EC Registers 251,149 new voters in six days

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May 14, 2024
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The Electoral Commission, as of close of business on Sunday, May 12, 2024, had registered a total of 251,149 new voters, representing a daily average of 45,000.

Out of the total figure, a total of 135, 898 (54.11%) of the registered voters are females, and 115,251 (45.89%) are males.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Monday, the Deputy Chairman of the EC in-charge of Corporate Services, Dr Bossman Eric Asare, said the Commission had also registered 400 persons with disabilities across the country.

giving a regional breakdown of the registration, he disclosed that the Greater Accra region has registered 33,899 voters (13.5%); North East, 6,928 (2.8%); Upper East, 10,646 (4.2%); Northern, 19,491 (7.8%); Bono, 8.972 (3.6%); Bono East, 9, 681 (3.9%); Volta, 12,190 (4.9%); Upper West, 8,474 (3.4%); Eastern, 25, 625 (10.2%); Central, 27, 984 (11.1%), and Ahafo, 6, 273 (2.5%).

The remaining registrations are Ashanti, 44,232 (17.6%), Western North; 9,134 (3.6%); Oti; 7, 259 (2.9%); Savannah 5, 261 (2.1%); and Western Region, 15,100 (6.0%).

Dr. Asare said the first time voters, representing applicants between the ages of 18 and 21 constitute the majority of registered voters across the country, accounting for 221,066 out of the total registered voters within the first six days.

He said in the first five days of the registration exercise, 98, 926 applicants, constituting 39.39% used the Ghana Card, with some 622 applicants, representing 0.25%using the Passport.

Dr. Asare said the guarantor system had been used by 151,601 applicants, representing 60.36%.

The EC said out of a total of 2,935 challenges cases, the Greater Accra Region recorded the highest with 524 challenged cases.

“The guarantor system continues to dominate the forms of identification. This is something the Commission is not proud of because it is used by political parties and certain persons to facilitate the registration of unqualified persons such as minors and foreigners,” he said.

Dr Asare said the Commission was hopeful that in future registration exercises, the guarantor system would be the sole identity document to help curb the chaos in registration centres over the ages and nationality of applicants.

The Commission appealed to political parties to desist from using violence to challenge the eligibility of applicants but resort to the appropriate modalities to resolve such cases.

The Commission also appealed to parents to ensure that their children below 18 years did not go to register.

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September 16, 2024
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1 minute Read

Police outlines rules guidelines for NDC’s nationwide demonstration against EC

The Ghana Police Service has provided guidelines and rules to oversee the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s planned nationwide demonstration against the Electoral Commission (EC).

The police stressed the need for peaceful and lawful conduct during the protests, emphasising that demonstrators must follow designated routes and timelines.

The Service made this known at a press conference on Monday, September 16.

The protest by the NDC is against the EC’s rejection of the party’s recommendation to audit the voter register ahead of the December election.

The police also highlighted the importance of collaboration with organisers to ensure public safety, urging participants to refrain from violence or property destruction.

They cautioned against destruction to property which may lead to surcharges as security personnel will be deployed across all demonstration routes to maintain order.

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September 16, 2024
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3 minutes Read

Western leaders complicit in Africa’s corruption- Okyenhene

Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, the Okyenhene, has stated that Western leaders and their economies cannot be absolved from the corruption that plagues Africa.

Speaking at a lecture themed “Sustainable Leadership in African Governance” at the University of Bradford’s School of Management, he argued that the actions and inactions of Western leaders contribute significantly to the corruption on the African continent.

According to the Okyenhene, many Western countries have become safe havens for corrupt African politicians who stash away their ill-gotten wealth without scrutiny.

He illustrated this point by comparing the stringent checks imposed on ordinary citizens when depositing money in banks, noting that African leaders are able to move vast sums into foreign accounts without being questioned.

“If I go to the bank with $15,000 today, the teller would immediately alert the manager to inquire about the source of the money. But African leaders can deposit far more in foreign banks without facing any probes. Why should this be the case?” he questioned.

Osagyefuo expressed concerns that many African leaders not only deposit vast amounts of money abroad, but also invest heavily in real estate in foreign countries without being asked about the origins of these funds.

He called on Western nations to hold African leaders accountable for such investments, insisting that global leadership must be bold in questioning these financial dealings.

He urged leaders to embody a servant leadership model, reminding them that true leadership is about service, not personal gain. “Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first must be a slave. That is what the Son of Man did: He came to serve, not to be served,” Okyenhene stated.

Okyenhene expressed disappointment in the lack of decisive action from world leaders to fight climate change.

He criticized the major nations that contribute the most to carbon emissions, accusing them of failing to take the necessary steps to combat the growing climate crisis.

“They sit around tables, sip tea, and laugh, yet no concrete solutions are provided to tackle climate change,” he lamented. Okyenhene warned that the world was fast approaching an environmental catastrophe, adding that humanity’s unrelenting pursuit of material wealth is exacerbating the crisis.

He referenced scientific data to illustrate the urgency of the situation, pointing out that carbon dioxide concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere have reached alarming levels, rising by 47.3% since the Industrial Age and an additional 11% since 2000.

“If the current rate of emissions continues, he cautioned, the air we breathe by 2040 will contain more than 50% carbon dioxide, making life on Earth increasingly difficult. This should terrify us all,” he said. “Our children may face far shorter lives than we do, and it cannot be business as usual,” he stressed.