Agyapa deal: Minority asked to seek redress at appropriate quarters

Daniel Opare
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Government’s spokesperson on Finance and a member of the Committee in Parliament, Daniel Okyem Aboagye, has asked the minority to consider seeking redress at the appropriate quarters if to end the controversy surrounding the controversial Agyapa deal.

This statement by the Member of Parliament for Bantama constituency follows the minority’s insistence that the deal is a mere ploy by the NPP to milk the state through the Agyapa deal.

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) introduced a Minerals Income Investment Fund (“MIIF”) which has been approved by Parliament despite a walkout by the minority.

The Agreements seek to mortgage Ghana’s future mineral royalties and long term national assets in perpetuity, without any regard to its implication on future national revenue streams.

Per the transaction, the Akufo Addo government will use a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), Agyapa Royalties, incorporated as an offshore company in Jersey, in the Channel Islands, a known tax haven, in exchange for an upfront amount of ¢500 million, under the Mineral Development Fund Act, 2018 (Act 978) and its amendment Act, which strangely, was yet to be assented to by the President in accordance with article 106 of the 1992 Constitution to make it law.

According to the agreement, The Government of Ghana will own 51 per cent of the shares of the company and remaining 49 per cent floated on the London Stock Exchange.

In an interview on Atinka FM’s AM Drive with host Ekourba Gyasi, Daniel Okyem Aboagye, advised the Minority to go to court if they suspect something fishy.

“ I am saying this with all humility, if the NDC thinks the NPP has erred in any way , I believe there is an arm of government responsible for handling such grievances. I think the NDC is just scared of the future, looking at how the Akufo-Addo led administration has manned the affairs of the country with over 18,000 projects in just first term”, he added.

Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu Boatemaa

Dome Faase: Okyehene exposes "land guard chief"

Daniel Opare
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The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has clarified that the man claiming to be owner of the Dome Faase disputed land, Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma is not the Mponuahene of Akyem Abuakwa.

According to Okyenhene, in a statement signed by Secretary of the Akyem Abuakwa State, Dan Ofori Atta, Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma is not recognized and accepted as a Chief or a holder of any traditional authority in Akyem Abuakwa.

On Tuesday 25th August, 2020, Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma with the assistance of thugs and hoodlums provoked an unneeded social conflict by unlawfully invading the village of Dome Faase in the Obom- Domeabra Constituency.

“The Dome Faase incident has not the knowledge and or acceptance of His Majesty Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin. We wish to state unequivocally, that Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma is not the Mponuahene of Akyem Abuakwa. He is not recognized and accepted as a Chief or a holder of any traditional authority in Akyem Abuakwa,” the Okyenhene stated.

Okyenhene made it clear that Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma acted as land guard in furtherance of his illicit and criminal profession related to unlawful sand winning, unauthorised sale of lands and violation of the order and enforcement of the public policy which has been his hall mark.

He added that,”He has time without number disrespected summons to appear before the Kyebi Executive Council to answer queries regarding his nefarious activities.”

Meanwhile, the Okyenhene has called on the Inspector General of the Ghana Police Service to order for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the Dome Faase violence .

Below is a statement:

PUBLIC STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THIS IS WITH AUGUST ORDER OF THE OKYENHENE REGARDING THE INVASION OF DOME – FAASE IN THE OBOM-DOMEABRA CONSTITUENCY

It has become necessary and of immediate concern to react to news reports that a certain Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma purporting to be Mponuahene of Akyem Apedwa has attributed his unlawful conduct with regards to the invasion of Dome Faase to the Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.

The news as reported by several media outlets represents a grave assault on the dignity of the Ofori Panin Stool.

On Tuesday 25th August, 2020, Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma with the assistance of thugs and hoodlums provoked an unneeded social conflict by unlawfully invading the village of Dome Faase in the Obom- Domeabra Constituency.

The Dome Faase incident has not the knowledge and or acceptance of His Majesty Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.

We wish to state unequivocally, that Bafour Sarpong Kumankuma is not the Mponuahene of Akyem Abuakwa. He is not recognized and accepted as a Chief or a holder of any traditional authority in Akyem Abuakwa.

He acted as land guard in furtherance of his illicit and criminal profession related to unlawful sand winning, unauthorised sale of lands and violation of the order and enforcement of the public policy which has been his hall mark. He has time without number disrespected summons to appear before the Kyebi Executive Council to answer queries regarding his nefarious activities.

This point is to the effect that the Osagyefuo dissociates himself from the criminal incident at Dome Faase. Further to this, it must be made clear that there is no authorized associative responsibility to the person of the Okyenhene.

What is of immediate concern to the Ofori Panin Fie, is the resultant effect to disturb the immemorial unity and historic solidarity of Akyem Abuakwa and the Ga State. The Okyenhene wishes to assure the people of Dome Faase and the Ga State of his commitment to peaceful co-existence and harmony which has characterized the relationship between Okyeman and the Ga State.

Further to this point, I am directed to call on the Inspector General of the Ghana Police Service to order for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.

Signed D. M. OFORI ATTA STATE SECRETARY

CC: THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE HEADQUARTERS – ACCRA

THE GA TRADITIONAL COUNCIL

Ghana| Atinkaonline.com

Elizabeth Ohene writes: All-knowing neutrals

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Last year, I wrote a column about Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and think tanks. I am revisiting the subject and I crave your indulgence if there is a lot of repetition.
The CSOs are currently very busy doing what they do best, which is to point out what the government is doing wrong. Since that is their self-appointed role, I wouldn’t feel the need to comment but for the persistent fact that the CSOs appear to think that any criticism directed at them means one is against them.

I can’t understand why it is okay for them to point out what they believe to be wrong and yet, someone pointing out what they might have gotten wrong is supposed to mean you don’t want them to exist.

These groups have strong opinions and express them in colourful language. I like that. They claim to love Ghana far more than anybody else and definitely more than anybody in politics. I have problems with that. They claim to be honest, hardworking and effective and they have answers to every problem. They are mistaken.

They say they are not party political, and they are openly disdainful towards those in politics, especially those in government. It is sometimes difficult to discern that they believe anyone apart from them serves Ghana or has good intentions towards Ghana.

They seem to operate on the general principle that governments are corrupt and ineffective and NGOs and CSOs are clean and effective. For what it is worth, I disagree.

Then there is the continuing determination to see all politics as corrupt and evil. Thus, people will go to great lengths to disclaim any connection with politics or political parties.

And yet many of the practices that we all frown upon in public life today were introduced into Ghanaian society by our sainted NGOs and CSOs. The business of paying people to attend workshops and seminars, for example, entered the public sector when these organisations started operating on a large scale in this country.

Community

For years, the CSO community felt so superior, so special, they even found ways to avoid paying tax on their earnings.

I can’t quite work out why if I choose to work inside a political party, then I immediately become corrupt, manipulative and ineffective. For every corrupt, manipulative and ineffective person operating within a political party, we can find and there are corrupt, manipulative and ineffective persons within the CSO community.

Doubtless, there are some very bright and honest people within the CSOs, but there is no reason to imagine that simply because you identify yourself as a so-called ‘politically neutral’ person, you hold the patent on honesty and high IQs.

Now the suggestion seems to be that it is only these ‘neutrals’ who love Ghana, who work hard and who are honest. When they criticise a government policy, they would want us to believe no one had spent any time or energy thinking it through before it was announced.

Many of these organisations cannot count a dozen people as their members and they would want us to see them as repositories of all wisdom.

Pay

The CSOs say a lot about paying the President and members of the government. Very true, all of us pay the President and so he must be accountable to all of us.

The question that must necessarily follow is who is paying the CSOs? Their donors tend to be foreign and not Ghanaian. Who are they accountable to, would it be to Ghanaians or to the source of their funding?

These groups now would have us believe that they are not only experts on every subject; they think everybody else, especially those in government, is dumb.

They are experts on the law, education, oil and gas, finance, banking, religion, health, agriculture, music, elections, literature, transportation and anything and everything else.

The Supreme Court gave a unanimous ruling and to hear the CSOs talk, all the judges who sat on the case were either stark legal illiterates or evil-minded nincompoops.

Lectures

They have been loud in their lectures to the Bank of Ghana (BoG) on what to do about the banking crisis. I don’t remember that they had anything to say when the problem was brewing.

For two years, 2015 to 2016, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was the lone voice in the wilderness warning we had a banking crisis coming. The CSOs kept their mouths shut. When something finally was being done about the situation, suddenly they all knew what to do.

We have been in the midst of a pandemic for almost six months, every step that the government took to deal with the situation was said to be wrong. We were told the government was massaging the figures, health workers were said to be dying by the truckload.

When the schools were being opened to allow final-year students to complete the school year and take exams, these CSOs joined in the shrill campaign to suggest that the government did not care about the welfare of children.

One of them said infamously that the government did not mind on how many dead bodies it stepped, for as long as it achieved its political objective.

According to the CSOs, only a selfish government, intent on the pursuit of its political agenda, would want the voters registration and national identification registration exercises to be done in the midst of a pandemic.

They said they had checked the algorithms and it was impossible for the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct a registration exercise according to the calendar it had issued.

Quiet

It is noticeable how quiet they have all gone on the COVID-19 front now. I wonder if their silence has anything to do with things not having gone quite as awry as they had sworn.

I do not suggest, of course, that we have seen the back of this unpredictable virus and we might yet have a New Zealand situation on our hands, but it would be charitable if one CSO were to admit that thus far, they have been wrong and the government position has turned outright. But that is, of course, too much to expect.

The most worrying part of the CSOs conversation now is the position they seem to have that any criticism of them should be seen as being against the existence of CSOs.

It would be helpful if the CSOs did not see every government action as venal. Life would be easier for all of us if a CSO with about 10 people in its books did not see itself as knowing all there was to know about everything.

It will be a happy day when they accept that criticising them doesn’t mean you are against them. Strange how they dish it out, but can’t take it.

Source: Graphic online

Ghana | Atinkaonline.com

Agyapa deal best bet to leverage Ghana's finances for dev't – Okyem Aboagye

Daniel Opare
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Government’s spokesperson on Finance and a   Member of the Committee in Parliament, Daniel Okyem Aboagye, said the Agyapa deal will go a long way to leverage the country’s finances for development.

Daniel Okyem Aboagye who is also the Member of Parliament for Bantama constituency, said the country needs to leverage its key resources such as gold, etc to finance developmental projects in the country.

This statement comes after the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) introduced a Minerals Income Investment Fund (“MIIF”) which has been approved by Parliament despite a walkout by the minority.

The agreements seeks to mortgage Ghana’s future mineral royalties and long term national assets in perpetuity, without any regard to its implication on future national revenue streams.

Per the transaction, the Akufo Addo government will use a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), Agyapa Royalties, incorporated as an offshore company in Jersey, in the Channel Islands, a known tax haven, in exchange for an upfront amount of ¢500 million, under the Mineral Development Fund Act, 2018 (Act 978) and its amendment Act, which strangely, was yet to be assented to by the President in accordance with article 106 of the 1992 Constitution to make it law.

According to the agreement, The Government of Ghana will own 51 per cent of the shares of the company and remaining 49 per cent floated on the London Stock Exchange.

The minority has , however, kicked against the deal, arguing that it’s a mere ploy by the NPP to milk the state through the Agyapa deal.

Speaking on the deal on Atinka FM’s AM Drive with host Ekourba Gyasi, Government’s spokesperson on Finance and a member of the Committee in Parliament, Daniel Okyem Aboagye, said the difference between Agyapa and other past projects is that Agyapa is not a loan and therefore has no loan obligations

“Agyapa is just like a someone investing in your company and you promising the person some percentage of interest at the end of the year. Either way, you still have the controlling interest. With the Agyapa deal, the controlling interest is the government of Ghana, the future is now”, he said.

Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu Boatemaa

Ibrahim Mahama supports universities, others with ultra modern hand washing machines

Daniel Opare
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The Chief Executive Officer of Engineers & Planners Ltd, Mr. Ibrahim Mahama on Tuesday donated ultra modern hand washing machines to the University of Ghana (UG), Legon, Islamic University College, Ghana, University of Ghana Medical School- Korle Bu and other institutions within Greater Accra and beyond.

The devices were presented to the universities as part of Ibrahim Mahama’s support in combating the spread of COVID-19.

In all, Mr. Ibrahim Mahama is expected to donate 500 pieces of these machines to other institutions. So far, 380 pieces of this ultra modern hand washing machines has been donated to various institutions in the country.

Rafik Mahama, Aide to Mr. Ibrahim Mahama, who presented the items indicated the gesture will be replicated in all the major tertiary institutions, including churches and mosques that are yet to benefit from the gesture.

He said Engineers and Planners sees the need to protect lives especially as the country continues to fight the deadly virus.

“We are not looking at how much is involved but the impact it will make in the public space. We have been doing these donations since Covid-19 started and we are doing this for the universities and the institutions in order to aid them comply with the safety protocols,” he stressed.

Master of Legon Hall and Convenor for Heads of Halls, Dr. Wiafe Akenteng who received the items on behalf of the University of Ghana expressed his gratitude to Engineers and Planners.

“It s a very good gestures and you know we are Covid-19 and anything that will help prevent it is most welcome. Each of the halls and other administrative departments will have one and this is very useful. Very soon students will return to campus and that in itself is a lot of money to spend,” he said.

The Registrar of Islamic University College, Mr. Awudu Moro thanked Mr. Ibrahim Mahama for supporting the school in their quest in enforcing the COVID-19 safety protocols.

He prayed for Mr. Ibrahim Mahama and the company and ask God to continue to bless, guide and protect him in all his business operations.

The business magnate has made series of donations since the pandemic started in March.

He has donated food items, personal protective equipment (PPE’s), a brand new ultra modern Drager Fabius plus anaestetic machines used for COVID theatre to University of Ghana Medical Centre and undisclosed amounts of cash to various communities and groups across the country. This is to cushion the vulnerable in society and also to help various institutions to comply with the COVID-19 safety protocols at this difficult time.

Ghana| Atinkaonline.com

Shun those who promote ethnic sentiments and divisions – Akufo-Addo

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“No one who is committed to the Ghana Project, as I am, can have an ethnic agenda. Rather, we should shun all those who would promote ethnic sentiments and divisions amongst us for selfish, partisan, political ends,” President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said.

“There are people from this region [Volta], some of whom are well known to you here in Amedzofe, who serve in sensitive parts of my government and influence decisions on a daily basis. I may have my own failings, like we all do, but being a tribalist is not one of them,” President Akufo-Addo added.

President Akufo-Addo said this on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, when he cut the sod for the commencement of construction works on Phase III of the Five Districts Water Supply Project in five Districts of the Volta Region.

Cutting the sod, at Adaklu-Anfoe, in the Adaklu District, President Akufo-Addo stated that Phase II of the Project will provide potable water to Central Tongu, North Tongu, Adaklu-Anyigbe, Agotime-Ziope and Ho West Districts.

“It is gratifying to note that this Project will provide potable water to eighty-nine thousand, one hundred and seven (89,107) people in one hundred and eighty-three (183) beneficiary communities, such as Dadoboe, Mawoekpor, Mafi Zongo, Mafi Kutime, Mafi Kumase, Avedo Bakpa, Kpoviadzi, Adidome, Kanikope, Bagalikope and Manase Zongo,” the President added.

With Phase III being financed by a concessionary credit facility from the Raiffeisenbank International of Vienna, Austria, to the tune of €11.5 million, he explained that, treated water to the 183 communities will be transported through 132 kilometres of transmission and distribution pipelines.

Other key components of this Project include installation of booster stations, elevated concrete tanks, health and hygiene education and environmental and social safeguards.

“Upon completion, this Project will result in an increase in water coverage for the Volta Region by some 5.6%. Furthermore, it is also expected to reduce the time spent in search for water, thereby, relieving, especially, women and children of this burden; minimise the affliction of water-borne diseases; and maximise the social and health benefits of clean, safe and reliable drinking water,” President Akufo-Addo said.

Government, he stressed, will continue to create an enabling environment, through the provision of social infrastructure, to attract investment to our rural communities.

“As a result, I expect that, with the availability of potable water in these communities, investors will take advantage of Government’s Flagship Programmes, such as “One- District, One-Factory”, to establish small and medium scale factories to exploit the natural resources of the area, create employment for the youth, and stimulate the growth and development of the local economy,” the President added.

President Akufo-Addo assured residents of Adaklu-Anfoe, and, indeed, residents of the 183 beneficiary communities that his Government would not relent in its efforts to increase access to water for all, a 2016 NPP Manifesto commitment, which remains a key priority.

“Whilst Government is committed to living up to its social responsibility, by providing social services like this water project to the people of Ghana, we expect beneficiary communities to contribute their quota towards ensuring the sustainability of these services, by helping to protect the infrastructure so they can last long,” he noted.

The President urged the Community Water and Sanitation Agency, the implementing Agency of the Project, to ensure timely completion of all detailed designs, and also to ensure that the project construction is carried out in accordance with required standards and specifications.

“I assure residents in this Region that Government has plans to increase further water coverage. Phase IV of this Project will be implemented soon for the benefit of communities in the remaining two districts, i.e. North Tongu and Ho West, through the same funding source,” he said.

Source: Daily Graphic

Ghana | Atinkaonline.com

First lady cuts sod for the construction of library at Nsakina MA school

Daniel Opare
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The First Lady of Ghana, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo has cut the sod for the construction of the Rebecca Foundation Library at the Nsakina MA School in the Ga West Municipality.

The initiative is to improve access to books, computers and learning materials for Ghanaian school children.

Speaking at the event, Mrs Akufo-Addo said so far, the Rebecca Foundation has built four libraries in school clusters in Daffiama Bussei Issa in the Upper West Region, Wenchi in the Bono Region and Sefwi Debiso in the Western North Region.

She said the Foundation has also also started building in Krachi East in the Oti Region and Kumawu in the Ashanti Region.

“Today it is my pleasure to cut the sod for a library in Amasaman. I am happy to also announce that on Friday, I will be cutting a sod for another library in Bortianor. The education of our children is a priority for President Akufo-Addo and the NPP government. It is also my priority as Executive Director of the Rebecca Foundation.

She added that the Foundation will continue to invest in education, adding that”We hope to build more libraries across the country and need the support of all Ghanaians.”

Market Women

After the sod cutting, she met with market women at Amasaman, urging them to vote for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and also the aspiring Member of parliament, Akwasi Afrifa Mensah.

She also promised to build an ultra-modern market facility for them when the NPP government is retained.

Ghana|Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori

First Lady Commissions another health centre at Ga South

Daniel Opare
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First Lady of the Republic, H.E. Mrs. Rebecca Naa Okaikor Akufo-Addo yesterday commissioned a Health Centre at Kwame Anum in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.

The 16 bed facility which was constructed with funding by the Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation is fitted with an out -patient department, a delivery room, labour ward, a reproductive and Child health area, two consulting rooms and a pharmacy.

It also has a laboratory and administrative offices and will provide services to a population of about 30,000 spread within the Obom Domeabra constituency of the Ga South Municipality with about 8,500 patients expected to be attended to in its first year.

The Kwame Anum Health Center will also provide lifesaving and essential services such as immunization against the 13 childhood killer diseases, maternal, child health and nutrition.

Present to witness the commissioning of the facility were the MCE for Ga South Hon. Stephen Nyarni, MP of Obom Domeabra Constituency Hon. Parliamentary Candidate for the NPP Philip E.K Doe and the Chief and leaders of Kwame Anum.

In a speech to formally open the Health Centre, Mrs. Akufo-Addo said the initial idea of Infanta Malaria Foundation was to rehabilitate the already existing CHPS compound but after consultation with the community and health Service leaders, decided to construct a much needed Health center.

She said the Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation of which she is co-founder is a group of remarkable women who came together to pool like-minded friends with a mission to support the development of women and children by paying particular attention to their health and executing Community Based Health Planning and Services as an important strategy especially for the prevention and treatment of malaria.

Since its establishment before 2017, Mrs. Akufo-Addo said, Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation has put up three CHPS compounds in Kobedi in the Sunyani West district of the Bono Region, Adenkrebi in the Ga East Municipality of the Greater Accra Region and Nyanshegu in the Sagnarigu District of the Northern Region.

The First lady, promised to continue to use both the Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation and the Rebecca Foundation of which she is Executive Director, to assist in improving on the health of Ghanaians especially women and children.

She expressed gratitude to the Ga South Municipal Chief Executive Mr. Joseph Stephen Nyarni, The Ghana Health Service, and the Chiefs and Elders of Kwame Anum for their support throughout the execution of the project.

It will be recalled that on Tuesday, 21st May 2019, First lady of the Republic and co-founder of Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation Mrs. Akufo-Addo cut sod for the construction of the Kwame Anum Health Center in the Ga south municipality of the Greater Accra Region..

Ghanana| Atinkaonline.com

NPP inaugurates Amasaman campaign team

Daniel Opare
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The Amasaman Constituency Campaign Team of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been inaugurated.

The team is to oversee all campaigns that would be held in the constituency prior to the 2020 general election.

Present at the event was the First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Ga West Municipal Assembly, Clement Wilkinson, the aspiring Member of Parliament of the Amasaman Constituency, Akwasi Afrifa Mensa, Mr Mac Manu the NPP Campaign Manager for the 2020 election.

Speaking at the event, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo said the President has done a lot of work in the country and therefore needs four more years to continue with the good works.

She implored the party members to continue to support the party with unity so that it can win the election.

“We should all come together to work towards the election so that we can get four more years for Nana Akufo-Addo, so that we can continue our good works. You should also vote for Afrifa so that when he wins he can bring development to Amasaman,” she said.

Mr Mac Manu congratulated the Amasaman Campaign team and urged them not to relent on their efforts to support the party win the 2020 elections.

He noted that due to COVID-19, the party cannot do a lot of rallies and therefore will use social media for more campaigns as well as radio and TV stations.

“You have to sell our message to the people because NPP has a good message for the people,” Mac Manu said.

He promised the people that resources needed to do the campaign will be given to them, urging them to sacrifice their time and resources towards the campaign.

Mr Clement Wilkinson also encouraged the people to vote for the party, adding that this is the time to take the seat from the NDC.

“I urge all members to bring along those who are in opposition to join the party, we need to get about 86 percent and this will only happen If you bring along those in other parties to join us,” he added.

For his part, the Parliamentary Candidate for the Amasaman Constituency, Akwasi Afrifa called on the people to sacrifice their time and resources to support him win the election.

He assured them that if he wins the election, he will never disappoint them.

“I will dedicate my time, resources and my whole family to serve the Amasaman Constituency. Do not even wait for anyone to call you before you come, always make yourselves available for the party, ” he said.

Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori

CAS dismisses Palmer’s case against GFA

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The Court of Arbitration for Sport has dismissed Tema Youth Owner, Wilfred Osei Kwaku Palmer’s appeal against The Ghana Football Association.

Palmer went to Swiss court challenging his disqualification from contesting the GFA presidential elections in October 2019, which Kurt Okraku won.

Palmer wanted the GFA elections annulled and his candidacy reinstated for fresh elections to be held.

However, in a letter addressed to both parties, and signed by the President of the Panel, Michele Bernasconi, CAS backed the decision of the GFA to disqualify Palmer from contesting the election.

Why was Palmer disqualified?

With the GFA in Normalisation following the Anas Aremeyaw Anas documentary in June 2018, the Normalisation Committee was tasked with organizing fresh elections to replace the ousted GFA administration of Kwesi Nyantakyi.

As the Elections Committee, the NC put together a sub-committee, the Vetting Committee, which was tasked with vetting all candidates interested in contesting the GFA Presidential Elections.

The Vetting Committee, chaired by Lawyer Frank Davis, vetted 7 candidates, approved 6 and disqualified one – Wilfred Osei Kwaku Palmer.

Two reasons were given for his disqualification –

Failure of his club, Tema Youth, to pay a 10% fee to the GFA on the transfer of two players – Gabriel Laveh ($15,000) and Joseph Painstil (€300,000). According to the Vetting Committee, this action was in flagrant violation of the GFA Regulations [Article 33 (5) (C)] and a person seeking to govern an institution cannot be seen to be disregarding that very institutions’ rules and regulations.
Comments made on Citi FM’s Sports Panorama where he suggested that the Black Stars of Ghana failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup because the country did not make a budget available for unclassified payments to match officials. The Committee held that Palmer had been found guilty by a judicial body of the GFA (Ethics Committee) for the comments and say the remarks prove Palmer lacks moral integrity to hold the position of GFA President.
The cost of the arbitration, which will be determined by CAS, and sent to both parties will be borne by Palmer.

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Source: Ghana | Atinkaonline.com

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