The Supreme Court has adjourned its ruling on the argument by counsel for the petitioner that witnesses of the 1st and 2nd respondents be compelled by the court to take the witness stand in the ongoing election petition hearing to Thursday, Feb 11,2021.

This follows a decision by the counsels for the 1st and 2nd Respondents not to call forth any witnesses to adduce evidence in court in the matter before the apex court.

Yesterday, the counsels for the two respondents cited Order 38, rule 3 (e) sub-rule 1 and 5 of CI 47 as amended by CI 87 as the basis for their decision to close their case and not call a witness.
Going into details today, both counsels told the apex court that they had expected the petitioner to be happy with their decision since it works in his favour.

Lead counsel for the EC, Justin Amenuvor, supporting his argument with Section 62 of the Evidence Act, held the view that the court cannot compel his client to testify against her will, while lead counsel for the President, Akoto Ampaw maintained that the burden of proof lies with the petitioner and not the respondents.
But disputing these arguments, lead counsel for the petitioner, Tsatsu Tsikata said since the lawyers have not made a submission of no case, the burden of proof does not apply as argued by the lawyers for the EC and Akufo-Addo.

Mr. Tsikata also explained that the EC Chair had earlier indicated during the application for some interrogatories to be served that she was going to submit herself to cross-examination; the basis for which the court took the decision to dismiss Mr. Mahama’s application.

Source richnews

Members of the “Asanteman Nkosuo NPP Mpontuo”, a pro NPP group in the Ashanti Region have denied claims that they were snubbed by the Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia after they visited him at his residence.
The group have again debunked reports circulating on social media that they booed the vice president after the alleged sacking from he(the vice president’s residence).
Addressing the Media in a press conference held Kumasi, chairman of the group who doubles at the founder of Nana Pepeeye Fun Club Dr Mohamed Isaah Ababio noted that they went to the residences of the vice president as NPP foot soldiers to register their grievances only for some people to report on social meadi that they were sacked on the said they.

He added that the vice president through his representative gave them a warm reception even promised to solve their problems and so any reports other than this are false. Dr Issah again disclosed they the group is made up of over 20 identifies groups of the NPP in Ashanti region and so will not do anything to bring the fortunes of the party down.

The Chairman of Northern Region NPP Suporters in Ashanti region Abdulai Iddrisu Atta known as Rambo at the press conference today noted that, they are ever ready and will support any individual the party will present come 2024 elections irrespective of his or her ethnicity color, creed or race.

He finally refused claims by some people saying that the group Asanteman mpontuo or Asanteman Nkosuo is not one of the Identifiable group of
the NPP saying, it is never true that “Nana p3p33p3 ye” fun club is a true leading group of the NPP which is well noted in the Ashanti Region.

Source richnews.com

President Akufo-Addo has appointed a new National Security Coordinator to take over from Deputy National Security Coordinator, Mr. Opare Duncan, who has been acting as National Security Coordinator, following the death of Joshua Kyeremeh, richnews.com has confirmed.

Mr. Kyeremeh who was Ghana’s National Security Coordinator died on Monday, January 18, 2021 while receiving COVID-19 treatment at the Ga East Municipal Hospital.

President Akufo-Addo has appointed Major General Francis Adu-Amanfoh to serve as New National Security Coordinator.

Sources said the President was particularly impressed with his work in Mali where he has been Ambassador since 2017 when Akufo-Addo appointed him. Major-General Adu-Manfoh was reportedly Akufo-Addo’s eyes, ears and legs in Mali feeding him credible, real time intelligence on the Mali situation as ECOWAS Chair and contributing to peace building in the West African country.

His appointment is also believed to be bolstered by his first-hand understanding of anti-terrorism tactics with Ghana facing threats of potential terrorist incursions from the Mali into Burkina Faso and soth towards the Gulf of Guinea.

Adu-Amanfoh is not only a Ghanaian retired army personnel and diplomat, he is also an author.

He is author of “The Roles of Peace and Security, Political Leadership, and Entrepreneurship in the Socio-Economic Development of Emerging Countries: A Compendium of Lessons Learnt from Sub-Saharan Africa”

He has the rank of major general in the Ghana Army and was appointed by John Agyekum Kufour as Ghana’s ambassador to Liberia from February 2006 until March 2009.

Francis Adu Amanfoh had his secondary school education at Prempeh College where he obtained his GCE Advanced level certificate.

In May 2005 he was appointed Head of Defence Intelligence in the Ghana Armed Forces. and was posted as Ambassador to Liberia on 27 January 2006. In 2008 he sued the Ghana Palaver, seeking two billion cedis for defamation after the paper had printed four stories which attempted to create the impression that he was a liar. His term of office as Ambassador to Liberia ended in March 2009.

In July 2017, President Nana Akuffo-Addo named Francis Amanfoh as Ghana’s ambassador to Mali. He was among twenty two other distinguished Ghanaians who were named to head various diplomatic Ghanaian mission in the world.

Source richnews.com

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has suspended with immediate effect the former Deputy General Secretary of the party, Samuel Koku Anyidoho.

The decision to suspend him, according to a letter signed by the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia and sighted by richnews.com follows complains against him by two NDC officials.

The two petitioners, Mr Mubarak Abdul-Karim (Oti Reg. Comm. Officer) and Eric Adjei (Bono Reg Dep Communication Officer) prayed the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the NDC to suspend him for acting in breach of the disciplinary code contained in the NDC constitution.

FEC at its meeting on 20th January, 2021 therefore decision to suspend Mr Anyidoho and refer his case to the disciplinary committee of the party.

Source richnews.com

A swarm of bees has attacked some residents including a two-year-old by at New Town, in Assin Fosu of the Central Region on Sunday morning, February 7, 2021.

A pastor of the Church of Christ was also stricken by the flying insects when he drove to the scene.

After severe stings from the animals, he unconsciously plunged into a parked taxi with registration number GX- 3239-17 whose driver had also escaped from the bees.

Six persons were injured and taken to hospital for treatment including the pastor of the Church of Christ.

The Ghana National Fire Service was called to the scene and managed to save the situation however some of the Fire Service Personnel were not spared by the bees including Journalists who were with the Personnel.

According to residents, the bees have built a hive in the tower of a mosque in the area and some children hurled stones into their colony, thinking they are predators which led to the attack.

Source, richnews

Some traders at the Kumasi Central Market are crying foul over what they described as unannounced ejection by the contractor working on the second phase of the Kejetia Redevelopment project.

Members of the Eleven Member Steering Committee of the Kumasi Central Market and the Concern Central Traders Association in a press release expressed their dissatisfaction on how the contractor is forcefully moving their members out of the market without any prior notice.

The groups disclosed that they have already met the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mayor of Kumasi Metropolis and the contractor on how traders should be moved out of the market anytime the project demands space.

They added that, all stakeholders at the meeting agreed that the contractor could eject traders only after a decent place is allocated to the traders.

They explained that, contrary to their agreement, the contractor on Sunday February 7 ,2021 however went to the market to earmarked a place to be demolished without given them a place to go as agreed earlier.

President for the Concern Central Market Traders Association Frank Antwi in an interview with Ashh News reporter Frank Kojo Boateng urged the authorities to go according to their agreement.

For his part, the Operations Manager for Concern Central Market Traders Association and Eleven Member Steering Committee Mr Kwabena Fosu (MK) said they will ensure that the traders are treated fairly.

Source: richnews

The Spokesperson for the lawyers of the 2nd respondent, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has said that they are excited that the petitioner has ended his case.

Counsel for the petitioner Mr Tsatsu Tsikta has ended the petitioner’s case in court after the third witness of the petitioner, Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo ended his cross-examination today Monday, February 8.

After lawyer for the 2nd Respondent, Mr Akoto Ampaw finished cross-examining Mettle-Nunoo, Tsatsu told the court that “That is the end of our case.”
Lawyer for the EC Justin Amenuvor on Monday February 8 moved to close his case in the ongoing election petition hearing after the cross examination of the third witness of the petitioner, Rojo Mettle Nunoo.

Speaking to the press after proceedings, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said “We are very happy that the petitioner has come to the end of his case and has adduced all the evidence that he has, evidence which is supposed to prove that nobody had 50%.”

According to him,we have seen the petitioner put three witnesses in the box we are of the view that that the court will do a good job in determining whether or not these witnesses have provided any evidence that supports the petition and these issues the court is seeking to determine.

Source richnews

Today’s court proceeding has been one of a scene of laughter and, of course, the seriousness that it always carries.

We all need laughter here and there to ease the pressure sometimes, and that is exactly what Mr. Rojo Mettle Nunoo rendered in today’s proceedings at the court.

Mr. Rojo Mettle Nunoo made everyone laugh as he answered a question from EC’s lawyer Amenuvor.

“I was offered tea, I wasn’t offered biscuits” – Mr. Rojo Nunoo responded to the EC’s Lawyer Amenuvor question.

Everyone was caught up in laughter, not even the EC boss was left out.

EC Boss Jean Mensa was also caught up in the laughter – she was actually caught laughing hysterically in the video.

“I WAS OFFERED TEA, I WASN’T OFFERED BISCUITS” – MR ROJO METTLE NUNOO TO THE EC’S LAWYER AMENUVOR

NOT EVEN THE EC CHAIR, JEAN MENSAH COULD HOLD HER LAUGHTER INSIDE THE SUPREME COURT ROOM ELECTION PETITION

Source: richnews

Founder of Citizen Eye Ghana Mr Alex Kwaku Tetteh who is also a native of Akyim Aprade in Achiase constituency has said it is rather unfortunate anytime it comes enlistment into Ghana arm forces people Aprade and it’s environs don’t get a slot yet where the Achiase Jungle Warfare school is situated,the land belongs to the people of Aprade.

He added they know Nana Addo to be a listen president therefore they are appealing to him to take it into consideration by telling those incharge of the recruitment to consider the youth in Aprade and it’s environs by given them a slot into the military.

He made these statements yesterday at Akyim Aprade during a press conference.

Some of the youth in the town also complain bitterly about their road especially road from Oda to Akenkensu,and Akenkensu to Aprade.

According to them when it rains they find it difficult to apply the road due to the bad state of it.

One of the drivers who has been applying that road for so many years now said due to that he can perform better in bed of late.

They said their hope that road is President Nana Addo and the road minister Hon Amoako Arthur since they are the only people who can help them.

Source richnews

Akwasi Asiamah, a 28-year-old owner of a hairdressing salon at Amokom in Kumasi has been arrested by the police for locking up a police officer and officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana in his shop.

His action is said to have followed an attempt by a police CID and the ECG personnel to cause his arrest for illegally tapping power into his shop and also owing the power distributor over GHC7,000 for the illegal connection.

According to the Manager for the Ashanti regional Strategic Business Unit of the ECG, Mr Erasmus Kyere Baidoo, narrated that on January 9, 2021, officials of EC visited Asiamah’s salon and detected that he had tapped into a single-phase energy metre to connect power to his salon.

It was again detected that he had consumed illegal power for a year which amounted to GH¢7,486.56, that is 6792 Kwh, and was accordingly billed.

Mr Baidoo narrated that several attempts to get Asiamah to settle the cost failed and that necessitated another visit by the police and ECG to his salon on February 2, 2021.

He said the officials having disconnected the power supply to the shop on the first visit realized on the second visit that the shop owner had illegally reconnected his salon to a nearby shop and was working with an uninterrupted power supply.

The officials upon this realization are said to have confronted the salon operator about the illegal act and threatened to arrest him for having committed an offence.

“However, Mr Asiamah who was angered by the attempt of the police and the personnel from ECG to arrest him, got out of the salon and used two big padlocks to lock them in the salon and left the scene,” Mr Baidoo said.

According to the ECG PR Manager, Asiamah after locking up the shop with the police officer and the ECG officials still inside went to the Asokwa Police Station and made a complaint that robbers had come to his salon to rob and then went ahead to give the number of the police CID who was part of the people locked up in the shop as a suspect.

“When the number was called, the officer identified himself and asked that Asiamah be detained.

“Asiamah was later transferred from the Asokwa Police Station to the Kumasi Central Police,” Mr Baidoo said.

Mr Baidoo in his narration revealed that the stranded ECG officials and the police officer had to place a call for help and endured being locked up for a while before they were rescued by another police officer who brought the keys to open the locks for them.

Source richnews