Month: October 2010

The Member of Parliament for Upper Denyira East, Nana Amoako, has said he is not troubled by the poor grade awarded him by the Africa Watch Magazine.

The October edition which is the latest of the Magazine in a survey carried out, graded the Upper Denkyira East MP, grade F.

The Africa Watch Magazine scored the MPs on five main areas: (1) Knowledge about lawmaking and the constitution; (2) How active MPs are in conducting their legislative business; (3) Their contribution to Parliamentary debates and how their ideas and suggestions reflect society’s needs and interest; (4) Tolerance of views divergent to theirs of their party’s policies and agenda and (5) Ethics.

Out of the 230 MPs, only two; Minority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, and former Majority Leader, Alban Bagbin obtained marks between 95 and 100 per cent representing exceptional performance, and in the case of Bagbin rated C in the current exercise, his A rating stems from when he was Majority Leader.

Twenty four (24) MPs, obtained marks between zero and 49 which earned them grade F and which also means they performed poorly on the areas on which they were assessed.

There have been concerns that the “failed” MPs will be affected negatively by the outcome of the survey as it will be used against them by their opponents or competitors during electioneering campaigns.

However speaking to ghanamps.gov.gh, the Member of Parliament for Upper Denyira East, Nana Amoako, who said campaigns are based on credible issues, stated that he does not entertain any such fears as his constituents will not judge his performance only by how regular he speaks in parliament.

“Incumbent Parliamentarians are re-voted on the basis of the sort of development they bring to their constituency, and with that I don’t have any problem, as my constituents will bear testimony of my good deeds”, he said.

Hon. Nana Amoako, noted that a lot of work in parliament is done at the committee level, where he is very active.

Story by : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

Member of Parliament for Sekondi Papa Owusu-Ankomah is advocating for autonomy for Grade “A” Senior High Schools in the country.

This he says will enable the government to concentrate more on the less endowed schools and commit more funds to upgrade them.

The former Education Minister and Attorney General’s comments come in the wake of crisis at most Senior High Schools in the country following the implementation of a four-year education policy.

Heads of Senior High Schools have been directed by the Ghana Education Service to improvise and get first-year students dormitories and lecture halls. But the situation in most of the schools is quite chaotic as the heads race against time to make the infrastructure available.

Speaking to Joy News’ Sammy Darko, the Sekondi MP said the problems being encountered at the schools are self inflicted.

He accused the government of dabbling in petty politics to have the four-year term reverted to three years at all cost and in the process failed to put in place the necessary infrastructure.

He said the government must have some innovative ways of funding second cycle institutions and believes that grading the schools will ease pressure on the government.

“Is it not possible that for some schools they could be made semi-autonomous so that even in terms of the fee level they can charge fees commensurate with the expectations that the parents have of the schools?” he quizzed.

He dismissed assertions that such a system is elitist and unfair, saying “when we are faced with a crisis you try to adopt bold and innovative ways to solve the problem.”

He said such a system is seamlessly practised in South Africa.

But a retired educationist I.K. Gyasi told Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoh such a policy will be divisive.

“We must be very careful not to create a situation where certain schools are regarded as superior schools and their headmasters are superior headmasters and other schools described as inferior schools with inferior headmasters.

According to him, such an unfortunate situation occurred in the early 1980s and should not be allowed to recur.

He said such a policy might lead to the creation of elitist schools and make it virtually impossible for brilliant but poor students to have access to those schools.

Source: joy news

The Member of Parliament for Mfantseman West, Aquinas Quansah, has urged the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Elias Sory to be resolute and ensure that doctors and other health personnel are made to serve at their right postings.

Dr. Elias Sory, has blamed politicians for interfering in the posting of doctors and other health personnel and also cautioned that if the situation continued to persist, the country would not be able to meet the Millennium Development Goals on health.

The Health Service has expressed concern about the situation where most health professionals, including doctors refused to accept posting outside Accra because politicians interfered with the process, a situation which causes inequality and imbalanced postings.

Contributing to a discussion on e.tv Ghana Morning show, the Member of Parliament for Mfantseman West, Aquinas Quansah, encouraged the Director General to be firm in his resolve to ensure the right thing is done.

He said if Dr Sory bows down to pressure from politicians, then he must equally be blamed for what is currently happening.

“As for pressure from politicians it will not stop today or tomorrow, u know, politicians respect public and civil servants who don’t easily bow down to pressure but are forthright in their work’’, he said.

Hon. Aquinas Quansah, also admonished new doctors and other health workers to accept postings to other parts of the country in good faith, as inhabitants of remote areas equally need their services.

He added that health workers should not yearn to work only in the capital cities and other big towns but seek the interest of the country by accepting to work in areas which may not have the best of conditions.

Story by : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Supreme Court, by a 6-3 majority decision, Wednesday directed the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mr Adamu Daramani Sakande, to file his response and statement of case to a writ challenging his nationality.

Lawyers for the MP had filed a preliminary objection against an application filed by Mr Sumaila Biebel, a cattle dealer, who is praying the Supreme Court to overturn earlier decisions by the Court of Appeal which declared an order by the High Court directing the MP to vacate his seat as null and void.

Defence lawyers filed a notice of preliminary objection to Mr Biebel’s writ, which is seeking an enforcement of Article 94 (2) of the 1992 Constitution barring foreigners from seeking election into public office.

According to the lawyers, Mr Biebel’s writ was an electoral dispute which should not be countenanced by the court because he filed it out of time.

However, the president of the nine-member panel, Mr Justice S. A. Brobbey, announced that the court, in a 6-3 decision, had overruled the MP’s preliminary objection.

It, accordingly, directed the MP to file his response and statement of case, adding that the court would give its full reasons later.

It also announced that the suit would take its normal course and, accordingly, adjourned the case sine die.

The defence team told the Daily Graphic it would comply with the court’s ruling and file the necessary papers, as well as attach documents to prove that the MP held allegiance to only Ghana.

The other members of the panel were Mr Justice Julius Ansah, Ms Justice Rose Owusu, Mr Justice Jones Dotse, Mr Justice Annin Yeboah, Mr Justice P. Baffoe-Bonney, Mr Justice B. T. Aryeetey, Mr Justice N.S. Gbadegbe and Mrs Justice Vida Akoto-Bamfo.

The Court of Appeal, in three separate rulings, set aside the cattle dealer’s writ of summons which challenged the MP’s nationality and declared the decision by the High Court that ordered the MP to vacate his seat as null and void.

The court had, in a unanimous decision, held that the writ of summons filed by Mr. Biebel challenging the eligibility of the MP to stand for election and to be subsequently elected as an MP “was wrong in law”.

It, accordingly, upheld submissions by counsel for the MP, Mr Yonny Kulendi, which described Mr Biebel’s action as an electoral petition “dressed as a constitutional enforcement action”.

In a default judgement dated July 15, 2009, the High Court had declared that the MP owed allegiance to Britain and not Ghana and for that reason he could not hold a position as MP in Ghana following a writ of summons filed by Mr Biebel.

The High Court granted Mr Biebel’s application, which sought a declaration that the MP should be ordered to vacate his seat because he was a British national and, therefore, did not qualify to sit as an MP.

Source: Daily Graphic

Various development projects worth over GH¢ 147,000 in the education and health sectors for Kadjebi and its environs have been commissioned by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Akan, Mr. Joseph Kwadwo Ofori.

The projects are the construction of three six-unit pavilion classroom blocks each for Pampawie Amanta Primary, Kadjebi E. P. Primary and Asato Roman Catholic Primary schools.

Others were the rehabilitation of Pampawie Amanta Community Clinic, Kadjebi District Health Administration, Dodo-Mempeasem Health Centre, renovation of Dodo-Amanfro Clinic and construction of a steel bridge over Asukawkaw to link Dodo Fie to Amanfro and other areas.

The projects were funded through the Ghana Education Trust Fund, HIPC and MP’s share of the National Help Insurance Authority facility.

Mr. Ofori said the inauguration of the projects marked the fulfillment of his campaign promises of “accelerated development in transparency.”

He said a “Better Ghana” development slogan should not be misconstrued to mean short-circuiting processes for amassing wealth.

“It should be selfless service to mankind, provision of requisite infrastructure and creation of enabling environment for rapid development and industrialization.

Mr. Ofori said part of his MP’s common fund had been used to sponsor needy but brilliant students and pupils in the Akan Constituency, in addition to the donation of computers and accessories to the Kadjebi Police Command, Magistrate Court and District Office of National Health Insurance Scheme to facilitate prompt service delivery.

He said by his personal contacts, works on the Kadjebi-Dzindzinso road network christened “missing link” was progressing robustly.

The MP pledged of equitable distribution of development projects in all eight traditional paramount areas in the constituency namely, Kadjebi, Asato, Ampeyeo, Ahamansu, Pampawie, Dapa, Dodo and Dodi.

The traditional authorities thanked Mr Ofori for his initiative, pledging their support to his course.

Mr. Perfect Akumey, Administrator of the Kadjebi Health Administration, praised the MP for his generosity, acknowledging him for his humility and hard work, which was transforming the local economy.

Source: GNA

The Member of Parliament for Bekwai, Joseph Owusu Ansah, has urged members of the public who have not been enumerated yet as part of the 2010 Population and Housing Census exercise to immediately take steps to get themselves countered.

According to the MP, rather than such people sitting down to complain of not being enumerated they should be proactive and get in touch with the Census Secretariat to be countered in this all important national exercise.

The 2010 Population and Housing Census exercise which started on the 26th September was originally scheduled to end on 1Oth October but had to be pushed forward to 17th October after several calls for extension since many people had not been counted.

The Census Secretariat once again extended the exercise for three days to Wednesday 20th October 2010 to ensure that those left to be counted in isolated places, particularly within the Greater Accra Region are covered.

The 2010 Population and Housing Census, thus officially comes to an end today Wednesday 20th October 2010 after a month long national exercise.

Speaking on e.tv Ghana Morning Show, the Member of Parliament for Bekwai, Joseph Owusu Ansah, stated that those who have still not been enumerated should contact the Census Secretariat through the toll free numbers that the Secretariat gave out.

He noted that although the 2010 Census exercise was characterized by various challenges, remedial measures should be employed to ensure that an accurate data is gathered, as that plays an essential role in aiding the government to plan and execute developmental projects for the citizenry.