Month: February 2012

Proceedings in the House of Parliament on Wednesdays morning was suspended due to some technical challenges.

This happened shortly after the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho who presided commenced business of the House.

He adjourned sitting till late afternoon to allow the audio department of parliament fix the problem which had momentarily affected proceedings.

The technical problem that bedeviled the House rendered some MPs unhappy, as they registered their displeasure over the development.

The Deputy Majority Leader, Rashid Pelpuo urged the audio department to ensure routine maintenance of the equipment to prevent the destruction of parliamentary business.

He noted that the debate of the President’s State of the Nation Address which was to be debated later in the day was a serious exercise which required enough time, adding that problems such as this must be avoided to ensure that proceedings in the House is not unnecessarily affected.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

The Speaker of Parliament Mrs. Joyce Bamford-Addo has tasked the leadership of the House to set up an ad-hoc committee to find ways of preventing the continuous breach of parliamentary immunity.

She has asked that the report of the committee be submitted to the House for debate and a subsequent report sent to the law enforcement agencies.

Article 117 of the Constitution of Ghana provides that a Member of Parliament (MP) on his way to and from parliament or executing parliamentary duties is immune from arrest.

The establishment of the Committee follows the objection raised by the Minority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu in the House today over the mode of arrest of the MP for Aburi-Nsawam O.B Amoah on Sunday night by armed police men in connection with an award of contract to Waterville for the construction of stadia for CAN 2008.

According to the Minority Leader, the arrest of O.B Amoah who was also the former Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports violates Article 117 of the Constitution as O.B Amoah was arrested on his way from a Parliamentary meeting.

Osei Kyei Bonsu also recounted a similar manner of arrest of honorable Atta Akyea few years ago of which the IGP apologized and assured that such arrest will not happen again.

He expressed worry over the violation of MPs immunity and called on the house to as a matter of urgency find ways to protect the integrity and rights of MPs.

He noted that such wrongful arrest of MPs to a large extent affects parliamentary work which also impacts negatively on governance of the country.

Kojo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

The Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Akomea has condemned the arrest of the former Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports under the erstwhile Kufour Administration Osei Bonsu Amoah.

Hon. O. B Amoah who is to be charged for corruption and willfully causing financial loss to the state, was picked up from his Parakuo Estates residence near Dome late Sunday night by about four armed policemen and driven to the Police Headquarters.

The former Deputy Minister under the erstwhile Kofour Administration per documents available on the construction of the stadia for the CAN 2008 tournament is on record to have authorized Waterville to move to the Accra Sports Stadium to begin construction works after it emerged that the Kufuor government had decided to give the Dutch company the contract to renovate the edifice ahead of the CAN 2008 tournament.

Speaking on Peace FM on Monday, February 20, 2012, Hon. Nana Akomea who sounded very shocked over the turn of events wondered based on which issue and findings Mr Amoah had been arrested.

He stated that the arrest of Mr Amoah believed to be linked to the Woyome scandal cannot not be right as he (O.B Amoah) has no questions to answer concerning this infamous scandal that has impugn the ruling NDC government’s commitment to the fight against corruption.

Hon. Nana Akomea noted that even if O.B Amoah has been arrested in relation to the payment of monies to Waterville for the construction of Stadia that would also be wrong as the Public Account Committee of Parliament is yet to sit on the Auditor-General’s report which contains that issue.

He said the opposition NPP will use all the legal arsenals at its disposal to ensure that O.B Amoah is discharged immediately from the grips of the police.

Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for Adenta Kojo Adu Asare has lashed out at his own party the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) for doing very little for Ghanaians to know the magnitude of misappropriation that prevailed during the tenure of the erstwhile NPP administration.

According to him, the NDC could not take advantage of chairing the Public Account Committee of Parliament from 2001 to 2008 to let Ghanaians know how corrupt the then NPP government was through publishing the report in the press.

He wondered why the NDC failed to make public findings of the Auditor – General’s report which unraveled some grievous financial deals against the state as the opposition New Patriotic Party is currently doing with the 2009 Auditor –General’s report.

The 2009 Auditor –General’s report has been the reference point to the payment of several judgment debt including the infamous Woyome scandal from which the opposition has made a lot of political capital to the advantage of the ruling government.

Contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo show, Hon. Adu – Asare emphasized the need for the government and its communication team to make a data available to Ghanaians for them to compare between the NDC and NPP which party is better in terms of improving the lives of Ghanaians.

He also condemned the NPP National Youth Organizer; Anthony Karbo for his comment during the NPP’s Greater Accra rally over the weekend where he called on the party youth to be aggressive and fearless in the discharge of duties for the party in the upcoming December general elections.

Hon. Adu Asare stated that the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) was behaving as though, this year’s general elections is the end of the road for the party.

He said utterances by some of party leaders are becoming a great source of worry for peace loving Ghanaians as the NPP continue to act like the world will come to an end if they fail to win the upcoming elections.

Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

President John Evans Atta Mills on Thursday gave the assurance that the Job 600 project would be completed this year and ready for occupation by Members of Parliament (MP) next year.

He said: “I am assured that the Job 600 project will surely be completed this year and ready for your occupation next year. I am confident that I will be the first President to address you at a time when you will be working from the comfort of your new offices.”

President Mills, who gave the assurance when he was delivering the State of the Nation address to Parliament in Accra on Thursday, said: “This year, I hope to work with Parliamentarians to review three initiatives that I announced will be instituted in the course of my Presidency.”

These are the assignment of national service personnel as research assistants to MPs; construction of constituency duty offices for Parliamentarians; and the establishment of an MPs’ Constituency Development Fund separate and apart from the District Assemblies Common Fund.

President Mills said: “Together, we will work to find solutions to the challenges that have impacted negatively on the agenda of the Executive and the Legislature to work in tandem to broaden the frontiers of our democratic dispensation.”

He announced that the report of Constitution Review Commission was ready and a technical Implementation committee had been set up to assist Cabinet to develop a white paper and begin with the implementation of its recommendations without delay.

GNA

Parliament from next week will extend sittings up to 5pm each day to enable parliamentarians to debate the State of the Nations Address presented by President J.E.A Mills yesterday.

It is envisaged that the debate on the President’s state of the nation address may be taken in the morning at each sitting day while the afternoons will be dedicated to other public business before the House, particularly Bills.

The Motion to thank the president on his state of the nations address will be moved on Tuesday, February 21, 2012. However, debate may continue on subsequent days during the week and members have therefore been urged to participate actively in the debate after the motion has been moved.

The Majority Leader Cletus Avorka who read out the business statement for the fifth week ending Friday 17 February stated that Bills will be presented to the house for first reading and those of urgent nature may be taken through the various stages in one day in accordance with Order 119.

Papers on Committee Report may also be presented to the House for deliberation.

Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh