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Naa Torshie is reported to Akufo-Addo by Dan Botwe

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Naa Torshie is reported to Akufo-Addo by Dan Botwe

Dan Botwe, the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, has addressed a letter to President Nana Akufo-Addo in which he sharply criticises Irene Naa Torshie Addo-Lartey, the Administrator of the Districts Assemblies Common Fund.

Mr Botwe’s letter is in response to her failure to assist his Ministry in the equitable distribution of District Common Funds in a manner that is in the best interests of the government.

“It is instructive for His Excellency to note that this Ministry has not had the expected level of cooperation from the Office of the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund.

“In the past two years and three months since I have been in the Ministry, efforts to get the Office of the Administrator of District Assemblies Common Fund to align with the Ministry in the strategic determination of the beneficiary Districts of such allocations have not been successful,” an unhappy Minister Botwe, noted in his letter to the President, dated Monday, July 10, 2023.

He continued: “Even more worrying is the fact that as the Ministry responsible for the MMDAs we are not involved, engaged or consulted in any form by the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund in the development of the formula proposed to Parliament.

“We are of the view that government would be more efficient in the utilization of such resources if we align the decision-making process with all relevant stakeholders.”

Mr Botwe stated that his Ministry is mandated by law to offer a coordinating and supervisory role over the operations of the MMDAs and to steer their development initiatives; hence, the Ministry has the authority to select which Districts deserve such support and particular attention.

“We are of the firm belief that the trigger for distribution should be initiated by the Ministry, on behalf of the government, to ensure it sits well within the broad government strategy,” he added.

Mr Botwe argues further: “Annually, the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund proposes the formula for distribution of the District Assemblies Common Fund to the Parliament of Ghana.”

Once the approval is done, the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund has the function under section 129 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936) to “administer and distribute money paid into the Common Fund among the District Assemblies in accordance with the formula approved by Parliament.”

 Section 126 (3) of the same Act states; The Minister shall in consultation with the Minister responsible for Finance, determine the category of expenditure of the approved development budget of District Assemblies that must in each year be met out of amounts received by the District Assemblies from the District Assemblies Common Fund.

Part of the approved formula/allocation are activities like;

  1. National Projects
  2. Special Projects
  • Distressed District Support
  1. Reserve funds

The Ministry holds the view that, when it comes to the above activities in the approved formula, the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund does not have the authority to determine the distribution unilaterally, as it must sit within a broad strategic framework of Government.

“As the supervisory Ministry of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936) and the Ministry responsible for coordinating the MMDAs, we are of the view that the mandate to determine which Districts receive such support and special attention, lies with the Ministry. We are of the firm belief that the trigger for distribution should be initiated by the Ministry, on behalf of Government, to ensure it sits well within the broad government strategy.

“Even more worrying is the fact that, as the Ministry responsible for the MMDAs we are not involved, engaged or consulted in any form by the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund in the development of the formula proposed to Parliament.

“We are of the view that, Government would be more efficient in the utilization of such resources if we align the decision making process with all relevant stakeholders.

“It is instructive for His Excellency to note that this Ministry has not had the expected level of cooperation from the Office of the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund. In the past two (2) years and three (3) months, since I have been in the Ministry, efforts to get the Office of the Administrator of District Assemblies Common Fund to align with the Ministry in the strategic determination of the beneficiary Districts of such allocations have not been successful.

“In the meantime, the Ministry has requested from the Office of the District Assemblies Common Fund Administrator, details of the disbursement done so far from the approved allocations to enable the Ministry align and strategize to aid equity and strategic development of the MMDAs.

“However, the Office of the District Assemblies Common Fund Administrator has since refused to respond to my letter. (Copy of letter attached).

“In Conclusion, this Ministry is of the view that the trigger for the utilization of the activities and allocations stated above can and should only be done by the Minister for Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development, on behalf of Government to ensure consistency with Government’s aspiration for development of the MMDAs.”

I count on your continued support.

SIGNED,

DANIEL BOTWE (MP)

MINISTER

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OccupyJulorBiHouse: Organisers’ derogatory depiction of the presidency is reprehensible – Richard Ahiagbah

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According to Democracy Hub, the rally was held to stress their demands for lower living costs, an end to corruption, and improved governance, among other things. However, in the early hours of Thursday, September 21, police detained 49 protestors, accusing them of unlawful assembly and violating the Public Order Act. The detained individuals ignored court documents filed on the organisers, Democracy Hub, to prevent from carrying out the scheduled rally.

The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Communications Director, Richard Ahiagbah, has voiced his concern with the disrespectful captioning of the Jubilee House by leaders of the pressure organisation, Democracy Hub.

The organisers of the scuttled demonstration in Accra on Thursday, Democracy Hub, had dubbed the protest to occupy the precincts of the seat of government, Jubilee House, #OccupyJulorBiHouse, with ‘julorbi’ being a parody of the official name of the presidency in the Ga language, which loosely translates as ‘the child of a thief’.

Mr Ahiagbah, who backed citizens’ freedom to demonstrate, disagreed with the disparaging portrayal of the presidency.

“I don’t agree with the derogatory caption of the Presidency by the organizers of the demonstration, but impeding their right to peaceful assembly is an affront to democracy, plain and simple.”

The NPP Communications Director pointed out that there have been numerous peaceful demonstrations during President Akufo-Addo’s presidency, including the Arise Ghana demo and the Kume Preko demo, which he said did not record such events as happened on Thursday, and wondered why anyone would think the government was behind the disruption of Thursday’s demonstration.

“This is not the publicity we need on a day such as this…Allow!,” he said, in apparent condemnation of the police action.

He highlighted that the Ghana Police Service’s meddling and arrest of demonstrators who took part in the #OccupyJulorBiHouse movement is a violation of the people’s rights.

Mr Ahiagbah stressed in a post on Thursday, September 21, that “the people’s ability to engage in peaceful demonstrations is an inherent democratic right.”

Any action that prevents persons from enjoying this basic freedom, in his opinion, is just wrong.

According to Democracy Hub, the rally was held to stress their demands for lower living costs, an end to corruption, and improved governance, among other things.

However, in the early hours of Thursday, September 21, police detained 49 protestors, accusing them of unlawful assembly and violating the Public Order Act.

The detained individuals ignored court documents filed on the organisers, Democracy Hub, to prevent them from carrying out the scheduled rally.

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OccupyJulorBiHouse: Arresting protesters was unwarranted – Naana Opoku-Agyemang

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Several demonstrators were detained and escorted to the Regional Police Headquarters, including Fix The Country chairman Oliver Barker Vormawor. They were detained in the early hours of September 21 for violating a police order prohibiting the march.

Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s 2020 running mate, has responded to the arrest of #OccupyJulorBiHouse activists.

It is undemocratic and useless, she claims.

The former Education Minister stated on Twitter that the police should have engaged the demonstrators rather than arrest them.

As a result, she has supported demands for the demonstrators to be arrested immediately.

https://x.com/NJOAgyemang/status/1704832264251601273?s=20

Several demonstrators were detained and escorted to the Regional Police Headquarters, including Fix The Country chairman Oliver Barker Vormawor.

They were detained in the early hours of September 21 for violating a police order prohibiting the march.

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Military takeovers are not a solution to Africa’s economic issues – Asantehene

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Several African nations, including Niger and Gabon, have undergone coups in recent years. The most recent event happened in Gabon on August 30, when military soldiers took control and proclaimed the annulment of election results that had pronounced President Ali Bongo the winner. The announcement of the Electoral Commission generated suspicions of fraud by the opposition.

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has voiced grave worry over the growing number of coups on the African continent.

He links these military takeovers to nations’ difficult economic situations, which resulted in the deposition of democratically elected governments.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II spoke out strongly against military coups as a solution to Africa’s issues during the St. Andrews Africa Summit in Scotland.

He emphasised that, regardless of the circumstances, armed takeovers are not the solution.

“Let me make it categorically clear that regardless of the circumstances, I do not think that a military takeover offers the solution to the problems of our continent. There was a time when circumstances produced the notion that the gun was the solution, those times are over. We are in completely different circumstances now. The critical problems confronting Africans’ economy from North to South, East to West, the burden is the economy,” the Asantehene said.

Several African nations, including Niger and Gabon, have undergone coups in recent years.

The most recent event happened in Gabon on August 30, when military soldiers took control and proclaimed the annulment of election results that had pronounced President Ali Bongo the winner.

The announcement of the Electoral Commission generated suspicions of fraud by the opposition.

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