Official results from the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) as regards Tuesday’s by-election in Assin North make James Gyakye Quayson of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) winner with 17,245 of the total valid votes cast. He beat Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Bernice Enyonam Sefenu of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) to reclaim the seat. His votes margin as compared to the 2020 results is over 1,300. In that election, Mr Gyakye Quayson polled 17,498 votes to beat NPP’s Abena Durowaa Mensah, who polled 14,193. Mr Gyakye Quayson, who was declared invalidly elected in 2020 by a Supreme Court judgement, will return to take his seat in Parliament. Credit: 3news.com

Former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) John Boadu has described the money-sharing allegation made by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) against the NPP in the Assin North by-election, as childish. He says the NDC has been sharing money all over the constituency but turns around to accuse others of doing the same thing. Speaking to TV3 reporters in Assin North on Tuesday, June 27 during the by-election, Mr Boadu said “The fertilizer and the machetes they were sharing, what is it about? I think we have moved on from this pettiness in our politics, they have been sharing things all over the place yet they will turn around and come and complain. “About 20 people came to me that they want to come and vote, won’t I give them transportation to come? The NDC was sharing things all over the place. What is this childishness? I don’t think we can continue this kind of unnecessary debate on who gave this and who gave that. “The NDC will go and misbehave and then turn around that they want a debate, what kind of backwardness is that? We have moved on.” The NPP and the NDC are having a go at each other over accusations of the sharing of money to voters in the Assin North by-election. A Deputy Director of Communications of the NPP, Ernest Owusu Bempah, says the NPP is only facilitating the movement of some voters from remote areas to vote. Speaking on TV3 on Tuesday, June 27, the Communications Director of the ruling party Richard Ahiagbah said he got reports of the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, sharing monies to voters in the morning of election day. For him, the NPP has not made any arrangements to share monies to voters as that will be too huge an investment to make. He said any doling out of cash to voters for transportation may be in the individual capacity of members of the party. But he insists it is the NDC and its Minority Leader who have been sighted sharing monies. The Minority Leader, who has been in the Assin North Constituency for the past days, strongly denied this and pointed accusing finger at the NPP rather. “Let them provide evidence. They are saying this to cover their mess,” he told TV3‘s Komla Klutse on one of his rounds of some polling stations in the Constituency. He said he has gathered evidence that the NPP are sharing GH¢200 notes to each voter to get them to vote for the party. The Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam Member of Parliament (MP) said he has not been to any other polling station aside the one opposite the Assin North District Assembly’s office and so cannot fathom where he is said to have been sharing money. The Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza, said the NPP is repeating what it did in Kumawu by sharing the monies to voters. “They did the same thing in Kumawu,” he indicated, denying any claims that the NDC is sharing monies anywhere within the constituency. Credit: 3news.com

Gunshots have been fired at Assin Praso in the Assin North constituency during the by-election on Tuesday, June 27, TV3’s Eric Mawuena Egbeta who is in the constituency covering the election has reported. “More and more Police officers are coming after an individual was allegedly attacked”, Mawuena further reported. The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Justin Kodua Frimpong said that the gunshots were fired in the stronghold of the NPP as a way to scare supporters of the governing party from voting. “Ask yourself how did it happen? Where you stand now, look at the statistics it is the stronghold of the NPP, how come you are having gunshots here but you are not having gunshots elsewhere? “What does it mean? It is an election and people want to intimidate our supporters, people want to scare our supporters from coming out to vote. We are expecting the Police to do better, we don’t want it to get to a point whereby we will be forced to defend ourselves.” Credit: 3news.com

News reaching Thinknewsonline.com indicates that a young man has been arrested for impersonating a military officer at Assin North. It is emerging that he was arrested at the Assin Breku polling station. It is alleged that the NPP has deployed its invisible forces (vigilant group) to the various polling stations. The fake soldier has been sent to the Assin Fosu Central Police Command where he has been placed behind bars. Sources says the young man spotted wearing an NPP outfit beneath his military outfit. 41,000 people are expected to cast their vote at the various polling stations in the Assin North Constituency. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Thinknewsonline.com can confirm that the Ghana Police Service has picked up another young man for impersonating as officer. According to sources, the young who is believed to be in his early 30's was spotted wearing a police uniform. It is emerging that the police service made the arrest following a tip-off. In a video cited by Thinknewsonline.com, the young was captured wearing a black police uniform and been escorted by two police officers. About 41,000 people are expected to cast their vote today. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin South Constituency, Rev'd Ntim Fordjour says the National Democratic Congress (NDC) should forget about winning the Assin North Constituency by-election. According to him, he is confident that the NPP will claim the Assin North Constituency seat. In an interview monitored by Thinknewsonline.com, he said "The NDC's Parliamentary Aspirant, James Gyakye Quayson has no supporters. Those people you see following and hailing him this morning are not from this town. They are all fake choreograph artificial supporters." He added that the NPP has the men and thus will ensure its Aspirant, Charles Opoku emerges as winner. Rev'd Ntim Fordjour who doubles as the Deputy Minister for Education also commended the Electoral Commission, Electoral Officers and Police Officers for the smooth running of the by-election. It is emerging that the Aspiring Parliamentary Candidate for NPP, Charles Opoku is yet to visit the polling station and cast his vote. The election is expected to end at 5pm on Tuesday. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has described the Parliamentary Aspirant for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Charles Opoku as a political prostitute. According to Sammy Gyamfi, Charles Opoku pleaded with the NDC not to allow James Gyakye Quayson to contest the Assin North by-elections. Sammy Gyamfi said "I can provide screenshots of chats with our party executives. Charles Opoku is a political prostitute, no principals, no values, no track record in the constituency and he wants to be MP. We leave everything to the good people of Assin North" In other developments, the Aspiring Parliamentary Candidate for NDC, James Gyakye Quayson has cast his vote in the ongoing Assin North by-election. He was cloud in an all white outfit. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Information reaching Thinknewsonline.com indicates that the Director of LGBTQ+ Rights Ghana and a humanist activist, Alex Kofi Donkor has been arrested and handed over to the Lakeside Police Station, a community in the Greater Accra Region. According to a reliable source close to Thinknewsonline.com, it took about ten people to arrest the LGBT Activist. It wasv emerging that Kofi Donkor was portraying as a mad man before his arrest. Sources say, the LGBT Activist killed a dog in the community and took to his heels. Further information also reveals that the LGBT Activist was arrested by some guys at the Lighthouse Church. Spintex after he stormed the the premises. Background It will be recalled that the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George affectionately called Dzata was asked to go to the forest and live by his name if indeed he was a lion. Th LGBTQI+ community noted that the lawmaker acted and spoke as though,they were not human and must be treated like animals. Mr. Kofi Donkor dared the MP saying "If Sam George feels he is indeed a lion as claimed, he should go to the forest and act as such not on them because they are human" He dared“If he feels he is a lion, he cannot be a lion on us. He has been called Dzata Dzata Dzata and he wants to act his name, not on us then he should go to the forest and do that” he said. The Police says it is probing further into the situation. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

A Memorandum of Understanding for the scientific and technical collaboration for promoting and disseminating high-yielding has been signed. The agreement, between the International Rice Research Institute and the Asian-African Consortium will also see the production of climate-smart, and healthier rice varieties to ensure food security. The IRRI and AAC's MoU for rice production was worth $5Billion. Ghana depends largely on imported rice to make up for the deficit in domestic rice supply. According to Agriculture Research for sustainable Development, Ghana’s rice self-sufficiency ratio declined from 38% in 1999 to 24% in 2006 and increased to about 43% in 2020. Hence the need for food and agriculture sector stakeholders to ensure increased and sustained domestic production of good quality rice for food security, import substitution and savings in foreign exchange. It was based on this backdrop that an MoU had been signed between the International Rice Research Institute and the Asian African Consortium. Experts said more efforts are needed to make the domestic rice value chain competitive that would not only lead to contributing to the growth and structural transformation of the economy. They also noted that it will also be an important vehicle to mitigate and solve developmental challenges, such as poverty and create more jobs for the youth. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin has gifted Tarkwa-based football club, Medeama SC an amount of GHc100,000 for winning the 2022/23 betPawa Premier League. Following Medeama SC's impressive performance, the Speaker of Parliament also accepted to be a patron of the Tarkwa-based club. The Speaker of Parliament made the donation in Parliament few days ago. The Rt. Hon. Speaker shared his goodwill message, reminiscing his love for sports and also, advising the players to be disciplined to achieve their goals. Member of Parliament (MP), Tarkwa Nsuaem Constituency, George Mireku Duker led the 2022/23 League Champions to present the trophy to the Speaker of Parliament. The Tarkwa-Nsuaem MP also congratulated Medeama SC for winning the league and making the good people of Wassa and Tarkwa proud. The MP who doubles as a-die-hard-fan of the club called on government and stakeholders to invest in sports to help foster socio-economic development. "I am of the firm belief that, investment in infrastructure, health, education and Sports among others in Mining Communities such as Tarkwa is one surest way, to cover up the mineral resource exploitation gap" Members of Parliament from both sides of the house commended Mr. Mireku Duker for his commended his efforts and team for achieving such laurel. "I thank my Sector Minister, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, MP for Damongo and other MPs who joined us to celebrate the team" "Special Appreciation to the Tobinco Brothers for hosting the team to a sumptuous lunch" Honourable George Mireku Duker was accompanied by Mr. Kurt Okraku, GFA President, Mr. Moses Armah Parker, the Board and Management of Medeama SC among others. Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

Minster of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has charged policymakers, healthcare providers and other stakeholders to ensure that the newly launched Ghana HTA Reference Case Document is effectively utilized. According to the Minister, the success of the Ghana HTA Reference Case Document depends on its implementation. In a speech read on his behalf at the 1st edition of Reference Case for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in Ghana by the Acting Director, Technical Coordination Directorate (TCD), Dr. Baffour Awuah, he said "The success of the Ghana HTA Reference Case Document depends on its implementation. It is not enough to have a comprehensive framework; we must ensure that it is effectively utilized by policymakers, healthcare providers and other stakeholders" The Minister also tasked all relevant parties to embrace the document to incorporate its principles and guidelines into their decision-making processes and to collaborate in its continuous improvement. Mr. Agyeman-Manu stressed that to enable effective implementation, it was crucial that the country invests in capacity building and knowledge dissemination efforts to empower all relevant stakeholders with the skills and understanding necessary to implement the reference case effectively. "Also, collaboration and knowledge sharing among different stakeholders is the key to the successful implementation of the Ghana HTA Reference Case Document" "By fostering partnerships, we can pool our resources, share best practices and learn from one another's experiences so as to improve the reference case to reflect emerging healthcare trends and technologies" Explaining further, the Minister hinted that the Health Technology (HTA) is a crucial tool in modern healthcare decision-making. He noted that the HTA provides all relevant parties with a systematic, evidence-based approach to evaluate the clinical, economic and social impact of health technologies and interventions. The Minister stressed that by embracing HTA, Ghana is committing itself to making informed decisions that maximise the benefits of healthcare interventions and optimize the allocation of its limited resources. The 1st edition of Reference Case for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in Ghana i s aimed at setting standards for the Conduct and Reporting of HTA and Economic Evaluations in Ghana. Health Technology Assessment (HTA) institutionalisation has been identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the decision-making tools that can foster the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (WHO, 2015). Health Technology Assessment is a multidisciplinary process that uses explicit methods to determine the value of a health technology at different points in its lifecycle (O’Rourke et al., 2020). HTA refers to the systematic evaluation of properties, effects, and/or impacts of health technologies. It is a multidisciplinary process to evaluate the social, economic, organizational and ethical issues of a health intervention or health technology (World Health Organisation, 2016). A health technology may refer to medicines, vaccines, devices, procedures and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of life (HtaGlossary.net, 2021). The purpose of HTA is to inform decision-making in order to promote an equitable, efficient, and high-quality health system. The application of HTA in health systems for priority setting is growing rapidly around the world and there is an increasing commitment to use HTA to allow for more explicit and transparent healthcare priority setting. On the policy perspective on the reference case for HTA in Ghana, the country’s National Health Policy (revised edition, 2020) (Ghana Ministry of Health, 2020) seeks to promote, restore and maintain good health for all people living in Ghana. The policy defines HTA-related objectives to strengthen the healthcare delivery system to be resilient as well as ensure sustainable financing for health. The National Medicines Policy (NMP), 3rd edition 2017, expands on the above health policy and defines the policy direction for HTA and associated implementation steps. Among other recommendations, the NMP recommends under section 2.2.2, “There shall be developed and regularly updated HTA guidelines which shall detail methods, processes, benchmarks, perspectives and agreeable standards for the conduction, dissemination and use of HTA incountry.” (Ministry of Health, 2017). Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith

National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi ESQ has called on the general public to rubbish what it calls a desperate, maliciously fabricated NPP audio in circulation against its Assin North Parliamentary Aspirant, James Gyakye Quayson. The NDC made these remarks in a communique issued on Friday. In a communique signed by Sammy Gyamfi, it said, "We have sighted and listened to a certain desperate and maliciously-contrived audio message being circulated by the New Patriotic Party, their agents, assigns and surrogates, which purports to be the voice of a daughter of NDC’s Parliamentary Candidate for the Assin North by-election, James Gyakye Quayson: "The said audio recording which is coming from a faceless individual pretending to be a child of James Gyakye Quayson, contains vulgar and despicable swear words we cannot repeat" The NDC added that it wishes to state without any equivocation that the said audio is not coming from any child, relation or associate of James Gyakye Quayson. "As it does not reflect the decency and nobility of James Gyakye Quayson or his immediate or extended family which holds all persons in high esteem and respects human dignity" "Let it be stated here that the family of Gyakye Quayson has stood firmly and continues to stand with him in his quest to serve the people of Assin North and pursue the felt needs of the people, and never will they turn their back on this noble cause." "The desperation of the New Patriotic Party in Assin North has reached fever pitch, having sensed imminent defeat in next Tuesday's by-election election" "We therefore urge every discerning Ghanaian to disregard the said audio and to treat it with all the contempt it deserves" Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith