The call by the National Peace Council on all those contesting the outcome of the December 7, 2020, election to use the laid down processes to address their electoral disputes is one of the trending stories in the Ghanaian press on Tuesday.
The Graphic reports that the National Peace Council (NPC) has called on all those contesting the outcome of the December 7, 2020, election to use the laid down processes to address their electoral disputes.
“Besides, the National Peace Council would like to draw the attention of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) about their public commitment to peace and non-violence when their presidential candidates ahead of the December 7, 2020, Presidential & Parliamentary Elections signed the Peace Pact on December 4, 2020.
“It is also worthwhile to refer to the admonition of His Lordship the Chief Justice at the event, where he called on all those who may have grievances emanating from the election to seek legal redress at the court instead of on the streets,” it said in a statement signed by its Chairman, Rev. Dr. Ernest Adu-Gyamfi.
In the interest of preserving Ghana’s peace and democracy credentials, the NPC urged those with grievances to do so within the legal framework and guided by the 1992 Constitution, Political Parties Act (2002), Case laws based on the 2012 Supreme Court election petition, the Regulations 127 (CI) among other legal regimes.
It recalled the NPP’s resort to the courts to seek redress when it was dissatisfied with the 2012 general election, which resulted in rather positive outcomes that led to significant reforms in Ghana’s electoral system.
“In the same vein, the National Peace Council encourages the NDC to follow suit to deepen our democratic gains rather than taking to the streets; a potential threat that can spark post-election violence and mar the entire peaceful election process,” it said.
The newspaper says that the Children’s Heart Foundation (CHF) Ghana has started a nationwide campaign to raise funds to pay for the surgery of 53 children diagnosed with congenital heart disease.
The nationwide campaign seeks to raise some $424,000 through donations and online auction of paintings between December 18 and 31, 2020 to support the 53 children on the waiting list.
This came to light at the maiden edition of the Gardeners Bazaar organised by the CHF on December 19 in Accra.
The two-day event created a platform for garden lovers and enthusiasts, and individuals who wanted to purchase unique Christmas gifts, for a cause to interact and share ideas to how best to support children diagnosed with congenital heart disease.
In all, 32 vendors participated in the two-day event with products such as exotic plants, garden accessories, tools, plants, feeds, inspiring quote plaques for the home, and accessories.
Speaking to the media at the event, the President of the foundation, Mrs Jacqui Ahomka-Lindsay, observed that the CHF Ghana was this year using the bazaar to raise funds to support the children diagnosed with congenital heart disease.
“In the 11 years of its existence, CHF Ghana has, thanks to the generosity of its sponsors, paid for surgeries for 209 children at a cost of over GH¢3.75 million.”
“That’s over 209 grateful families whose lives have changed forever because their child was able to get the lifesaving surgery they could not have afforded; there are 53 more children on the waiting list,” she said.
The Graphic also reports that a US-based Ghanaian surgeon, Dr. Moses deGraft-Johnson, has pleaded guilty to 56 counts of health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
DeGraft-Johnson, 46, owned and operated Thorvasc PA, a Florida Corporation doing business as the Heart and Vascular Institute of North Florida (HVINF). HVINF was a physician’s office and outpatient catheterization laboratory located in Tallahassee.
As part of his plea, DeGraft-Johnson, a dual citizen of the United States and Ghana, acknowledged engaging in a wide-ranging and consistent pattern of performing two invasive diagnostic angiography procedures – one on each leg – on hundreds of his patients, whether medically indicated or not. When his patients returned for follow-up office visits, DeGraft-Johnson submitted fraudulent claims to their insurance companies stating he performed athrectomies during the appointments.
Using this scheme, DeGraft-Johnson admits he falsely claimed to have performed over 3,000 of these surgical procedures to clear blockages in arteries in as many as 845 of his patients’ legs.
A US Justice Department statement said ongoing investigation and analysis have determined that DeGraft-Johnson “fraudulently obtained at least $29 million – and very likely more”.
“The United States is aggressively pursuing all of DeGraft-Johnson’s forfeitable assets in the U.S. and overseas, including luxury vehicles; jewelry; homes in Manhattan, Southampton, New York, Miami, and the Houston area; and more than $1 million in cash,” the statement said.
The Times says that the Chairman of Medical and Dental Council (MDC), Prof. Paul Nyame, has congratulated the Family Health Medical School, led by Prof. Enyonam Yao Kwawukume, for being the Premier Private Medical School to present 30 of its students to become qualified medical doctors in Ghana.
Prof. Nyame made this statement during the Induction ceremony of 582 newly qualified Medical & Dental Practitioners of which, 30 doctors were from Family Health Medical School.
Prof. P. K. Nyame, administered the Hippocratic Oath to the inductees and said, their induction was an injection of human resource into the country’s health system.
He applauded FHMS students for being part of the pioneering class saying, the initiative of management in setting up the school was outstanding.
Prof. Nyame entreated the new doctors to accept postings to wherever they would be posted to, and never to demand for a change.
GIK/APA