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Mahama’s timely intervention prevents Minority from boycotting 2024 SONA


The timely intervention of former President John Dramani Mahama, Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), prevented the NDC Parliamentary Minority Caucus from boycotting President Akufo-Addo’s penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA) to Parliament.

Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Deputy Minority Leader and NDC Member of Parliament for Ellembele, made this known in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after the presentation of the Address to Parliament on Tuesday.

Mr Buah said the members of the Minority were not happy with a lot of decisions the Government had taken.

He noted that the responsibility of Parliament was to take Bills through very rigorous processes before passing them into law, after which the President must assent to them.

‘The President, for example, is holding the Witchcraft Bill and has signaled certain Bills that he intends not to sign, that is an affront to the Parliament of Ghana,’ he said.

‘And we wanted to really let him know that in this Parliament he can’t
trample on us, we represent the people of Ghana.’

‘But obviously after engagement with the Leader of our Party, we decided to come back. But at least he (the President) heard the message that we are not going to allow him to trample upon the independence of Parliament.’

At the time President Akufo-Addo arrived in Parliament House around 1000 hours, the Minority side of the Chamber was empty, while the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Majority Caucus was in full attendance.

The absence of the Minority at initial stage led to a delay of about one hour in commencement of business in the House.

However, after the behind-the-scenes negotiations, at about 1100 hours, the NDC Minority began trickling into the Chamber until around 1145 hours when their side of the House was full before the presentation of the SONA began.

Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution imposes an obligation on Members of Parliament (MPs), the Speaker and the Judiciary to receive the President’s Message on the State of the Nation.

So
urce: Ghana News Agency

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Agona East District Assembly fails to elect PM again


The Agona East District Assembly has for the second time failed to elect a Presiding Member (PM) to steer affairs and deliberations of the Assembly in the next two years.

Mr Ishmael Odoom, Assemblyman for Agona Asafo Electoral Area, had 16 votes while Mr Timothy Ebo Essandoh, a Government Appointee, polled 12 votes.

Two of the votes were rejected.

None of the two contestants on February 12, emerged victorious after two rounds of voting when the Assembly was officially inaugurated at Agona Nsaba.

The election was supervised by Agona East District Director of Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Patience Sherbrah.

Addressing the members after the election, Mr Mohammed Alhasan, Agona East District Coordinating Director, reiterated calls on members to put aside personal interests so that the decentralisation and rural development process would succeed.

Mr Alhasan urged the members of the Assembly to act as positive agents of rural development to seek the betterment of the lives of their people.

He said the absen
ce of a Presiding Member would not be easy for the management of the Assembly and urged them to elect a PM at their next meeting in the month of March to facilitate its work.

Source: Ghana News Agency

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FECAFOOT reacts after AFCON incident with Geremi Njitap


The Cameroon Football Federation has rebuked claims made by the Cameroon Footballers Syndicate (SYNAFOC) regarding alleged incidents in the Indomitable lions dressing room during the 2023 AFCON.

In a communique signed by SYNAFOC’s Secretary General four weeks ago, SYNAFOC claimed that Geremi Njitap had been threatened by FECAFOOT’s Director of Protocol when he visited the Lions’ dressing room to celebrate their triumph against Gambia despite being in possession of valid accreditation.

In response, FECAFOOT issued a statement via a communique clarifying that access to dressing rooms during the AFCON was granted solely after presentation of the day’s PASS, which Njitap was not in possession of.

FECAFOOT further highlighted that Njitap ignored the protocol and attempted to bypass the CAF security, thereby causing a heated argument.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

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Galim: IED detected, destroyed by security elements


An improvised explosive device has been deactivated along the Galim-Keneghang stretch in Galim subdivision of the the West region by security elements this February 26, 2024.

The explosive device built up with a phone was detected at the moment the Divisional Officer (DO) of Galim, Tabi Chu Martin Agbor and his delegation were about heading to the royal palace of Bamendjing to take part in a traditional ceremony. The origin of the explosive device and who it was targeting remain unclear but many suspect it was targeting the DO’s convoy.

‘We were already in Bamendjing to take part in the Mo’o ritual when security elements suddenly alerted us saying we should go to the palace for our security,’ a witness told us.

‘We were then informed that an explosive had just been detected in Galim. It is the same road we took before reaching here. Thank God it did not explode,’ the witness added.

Local sources suspected the device was implanted by separatist fighters from the neighboring crisis hit North West region. Ga
lim is a locality bordered by Balikumbat and Santa in the North West region and has in the past, been threatened by separatist incursions. The most recent one happened at the market square of Bamenyam on November 21, 2023 with a raid by separatist fighters which claimed the lives of at least 9 persons.

The new DO of the locality was recently installed and had as major priority to fight against insecurity in the zone. The administrator had worked with Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique before his appointment as DO on Thursday January 18, 2024.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

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Bamendjin people urged to reconcile with ancestors after fon returns from trip at bottom of lake


The people of Bamendjing, a village in Galim subdivision of the West region have been urged to reconcile with their ancestors by rehabilitating their shrines which have been neglected.

This is the message from ancestors of the land channeled to the people through their Fon, HRM Fon Pekeko Isaac at the esplanade of the royal palace of Bamendjing on Monday February 26, 2024 after returning from a spiritual journey made in lake Bamendjing.

The spiritual peregrination according to the traditions of Bamendjing, is a ritual which sees the Fon take on a journey into the lake, communicate with his ancestors and receive an important message for his people.

Monday’s event began at about 8am with the visit of some shrines by the traditional authority and his delegation made up of notables, princes and princesses. Then followed the spiritual journey by the Fon to a world ‘beyond mortal comprehension’. The Fon was later triumphantly welcomed by his people to the esplanade of the Palace after spending about 3 hours in t
he unknown place.

The main message from the ancestors was the rehabilitation of their shrines which have long been neglected by the people. According to the traditional ruler, this will go a long way to fortify the ties between the ancestors and the people of Bamendjing.

‘I discussed with my fathers, 18 of them and they told me to pass the message to my people. Message of reconciliation. The people have been neglecting many traditional aspects. So it was time for me to take on this journey which is beyond human understanding,’ the Fon explained.

The peregrination day, marked the Fon’s immersion at the bottom of the lake also saw the suspension of business and farming activities. The event was also marked by the presence of a host of traditional authorities from neighboring villages likes BSti, Bamegoung and Bamoun.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

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Mbouda: 11-year-old sexually assaulted by teacher


A class four teacher at Government Primary School Kontsa, in Mbouda subdivision in the West region is currently being detained by elements of the National Gendarmerie for allegedly sexually assaulting one of his female pupils.

The teacher aged about 47 whose name we got as Tchoffo Beaujalin reportedly assaulted the eleven-year old, shaved her head and kept her hair in a bottle for mystical reasons.

The man was caught after being spotted on the night of Saturday breaking Sunday February 25, accompanying the young girl after molesting her.

The kid explained she had been assaulted by her teacher who intimidated her on multiple occasions and then bought her sweets, porc, juice and spaghetti in an attempt to convince her to stay slent on the issue.

‘He saw me cracking nuts and asked for some. When I gave him, he left and came back some minutes later then urged me to follow him promising to buy me juice. He carried me and took me to a drinking spot where he bought me the juice and bought three beers for himself
,’ the kid narrated.

‘After some time, I became worried and told him I had to go home but he refused and bought spaghetti and porc to convince me to stay again. He then took me to a room where he began putting his fingers into my anus promising to give me 1000,’ the kid added.

Beaujalin on his part denied the accusations but admitted knowing that 11-year-old as his pupil.

Some eyewitnesses said they had seen the pair ut were convinced they had a father-daughter relationship and could never imagine any intimacy between them.

Beaujalin after undergoing mob from furious locals, was handed over to competent authorities.

Source: Cameroon News Agency