Month: February 2011

The Member of Parliament for Bekwai, Joseph Osei –Owusu, has welcome the interdiction of eleven (11) officers of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) who have been implicated for extortion at the Tema Harbour.

He said the move marks the beginning of an administrative process of dealing with the canker of extortion which is believed to have bedeviled the CEPS division of the Ghana Revenue Authority.

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), in its resolve to deal firmly and uncompromisingly with offenders captured in Anas’ latest video which exposed massive corruption and rot at the Tema Harbour has interdicted eleven (11) officers of the Customs Division to serve as a deterrent to others.

The Authority explained that it will deal decisively with those found culpable by sanctioning them as a deterrent to others that may come under temptation to collude with importers to deny the state of legitimate tax revenue, will taking steps to retrieve revenue lost on account of the corrupt and unprofessional practices shown in the tapes.

Contributing to a panel discussion on the matter on E.tv’s Morning show on Wednesday, the Member of Parliament for Bekwai, Joseph Osei –Owusu, who commended the Ghana Revenue Authority for their swift action, however stated that the evidence gathered by Anas may not enough grounds for prosecution in the court of law.

He suggested that the Ghana Revenue Authority engages the services of well versed prosecutors at the Attorney General’s office to ensure that those found culpable are not left off the hook.

Hon. Joseph Osei – Owusu noted that huge amounts of revenue due to the state have been lost because of such unscrupulous acts, adding that all necessary measures should be adopted to curb such negative deeds.

Story by : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

A severe rain storm yesterday 3rd February 2012 hit Kwahu Mpraeso and its environs, in the Eastern Region causing huge damage to properties.

The incident which recorded no human fatalities and injuries however caused a lot havoc to buildings particularly the collapse and ripping off of roofing systems which is a common occurrence especially in rural area of Ghana.

The aftermath of the rainstorm left a large number of people homeless as personal and public properties worth several thousands of cedis were destroyed.

The Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, Seth Kwame Acheampong who spoke to ghanamps.gov.gh about the natural occurrence sympathized with his constituents over the loss of their personal effects promised to take immediate action to bring some relief to the affected person.

He was also hopeful that aside his personal donation, the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) which he has contacted will swiftly come to the aid of the victims as they need some sort of shelter urgently.

Story by: Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for Adenta, Kojo Adu Asare has called for the speedy prosecution of the public officials found culpable in the recent investigative piece at the Tema Harbour.

Video footage by Ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas which has been aired on national television showed some personnel from the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and National Security operatives, busily collecting bribes from importers at the Tema Harbour, an act that has deprived the country a lot of monies that should have been accrued to it.

According to the MP, though eleven officials of the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) identified so far in the video footage have been issued with queries to explain their conduct, prosecution of the offenders must be ensured.

Contributing to a discussion on the issue on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo show on Monday, Hon. Kojo Adu Asare, who sounded very appalled by the criminal on-goings at the Tema Harbour condemned the behaviour of certain public officials who turn themselves into wealthy people overnight.

“I find it difficult to understand why, when some people are appointed into public offices their major pre-occupation is to get rich quicker, they instantly forget where they are coming from and turn themselves into rich men overnight ’’ he said.

“Some of us after spending our hard earned money to fund party activities to see the party in power, we are still committed to serving the country in the right manner’’ he added.

Hon. Kojo Adu Asare, called on President John Evans Attah Mills to immediately crack the whip on such nation wreckers to serve as a deterrent for other unscrupulous public officers who still harbor the intention of siphoning state funds.

Story by: Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa, Kwabena Amankwa Asiamah, has described government’s intention to construct two new public universities as a misplaced priority.

According to the MP, the current state of the Ghanaian economy is not financially strong enough to support such huge projects that obviously will be capital intensive.

President John Evans Atta Mills will today Monday February 7 and Tuesday February 8th 2011 carry out two ground breaking ceremonies for the construction of two universities in the Volta and Brong Ahafo Regions.

The Brong Ahafo University, which will be known as University of Energy and Natural Resource Management, will run courses including wildlife management, forestry, environmental management and energy conservation, will admit the first batch of students in September for the 2011/2012 academic year.

Contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM’s morning show on Monday, the Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa, Kwabena Amankwa Asiamah, who questioned the timing of construction of the two universities, however cautioned government not to hastily undertake these projects merely because it is a campaign promise.

“I don’t know why in this difficult economic time that we find ourselves, government is in a rush to spend huge monies to build these universities just because it made the promise to the two regions in the lead-up to the 2008 elections’’ he wondered.

He noted that the Ghana Education Trust GET fund from which monies would be used in constructing the buildings is already overstretched due to the many public projects which are being run by the fund.

Hon. Kwabena Amankwa Asiamah was however of the view that the government could rather have sought help from its development partners (donor countries) in the execution of the project to lessen the burden on the GET Fund.

Story: Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Okaikoi South, Nana Akomea has officially confirmed that he is no longer interested in contesting the parliamentary seat of the party.

The revelations come after weeks of speculations about whether or not the four term parliamentary candidate would run for the seat in 2012.

Nana Akomea, who was recently appointed Communications Director of the NPP told Joy News, Paa Kwesi Asare that he took the decision in spite of consistent pressure on him not to abdicate the seat.

He said having spent 16 years in Parliament, “I feel that I must move on, I will still be in politics, but I feel that I must move on from the constituency work.”

Nana Akomea said he took the decision after the 2008 elections.

He said he will focus his attention on building the party’s communication.

Source: joy news

The Member of Parliament for Mfantseman West, Aquinas Quansah, has warned that the consistent harsh criticism of the Professor Attah Mills’s presidency by fellow National Democratic Congress (NDC) members is bound to have dire consequences for the party come 2012 general election.

According to the MP, some persons within the NDC party have made it their business to run down Professor Mills as a means of projecting their own political interest.

His comments comes in the wake of the recent purported announcement by the former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings of her intention to contest for the 2012 flag bearer position of the party.

Contributing to a panel discussion on the subject on Oman FM’s morning show on Friday, Hon. Aquinas Quansah, stated that though the former First lady is hugely qualified to contest that position, her action will amount to political imprudence.

“I wonder why someone from the same party with the incumbent President will want to contest him, what message is he or she going to sell to the electorate, will it not be politically suicidal’’ he asked?

He noted that the seeming power struggle within the NDC party if not checked will adversely affect the political fortunes of the party in next year’s election.

Hon. Aquinas Qunsah, believed however that whoever contest Professor Mils for the flag bearer position will be hugely humiliated at the polls.

He further cautioned party members who are in the business of feeding the media with snippet of sensitive information about the party, to desist from the act as it does not help in building party cohesion which is vital for winning the 2012 elections.

Story by :Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

Majority Leader of Parliament Cletus Avoka is urging lobbyist of the Right to Information Bill to be patient as the House considers passing the Bill into Law.

He told a group of picketing lobbyists on Wednesday that “Parliament cannot be torpedoed into passing a bill.”

The Coalition of Right to Information Bill led by the human rights campaigner Nana Oye Lithur on Wednesday picketed at the precincts of the House in a manifest bid to pressurize Parliament into passing the bill.

After initial altercations with the police which led to minor injuries to members of the coalition, the leaders finally presented a press release to the top hierarchy of Parliament seeking a fast track passage of the Bill into Law.

With the release titled “Parliament, why the delay?” Nana Oye Lithur said the passage of the bill is critical to the democratic practice and dispensation in the country.

“We are picketing Parliament this afternoon to press home our point and we urge Parliament to demonstrate commitment to transparency and accountability and to ensure that this bill is passed,” she said.

Receiving the coalition members, the Majority Leader Cletus Avoka thanked them for demonstrating their concern about the conspicuous delays in passing the bill.

He said Parliament is committed to passing the bill into law but added the House is facing several challenges as far as the bill is concerned.

He cited the packed agenda of Parliament and financial constraints which he said is impeding the speedy passage of the bill.

His response apparently did not sound too convincing to members of the coalition, with the leader, Nana Oye Lithur constantly interjecting and pressing to find out when the bill will see the light of day.

“Madam when you were talking I was not talking; when you were making your presentation I was not, so allow me to make my presentation because you cannot torpedo Parliament into passing a law,” he snapped.

“…It is the executive that brought the bill and we know how to go about passing bills,” he added.

The Minority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu said the House will consider the Information Bill after it returns from the five weeks break.

“We wouldn’t have to mislead you. It is going to be very difficult to consider it this meeting. Hopefully we will make time and space for it the next meeting,” he said.

Soure: Myjoyonline.com