Month: September 2010

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Charles Hodogbey has insisted that the Deputy Coordinator of the National Youth Council, Prince Derrick Adjei, must be hauled before the Privileges Committee of Parliament to answer questions about his purported list of homosexual which includes Parliamentarians.

The Deputy Coordinator had earlier this week threatened to release a long list of NPP functionaries, notably MPs involved in homosexual and other illicit sexual activities on Wednesday, September 15.

On the D-day a large section of Ghanaians were awaiting the elaborate list that promised to shock a lot of people in the country, but this was not to be as Prince Derrick Adjei refused to publish the list, because he claimed high-ranking officials had impressed on him not to release the list.

There have been suggestions from a section of the public that once he did not publish the list the issue must be allowed to rest.

But speaking to Ghanamps.gov.gh, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Charles Hodogdey maintained that the decision of Prince Derrick Adjei not to make public the list should not end the matter, but rather he must be compelled to substantiate his claim, as such issues bring the name of parliamentarians into disrepute.

‘’ why must the August name of parliament be linked with an immoral and illegal act such as homosexuality’’ he asked?

Hon. Charles Hododgey, further stated that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party should not entertain such irresponsible acts but must immediately institute disciplinary actions against Prince Derrick Adjei, who holds an important and sensitive position such as the Deputy Coordinator of the National Youth Council.

Story by : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South, Hon. Fritz Bafour says the cordial relationship that currently exist between President Attah Mills and President Teodore Obiang Nguema Mbasongo of Equitorial Guinea must be seen as purely diplomatic.

The Daily Searchlight newspaper edition of today sought to question why President Mills who is regarded as very democratic will have President Mbasongo who has ruled his country for more than thirty years(30) after a bloody coup as a close friend, a relationship that the paper sees as problematic.

One of Africa’s worst dictators, President Mbasongo’s regime retained clear authoritarian characteristics even after other parties were legalized in 1991. Most domestic and international observers consider his regime to be one of the most corrupt, ethnocentric, oppressive and undemocratic states in the world. Equatorial Guinea is now essentially a single-party state, dominated by Obiang’s Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea.

But speaking on e.tv Ghana breakfast show today, the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South, Hon. Fritz Bafour stated that he does not see the fuss about President Mills’s friendship with President Mbasongo, as former President Kufour was also a close friend of the latter.

‘’Yes it is true that President Mills appears to be a close pal of President Mbasongo ,with the two leaders visiting each other but this is all in the interest of Ghana and not in President Mills parochial interest’’ he said.

Hon Fritz Bafour noted that due to the good relationship between the two countries, Ghana in recent times has benefited immensely as Equatorial Guinea has on several occasions supplied crude oil to Ghana when the country was in dire need of the product.

Story : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Deputy Majority Chief Whip in Parliament, George Kuntu Blankson is calling for the immediate dismissal of the Deputy Coordinator of the National Youth Council, Prince Derrick Adjei.

Mr. Blankson says Mr. Adjei’s public utterances did not make him the positive role model he ought to be for the country’s youth.

Mr. Adjei early this week threatened to publish a tall list of predominantly NPP Members of Parliament whom he claims are homosexuals and pedophiles who do not qualify to be addressed ‘honourables’.

He vowed to release the list today, Wednesday, September 15, 2010, announcing that he would be surprised if the opposition party remains intact after he publishes the list. He is yet to fulfill that promise.

But George Kuntu Blankson, who is the MP for Mfantsiman East, said the comments were in bad taste.

“If such a person is handling the affairs of the youth of this country then you can attest to the kind of doctrine, the kind of ideas that he will propagate. It will be against the ‘Better Ghana Agenda,’” he stated.

The MP said given what he heard the National Youth Council’s Deputy Coordinator say on Asempa FM Monday, Derrick Adjei is “not worth” the office he is occupying.

Mr. Kuntu Blankson says Prince Derrick Adjei’s behavior would have a bad consequence for the NDC government in the next elections so the earlier he is removed the better.

When reached for his reaction, Mr Adjei declined comment.

Source: joy news

Hon. Twumasi Appiah, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Sene in the Brong Ahafo Region, may be compelled by current circumstances to abandon his parliamentary ambition in the 2012 elections.

This follows a threat by some electorates in his constituency that they would not entrust their mandate to the legislator who is currently facing the law for his involvement in an alleged gold deal.

According to the constituents who spoke to Daily Guide newspaper at Kwame Danso, the constituency capital, they would not vote for the NDC MP again because of his consistent failure to fulfill his campaign promises.

They indicated that Hon. Twumasi has consistently promised to explore every means available to ensure that the road from Atebubu through Kwame Danso to Kojokrum, the last point of the Brong Ahafo region, was given a face lift.

“We are not going to give him any more chance, because whenever it is an election year, he will come and make a promise that he will do everything possible to make sure that the road was put in good shape but after the election nothing happens,” one disillusioned electorate told Daily Guide.

The electorates pointed out that the deplorable nature of the road was negatively affecting them because they have to go through hell anytime they want to travel to Kumasi and other places via Atebubu which is the only available means.

They observed that because the road is in terrible shape, they are compelled to pay exorbitant lorry fares and also spend long hours before getting to their various destinations, a development which brings a lot of stress on them.

According to the electorates, the nature of the road has immensely affected their economic life, as they find it difficult to transport their food stuff and other products to various markets in Kumasi and elsewhere.

“What worries us most is the fact that though the supply of salted fish and other fish products mainly come from Kojokrum due to its closeness with the Black Volta, no attempt has been made to put the road in good shape,” an electorate lamented.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ahafo Ano South, Stephen Balado Manu, says he is not the least surprised about the latest Investment Climate Survey by the World Economic Forum that painted Ghana not too conducive a country to transact business in.

According to the MP, the bad governance style of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), coupled with the worsening state of insecurity in the country has contributed to many businessmen remaining hesitant to investing in the economy.

The Executive Opinion and Global Competitiveness report ranks Ghana 114 out of 139 countries, scoring just about half of the maximum 7 points.

The Global Competitiveness Report rankings were based on some 12 indicators. These include institutions operating in the country, infrastructure, macroeconomic environment, health, primary and higher education and training.

The rest are; goods market efficiency, labour market efficiency, financial market development, technological readiness, market size, business sophistication, and innovation.

Speaking on Oman fm’s morning show, the Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South, Stephen Balado Manu, notes that it is important the government implement good policies which will boost the confidence of business executives to invest and maintain their businesses in the country.

‘’ In the recent past several businesses mostly from Nigeria sprung up almost on a daily basis, currently that is not the case, other businesses are rather relocating to Nigeria and we must find out why this is so’’, he said.

Story : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The 2nd Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Ocquaye, has spoken strongly against the recent proliferation of splinter political parties describing it as very dangerous for Ghana’s young democracy.

Two such splinter parties have sprung up in less than a month. The Reformed Patriotic Party led by John Kwesi Addai and the Real Democratic Patriotic Party led by Raphael Kugbadzi are recent offshoots of the two main parties in the country-the NPP and the NDC respectively.

The Ashanti-based RPP has its core support from sympathizers of failed NPP Presidential Aspirant Alan Kyeremanten. The Brong Ahafo-based RDPP on the other hand is rooting itself on the ideology of NDC Founder and former President Jerry John Rawlings.

A similar splinter party-Reformed Patriotic Democrats- emerged from the NPP in the Ashanti region close to the 2008 general election.

Prof Mike Ocquaye, a political scientist, told the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, September 13, that more political parties mean more trouble for Ghana’s young democracy.

“Proliferation of political parties is very dangerous. It leads to vituperations, abuses, individualism, personal agenda in the political activity. That, we don’t want, we want the political parties to aggregate and then we know who is who…also it tends to create political instability as evidenced in Europe, France and other countries and it would not help Ghana’s democracy or Africa’s democracy.”

He urged disgruntled members of political parties to resort to democratically laid down procedures in their parties to reform and solve problems.

“If you are not happy about something in the NDC and you believe in the NDC tradition basically, you have to remain there and reform it and that is why the constitution of the republic of Ghana provides clearly that the management of affairs of political parties should conform to democratic principles…when they vote and you lose, it doesn’t mean you should go and form a political party.” He said.

Professor Mike Ocquaye called for an enforcement of the political party’s law as a means of discouraging the proliferation of political parties in the country.

‘If we don’t enforce the political party’s law, we will soon give a proliferation of political parties to birth and then all the other consequences will flow and the democracy of Ghana will be disturbed. Everybody should look at the bigger picture, discourage this and then let us have a true stable democracy where the NPP, NDC, CPP are talking about issues: environment, gender, oil management, democratization, the autonomy of the judiciary, then we speak about these things on matters of higher principles. This is what will help this country.” He added.

Source : Citifm

A group called the Progressive Forces of Northern Ghana has given Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, the Member of Parliament for Bimbila Constituency in the Northern Region a 72 hour ultimatum to render an unqualified apology to Vice President John Mahama for describing him as “A failed Vice president.”

Thrilled by Hon. Nitiwul’s comment which was purported to have been said on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana show on September 6, the group threatens to seek legal redress if the Bimbila Legislator fails to apologize to H.E John Dramani Mahama within the given stipulated period.

Addressing the media in Tamale, Seidu Abass, Spokesperson of the Progressive Forces of Northern Ghana group chastised Hon. Nitiwul for attacking Vice President John Mahama over his alleged inability to get any of his tribesmen (Gonjas) appointed in the current NDC administration as Ministers.

He cautioned the Bimbila MP against such unwarranted utterances in view of the endless conflicts that have inundated parts of the Northern Region over the years.

Abass Seidu however implored Vice President John Dramani Mahama to consider Hon. Nitiwul’s punch as a litmus test and wake up to perform his national duty as the number two gentleman of Ghana.

He further advised the Veep to take a cue from what he described as former Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama’s negligence on issues that bordered on the appointment and dismissal of some cabinet ministers under retired President Kufuor’s watch which he said deepened the woes of the three Regions of the North.

Seidu Abass revealed that certain forces within the NDC are doing everything possible to eliminate key Directors of Northern descent at the Ministries including Mr. Ziblim Yakubu, Chief Director at the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing as well as Mr. Alidu Fuseini, Chief Director of the Ministry of Education.

According to him, while Retired Major Mahama Samuel Tara has received his appointment letter to replace Mr. Ziblim as Chief Director at the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, his colleague Chief Director at the Ministry of Education Mr. Alidu Fuseini will soon be relieved off his duty to pave way for Mr. Kwamena Aquah.

He questioned why politicians should interfere in the work of the Head of Civil Service by attempting to dismiss Chief Directors who have the expertise and more years ahead to deliver in line with the Better Ghana agenda.

Seidu Abass therefore warned those power blocks in government against such actions and that any attempt to terminate the appointment of the two Chief Directors will be fiercely resisted.