Day: September 13, 2020

Don’t Repeat Nyantakyi’s Mistakes – Elvis Afriyie Ankrah Cautions Kurt Okraku

9 months ago Statefm

ormer Sports Minister under the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah has advised Mr. Kurt Okraku, the President of the Ghana Football Association to learn from the mistakes of his predecessor, Mr. Kwesi Nyantaky.

He said Kurt Okraku should not repeat the mistakes of his predecessor Kwesi Nyantakyi.

Mr. Nyantakyi has been banned for life from all football-related activities by FIFA after he was caught in the Anas Number documentary.

According to the former Sports Minister, it will be too premature to judge Kurt Okraku as he has not even spent a year as the GFA boss.

“Kurt Okraku has not spent even a year as the GFA president so let’s give him the opportunity to prove himself,” he told Kumasi FM

“Let’s together support him with prayers to succeed but he must learn lessons from his predecessor and make sure he does not repeat those same mistakes.”

Kwasi Nyantakyi was the GFA boss for nearly 13 years.

Free SHS: No Serious Manifesto Will Scrap Double-Track – Kweku Baako Criticizes NDC Manifesto Committee

9 months ago Statefm

The Managing Editor of the New crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has questioned the research methodology of the committee that put together the NDC manifesto, specifically the educational sector.

According to him, had they done a good job, they would not have put the scrapping of the double-track system in the manifesto.

” . . truly, I thought the agitation on double track which I said was propagandist ought not to find its way into any serious manifesto if indeed the manifesto team was researching and knew that there’s a time frame; this thing is transitional…”

“It’s needless agitation but it’s borne out of the earlier targeting of double-track in order to devalue the free SHS policy . . . leading them to put it in the manifesto without seriously thinking thoroughly about it,” he indicated on Joy Newsfile programme.

The NDC says even though the free SHS has come to stay, the double-track system will be scrapped when they assume office.

In its 2020 People’s Manifesto, it indicated that, “we have every plan and desire to make the free SHS much better by ensuring that numerous challenges are addressed and that higher operational and academic standards are introduced and sustained. To do this, we will abolish the double-track system.”

Kweku Baako had mentioned on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo‘ that it will be wrong for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to scrap the double-track system.

He said even if they will scrap it, they should indicate a time frame because taking off the double-track system at once will mean ‘killing’ the free SHS policy.

“Double-track is essential, though a transitional feature of the Free SHS, you toy with the idea that you’ll cancel but you don’t give a time frame. I think this government gave a time frame (5 years) to phase out double-track system. This was a pragmatic reaction to a herculean task. The NDC should tell us when they will cancel the double-track system. What is the time frame, one, two, or three years? In fact, it is an unrealistic proposition, it ought not to be canvassed. If you put this in your manifesto and you proceed on that you’ll within a year collapse the system.” 

Over Two Million Jobs Created Under Akufo-Addo – NPP

9 months ago Statefm

Speaking at the NPP’s ‘The Youth Must Know’ series on Thursday, 10 September 2020, Nana B noted: “The NPP has created over two million jobs in three and a half years (2,055,010).
These include:
• Public Sector – 778,706
• Formal Private Sector – 267,939
• Government Job-Creation Programmes – 1,008,365.”
Giving a breakdown of the figure, he said jobs were created through five government programmes, which are: Planting for Food and Jobs (Annual Average): 762,300
• Nation Builders Corps: 100,000
• National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan (NEIP): 92,000
• National Identification Authority: 35,380
• Out-grower Value Chain Fund (OVCF) (Annual Average): 7,254
• Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project (Annual Average): 11,431

On education, the National Youth Organiser stressed that Akufo-Addo’s record is unmatched, especially with the coming into being of the Free SHS programme, which saved over 1.2 million students from staying at home.

“The universally-acclaimed Free SHS and TVET Education have seen 1.2 million beneficiaries. The government has absorbed registration fees for children sitting the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) from both public (391,318) and private (397,500) Junior High Schools in 2020. The difference this makes to both parents and their wards cannot be overemphasized! In addition, the government has also paid Ghc75 million as examination fees for 313,838 students sitting the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE),” Nana B remarked.
He added: “Unrivalled infrastructural projects in SHS and Basic Schools – 1,200 infrastructural projects in SHS and 557 at the basic school level. This development also encompasses libraries– the construction of 2 libraries and renovation of 10 existing libraries, including the Accra Central, Asokore and Hohoe libraries. The construction and establishment of ten (10) Training Centres of Excellence for the Council for Technical, Vocational Education and Training (COTVET).

“Restoration of Teacher Trainees Allowance to 48,000 teacher trainees which cost Ghc 357 million in the 2020 fiscal year alone, restoration of Nursing Trainees Allowance to 49,000 nursing trainees which also cost Ghc336 million in the 2020 fiscal year.

“Youth scholarships for over 30,000 brilliant and needy students via the District Level Scholarship Scheme in 2019, alone, projected to be over 60,000 students in 2020.”

Comparing the manifesto of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and that of the NPP, Nana B said that of the major opposition is full of contradictions and promising spree.

“The promising spree, contradictions and u-turns of Mr John Mahama and the NDC signal only one thing: that their singular aim is to say and do whatever it takes–including what the devil may himself frown upon– to capture political power,” Nana B stressed.

He concluded: “The NDC says they will create one million jobs in 4 years. What did they do in 8 years? Can we go and check their records? If indeed the NDC can create one million jobs in 4 years, it means they created 2 million jobs in 8 years. Since the answer to the above rhetorical questions are a big, fat NO, we can aptly say that Mahama and his NDC are back to their mendacity just to win an election.

“Still holding onto the idea that Ghanaians have short memories, Mr Mahama is now promising to maintain the Nursing and Teacher Trainee allowances. S3 kwaterekwa s3 ob3 ma wo ntama a, tie ne din. Was he not the same person who claimed they were not tenable and therefore cancelled them? Does he think he can lie his way to victory in the upcoming elections?

“Mahama and the NDC have promised to absorb 50% of fees of tertiary students for the 2020 /2021 academic year. For someone who vehemently opposed Free SHS and even claimed it was impossible to implement because he was bereft of innovative ideas, what can he do to tertiary education? We must ensure such a person does not come to power to mess up our education system!

“Must we really remind Ghanaians about the sordid reality of dumsor, the plethora of collapsed businesses and its concomitant hiked unemployment? How can such a person who could not stabilise the power supply for eight years do it in four years? Are we ready for another NDC term to turn back the hand of the clock to those dark days?”

NDC Bigwigs Approached Me To Rain Insults On Rawlings And Konadu

9 months ago Statefm

As earlier indicated in Professor Ahwoi’s “Working with Rawlings” book that the likes of Dr. Omane Boamah, Felix Kwakye Ofosu and Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa were recruited purposely to speak ill of the founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a former Deputy General Secretary of the NDC Koku Anyidoho claims he was asked to do a similar job.

According to him, while working as the Director of Communications at the Presidency under the late President Atta Mills, he was approached on two occasions by two different big men in the party to launch verbal attacks on Mr Rawlings and his wife Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.

“Ahwoi’s book claimed some people were recruited to insult President Rawlings, I was also called on two different occasions by two different big people that I should go and insult Rawlings,” he disclosed.

Speaking on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, the Chief Executive Officer of Atta Mills Institute said that he shared that information with the late President Atta Mills about the intention of these NDC bigwigs.

He added that the late President Atta Mills warned him not to adhere to the stalwart’s wishes as that will end his political career.

“When I went upstairs to inform President Mills about it that some two persons want me to insult Rawlings and Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, he told me that I should not allow myself to be used as cannon fodder for someone’s cause; the day you will insult Jerry Rawlings, that is the end of your political career,” he admonished.

“Those people who are calling you to insult Jerry Rawlings, they have sought audience with me on several occasions to dispense with your services, but I told them I won’t sack you today, I won’t sack you tomorrow. So, this is their next modus operandi; immediately you insult Jerry Rawlings, they will come to me and say ‘you see what Koku has done?’” he said.

Martin Amidu Steps In… Demands Information On Agyapa Deal From Parliament

9 months ago Statefm

“This office will be concentrating on any potential of the said transaction(s) to promote and facilitate the suspected commission of corruption and corruption-related offences and advise the government accordingly” a portion of the statement read.
Agyapa deal
The Agyapa deal generated lots of controversies and tussle between the ruling government, the opposition and some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
The deal which started in June 2018 when Parliament passed the Minerals Income Investment Fund (Act 2018) to manage the equity interests in mining companies and also receive royalties on behalf of the Government of Ghana generated controversy when on August 14, 2020, the Majority MPs secured the numbers to pass the agreement causing the Minority to stage a walked out.
Meanwhile, government insists the deal is for the country’s own good

God Has Hardened Mahama’s Heart Like Pharaoh’s – Charles Owusu Preaches

9 months ago Statefm

It’s been days since the Akyem Mafia & sakawa boys debate started.

There have been calls for the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama to apologize for validating the post by MP, Isaach Adongo.

A post which has been described by many as ethnocentric.

Charles Owusu of the Forestry Commission who feels Mr Mahama should have apologised immediately the criticisms started, asked Ghanaians to understand the former President because God has hardened his heart like Pharoah.

“I thought if you do something and a lot of people are speaking against it; you apologize or explain yourself but I’m not surprised; a similar thing happened in the Bible. With all the miraculous works God performed, you would expect that Pharaoh would have a change of heart but it didn’t happen. God hardened his heart and so Ghanaians should understand and be patient with Mahama. Because God wanted to shame Pharaoh and bring glory to His name he hardened his heart…You’ve been a president in this country…” he said on Peace FM morning show ‘Kokrokoo‘

 

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God Has Hardened Mahama’s Heart Like Pharaoh’s – Charles Owusu Preaches

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Don’t Repeat Nyantakyi’s Mistakes – Elvis Afriyie Ankrah Cautions Kurt Okraku

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Over Two Million Jobs Created Under Akufo-Addo – NPP

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NDC Bigwigs Approached Me To Rain Insults On Rawlings And Konadu

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