Leading stories from the newspapers include:
1. Kennedy Agyapong Charged With Treason
2. Rioters before court
3. PPP elects executives in East Akim
4. Police condemned over 'security incompetence
News about Kennedy Agyapong's arrest cover the headlines of most of the papers as he is due to appear in court today. While the Daily Graphic uses the headline "Kennedy Agyapong Charged With Treason" in reporting that the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has been charged with treason. According to the acting Director of the Police Public Affairs Directorate, DSP Cephas Arthur, Mr. Agyepong would be put before court today.The Ghanaian Times captures this on its front page as "Agyepong now charged". The Heritage in page 2 headlined Ken is dangerous .As the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and sympathizers' herald comments by Assin North Member of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong, a leading member of the forum for Governance and Justice, Dr. Clement Apaak, says Kennedy Agyapong is a danger to national peace and stability. The New Crusading Guide also adopts the headline Agyapong's war Declaration was only Metaphorical –Atta Akyea. Counsel for the Assin North Member of Parliament Kennedy Agyapong says his client meant no harm in declaring war over fallouts in the ongoing biometric registration exercise. Atta Akyea told Joy News' Evans Mensah his client was only 'metaphorical'' with his words and has no bad intentions.
Other developments with regards to Kennedy Agyapong's arrest reveals that five activists of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who allegedly threw stones and vandalised vehicles following the arrest and detention of the Member of Parliament for Assin North, Mr Kennedy Agyapong, and Tuesday appeared before the Accra Circuit Court. The Daily Graphic reports this under the headline 5 rioters before court. According to the prosecution, the five — Kwame Oduro, a trader; Samuel Kwaku Gyebi, a caterer; Samuel Nsiah Kwame, a miner; Isaac Kofi Dankwa, a mechanic, and Kwame Affram, an auto mechanic — blocked the road from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service through the Ako-Adjei Interchange to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) Junction and caused disorder. The New Statesman employs a similar caption in reporting the same news; 5 NPP supporters for court. Reports from The Ghanaian Times on this story, however, indicate that 5 granted bail over riots, adding that the Five people who were arrested for rioting over the arrest of the member of Parliament for Assin North, Kennedy Agyapong, were yesterday granted a total of GH¢ 250,000 bail with two sureties each Charged with rioting.
Mr. Yaw Asamoah Buabeng, Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who spent the night of Monday in the cooler at the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters in Accra, says he has been charged with riotous behaviour. Under the headline Buabeng charged with riotous behaviour, the Chronicle adds that Mr. Buabeng was arrested amid a hail of bullets pumped by personnel of the Ghana Police Service head office in the national capital, after he had gone to the CID head office to provide support for Mr. Kennedy Agyapong, NPP Member of Parliament for Assin North, after his arrest on Monday. On the same story, The Ghanaian Times however tells us that The Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Yaw Buabeng Asamoa, was yesterday granted bail in the sum of GH¢ 10,000 by the Police Criminal Investigation Department(CID). The paper uses the heading "Buabeng Asamoa on bail".
In a related report, the Daily Graphic informs readers that Group want Agyepong freed. A group in Kumasi, calling itself Free Kennedy Agyapong Movement, yesterday staged a peaceful demonstration calling for the immediate release of the Assin North MP from custody.They threatened to block the main Kumasi-Accra road today, if Agyepong was not released yesterday.
In the wake of the arrest of Kennedy Agyapong and other NPP activists, the party states in the Daily Graphic that "We don't support ethnic divisions", adding that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it does not support any intemperate statements and actions that can incite and inflame ethnic passions in the country. It said the party was aware that Ghana was a proud multi-ethnic country, adding, "The NPP, a truly national party, is committed to jealously guarding and promoting this heritage." The Chronicle on the NPP statement adds that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) says the selective system of keeping law and order by the police, in which members of the party and other Ghanaians were left on their own against intimidating tactics from supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), poses the greatest threat to the maintenance of peace in the country. Under the banner Police are threat to peace in Ghana, the paper adds that "The current posture of the police to take no action to protect our party members and ordinary Ghanaians, in the face of such acts of violence, intimidation and exclusion at the hands of the NDC, particularly, in Odododiodoo, poses a serious threat to the maintenance of peace and security nationwide," the largest opposition party said in an official statement released in Accra yesterday, in reaction to the arrest of Mr. Kennedy Agyapong, NPP MP for Assin North.
Still on the NPP chairman's statement, the Ghanaian Observer brings to our notice that Jake charges Nii Lantey. The national Chairman of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, has blamed the current predicament of Assin North MP, Hon, Kennedy Agyepong on the violence, intimidation and the apartheid manner in which the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliament candidate for Odododiodio and a senior aide to President Mills, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye has been conducting himself during the ongoing biometric registration exercise.
The New Statesman informs us that Group slams police over 'security incompetence'. Pressure group, Committee for the Advancement of Democracy, has taken a swipe at the police for its "gross show of security incompetence" and "insensitive position of the police administration" in handling security issues in the ongoing biometric registration exercise, particularly in the Ashanti Region. The group is worried that there seems to be a break in the front of the police service, considering the display of inconsistencies, especially with their dealing with the statement of the Tafo Pankrono district police commander, DSP Akwesi Ofori, on some notorious criminals believed to be operatives of the ruling NDC.
The National Enforcement Body of the 2012 Political Parties Code of Conduct has observed with regret, the actions and inactions of the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party in the ongoing biometric voters registration exercise which contravene some provisions of the 2012 Political Parties Code of Conduct. The Daily Graphic with the caption Enforcement body slams NDC, NPP, adds that the two political parties, the NDC and the NPP, had representatives who assented to the code of and its provisions at a workshop held at Aburi on the August 21, 2011.At the workshop, all political parties including the NDC and the NPP agreed to demonstrate commitment to the enforcement and implementation of the code by educating their members and supporters on the provisions in the code, as well as disowning those who breach any of the provisions.
Still on the NPP, The Chronicle informs readers that Military raid NPP office. The Ashanti Regional Secretariat of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) was filled with tension and anxiety, when a team if heavily armed military personnel reportedly embarked in a patrol in the area. The military officers, wielding rifles, reportedly patrolled the premises of the party's regional office at Bantama, after news broke out that some supporters of the opposition party were planning to embark on a demonstration to protest against the arrest of the Assin North MP, Kennedy Agyapong.
More news on the NPP and on the biometric registration reveals that NPP sets Up 'Situation Room' for Biometric Voter Registration Exercise. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has reminded its members, sympathizers and all Ghanaians that a 'situation room' has been set up at the party headquarters in Accra to receive complaints and information regarding the on-going biometric registration centre for prompt action. The Crusading Guide adds that the Situation room 'operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and headed by Martin Adjei-Mensah, the Director of Research and Elections of the party.
We move away from the NPP to the biometric registration as Ghanaians have been urged to consider registration as national exercise-Aidoo –Mensah. The Gomoa West District Chief executive, Mr Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, has appealed to Ghanaians to regard the biometric registration exercise as a national assignment and not as an exercise for any political party.' It is by so doing that we can ensure its success," Mr Aidoo-Mensah said when he addressed a durbar to climax the Golden Jubilee celebration of the construction of Asafo Dentsifo Shrine at Apam
In a related story, The Ghanaian Times reports that Dr. Kwabena Duffour, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, has appealed to politicians to stop registration of minors. He asked them to desist from encouraging children under 18 years to registration in the ongoing biometric registration exercise. He said such acts could create difficulties in the lives of the children involved.
Away from the registration, the Chronicle ends the day's review as PPP elects executives in East Akim.The progressive people's Party (PPP) in the Abuakwa North Constituency of the East Akim Municipality of the Eastern Region has elected its executives for the area at Osiem. The 21- member Constituency executive is chaired by Mr. Lisbon Opoku, whilst the 1st and 2nd Vice chairmanship positions went to Mr. Stanly Mireku and WO1 (rtd) Osei Osafo, the secretary is Mr. Anim Acheampong, organizer Kwame Adjei, women organizer Madam Akosua Sarfoa, Treasurer, Obaa Mercy and the Education Secretary is Mr. Nyantekyi Mensah.
This daily news review is compiled by African Elections Project (AEP) Media Monitoring Centre, Accra, Ghana.
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