The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has expressed his dissatisfaction with what he believes is government’s reluctance to provide relief support to people affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage.

Ablakwa said government has neglected the affected persons most of whom are constituents of North Tongu.

The controlled spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong Dams on September 15 flooded communities in over four regions across the country, bringing untold suffering to the affected people.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, the North Tongu legislator was angry with the Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, for failing to provide measures being taken by the government to lessen the plight of the affected people when he appeared before Parliament.

He was dissatisfied with the Minister’s defense of the Volta River Authority (VRA) for the spillage of the dam, which he told Parliament was necessary to protect the structural integrity of the dam and the people living downstream.

Ablakwa also denied taking relief items on behalf of his constituents from the VRA.

“There is this false claim that VRA is sharing relief items and MPs have received relief items. You will have constituents chasing you that, Mr. MP, we heard the Energy Minister in Parliament reveal that you guys have received the items, and you have not given them to us, you have not been transparent with us.”

He further bemoaned the government’s lack of interest in supporting the affected people despite a national rally of support coming from corporate organizations and individuals.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has opened nominations for the district level elections.

Interested candidates are required to pick up nomination forms from the district offices of the Electoral Commission.

Completed nomination forms are to be filled and submitted in quadruplicate by the candidate or the proposer or seconder together with two copies of a recent post-card bust sized photograph to the returning officer of the electoral area for which the candidate seeks election, from the 16th to the 17th of November 2023 between the hours of nine o’clock in the morning to twelve noon and two o’clock to five o’clock in the evening on each day.

A communiqué from the Electoral Commission announcing the opening of nominations said the elections are expected to take place on December 19, 2023.

Below is the EC’s communiqué.

In accordance with the District Level Elections Regulations, 2015 (C.I. 89), the Electoral Commission will conduct the District Level Elections on the 19th of December, 2023. This follows the expiration of the term of the Assembly and Unit Committee Members on the 17th of December, 2023.

Nomination Forms may be obtained free of charge at the District Offices of the Electoral Commission across the country or on the Website of the Electoral Commission (www.ec.gov.gh).

Completed Nomination Forms must be delivered in quadruplicate by the Candidate or the Proposer or Seconder together with two copies of a recent post-card bust sized photographs to the Returning Officer of the Electoral Area for which the Candidate seeks election, from the 16th to the 17th of November, 2023 between the hours of nine o’clock in the morning to twelve noon and two o’clock to five o’clock in the evening on each day.

Nominations for the District Assembly Elections shall be witnessed by the signature or mark of the Proposer and the Seconder and supported by eighteen (18) other persons who are residents and registered voters in the Electoral Area.

Nominations for the Unit Committee Elections shall be witnessed by the signature or mark of the Proposer and the Seconder and supported by eight (8) other persons who are residents and registered voters in the Electoral Area.

All enquiries related to these Elections should be addressed to the District Officers of the Electoral Commission in all the Districts in the Country

Ghana’s Cocobod has borrowed between $150 million and $200 million from cocoa traders to finance bean purchases since the 2023/24 season opened due to a delay in securing a bank loan, the regulator’s public affairs manager said on Tuesday.

This is according to Reuters.

Every September, the industry regulator of the world’s second-largest cocoa producer secures an international syndicated loan to finance licensed buyers who purchase cocoa from smallholder farmers for export.

Cocobod plans to borrow $1.2 billion for this season, of which $800 million will come from a syndicate of lenders, and $400 million from other sources, as it previously stated.

However, as the syndication process dragged on, it turned to traders to fill the funding gap, as stated by Cocobod’s Fiifi Boafo. The funds will be repaid with the season’s harvest, he told Reuters.

“We engaged with some of the buyers to…give us capital for some of the purchase so that the capital is taken care of when we supply them the beans,” he said, without giving a specific amount accessed so far.

Boafo said Parliament would start approval processes for the agreements on the $800 million syndicated loan this week, after which Cocobod will reach out to partner banks for signing.