Month: May 2011

Two prominent personalities have donated a total of 22 packets of roofing sheets worth GH¢3,600 to support the Abodom-Edwenase community in the Bekwai Municipality, following a severe windstorm that hit the town recently.

Mr Joe Osei-Wusu, Member of Parliament (MP) for Bekwai, donated 10 packets of the roofing sheets while Reverend Robert Asante, Head Pastor in-charge of the Grace Baptist Church, provided 12 packets as their contributions towards the resettlement of the affected residents.

The windstorm swept through the town about three weeks ago, ripping off the roofs of about 79 houses and forced many of the affected persons to put up with their relatives and friends.

There were no casualties, however, the catastrophe caused considerable damage to erected electricity poles in the town, as well as the Abodom-Edwenase L/A Primary School, which had almost its entire roof destroyed.

Rev Asante, who donated the items on behalf of the two philanthropists, consoled the affected persons, saying they had shown great courage in the face of the tragedy.

He expressed satisfaction to have collaborated with the MP to support the community where he hails from and urged residents of the town living abroad to come to the aid of the affected persons.

Nana Okofo Nuamah, the Odikro, lauded the two personalities for the concern they had shown to the community and called on the National Disaster Management Organisation to step up efforts to relief the community of their plight.

GNA

The decision by Ghanaian Judges not to hear four lawyers who have made damaging allegations of corruption against the judiciary has received strong support from the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Ocquaye.

The Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya’s defense of the bench came at a time critics have attacked the Judges’ stance, with some calling it “Judicial Dictatorship.”

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Professor Mike Ocquaye said the four blacklisted lawyers who made the damaging allegations must be made to substantiate their claims that there is corruption in the Judiciary.

“What the judges are saying to my mind is that ‘let us put a pause to everything, we have been accused of being corrupt so let us go to the appropriate quarters which is the General Legal Council, let us go there so that whatever evidence you have against us, come and present it so that the corrupt judges will be sacked or tried and jailed, then the non-corrupt judges would hear your case for you’. Is there anything wrong with that? He who alleges must prove”.

Hon. Samuel Atta Akyea, MP for Abuakwa South Constituency has also described the allegations of the four lawyers as most irresponsible.

Meanwhile, a senior member of the pressure group Lawyers in Search for Democracy (LINSOD) has told Citi News that he has strong evidence of corruption in the nation’s judiciary.

Chris Ackummey revealed that he knows a Judge who took a Gh¢500 bribe and subsequently influenced the outcome of a case he was adjudicating.

“Those you love are the ones you criticize so the criticisms must not be seen as if it is targeted at judges to embarrass them or disgrace them. I have one instance and if they want evidence I will give it to them and provide several others who will corroborate it and I will mention the name of the judge”.

“I Chris Ackummey, I am saying that I know of a judge who took GHC500. Just this morning a professor at Korle-Bu called me and told me of his experience where a judge handling a case demanded money from him before deciding on the case”.

By: Citifmonline.com

Parliament failed on Thursday to meet the 21 days sitting deadline in working on Fees and Charges (Amendment) Instrument 2011 (L.I. 1986) that gives regulation to the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provision) Act 2009 (Act 793).

The bill which became law in 2009 was a comprehensive rates, fees and charges collectable by Ministries, Department and Agencies for goods and services delivered to the public.

For this lapse, the regulation becomes a law without the review, explanations and debates on the proposed charges by the joint committee – Finance and Subsidiary Legislation Committee.

Dr Osei Akoto, New Patriotic Party (NPP) member for Old Tafo, who brought the issue to the notice of the House, sought the guidance of the Speaker, Mrs Joyce Bamford Addo since the day was the deadline for enforcing the regulation.

He called for the withdrawal of the regulation to give way for further consultation with all the institutions involved.

Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu Minority Leader endorsed withdrawing the regulation.

According to him, as it was the best option available and called on the House to do so.

Mr Cletus Avoka, Majority Leader, said there was no need to withdraw the instrument, since it did not contradict the parent act or the constitution of the land.

Mrs Bamford Addo directed that the leadership should meet and take decision on it.

Mr Avoka said the arguments raised were not enough to justify withdrawing the regulation and called on the Speaker to allow the regulation to mature for enforcement.

The regulation, which was laid close to the Second Session of the Fifth Parliament, could not be worked on because of heavy work load on Parliament.

When the Ghana News Agency spoke to the Subsidiary Legislation Secretariat (SLS), it indicated that because it was a joint committee the problem of quorum became a challenge as some New Patriotic Party members had to travel to their constituencies for their primaries.

This had compelled the office to wait till Parliament resumed sitting but was faced with a tougher huddle of having only two days to work on the regulation.

When the joint committee managed to meet on Wednesday (18 May, 2011) according to the SLS, the Finance Minister was not present.

Members of the meeting according to SLS held that since the matter was a major policy issue the minister should at all cost be present to make his input before the instrument became enforceable.

This decision was accepted under the plea of withdrawing the regulation on Thursday (19 May 2011) in parliament for the necessary work to be done on it.

Unlike normal bills regulations, orders and rules made by persons or authority according to article 11 of the 1992 Constitution are laid before Parliament or be published in the gazette on the day it is laid.

These rules come into force at the expiration of 21 sitting days after being so laid unless Parliament before the expiration of the twenty one days annuls the Order Rule or Regulation by votes of not less than two-thirds of all members of Parliament according to Article 11 (7).

Source: GNA

A rare scene was witnessed in Parliament when the Speaker of Parliament Justice Joyce Bamford Addo, angrily walked out of Chamber in Parliament House on Friday, May 20, over what she said was the NDC Majority’s disregard for her position.

The incident occurred this morning after the Deputy Majority Leader, Hon Rashid Pelpuo, refused to withdraw a statement he had made on the floor of the House, which the Speaker felt slighted about.

The NPP MP for Ahafo Ano South, Stephen Balado Manu had raised a point of order after the reading of the Business for the Week by the Majority Leader, Hon Cletus Avoka.

But Hon Rashid Pelpuo felt Hon. Balado Manu was out of order, when he made interjections without the Speaker’s attention.

Rashid Pelpuo quoted two Standing Orders of Parliament to support his point and reminded the Speaker of her responsibility to control proceedings in the House.

Justice Joyce Bamford Addo who obviously took exception to his comments asked Hon. Pelpuo to retract his comment and apologize to the House.

The Honourable MP remained adamant and rather explained that he was not making a personal comment but rather putting forward an observation that had been made by the Parliament of Zimbabwe.

Justice Bamford Addo who was annoyed at this point, stated that there was no way the MP could compare Ghana’s Parliament to that of Zimbabwe.

Story by : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Aquinas Quansah has urged Ghanaians to cultivate the practice of harvesting rain water as the rains set in.

According to him, persons living in areas which lack water supply such as Adentan, Teshie Nungua among others must take advantage of the rains that has begun to set in to store enough water and not allow rain water to go to waste.

Rainwater harvesting is a three step process involving the collection of rainwater from surfaces such as roofs; the storage of rainwater and the distribution of rainwater for indoor or outdoor use.

Rainwater is an economical, safe and sustainable source of quality water when it is captured and stored in a correct manner.

Contributing to a panel discussion on e.tv’s Breakfast TV show, Hon. Aquinas Quansah who is also the Member of Parliament for Mfantseman East stated that as government takes adequate measures to improve the water supply situation in the country, the public must also help themselves by harvesting rain water which comes at no cost.

“Rainwater which is also clean water can be used for several house chores such as watering the lawns, wash your car and cooking utensils, our forefathers have practiced this and we must sustain it” he said.

He said compared with water supplied through mains, rainwater can be considered to be safer since water supplied from mains is typically stored in dams and treated with chemicals to eliminate bacteria, adding that the water which then will be pumped through a network of pipes may also contain contaminants such as rust.

Hon. Aquinas Quansah noted that there are a number of advantages in harvesting rainwater including, the significant reduction on the reliance on water storage dams and systems and also considerably decrease the size of one’s water bills.

Story by : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh