source: tv3network.com|Ghana

UK supports 2016 elections with £4m for the last time

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file photoThe United Kingdom has given Ghana £4 million as part of efforts to entrench democracy particularly the running of elections in the West African country.
The support comes on the back of several others including a £6-million support in 2012 for that year’s elections. Speaking at a short ceremony to announce the support, UK’s Minister of State for International Development Desmond Swayne said the priority of the support is to strengthen state institutions. “Our main effort is going to be firstly strengthening the state institution,” he said on Wednesday, April 6, “the Electoral Commission, the police and the judiciary.” Mr Swayne argued that it will not be out of place “to build up a contingency fund, a rapid reaction facility so that we can deal with problems as they arise and problems as they arise”. The UK invested a total of £300 million between 2011 and 2016 and has been particularly pivotal in supporting the past six elections in Ghana. The latest support is expected to span five years and Mr Swayne predicts that may be the last from the Kingdom. “Because of the fact that you are becoming a middle income country, I anticipate that this will be the last such investment that we will make in democratic structures of this sort.” Present at the ceremony were the Chair of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei, Inspector General of Police John Kudalor, UK High Commissioner jon Benjamin and Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK and Ireland, Victor Smith. Source: tv3network.com|Ghana

EC demands parties’ expenditure on by-elections

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file photoThe Electoral Commission has requested all political parties that participated in the last three by-elections in the country to submit to it, their respective detailed expenditure on the elections.  
Quoting Section 14(2) of the Political Parties Law, the Commission said every party that contest a by-election, is required to submit a detailed report on the how much it spent on the by-election six months after. Consequently, the Commission has asked all the parties that took part in the Talensi, Amenfi West and Abuakwa North by-elections to comply with the law by submitting their expenditure to the Commission. Although its nine months since the Talensi by-election, it is not clear whether the political parties have complied with the law. The Commission in its statement issued Tuesday failed to state whether that has been fulfilled. The statement which was issued and signed by Deputy Chairman of Operations of the EC, AmaduSulley,also asked all registered political parties to submit their audited accounts for the year. Again, the Commission per section 15(1) of the law wants all political parties that have been issued with a final certificate of registration within the last 90 days to furnish it with details of its existence and location of its officers at the national, regional, district and constituency levels “All registered political parties should ensure that the requested information is received by the Commission by the close of work on May 31, 2016, failing which sanctions will be applied in accordance with the law,” the statement warned. By Stephen Kwabena Effah|tv3network.com|Ghana Twitter @steviekgh

Ghana will collapse if Mahama wins – Kufuor

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file photoFormer President John Agyekum Kufuor has said Ghana will totally collapse if President John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress win this year’s elections.
According to the former president, since the beginning of multi-party democracy in1992, the NDC has had the lion’s share as far as governance is concerned, but anytime they are given the mandate, life in the country becomes unbearable. “When we got the chance, there was real development, not the kids’ movies NDC is showing to people now,” he said. “We are not blowing our own trumpet,” he said, adding that unlike NPP era when Ghanaians living abroad had the desire to come home and work, “this time it’s different; they don’t want to come home.” Mr. Kufour, who was speaking at his residence in Accra on Wednesday, April 6, when the newly elected Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North paid a courtesy call on him, said there was dishonesty shown by President Mahama and his NDC as far as projects in the Volta Region are concerned. He accused the NDC of squandering money meant for the development of the Volta Region particularly in their handling of the Keta Sea Defense Project. “They claim we did nothing in the Volta Region. Let’s start from Keta. The money they acquired for the sea defense wall, they squandered it. It was during my tenure that we constructed the wall.” He also drew attention to the fact his government constructed the Ho Polytechnic and roads from Nkonya through to Dambai. “Ho Polytechnic was virtually built by us. Even the University of Ghana envies this school. Go to Nkonya through to Dambai. We constructed all those roads in the first term of the NPP.” The former President also bemoaned the fact Ghana has returned to the IMF due to the government’s mismanagement of the economy. “In three years, we were able to take Ghana from the IMF. Now we are back here again…During my tenure, Ghanaians abroad always wanted to come back home but this is no longer the case.” The Former President reiterated his support for Nana Akufo-Addo, and called on Ghanaians to rescue the country by voting for the NPP’s Presidential Candidate. Source: tv3network.com|Ghana

Gruesome! Granny murders three-week-old baby

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file photoA three-week-old baby has been murdered and buried in a shallow pit in Cape Coast, allegedly by her grandmother.
Grace Amoah, 38, was said to have picked a quarrel with her 17-year-old daughter, Joyce Amoah, when she discovered the teenager was pregnant. Madam Amoah’s anger is said to have stemmed from the fact that Joyce was still in Junior High School form two when she got pregnant, TV3 sources, Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi Simpson and Kakra Abrowa report. According to Joyce, when she was delivered of the baby,  Madam Amoah who was also nursing a baby at the time, requested that her grandchild be given to her to breastfeed to enable Joyce continue her education. However, before a decision could be reached, Joyce said that when she woke up Tuesday, she could not trace the whereabouts of her baby, prompting her to confront her mother. Madam Amoah could not give any tangible explanation; something that raised suspicion and compelled Joyce to report the matter to the Police who have since arrested Madam Amoah. After interrogation, Madam Amoah led the Police to the outskirt of Akotokyer, a suburb of Cape Coast where the baby was buried. The body has since been exhumed and deposited at the Cape Coast Hospital for autopsy. The case is currently under investigation. By tv3network.com|Ghana

Be bold and call Zanetor to order – Rawlings told

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file photoFormer president Rawlings has been challenged to rein in his daughter Dr. Zanetor Rawlings who has been accused of making the NDC unpopular in the Klottey Korle constituency.
Dr. Zanetor won the constituency parliamentary primary but was hit with lawsuit filed by incumbent MP Nii Armah Ashietey over the former’s eligibility to contest the seat. Some aggrieved foot soldiers from the constituency therefore want Mr. Rawlings’ intervention to save the constituency from losing the seat in the November elections. They spoke to the media after a High Court postponed a scheduled hearing pending a ruling by the Supreme Court where Zanetor is praying it to overturn a high court’s decision which dismissed her application to have the case against her struck out. The Electoral Commission has confirmed to the court that Zanetor Rawlings is not a registered voter according to their records: an aspiring MP is required to be a voter. “Rawlings has been calling so many people corrupt. He even called President Kufuor Atta Ayie why? Because he said Kufuor is a corrupt person. And now the thing is at your own door steps in your own house but he cannot come out to tell his daughter that she is not qualified to run for parliament. Why? Rawlings is not Rawlings If we don’t follow him, So we are telling Rawlings to come out and tell the truth that look my daughter is not qualified instead of sitting down and allowing your daughter to mess up the NDC,” said one fuming foot soldier. “Let me tell you, Rawlings and his wife and his daughter want to collapse NDC. They have an agenda because he has been calling John Mahama and Atta Mills names.” Nii supporters He said, “Even John Mahama must too must come into this thing because he is going to lose in Klottey Korle because we the youth are not going to vote for just anybody. I am not a fool to vote for someone who has never voted before”. Another foot soldier who identified himself as Basty said, “I also blame the national executive of NDC for qualifying this girl to run for election when they know that she has never voted before. Now they have divided the party into two.” He added, “if you don’t have voters ID card and you have never voted for somebody before, how do you expect somebody to vote for you? That is why we say the national executives have failed”.   Source: tv3network.com

Gender-based violence conviction rate ‘unacceptable’ – Victoria Natsu

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file photoThe Acting Executive Secretary of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Secretariat has described as ‘unacceptable’ the 4.4 per cent conviction rate for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Ghana.
Victoria Natsu says the rate is low for a country that has ratified various international human rights instruments. Ms Natsu, who wants the judicial system to be more responsive for victims to seek justice without delays, was speaking at a high profiled dialogue with the judiciary on ‘Improving Justice for Victims of Sexual and Gender-based Violence’ in Ghana. The dialogue, organized by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with the Danish Development Assistance (DANIDA), was to strengthen efforts to secure justice for victims of sexual and gender-based violence. Records available at the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) indicate that, a total of 15,749 SGBV cases were recorded in 2015 alone. Out of this figure, 4500 cases were assault on women, 316 were rape cases, and defilement accounted for 1,180. Over the past five years from 2011 to 2015, the total number of SGBV cases that were recorded nationwide was 85,590. Out of this figure, 24,174 were assault of women, 1633 were rape cases, and defilement accounted for 5,982 The 2015 DOVVSU statistics further show that, out of the 1,291 sexual and gender-based violence cases sent to court, only 139 of those cases were convicted; with 10,945 of the reported cases for 2015 still under investigation. In 2014 too, only 160 out of the 1,547 SGBV cases sent to court were convicted. Ms Victoria Natsu expressed worry at the high rate of gender-based violence and its low conviction rate. “Despite the various constitutional provisions and laudable effort by government, many sexual and gender-based violence cases are not convicted for which conviction rates continue to remain low in Ghana and this is not acceptable.” She called on the judiciary to speed up on pending cases on sexual and gender-based violence. But the director of Judicial Training Institute and a court of appeal judge, Justice Dennis Adjei, said prosecution and conviction are based on evidence. He said the fact that a report has been lodged does not necessarily mean that the incident occurred, hence the need for the court to receive evidence before conviction. “Conviction is not based on morality but rather conviction is based on the evidence adduced on record and if you convict, you must act within the tenet of the law.” He urged the police to do thorough investigation when dealing with domestic violence cases to be able to prove the ingredients of the offence before arraigning the accused before the court. “Most accused persons would continue to be acquitted if the prosecution is unable to submit sufficient evidence because the court acts within the context of the law.” Justice Adjei assured that, the court will continue to serve justice to everybody, irrespective of his or her status in society. The dialogue brought together judges of the various family tribunals, circuit and gender-based violence courts, high court and court of Appeal in all the ten regions. Participants deliberated on issues that would strengthen efforts to secure justice for victims of sexual and gender-based violence. By Ibrahim Abubakar|tv3network.com|Ghana