ghananlpcommunity/ghana-gov-speeches-sentences huggingface dataset:
On what legal grounds do you justify this decision?
Are you so blinded by partisanship that you would invoke a court order tied to an annulled election in an attempt to block a legitimate candidate?
This is not only legally unsound but deeply dangerous for the future of our democracy.
The NDC adhered to every legal requirement throughout this process.
We annulled the earlier election to respect the injunction, even though the court was on vacation and the matter could not be promptly addressed.
We acted responsibly by holding fresh elections within the required time frame to ensure that the people of Amenfi Central would have a candidate to represent them.
The Electoral Commission was involved every step of the way, and yet, today, they stand before us attempting to use an expired legal order to disqualify our candidate.
This is nothing short of a travesty of justice.
It is a violation of the rights of our candidate and, more importantly, a violation of the rights of the people of Amenfi Central, who have made their voices heard through their votes.
The decision to disqualify Joana Gyan Cudjoe is legally baseless, morally indefensible, and a slap in the face of our democratic principles.
The Electoral Commission must explain to Ghanaians how they can justify such a blatant miscarriage of justice.
They must explain how they can disenfranchise thousands of voters based on a court order tied to an election that no longer exists.
And they must be held accountable for the damage they are doing to the credibility of our electoral system.
The NDC will not accept this decision.
We will fight it in the courts, we will fight it in the public arena, and we will fight it in every forum available to us.
We will not allow this abuse of power to go unchecked.
The rights of our candidate, the will of the people of Amenfi Central, and the future of our democracy demand nothing less.
The Ghost of SALL Haunts Us Let us not forget that this is not the first time the Jean Mensa-led EC has acted with such reckless disregard for democracy.
We all remember the tragedy of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL), where the EC willfully disenfranchised an entire constituency in the 2020 elections, leaving the people without representation in Parliament.
The people of Ghana must not be fooled.
The disqualification of Madam Joana Gyan Cudjoe is part of a broader pattern of misconduct by an Electoral Commission that has shown time and again that it is unfit to referee the democratic process.
From SALL to Amenfi Central, the EC’s actions reveal a dangerous intent to rig elections not through the ballot box, but through legal trickery and administrative subterfuge.
This latest travesty must not be allowed to stand.
If we do not stop the EC now, then tomorrow it could be your constituency, your representative, your right to vote that is denied.
To further expose the wicked agenda of the Jean Mensah-led EC, it has emerged that the Electoral Commission showed its true intentions when it issued the letter of disqualification on 10th October 2024, a full six days before even bothering to check whether the injunction had been stayed or vacated.
This blatant disregard for due process is a clear indication of their bad faith.
It wasn’t until 16th October that the EC wrote to the Sekondi High Court to inquire about the status of the injunction—a desperate and shameful attempt to justify an unlawful decision after the fact.
This sequence of events exposes the Electoral Commission for what it is under Jean Mensa's leadership: a biased, politically compromised body that is more interested in serving the agenda of its handlers than upholding the law and the principles of democracy.
No self-respecting referee would act this way.
Imagine officiating a match, allowing one team to score freely, only to decide afterward that you need to check the rules.
It is an absurdity that Ghanaians cannot tolerate.
The EC supervised the acclamation of Joana Gyan Cudjoe, allowed her to go through the balloting process, and made no objections during these critical moments.
And now, suddenly, they claim she is disqualified based on an injunction tied to an annulled election?
This is not only incompetent but deeply malicious.
A Sinister Agenda to Favor the NPP It is becoming increasingly clear that the Electoral Commission is no longer a neutral arbiter in our democratic process.
Rather, it has become a tool in the hands of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), to suppress opposition candidates and skew the playing field in their favor.
The EC’s actions in Amenfi Central are but the latest in a series of calculated moves designed to deliver a parliamentary majority to the NPP by any means necessary.
The disqualification of Joana Gyan is an attempt to gift the Amenfi Central seat to the NPP on a silver platter, just as they did in Hohoe with Peter Amewu.
This is not mere incompetence.
This is deliberate, premeditated, and unlawful conduct.
Jean Mensa and her cronies are operating with impunity because they believe that they are untouchable.
They believe that the NPP’s foothold in the EC grants them the license to abuse their power without consequence.
But we are here to tell them that they are wrong.
The NDC Will Fight Back Ladies and gentlemen, let it be known here and now: the EC is at war with the NDC.
This is a war we did not choose, but one we will fight to the bitter end.
We are not fighting for just a parliamentary seat; we are fighting for the very soul of our democracy.
We are fighting for the fundamental right of every Ghanaian to be represented fairly, to have their voices heard, and to ensure that no institution, no matter how powerful, can trample on the will of the people.
Let it be clear that the NDC will not fold its arms while Jean Mensa and her gang at the EC orchestrate this shameless and unlawful disqualification.
We will not sit idly by while the Electoral Commission, in collusion with their masters in the NPP, dismantles our democracy one unlawful decision at a time.
We see their agenda, and we will crush it.
Let there be no doubt—we are ready for battle, and we will not rest until justice is served and the people of Amenfi Central get the representation they deserve.
Following the EC’s unconstitutional and baseless disqualification, our Flagbearer, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, and the leadership of the NDC wasted no time in giving a direct command to our legal team: take them to court and stop them in their tracks.
This is not a request; this is an order.
The NDC will use every legal weapon in its arsenal to ensure that the Electoral Commission’s unlawful actions are reversed.
This is a fight for our democracy, and we will not lose.
This morning, our lawyers, in swift and decisive action, served the Electoral Commission with court documents on the motion for an interlocutory injunction.
The message is loud and clear: we will not allow this disqualification to stand.
The court documents have been filed, and we have secured an injunction to restrain the Electoral Commission from printing ballot papers, from issuing notices of poll, and from taking any further steps toward the election in Amenfi Central until this matter is fully resolved.
But understand this: the court battle is only one front in this war.
We are not stopping there.
The NDC is mobilizing, and our supporters across the country are ready to rise up in defense of democracy.
We will not allow this injustice to pass.
The people of Amenfi Central will not be silenced.
The Electoral Commission has awakened a sleeping giant, and we will not back down.
Let it be known to Jean Mensa and her EC cronies: we see through your tricks.
We know what you are trying to do.
You want to turn Amenfi Central into another SALL, where an entire constituency was disenfranchised, where the voices of the people were silenced, and where democracy was hijacked.
But hear us well: Amenfi Central will not be another SALL.
Not on our watch.
The NDC will fight back with everything we’ve got, and we will not stop until justice is done and the people’s will is restored.
To our supporters, we urge you to remain resolute and ready.
Stand prepared.
This fight is far from over, and the next steps will be announced soon.
We will need every hand on deck, every voice raised, and every heart committed to this cause, because the forces of darkness—those who seek to undermine our democracy with their disgraceful shenanigans—shall be defeated.
They will not prevail.
We will win this fight.
This is not just a fight for Amenfi Central.
This is a fight for the future of Ghana.
This is a fight for every constituency, for every voter, for every Ghanaian who believes in democracy, fairness, and justice.
The NDC will not rest.
We will not allow the Electoral Commission to continue disgracing this nation with their corruption and incompetence.
The NDC will fight.
And we will fight until we win.
Let the Electoral Commission and their handlers understand this: the days of impunity are over.
You will be held to account for your actions, and you will be brought to justice.
This is our final warning.
Conclusion: To conclude, we urge all our fellow Ghanaians to stand together to protect our democracy.
Under the leadership of Jean Mensa, the Electoral Commission is steering us towards a future where elections are not decided by the will of the people but by bureaucrats and political operatives who pull strings from behind closed doors.
This is not the Ghana that Kwame Nkrumah envisioned.
This is not the democracy that our forefathers fought and bled for.
The disqualification of Joana Gyan Cudjoe is not just an attack on the NDC; it is an attack on the rights of every single Ghanaian who believes in fairness, justice, and the sanctity of the ballot box.
This decision strikes at the heart of our democratic values.
It undermines the very foundation upon which our electoral system stands.
We call on all well-meaning Ghanaians, civil society organizations, legal practitioners, and defenders of democracy to condemn this outrageous act.
This is not merely an NDC issue; this is about the future of our country.
We must not allow a compromised institution like the EC to dictate the outcomes of elections through underhanded and unlawful tactics.
The NDC will not rest until the Electoral Commission is held fully accountable for this disgraceful abuse of power.
We will not rest until the people of Amenfi Central have their rightful representative in Parliament, chosen freely and fairly by the people, not by an overreaching and corrupt institution.
And we will not rest until Jean Mensa and her cohorts are removed from office and replaced by individuals who genuinely respect the rule of law and the democratic principles that guide this nation.
We will fight this battle on every front—in the courts, on the streets, and in the hearts and minds of the people.
The NDC will continue to fight for the soul of this nation because we know that the forces of darkness—those who conspire to undermine our democracy—shall not prevail.
Democracy will win.
Justice will win.
The people will win.
From the banks of the River Pra, Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gymafi has once again criticised the Akufo-Addo administration for paying lip service with its fight against illegal mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’ in the country.
Here’s a copy fo the full text: Sunday, 16th February, 2020.
“GOVERNMENT’S FRAUDULENT FIGHT AGAINST “GALAMSEY”– NDC CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO AS CO-CHAIR OF UN SDGs ADVOCATES” Good afternoon distinguished friends from the media; We have invited you to this press conference at a rather unusual venue but which serves as backdrop to our concerns about the effects that unbridled illegal mining is having on our water bodies, the ecology and general environment.
The current state of affairs reflects the failure of President Akufo-Addo's so-called fight against galamsey.
In fact, that so called fight turned out to be a ruse to kick out legal small scale miners and artisanal “galamseyers” and replace them with a new breed of marauding illegal miners belonging to the ruling New Patriotic Party and government.
Ladies and gentlemen, it does appear that the public discourse about President’s Akufo-Addo’s failed fight against “Galamsey” has more often than not become a mere media banter between government on one hand, and the opposition cum Civil Society on the other.
Let me emphasize however that this issue of “Galamsey” (and I use that word advisedly), goes beyond the usual binary NPP/NDC debates in Accra.
It is about our people, their health, water, forest resources and our survival as a nation.
The destructive manifestation of “Galamsey” being supervised by President Akufo-Addo in Ghana defeats the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), which Ghana subscribes to.
It is an afront to notably, SDG 6, 13, 14 and 15 which all talk about clean water, sanitation, climate action, conservation and sustainability of land, water and marine resources.
Friends from the media, it was an honour to all Ghanaians when our President, alongside Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway were in April 2017 made Co-Chairs of the UN's Eminent Group of SDG Advocates, a position President John Mahama had previously held with distinction and to the admiration of the international community.
Subsequent to that appointment, in a speech delivered at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) specifically on July 10, 2017, our President boldly proclaimed that he was willing to put his Presidency on the line to fight “Galamsey”.
He further appealed to Traditional rulers, the media and all stakeholders to support this fight.
Sadly, President Akufo-Addo, who coincidentally is a Co-Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocates, has failed to make do his solemn promise to the nation to fight the galamsey menace and protect our environment from further degradation.
Distinguished friends, the fight against “Galamsey” in the last three (3) years that is if it can even be called a fight, has exposed the duplicity of President Akufo-Addo and the hollowness of his words.
This is an evidenced-based presentation, and as such, we intend to give you both historical and empirical data to support our claim that President Akufo-Addo’s failed fight against “galamsey” was nothing but a ruse calculated to monopolize the galamsey trade for top NPP officials and their foreign collaborators.
Ladies and gentlemen, you may recall, that at a speech delivered at the 2019 Edition of the Investing in Africa Mining Ndaba, the World’s largest Mining Investment Conference in South Africa, President Akufo-Addo claimed that River Pra has cleared up and was beginning to host aquatic life again due to his fight against “galamsey”.
Today, we have brought you to the banks of the Pra River, so that you can judge first-hand whether President Akufo-Addo spoke the truth to the world when he claimed the “Galamsey” fight had been won.
As you are all witnesses today, “Galamsey” has intensified to unprecedented levels in the last three (3) years, while the Akufo-Addo government continues to spend millions of taxpayer’s monies ostensibly fighting the canker.
Anyone who thought President Akufo-Addo slept on this task is mistaken.
Recent revelations of the missing 500 Excavators, and the illegal mining activities of government officials such as Prof.
Frimpong-Boateng, Charles Bissue, Horace Ekow Ewusi, and NPP officials, notably John Boadu and Chairman Wontumi, shows that, Akufo-Addo’s so-called fight against “Galamsey” was a sham from day one.
These latest revelations of thievery and massive corruption confirms our long held position, that President Akufo-Addo’s so-called fight against “galamsey” was a well-thought-out masterplan, designed to take over the illicit trade and inturn use its proceeds to fund the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Ladies and gentlemen, the effects of this Akufo-Addo’s deceptive fight against galamsey, are clear and evidently devastating.
On 20th January, 2020, Myjoyonline.com reported that the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has warned that the galamsey menace in the Western Region is leading to a cut in treated water to the Region.
The GWCL further indicated in that report, that they lose about 40% of water abstracted before and during treatment, which meant that instead of 11 million gallons, they are only able to treat averagely 3 million gallons of water.
Also, on 27th May, 2019, ghanaweb.com reported that water crisis in Cape-Coast had worsened due to intensified “Galamsey” in the central region.
Recently, ghanaiantimes.com.gh reported that the Daboase Water treatment Plant was in danger as “galamsey activities” in the area was polluting the River Pra, leading to water rationing to residents of the Amenfi East area.
Only two (2) days ago, citinewsroom.com published a heart-wrenching story under the headline: “Galamsey-polluted Pra River doubles skin diseases, diarrhoea cases in Shama District”.
The story reported the Shama District Director of Health, Alfred Osei-Assibey, as saying that skin infections and water-borne diseases, such as diarrhoea, are on the rise in communities in the galamsey-polluted Pra River area.
The District Director of Health further explained that, “in the last three years, skin diseases have increased dramatically.
From the 5,000 cases we recorded in 2017, now we are recording over 10,000 cases of skin infections.
The diarrhoea cases have also risen from 6th in 2017 and now its number 3.”
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, the ever-worsening ramifications of Government’s failed “galamsey” fight is ever so lucid and conspicuous today.
The countless number of polluted water bodies in several parts of our country such as river Pra, river Ankobra, river Offin, river Birem among others, is enough testament to the fact that Ghanaians have been taken for a ride by President Akufo-Addo, who continues to supervise and promote the escalation of the illegal mining menace.
Quite characteristic of this government, even in the face of worsening turbidity of our water bodies by the day, functionaries of government still claim this government has achieved results relative to the galamsey fight.
The sad reality is that, water bodies which used to look white under President Mahama are today looking brownish under President Akufo-Addo.
Needless to say, that a huge financial loss has been occasioned to Ghana through this fraudulent fight.
In the last three years, relics such as seized gold, excavators and weapons which would have served as substantial evidence cannot be accounted for by the Inter-Ministerial Committee against Illegal Mining, yet government claims to have achieved results.
To think that some of the so-called missing 500 excavators are being secretly returned to Accra, whilst some have returned to the forests to continue the illegal activity, speaks volumes of the tragedy we have in our hands.
Distinguished friends from the media, President Akufo-Addo’s inexplicable inaction and reticence over this flagrant abuse of our environment and water bodies speaks to his complicity in this matter.
In any serious country, the “galamsey queen” Aisha Huang, and other galamsey kingpins like Charles Bissue and Andy Owusu who were indicted in Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ “galamsey fraud documentary” would have been standing prosecution by now.
Yet, President Akufo-Addo has shockingly refused to crack the whip on these miscreants thereby emboldening other NPP government officials and their foreign collaborators to engage in “galamsey” with impunity.
It is therefore least surprising that things have gotten this worse.
Ladies and gentlemen, posterity will hold Akufo-Addo accountable for supervising the unprecedented destruction of our water bodies and environment.
We are aware that the Special Prosecutor will soon be petitioned to investigate the latest revelations of thievery and corruption that have characterized the Akufo-Addo’s fraudulent “Galamsey” Fight.
We wholeheartedly support that petition, and wish to call on the Special Prosecutor to act swiftly this time around.
His lackadaisical attitude on the Anas Galamsey fraud documentary has not helped.
The NDC further demands, that the Akufo-Addo Government as a matter of urgency, should fully account for all items seized as listed at paragraph 801 of the 2020 Budget Statement presented to Parliament.
We insist that a public exhibition of all 900 excavators, 2,779 weapons and ammunitions and the 4,045 other mining equipment confiscated must be held in the spirit of transparency and to the benefit of all Ghanaians.
We are terrified at the prospect of all these weapons finding their way into the hands of hoodlums belonging to NPP vigilante groups in an election year.
More importantly, we hereby serve notice, that the NDC shall in the coming days, petition the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, to revoke the appointment of President Akufo-Addo as Co-Chair of the SDG Advocates.
Clearly, President Akufo-Addo has failed to show genuine commitment to the fight against illegal mining and the protection of the environment in his own backyard.
His corrupt government has become an active enabler and promoter of the “galamsey” menace and the destruction of the environment in a way that affronts the SDGs of the United Nations.
He has proven to be unfit for the prestigious position of Co-Chair of the UN SDGs Advocates, for which reason he must be removed without delay.
And, we are absolutely convinced beyond doubt, that the United Nations will act in the interest of the Ghanaian people, the international community and the environment.
Signed, Sammy Gyamfi National Communication Officer, NDC
PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE INTER-PARTY RESISTANCE AGAINST NEW VOTERS REGISTER, ADDRESSED BY COMRADE JOHNSON ASIEDU NKETIAH, GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS ON 3RD MARCH, 2020 AT KAMA CONFERENCE CENTER, ACCRA INTRODUCTION Good Morning distinguished ladies and gentlemen from the media.
We are grateful for your presence.
We have invited you here this afternoon to share with you new information concerning the Electoral Commission's irrational decision to throw away the existing biometric voters’ register and compile an entirely new voters' register for the 2020 upcoming General Elections.
Before I proceed any further, let me refresh your memory on the reasons for our resistance against the EC’s decision to compile a new voters register.
As you may be aware, the Inter-Party Resistance against the New Voters Register which is made up of six (6) Political Parties has always maintained that: 1.
The current biometric voters register is credible and can be updated through limited registration to deliver free and fair outcomes in the 2020 General Elections, as has been the case in previous elections since 2012.
Indeed, the current register has been the outcome of a long and exhaustive process of consensus building among all key stakeholders including all political parties and major Civil Society Organizations in our elections architecture (including the IEA which was headed by the current EC Boss, Jean Mensa at the time) and was intentioned to serve as a permanent register which will be updated through continuous and limited registration.
The current Biometric Voter Management System which is made up of BVRs, BVDs, Software application, data center etc.
is not obsolete but robust, and can be maintained and/or upgraded to efficiently deliver the 2020 General Elections.
We have also maintained that, it will constitute a misplaced priority and an absolute waste of the already constrained public purse, for the EC to throw away the current credible voters’ register and spend over GHS800 million of taxpayers monies on the procurement of a needless new system and a new register.
This is more so at this time when Ghanaians are experiencing excruciating economic hardships and when government is unable to neither pay the claims of NHIS Service Providers nor commit the needed resources to safeguard the lives of Ghanaians in the face of the global threat posed by the coronavirus.