SARPONG'S BLOG

                                L-R: Tina Mensah, Jessica Manuel and Obuobia Darko-Opoku By: Fred Yaw Sarpong The all-female parliamentary contest in the Weija-Gbawe constituency will be a keen contest as election watchers have predicted the battle will not be an easy one. . The contest is among the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Obuobia Darko-Opoku; the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, Tina Mensah and Jessica Adwoa Manuel Simpson from the Progressive People’s Party (PPP). The two-time aspirants; Obuobia Darko-Opoku and Jessica Adwoa Manuel Simpson of the PPP are facing Tina Mensah who is a fresh candidate riding on the success of the NPP in that constituency. However, pollsters have limited the battle between the NDC candidate, Obuobia Darko- Opoku and Tina Mensah of the NPP. A Pollster and Elections Expert, Ben Ephson has already predicted that the NDC will not...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong It’s about 13 days to the Presidential and Parliamentary election in Ghana. The December 7, 2016 election will be the 7th Parliamentary elections to be held in the country since the 1992 Constitution came into existence. Per the 1992 Constitution every four years, elections must be organized by the Electoral Commission (EC) in order to allow the voting public to elect their President and Parliamentarians.                                                       Dr. Zenator Rawlings Winning a Parliamentary seat is by a majority votes or a higher percentage obtained by a candidate, unlike the President who must get 50% plus a single vote cast. If none of the presidential candidate is able to get 50% plus one vote the law requires for a round-off to be organized for the two main candidates who had higher votes counted. One of th...

By: Sefakor Fekpe sefjoan@gmail.com The Mpamproase and Kudikope communities in the Asuogyamang District of the Eastern region have expressed worry about the high rate of teenage pregnancy among female pupils in the area.  Speaking at the inauguration of a three-unit classroom block for the Mpamproase basic school built by an NGO, Pencils of Promise, the head teacher of the school, Sarpong William Yaw said for the past eight years, only one female pupil has been able to complete both JHS and SHS. He described the situation as very worrying.  The two communities are therefore appealing to the Ghana Education Service to as a matter of urgency post female teachers to the basic schools to serve as role models for the pupils.  “I have been here for eight years and only one has completed JHS and SHS. It’s like the children when they reach JHS two, all of a sudden then they are get pregnant. So one problem also is that we don’t have female teachers here; if t...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong   Ghana as crude oil importing country will benefit from the International Oil Pollution Corporation Fund if the country witnesses oil spill at its ocean.   “The fund is a global fund and it’s meant for the countries that import crude oil. The fund is voluntary but Ghana through the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) contributes annually on behalf of Ghana,” Mr. Kojo Agbenor Efunam, the Deputy Director in charge of oil and gas at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) told the Daily Express.   He explained that the fund is mostly for crude oil importing countries but not those into production and exportation.   Mr. Efunam further explained that once Ghana is part of the fund, anytime there is an oil spill involving an oil tanker on the seas of Ghana, the country can apply for the fund to solve any problem resulting from the spillage.   “If the incident does not involve a tanker the country does not benefit. But if the incident involves a ...

By: Fred Yaw Sarpong   Ghana Cocoa Board, this year spent an amount of GHc474,384 on awards for 167 farmers at various locations across the country, as part of the 2016 National Farmer’s Day celebration.   Beneficiaries of the package include cocoa, coffee and shea farmers at the District, Regional and National levels during the 2016 Farmer’s Day which took place earlier this month.   Dr. Francis Kofi Oppong, the Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Agronomy and Quality Control at the COCOBOD told the Daily Express that the initiative was to appreciate the works of these groups of people in the country.   He mentioned some of the packages received by the farmers as a brand new Toyota Hilux Pick-up for the winner, full pieces of GTP cloths, television sets, machetes, motorized spraying machines, complete set of protective clothings, litres of insecticides and plaques. Others are new tricycles, double door fridges, knapsack sprayers, pairs of hand gloves, we...

By: Sefakor Fekpe sefjoan@gmail.com Pencils of Promise (PoP), an NGO in education has commissioned a three-unit classroom block each for the people of Mpamproase and Asegya in the Asuogyamang District of the Eastern Region.  The two Kindergarten blocks worth Ghc400, 000 came to replace the deplorable structures which according to the head-teachers of both schools were having dire consequences on teaching and learning especially during the rainy season.  The new blocks consist of offices to accommodate teachers, sanitation and water storage facilities. This brings to total three completed three-unit blocks after the first one commissioned in Sapor D/A school. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Country Director of PoP, Freeman Gobah said the organisation was moved by the dilapidated and life threatening school structures, which were housing young children; thus leading to the construction of the state of the art classrooms in collaboration with the District ...

By: Emelia Essumanba- Josiah essumanba@gmail.com Access Bank has unveiled its newest branch at the Cargo Centre village in Airport City increasing its business office locations to forty-seven.  The ultra- modern branch, according to a press statement is said to be a strategic move to bring world-class banking to its customers and cater for the specialised needs of the business community within the Airport City enclave. Mr. Dolapo Ogundimu, Managing Director said that the bank’s presence within the cargo centre enclave demonstrates its unflinching commitment to play a meaningful role in Ghana’s development.  “We see ourselves as major contributors and are supporting businesses to access banking services without having to move long distances”, he added.  Accordingly, he added that the Bank will further deepen its financial inclusion agenda and play a facilitating role for cargo and passenger handling payments at one of the largest cargo hub...

By: Raphael Apetorgbor   rapetorgbor@theeventpr.com The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly, (LEKMA) of Accra, Mr. Seth Badu Tawiah, has dismissed the insinuation that there was division among constituency executives in the area , describing it as part of a plot to blackmail the area as disunited.   He was speaking to the Daily Express in an interview   on Friday , about speculations that the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ledzokuku constituency, Mrs. Benita Sena Okity –Duah, Former MP, Mr. Nii Nortey Duah and Former MCE, Mr. Daniel Amartey are alleged to be embroiled in personality clashes which has led to polarization among the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).   Mrs. Sena Okity –Duah, who is aspiring as the MP for the constituency beat her three male contenders during the NDC parliamentary primaries in November last year thus, Former MP, Mr. Nii Nortey Duah, Former MCE, Mr. Daniel Amartey and Gilbert ...

By: Raphael Apetorgbor   rapetorgbor@theeventpr.com   The Greater Accra Security Council has warned those agitating for violence as the   December 7   poll approaches to have a rethink, saying government would not fold its hands and allow anyone to plunge the country into crisis.   The Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo who gave the warning to the Daily Express, in Accra, said government would not watch whiles some individuals and caucus create unnecessary tension in the region in the guise of political machination. “Lion” as Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo is affectionately known assured the people living in the city that effort was far advanced towards strengthening the Police-community watch-dog collaboration and intelligence gathering in the city to halt the occurrence of crime.   The Regional Minister who doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kpone- Katamanso constituency further appealed passionately to Ghanaians to eschew vio...

…But NPP told to call supporters to order The campaign team of President John Dramani Mahama has condemned a clash between the supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and that of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Accra. A statement signed by the Spokesperson for the President Mahama 2016 Campaign, Madam Joyce Bawa Mogtari, said the NDC accused the NPP of twisting the story thereby painting a gloomy picture of the ruling party as though they started the incident. She therefore called the leaders of NPP to call their supporters to order. The statement follows a confrontation between some supporters of the two major parties last Sunday in front of Nana Addo’s resident in Accra where some members of the NDC were on a health walk. The incident which resulted in gunshots was brought under control by the Nima police. “The sad developments, which were occasioned by an unprovoked attack followed by sporadic gunshots by identified hooligans from the Nima residence of Nana Aku...

Traders in the Western Region have expressed gratitude to President John Dramani Mahama and the Chief Executive Officer of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Mrs. Sedina Tamakloe Attionu for supporting them financially. They said the assistance would empower them to expand their businesses and improve their livelihood. The traders made this commendation when MASLOC through the intervention of President Mahama disbursed loans totalling GHc36,800.00 to them in 11 constituencies of the Region. The amount was given to 37 groups made up of 924 beneficiaries. They said they had never thought that such an opportunity would be falling them since there were equally millions of Ghanaians who were looking for the MASLOC intervention. The traders pledged their commitment to follow all the regulations attached to the loan facilities. Mrs. Attionu, the Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC, said women played a vital role towards the development of the economy adding tha...

The Electoral Commission (EC) will in the 2016 elections go by its norm of not announcing Special Voting results as the Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit which seeks an order to compel the EC to declare the results on the same day. According to the Supreme Court justices, led by Justice William Atuguba, the suit being sought by the plaintiffs were not in agreement with the 1992 Constitution. The five-member panel also said the end of the special voting cannot be considered as end of polls and can therefore not be announced. Other members of the panel are Mr. Justice Anin Yeboah, Mr. Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, Mr. Justice Jones Dotse, and Mr. Justice A.A. Benin. A member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Kwame Amoako-Tuffuor sued the Commission at the apex court seeking an order that will compel the EC to count and declare outcome of special voting separately. Dr. Amoako Tufour, joined by two other Ghanaians, Benjamin Arthur and Adreba Abrefa Damoa questioned...