The spokesperson to NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Dr. Palgrave Boakye Danquah, has said that, Bernard Antwi Boasiako’s health and well-being have become the immediate priority over his bid to contest the party’s national chairmanship race due to his improvement.

Speaking on developments surrounding Wontumi’s prison sentence on Kessben Maakye show in Accra, Dr. Boakye Danquah disclosed that the NPP stalwart has spent eight days in Nsawam Prison, describing the experience as emotionally difficult for his family and supporters.

According to him, Wontumi is currently battling three major court cases, including the Samleboi consession, Nimiri Forest and Exim Bank matters, adding that the legal team has been in court continuously since the NPP lost political power.

He praised lawyer Appiah-Kubi for his commitment to Wontumi’s defence and explained that the legal team had expected to secure a favourable outcome in court, but events unfolded differently.

The spokesperson further revealed that lawyer Atta Akyea had earlier sought an adjournment because he was out of the country and had also petitioned the Supreme Court for an interpretation of a constitutional provision, with a response still pending.
He claimed that after the court dismissed their applications and they observed the heavy presence of security personnel, they sensed the proceedings were unlikely to go in Wontumi’s favour.

Describing his emotional state after the hearing, Dr. Boakye Danquah said he left the courtroom in tears and sorrow .

He thanked the NPP leadership for standing by Wontumi, noting that several senior party officials had visited and encouraged him in prison.
On Wontumi’s political future, he maintained that the chairman’s well-being now takes precedence over his campaign, stating that the chairmanship bid has been suspended for the time being. He also argued that the party’s declaration of Wontumi as a political prisoner would insulate his eligibility under the NPP constitution.

The comments come as legal proceedings involving Chairman Wontumi continue to attract significant public and political attention.

By Maurice Otoo

A legal member behind a petition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on South Africans xenophobic attacks on other African nationals, Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, has invoked the legacy of Nelson Mandela to call for an end to xenophobic attacks in South Africa, urging Africans to embrace love, unity and peaceful coexistence.

Speaking on the issue of xenophobia on Kessben Maakye show in Accra, Dr. Boakye-Danquah said Mandela dedicated his life to uniting South Africans regardless of race, even after spending 27 years in prison under apartheid.
He noted that despite the suffering he endured, Mandela chose forgiveness over revenge, stressing that South Africans must emulate his example by showing love to one another and even other African nationals.

According to him, Mandela had every opportunity to remain in office for a second term but voluntarily stepped down after one term, handing over power in the interest of democracy and national unity.

Dr. Boakye-Danquah also reflected on South Africa’s political history, citing the African National Congress (ANC), the Democratic Alliance (DA), and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) led by Julius Malema as key political forces shaping the country’s democratic landscape.

He lamented that xenophobic attacks have persisted over the years, with migrants allegedly being unlawfully evicted from their homes over documentation issues.
“We rallied against it, but the attacks continued until it’s escalation that compelled the Government of Ghana to begin evacuating its citizens,” he stated.

Describing South Africa and Botswana as two of the Southern Hemisphere’s richest countries in mineral resources, he said South Africa hosts millions of immigrants seeking employment and better opportunities.

He added that unemployment among indigens in South Africa is because most of them are not skilled, noting that people often see South Africans holding placards under traffic light with inscription ” give me work”. However, other African nationals sees job opportunities in the country hence the heavy migration to seek greener pastures.

Dr. Boakye-Danquah further questioned what he described as the silence of the African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN), and other international organizations over recurring xenophobic violence.
He revealed this compelled him and his brother, Emmanuel Kutin, to petitioned the International Criminal Court over the matter, expressing optimism that the case will receive further attention.
“Our petition has received a lot of acclamation across the world. We are optimistic and will pursue the matter to the latter. If we have to visit the ICC, we will,” he said.

By Maurice Otoo

The  Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has apologised to President John Dramani Mahama and former First Lady Lordina Mahama over comments he made during the 2024 general election campaign.

The apology was disclosed by his spokesperson, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, who said the gesture was aimed at promoting reconciliation and goodwill.

According to Boakye-Danquah, Wontumi expressed regret if any of his campaign remarks against President Mahama and his wife were considered offensive or went beyond acceptable limits.

“The first call is to render an apology, and I think that is important. Former Chairman renders an apology to him if, at some stage, the conversations went overboard, which was never intended,” he said in an interview with Citi News.

He further appealed to President Mahama to consider granting clemency to the former NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman.

However, Boakye-Danquah clarified that the apology should not be interpreted as an admission that political differences influenced the legal case against Wontumi.

“Not at all. We are aware that in this country there are influences. If you are able to identify those influences and begin making amends, I think we build a better society for all of us to live in,” he added.

Chairman Wontumi is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after the Criminal Court 4 Division of the High Court found him guilty on six charges related to illegal mining activities at the Samreboi Forest in the Western Region.

The case involved Akonta Mining Limited, owned by Wontumi, and another accused person, Kwame Antwi. Prosecutors accused them of unlawfully assigning mineral rights and facilitating mining operations without the required approvals under Ghana’s Minerals and Mining Act.

The apology comes amid calls for reconciliation and discussions surrounding possible presidential clemency for some convicted persons.

ECG financial irregularities have been uncovered by the Auditor-General, with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) found to have overspent its approved budget by GH¢168.169 million in the 2023 financial year without obtaining the required approval from its Board of Directors.

The findings are contained in the Auditor-General’s report on ECG’s 2023 financial statements and were disclosed during the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting of Parliament.

According to the report, ECG management exceeded approved budget allocations across several expenditure areas, raising concerns about the company’s financial controls and compliance with internal approval procedures.

PAC Ranking Member, Samuel Atta Mills, said the audit revealed that ECG spent GH¢273.6 million on 11 major expenditure items, despite having an approved budget of GH¢105.431 million.

The Auditor-General noted that the additional spending was undertaken without the necessary authorisation from the company’s Board of Directors.

Breakdown of ECG’s Budget Overruns

The report highlighted the following excess expenditures:

Foreign Training

• Approved budget: GH¢31 million
• Actual expenditure: GH¢91 million
• Excess spending: GH¢60 million

Cleaning Expenses

• Approved budget: GH¢2.8 million
• Actual expenditure: GH¢10.4 million
• Excess spending: GH¢7.6 million

Honorarium Expenses

• Approved budget: GH¢3.8 million
• Actual expenditure: GH¢4.6 million
• Excess spending: GH¢800,000

Hotel Expenses

• Approved budget: GH¢9.3 million
• Actual expenditure: GH¢12.2 million
• Excess spending: GH¢2.9 million

Staff Fuel

• Approved budget: GH¢2.8 million
• Actual expenditure: GH¢3.6 million
• Excess spending: GH¢800,000

Communication Expenses

• Approved budget: GH¢4.2 million
• Actual expenditure: GH¢7.9 million
• Excess spending: GH¢3.7 million

Consultancy Services

• Approved budget: GH¢40 million
• Actual expenditure: GH¢58.6 million
• Excess spending: GH¢18.6 million

Industrial Relations

• Approved budget: GH¢2 million
• Actual expenditure: GH¢13 million
• Excess spending: GH¢11 million

Stakeholder Expenses

• Approved budget: GH¢3.1 million
• Actual expenditure: GH¢49 million
• Excess spending: GH¢45.9 million

Publicity Expenses

• Approved budget: GH¢5.7 million
• Actual expenditure: GH¢21.8 million
• Excess spending: GH¢16.1 million

Professional Fees and Subscriptions

• Approved budget: GH¢731,000
• Actual expenditure: GH¢1.5 million
• Excess spending: GH¢769,000

The revelations have renewed calls for improved financial discipline and stronger oversight mechanisms within state-owned enterprises.

Members of the Public Accounts Committee questioned why ECG management committed expenditures beyond approved limits without seeking authorisation from the company’s Board of Directors.

The Auditor-General’s report adds to growing concerns over financial irregularities among public institutions, particularly regarding budget compliance, expenditure controls, and accountability in the use of public funds.

Source:www.ghanaweb.com