Controversies surrounding the yet to be premiered latest expose by ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, the Kelni GVG deal signed by the Communications Ministry and the National Identification/Ghana Card fiasco are some of the trending issues in Ghana.
Matters came to a head last week with the arrest of President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwasi Nyantakyi after he was allegedly captured in an investigative piece by Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his Tiger Eye PI team.
In the said video, the GFA boss was seen using the names of President Akufo-Addo, Vice President Bawumia and some top government officials to demand ‘bribe’ from some “foreign investors”.
The arrest of the football guru has sparked heated debate, bringing Anas’ investigative skills into the spotlight once again, with an accusation of entrapment. MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong has been on Anas’ case as he appears unenthused about the modus operandi of the award winning investigative journalist.
Mr. Agyapong who has already released some pictures believed to be images of Anas, has not only questioned how the journalist whose name apparently evokes fear in some people conducts his investigations, but has also accused Anas of corruption. He has threatened to ‘expose’ Anas because he claimed the journalist has cobwebs in his cupboard and that he is not what he is being portrayed in the eyes of the public.
Meanwhile, the documentary is scheduled to be premiered June 6, 2018 at the Accra International Conference Centre.
Kelni GVG scandal
The Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has come under attack following the signing of a contract between government and a Haitian firm, Kelni GVG.
Kelni GVG was awarded a $89 million contract by the Akufo-Addo administration for design, development and implementation of a common platform for traffic monitoring, revenue assurance, and mobile money monitoring and fraud management—a service already being rendered by Afriwave and Subah Info Solution.
Policy think tank IMANI Africa has mounted relentless opposition to the contract, questioning the rationale behind it with the argument that the contract was a clear wastage of scarce public resource.
However, the Communications Ministry has defended the deal, describing oppositions as unreasonable and that no amount of pressure will lead to its termination.
Staunch supporter of the NPP government, Kwame Asare Obeng better known as A Plus has also described the deal as a “stinking” deal and accused the Communications Minister of being involved in “some shady deals at the Communications Ministry and National Communication Authority (NCA).”
He is alleged to have written on his Facebook wall: “Kwasi Nyantakyi is only being sacrificed to cover up the $89/178 million KelniGVG stinking scandal,” – a statement he has been asked to retract or face legal action.
The deal has, however, been okayed by Parliament after it was strongly defended by the Communications Ministry.
National ID Card fiasco
The National Identification Authority has conceded that the organization failed Ghanaians following their inability to distribute the National Identification card on Monday May 28.
Officials of the Jubilee House and other key institutions including Parliament who had gathered at selected centres to get their National ID Card also known as Ghana Card were left stranded and disappointed after officers of the NIA failed to turn up for the registration exercise.
The exercise was scheduled to kick off at 7:00 am but never happened.
The NIA has apologized for the fiasco amidst calls for its leadership to be held responsible for embarrassing the government.
These and many other topical issues were discussed by the host and panellists on this week's edition of JoyNews' flagship current affairs program, NewFile.
