Politics
Next NDC Government Will Construct Keta Port – Ablakwa
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said that the next National Democratic Congress (NDC) has a more comprehensive blueprint for the construction of the Keta Port.
He assured that the next NDC government under John Mahama, guided by the party’s 2024 manifesto would construct the port for the benefit of the people of the Volta, Oti, and Northern regions.
Ablakwa was speaking at a media engagement at the NDC’s Volta Regional office in Ho, Monday.
“What I like about our vision is that ours is bigger. We are going to look at how the port is going to serve Volta and the entire Oti Region and even all the way to the northern belt which you know is landlocked.
Instead of going through Tema and then Kumasi through Techiman, it is far, far shorter if you use the new port in the Volta region in Keta. Within a few hours you can serve the people of the northern part of our country, so we have a more comprehensive blueprint for creating a new port or a new hub for our people,” he said.
The North Tongu legislator also reiterated the development of the Ho airport into an aviation training hub to serve the West African Sub-region.
He added that the next NDC government would undertake a non-aeronautical estate business development of the airport in the region in partnership with the private sector under an Airport City Precinct Development Scheme.
Ablakwa outlined the establishment of a regional digital centre modelled after the Accra Digital Centre.
He promised the region would witness a major boost in agriculture where farmer service centres would be established in all districts coupled with the setting up of an agro-industrial zone, and cocoa processing plant in the region.
The outspoken MP also lists the dredging of the Volta Lake and other river bodies to prevent future flooding and also enhance the fishing industry and pay full compensation to the victims of the Akosombo and Kpong dam spillages.
He also said that the NDC aims to establish a quaternary hospital in the Volta region geared towards promoting medical tourism while expanding the Ho Teaching Hospital to provide special services.
He said the NDC would continue the development of the University of Health and Allied Sciences by establishing additional campuses in Keta and Battor, while establishing a Zonal Public Laboratory in the Volta region and upgrading the four existing zonal laboratories.
There are also plans to facilitate the construction of trauma centres, clinics, rest stops, and other social amenities along the Accra – Aflao and Tema – Afienya – Ho corridors
Ablakwa also said that the NDC manifesto contained the introduction of specialised Artificial Intelligence labs in selected secondary schools across the country with the Volta Region inclusive.
Under road infrastructure, Ablakwa outlined the completion of the Eastern Corridor Road, constructing an inter-regional road from Keta – Denu – Ho – Have – Kpando – Worawora, and ending at Dambai.
He said the Asikuma – Anum – Dzemeni roads would be constructed as contained in the manifesto, while feasibility studies would be conducted for the construction of bypasses at Hohoe and Kpando to encourage transit trade.
He also said that the NDC aims to establish a quaternary hospital in the Volta region geared towards promoting medical tourism while expanding the Ho Teaching Hospital to provide special services.
He said the NDC would continue the development of the University of Health and Allied Sciences by establishing additional campuses in Keta and Battor, while establishing a Zonal Public Laboratory in the Volta region and upgrading the four existing zonal laboratories.
There are also plans to facilitate the construction of trauma centres, clinics, rest stops, and other social amenities along the Accra – Aflao and Tema – Afienya – Ho corridors.
Ablakwa also said that the NDC manifesto contained the introduction of specialised Artificial Intelligence labs in selected secondary schools across the country with the Volta Region inclusive.
He further indicated that the NDC government would “facilitate investments by the Minerals Commission in natural salt production at Keta to expand capacity and also find markets for the product in Nigeria and other countries.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, these among others are the significantly crucial projects captured in the NDC Manifesto meant for the people of the Volta Region.
These can only materialise when we all come out in our numbers and vote massively for H.E. John Mahama and all NDC Parliamentary Candidates”, he stressed.
Politics
MOF’s GHC16.3M Approval Causes Stir
In a recent development at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), a controversial decision has come to light regarding the approval of nearly Ghc16.3 million in taxpayer funds by the Ministry of Finance.
The approval, granted on 12th December, 2024, has raised eyebrows due to its dubious nature and the lack of a direct request for such a payment by the CAGD.
The Chief Director of the Finance Ministry, Eva Esselba Mends, greenlit the allocation of the Ghc16.3 million purportedly for upgrading the public financial management system.
This allocation, however, was not in response to the CAGD’s initial request made on August 14, 2024, for Ghc30 million to address the deteriorating working conditions of its staff.
Despite the CAGD’s explicit request for funds to improve staff conditions, the Finance Ministry’s approval focused on allocating funds for a system upgrade.
The discrepancy between the requested amount and the approved sum has raised concerns about possible mismanagement and misuse of public funds.
The letter of approval from the Finance Ministry referenced the CAGD’s earlier request but diverted the funds towards the upgrade of the financial management system.
This decision has prompted speculation and criticism from various quarters regarding the transparency and accountability of the process.
Acting Controller and Accountant General, Kwasi Agyei, emphasized the urgent need for support to address the challenging working conditions faced by CAGD staff.
The mismatch between the requested amount and the approved sum has cast a shadow of doubt over the motives behind the allocation.
The controversial approval of Ghc16.3 million amidst the backdrop of a different funding request has sparked concerns among stakeholders and observers.
The need for clarity and accountability in the allocation and utilization of public funds remains a pressing issue in light of this recent development.
Politics
NPA Boss in Dubious Last Minute Mass Shake Up
The outgoing Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Mustapha Abdul Hamid, has given approval for a series of mass recruitments within the Authority despite being on the verge of leaving his position.
On the 11th of December, 2024, Abdul Hamid circulated a confidential memo labeled “Transfers, Movements, Appointments, and Upgrades” to both Management and staff, detailing the controversial recruitments and redeployments.
“As a follow-up to the memorandum dated 20th November, 2024, outlining measures to enhance the Authority’s efficiency in addressing the needs of internal and external stakeholders, the following transfers, movements, appointments, and upgrades will come into effect on the specified dates,” stated the memo.
The confidential memo contained a list of 49 names earmarked for recruitment, transfers, and appointments.
These individuals are purportedly affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP), raising concerns that Mustapha Hamid is filling the NPA with political allies.
Noteworthy is the trend of widespread recruitments occurring across various Ministries, departments, and agencies at the behest and coordination of outgoing officials from the Akufo-Addo administration.
Accompanying these actions are substantial payments being processed by the government, indicating what seems to be a final phase of plunder and subversion following the NPP’s defeat in the December 7, 2024, elections.
The incoming Mahama administration has pledged to reverse these appointments and financial transactions.
A statement released by the transition team and signed by spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu made it clear that the eleventh-hour appointments will be invalidated.
“To be clear, all public officials are strongly advised to resist any attempts by outgoing political figures to participate in these activities as there may be serious repercussions once the new government assumes office,” read part of the statement.
However, it has come to light that the last-minute appointments are being retroactively dated in a bid to circumvent the incoming administration set to assume power on January 7, 2025
Politics
Cyber Capo’s Torture ‘Chamber’ Uncovered
The Shocking Story of Kidnapping and Human Rights Abuse
The New Republic Newspaper has discovered a secretive dungeon hidden within the Osu suburb of Accra has been unearthed. Operatives of the clandestine National Signal Bureau are the masterminds behind this covert facility, utilising it to unlawfully detain their victims.
The Bureau, helmed by Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahen, stands accused of orchestrating a labyrinthine web of illegal activities, including the abduction of unsuspecting individuals under the cloak of darkness.
Adu-Boahene, recently embroiled in the suspected kidnapping of Sylvia, a manager at Emirates Airlines in Ghana, is described as a ruthless figure known to act with impunity.
Under the veil of secrecy, the Bureau’s rogue cabal, answerable solely to Director-General Adu Boahene himself, has brazenly flouted legal protocols by conducting unauthorized arrests and detentions.
Effort made by TNR to ascertain official position of the Signal Bureau on the shocking revelation has proven futile.
Journalists, political dissidents, and those deemed as adversaries to the Akufo-Addo government have reportedly fallen victim to the Bureau’s shadowy operations.
Within the confines of this clandestine dungeon, shuttered away from public scrutiny, detainees face unspeakable conditions at the hands of a formidable trio of rogue operatives.
Beset by state-of-the-art surveillance equipment procured from abroad, this cabal led by Ben Ansah, a notorious figure within the Bureau, operates with an air of superiority and divine authority.
The menacing presence of Henry Osei Tutu and Simon Kansonk further solidifies this rogue faction as a fearsome force within the Bureau.
The Bureau’s actions stand in stark contrast to its official mandate, which expressly prohibits the arrest and detention of individuals.
The brazen abuse of power by these rogue elements, operating stealthily within the National Signal Bureau, paints a troubling picture of unchecked authority and flagrant disregard for due process.
Allegations of past abuses by rogue National Security personnel underscore a pattern of misconduct and abuse which has fueled concerns over the wanton misuse of power within the security apparatus.
Security analysts have linked these troubling events to a renegade faction spearheaded by Henry Osei-Tutu and Benjamin Ansah, both key figures implicated in various illicit schemes, including abductions and staged robberies.
In the shadows of this covert operation lay disturbing accounts of prominent figures falling prey to these unlawful practices.
The unlawful detention of social media personality Albert Nat Hyde, known as Bongo Ideas, and the harrowing ordeal faced by Sylvia Patience Baah, the Emirates Manager, paint a grim portrait of state-sponsored intimidation and coercion.
As the sordid details of these illicit activities come to light, questions loom over the complicity of higher authorities within the National Security apparatus.
The spectre of abuse of power and the erosion of civil liberties cast a long shadow over the operations of the National Signal Bureau, shrouded in secrecy and intrigue.
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