Month: August 2011

Engineers are expected in Keta in the Volta Region to assess the topography of the vicinity and design a comprehensive plan for the construction of an improved drainage system in the area.

The area’s poor drainage contributed heavily to the flooding and destruction of several homes and properties worth several thousands of cedis after heavy down pour a fortnight ago.

About 35 communities in the Keta Municipality and the communities on the Eastern boundary with South Tongu were cutoff as a result of the overflow of the Avu and the Keta Lagoon.

The situation had an adverse effect on the livelihood of the people as all economic activities came to a standstill.

The Member of Parliament for Keta, Richard Lasseey Agbenyefia in an interview with ghanamps.gov.gh, expressed worry at the effect of the flood in the Keta Municipality.

The MP noted that the damage caused to farms, houses and economic activities is a great worry to his office, adding that he is committed to finding some support to relieve the victims of their predicaments.

Story : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Government has procured for distribution to district hospitals, 161 ambulances, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, the Minister of Health (MOH) has announced.

He said this formed part of efforts at improving the quality of health care delivery.

The Minister said this in a speech read for him at the opening session of the 33rd annual congress of the Ghana Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners (SPMDP) in Kumasi.

The three-day meeting is under the theme “National Disasters, National Preparedness and Response”, and its being attended by about 100 delegates from all over the country.

They are discussing effective ways to respond to national emergencies.

Mr Chireh expressed the government determination to transform the health sector and ensure that the people had access to quality care.

He said it was only when the people were healthy that they could make significant contributions to the socio-economic development of the nation.

The Minister said the theme of the congress was appropriate in view of the disasters that had struck the nation over the years, leading to the loss of lives and wrecking of infrastructure.

The government would therefore appreciate any effort by the private sector and other professionals to help effectively deal with unexpected occurrences.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, raised concern about the incidence of fire outbreaks, citing those of Kumasi Central, Takoradi and Agbogbloshie markets and said there was the need to adopt preventive measures.

There should also be a “preparedness plan” to swiftly respond to them when they occur.

Dr Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minster, said earthquakes that hit Haiti and Japan and the recent floods in parts of the Eastern, Ashanti, Volta Regions and other areas of the country should serve as a wake-up call to all.

It was important to step up the “gate keeping activities” and put in place mitigating measures so as to minimize the adverse effects of disasters.

Dr J.K. Hanson, National President of the Society, said they had taken delivery of a Toyota Hilux pick-up from the National Malaria Control Programme to aid them in the fight against malaria.

GNA

It seems the call on politicians and other social commentators to eschew politics of insults in Ghana’s body politic have fallen on deaf ears, as politicians continue to heap insults on their political opponents.

Saturday 6th August 2011, was one day when decorum in political discourse was relegated to the background when Deputy Tourism Minister James Agyenim Boateng and the Head of the Communications Team of the New Patriotic Party Nana Akomeah turned a political discussion which should have been characterized by in-depth analysis into that of a battle of insults.

The two were part of a panel discussion on JOY FM’s News File Programme which discussed the tape that allegedly contains the voice of a deputy Information Minister Baba Jamal heard promising some journalists car and cash as reward for doing government’s request.

Government has been quick to dismiss the content of the tape describing it as an untruth however the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is confident that the tape is credible calling for a thorough investigation to unravel whose voice it is.

Nana Akomea in his opening remarks had called for a voice expert to confirm whose voice it was on that tape, but the Deputy Tourism Minister James Agyenim Boateng held a dissenting view that an expert was not needed.

“…You find a Member of Parliament, a Director of Communications of the opposition political party who holds a press conference, denigrates a deputy minister of information, runs him down, runs a whole government machinery down; makes serious allegations as wanting to bribe and corrupt journalist. He sits on a platform like this, you give him the opportunity to prove the very issues that he calls a press conference and speaks to, then he says that lets find an expert to establish the authenticity of the tape. What kind of shameful conduct is this?”

“This is ridiculous and you ought not be involved in something like this,” Agyenim Boateng said. “What is wrong with it?” Akomea asked.

“The point is that everybody who knows Baba Jamal and has heard his voice before will tell you; you don’t need to be a voice expert to tell that that is not Baba Jamal’s voice on that tape. And I think it betrays the intelligence of those who addressed that press conference to come up with something as ridiculous as that,” Boateng stated.

“I would not be insulted on this Programme,” he protested and asked for a retraction which the minister declined.

“Nana Akomea should be telling us when this meeting took place…” “There are simple, sensible, basic questions that ought to be asked as far as this tape is concerned,” he said, adding “I will not withdraw anything I have said in relation to this tape.”

“You are a stupid fool. If you will sit on this programme and call me unintelligent. You are a stupid fool and you are a minister,” Akomea protested harshly.

Meanwhile scores of Ghanaians have called on President J.E.A Mills to sanction Hon. James Agyenim Boateng while the NPP hierarchy also takes immediate steps to discipline Nana Akomea to serve as a deterrent to other politicians.

Story :Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The University of Health and Allied Sciences Bill, which will set out a legislative framework for the running of the soon-to-be established institution of higher learning in the Volta Region, is on its way to Parliament.

The House reconvenes on August 22 this year to consider outstanding businesses before MPs. The Bill has left the Attorney General’s Department and is at the Assembly Press to be gazetted, after which the Ministry of Education will forward it to Parliament for debate and subsequent approval.

Majority Leader, Cletus Avoka, who disclosed this in an interview with Citi FM Friday said the House is also expecting the bill on the University of Energy and Natural Resources Bill, to be sited in the Brong Ahafo region.

He explained that the passage of the two bills will provide the legal framework for any future budgetary allocations to pay for construction works to begin, as well as paying for the administrative and other staff who will work on the establishment of the universities.

Hon. Avoka rejected the notion that the leadership of the Majority in Parliament was now bringing the two bills to the House in response to recent criticisms especially by some citizens of the Volta Region, who demonstrated last week about delays in the construction of the University of Allied Sciences.

“That would be unfortunate if critics would want to associate the taking of this bill with the concerns expressed by the distinguished chief (Togbui Gabusu VI, Paramount Chief of the Gbi Traditional Area in the Volta region). This bill has been in the pipeline for a long time now.

“You appreciate that this is a new institution, it’s a very big institution and therefore the Ministry of Education has been having stakeholder discussions as to how to bring a bill that will address some of the issues and that will eliminate some of the mistakes that we might have had in the past particularly in establishing University for Development Studies (UDS) etc.

“So it is a normal routine that we are doing, and not because of the concerns expressed by the chief.”

Barely forty eight (48) hours after two respectable political opponents traded insults on radio, the two personalities appear indifferent and have refused to apologize despite huge public condemnation of their behavior.
Deputy Tourism Minister James Agyenim-Boateng whose comments, Nana Akomea argue, prompted his “you are a stupid fool” outbursts, has maintained there is nothing to apologize for.

Speaking on radio Monday morning, he had already shown respect to viewers and listeners by not replying the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communication Director in like manner.

He said it was completely out of respect for listeners and your viewers that he did not shoot back when Nana Akomea decided to use his choice of words. Indeed this is a matter that speaks for itself,” he noted.

While saying “it is not above me to apologise,” the former Deputy Information Minister said, “looking at the circumstances of the case, there is nothing to apologise about and indeed if you even listen to Nana Akomea, I’m not sure that he deserves any kind of apology from me.”

He rejected suggestions that he called Nana Akomea unintelligent for holding a press conference on a controversial audio tape said to bear the voice of Deputy Information Minister Baba Jamal. The person caught on tape promises journalists they would be rewarded with cars and cash if they did the government’s bidding.

Defending his position Monday, the Deputy Tourism Minister said, “I’ve been quite scandalised to check some of the news reports say that I called him unintelligent. Those are not my words, I mean he put that label on himself, I did not put any label on him, I did not describe him as being unintelligent, I mean, maybe he did a deductible statement and that’s the conclusion he came to.”

In sharp response, Nana Akomea insisted that, if the Deputy Minister will not apologize, he will not either.

He said it was about time the NDC were told in clear terms that they do not have monopoly over the use of foul language.

The NPP, he said, had on countless times pointed out insulting comments and behavior by members of the ruling NDC party but the situation still persist.

The Parliamentary Select Committee has visited the Asasetre community in the Ellembelle District as part of its community outreach programme to sensitize members on government policies.

It is under the African Parliamentary Strengthening Programme (APSP) which covers seven African countries and seeks to equip their various parliaments with tools to assist them to develop mechanisms to engage citizens and interest groups on their needs through direct participation in the budget process.

Addressing community members at Asasetre, the MP for Ellembelle, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah urged the people to participate fully since their views would be incorporated into the budget.

He said the committee had earlier met with service providers such as the NHIS, the District Health Directorate and the Community Water and Sanitation Agency to afford them the opportunity to find ways of improving service delivery .

The MP for Evaloe-Gwira, Ms Catherine Afeku led the community in groups of three to find solutions to problems confronting them.

It came out from their reports that to save people from paying double for the NHIS, there was the need for the District to get its own NHIS office, and that in the absence of such an office there should be a desk officer to man affairs of the District until the office was established.

It was also agreed that the Town and Country Planning must abide by strict rules of having a place of convenience in every building in the District.

The outreach programme which lasted from July 23 to July 30, 2011, also took the MPs to Brawire-Akeyenim in Evaloe-Gwira and Ekpu in the Jomoro District.

Source: GNA

Chiefs in the Ekumfi Traditional Area have expressed concern about the way some Members of Parliament (MPs) never make any contributions during deliberations on the floor of parliament.

The chiefs said some MPs have been in parliament for a very long time yet nobody knows them because of their constant silence.They said the only thing that these ‘mumu’ MPs do best is shout “hear, hear” and look on while others make all the contributions.

The chiefs have therefore charged such MPs to change their ways for the betterment of their constituents who voted for them to represent them in parliament.

The chiefs made their concerns known when New Patriotic Party (NPP) executives in the area took advantage of a traditional council meeting to introduce the party’s 2012 parliamentary candidate Ato Cudjoe to them.

The Akyempimhen of Ekumfi Traditional Area, Nana Okoofi Amponsah II who spoke on behalf of the chiefs said most communities in the area lacked development because their MP, George Kuntu Blankson is too quiet and has not been able to tell the House what his constituency’s needs are although he is aware of the bad living conditions of the people.

The chiefs, who wanted to find out whether Mr. Cudjoe could truly make relevant contributions in parliament if elected, took him through some drills then gave him some minutes to address them.

In his address, Mr. Cudjoe stated that he was contesting the seat to save his people from the economic hardship brought upon them by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

The aspiring MP said the development of every nation depends on its youth and promised to ensure that programmes and policies were outlined for the well being of the youth when elected. “I am ready to offer myself for the development of Ekumfi if you give me the mandate,” he said.

He added that NPP will take the unseat the NDC in the 2012 elections no matter what happens since Ghanaians have realized that it is only the NPP who can take them to the promise land. “God will definitely help us to win this election since He is the one who has called me to serve my people.”

Mr. Cudjoe later presented six crates of assorted drinks and GH¢5,000 to the chiefs. Special libation was later offered to the ancestors on his behalf asking them to protect and bless the aspiring MP.

The Chief Advisor (Tufohen) of Ekumfi Traditional Area, Nana Kofi Ahu V known in private life as Nana Paul Sagoe was also honored for contributing immensely towards the area’s development. Ekumfi is the hometown of President Mills. Reports have that because of this, people in the area have been voting massively for the NDC during past general elections.

Source: d-guide

A founding member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Kofi Mintah has exhorted the party’s Members of Parliament not discourage or prevent people who desire to contest their positions during parliamentary primaries.

Such actions, he said, were against the spirit and practice of democracy.

Addressing a party meeting at Winneba on Thursday, Mr Mintah, who was the First Central Regional Chairman of the party, said a lot of problems would be created for the party if the MPs did not allow people interested to contest them.

He said democracy enjoined participation of more people in the primaries for the best to be elected, adding that if the MPs, who had held that position for about three years feared to be challenged, then it meant that they did not perform their duties as expected.

According to him, those who knew they had related well with their constituents would welcome others to contest them.

He urged constituency executives to ensure that transparency and level field were created for the primaries to avoid NDC people contesting the parliamentary election as Independent candidates.

Mr Mintah advised NDC supporters to remain resolute in their support for the party and urged them to stand firm against machinations of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to break the front of the NDC.

He said NDC supporters should beware of “lions which will put on the skin of goats” to fan trouble within the party.

GNA