News
Tamale High Court nullifies NPP Walewale primary; calls for rerun
The High Court in Tamale has nullified the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Walewale parliamentary primary.
Dr. Mahama Tia Kabiru was declared winner of the contentious primary, which ended up in court.
A June 24 injunction was placed on Dr. Mahama Tia Kabiru, barring him from presenting himself as the elected parliamentary candidate (PC) of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the constituency.
The ruling was given on Monday, September 2, 2024, paving way for fresh nominations.
Earlier this year in January, Dr. Kabiru, a 35-year-old PhD holder and special advisor to the Vice President, edged out Hajia Lariba in a closely fought primary.
The election, which took place under stringent security measures and was attended by regional and constituency executives, resulted in a victory for Dr. Kabiru with 345 votes, compared to the sitting Member of Parliament (MP), Hajia Lariba Zuweratu’s 338 votes.
Hajia Lariba promptly disputed the election results and lodged an ex parte motion at the Tamale High Court, accusing the party, Dr Kabiru, and the Electoral Commission of electoral irregularities and misconduct.
In the primary, two other candidates, Tahiru Sham-Una and Jangdoo Mahama, received 145 and 1 vote, respectively. Initially, the NPP, as a third defendant, sought to have the case dismissed, alleging that Hajia Lariba had breached the party’s constitution by not utilising internal conflict resolution mechanisms before resorting to the court.
Prior to this ruling, NPP supporters in the Walewale constituency held a press conference calling for the intervention of the party’s Presidential Candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, to settle the dispute.
They cautioned that if the issue is not resolved swiftly, it could potentially harm the party’s prospects in the forthcoming general elections.
Meanwhile, the High Court in March granted pleas by the NPP to settle the dispute out-of-court.
In a previous session on March 15, the party had asked the court to dismiss the case, but the court refused and fined the party GH¢8000.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
News
Ghana-Colombia strengthens ties through diplomatic engagement
In an important diplomatic engagement, the Colombian Ambassador to Ghana H.E. Daniel Garces Carabali paid a courtesy call on the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, at his office in Accra to discuss some key areas of collaboration.
The meeting focused on pressing issues, including security, decongestion of Ghana’s prisons, prison reform programmes, training programmes, improving the welfare of prisoners and enhancing disaster management in the country.
The courtesy call underscores the growing bilateral ties between Ghana and Colombia, building on previous engagements, such as the visit of the Colombian Vice President to Ghana in 2023.
The meeting demonstrates the commitment of both nations to fostering cooperation and addressing shared challenges.
News
Ghana to host African Catholic Journalists from August 10
The Union Catholique Africaine de la Presse (UCAP), also known as the African Catholic Union of the Press, in collaboration with the Catholic Association of Media Practitioners-Ghana (CAMP-G), is set to host its prestigious Triennial Congress from August 10 to 17 August, 2025.
The programme would be held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Legon, Accra, Ghana.
This landmark event, the most significant gathering of Catholic journalists in Africa, will bring together media professionals, researchers, and experts in digital technology from across the continent and beyond.
The theme for the Congress is: “Balancing Technological Progress and the Preservation of Human Values in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
Congress Highlights
The UCAP Congress 2025 will feature discussions and deliberations on critical issues arising from or related to integral human development, particularly within the framework of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Some of the key sub-themes to be addressed include:Corporate Social Responsibility in Managing the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Human Values, Deploying AI in Eco-friendly Business Start-ups in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges, Technology and the Reprogramming of Social Reality, Distortion of Reality in Social and Digital Media, Ecological Education and Action Against Unsustainable Exploitation of Natural Resources, and Media and the Promotion of the Recommendations of the Synod on Synodality in Africa.
Participants will include media professionals from both ecclesiastical and lay organisations, media researchers and academics, representatives from the Vatican, government agencies, NGOs, civil society, and the digital technology sector.
Objectives of the Congress
The primary goal of this Congress is to strengthen the capacities of media professionals and educate the public on the necessity of preserving human values amid rapid technological progress. Specific objectives include; Training 100 media practitioners in Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, with a focus on balancing innovation and human values.
This will include promoting ethics and bioethics in technical research and technological innovations through media.
Advocating for human values such as respect for life, human dignity, charity, solidarity, and human rights and assessing the impact of technological progress to better understand the challenges, risks, and opportunities presented by AI will be part of the objectives.
UCAP is a continental organisation dedicated to promoting communication within the Catholic Church and its partners in Africa. With a mission to foster spiritual growth, collaboration, and responsible journalism, UCAP works to spread the Gospel, uphold human values, and support developmental initiatives across Africa and beyond.
UCAP is an independent, autonomous, non-political, and non-profit organisation comprising African Catholic journalists, communicators, academics, researchers, and institutions in various media fields.
