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Parliament halts proceedings due to technical challenges

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

Minority leader calls tension-free elections

Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Minority Leader in Parliament, has invited his colleague politicians to accept to play it fair in the December polls to starve off tension.

He asked them to share in the responsibility of helping to consolidate the country’s multi-party democracy by ensuring that it is free from intimidation and cheating.

Mr. Mensah-Bonsu, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Suame, was interacting with his constituents at Anomangye in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

He was there to whip up enthusiasm in the up-coming biometric voters’ registration exercise and discuss ways of bringing development to the people.

Mr. Mensah- Bonsu urged every qualified voter to make sure his or her name is in the register because it is the only way they can vote in the elections.

He said voting is a civic responsibility and every Ghanaian should take it seriously and contribute to its success.

The Minority Leader advised parents to put premium on education by making sure all their kids of school-going age enroll.

Mr. Mensah-Bonsu, is building a six-classroom block, office and store, library and washroom facility for the community at the cost of GH¢220,000.00 to minimise the distance pupils travel to Suame and Maakro to attend school.

He also presented 80 electricity bulbs to improve the street-lightening system in the constituency.

The assembly member, Mr. Comos Nkrumah, praised the MP for his tremendous efforts at helping to make the living conditions of the people better.

He appealed to Mr. Mensah-Bonsu to assist his constituents with boreholes to solve the water problem they are grappling with.

GNA

Committee tasked to look into breach of MPs immunity

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

Election 2012: NDC will try to rig – Kennedy Agyepong

An outspoken NPP MP for Assin North, Kennedy Agyepong has cautioned Ghanaians not to underestimate the ruling NDC in attempts to rig the upcoming 2012 elections.

He spoke in reference to the Woyome ¢51 million judgment debt scandal, which he said, have made President Mills and his administration unpopular.

He also described President Mills as the “country’s top thief” and cautioned that any attempt by the government to effect any judgment debt payment will land him in trouble when the NPP won the elections.

The MP was speaking at the NPP grand rally at the Mantse Agboena, James Town in Accra.

Thousands of NPP sympathisers graced the occasion christened the “Gargantuan Rally” that rounded up Nana Akufo-Addo’s listening tour across the country.

The Assin North MP described President Mills as corrupt for having presided over a government full of dishonest officials.

He said President Mills should either choose to describe himself as “corrupt or incompetent” because his administration has nothing to prove as an achievement over the last three years.

Mr. Agyepong served notice that NPP members will meet violence with violence in this election year and called on all party supporters to be vigilant to annex power for the NPP.

Citifmonline.com

Nana Akomea condemns arrest of O.B Amoah

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

Adenta MP critizes his own party.

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

Ellembelle MP donates 400 Chocolates to sick, less-privileged

The Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, Mr. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah has asked society to demonstrate love to the sick and less-privileged to deepen the bond of affinity and sense of belonging.

He gave the advice when he donated 400 pieces of Akuafo Bar Chocolate to the sick and orphans in the constituency as part of Valentine day’s celebration in his constituency.

The distribution which was done on behalf of the the deputy Minister, took the group to the children’s ward, maternity and female wards of St. Martins De-Pores Hospital at Eikwe.

Mr.Buah who doubles as the Deputy Minister for Energy, told the GNA in an interview that the gesture was to put smiles on peoples faces and also to show love to abandoned children to make them feel loved.

The group, led by the Research Assistant in the MP’s Office, Mr. Joshua Anyimiah, wished the sick a speedy recovery and explained that the chocolate distribution was to show love to the people and to wish them well as they recovered to good health.

The group continued the distribution at Awiebo’s Foster Home and Word Alive Orphanage at Esiama to interact with the inmates and distribute chocolates to them.

The Administrator at the Word Alive orphanage, Mr. Maxwell Blay extended a message of appreciation to the Mr Buah for the gesture by sharing the day with them.

GNA

Job 600 project to be completed this year – President Mills

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 to extend sittings next week

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

Minority ‘angry’ over unavailability of LI for new districts

The controversy surrounding the creation of new districts and its legality was this morning further deepened as the minority in parliament raised issues with the manner in which it was laid on the floor of the House.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural development Samuel Ofoso Ampofo on Thursday February 9, laid a Legislative Instrument (LI) in parliament for the creation of new districts and the elevation of some existing ones.

The constitution requires that within 21 days after papers had been laid before the house, parliamentarians should have studied the report and be ready for a debate on its approval.

However days after the Minister had laid the LI, the Minority today drew the attention of the speaker and the House at large to the fact that MPs are yet to have copies of the document put before the House.

The objection raised by the Minority on the issue which defies the constitution caused a stalemate for a while, as some MPs requested that the laid papers should be withdrawn for them to have their copies before it is laid again.

The Majority Leader Cletus Avorka drew the attention of the house that copies of the document had been made available to him and that he had requested for more copies to be given to all MPs for their study by Tuesday, February 21.

The speaker on her ruling on the matter questioned why members failed to indicate at the time the LI was laid before the House. She therefore asked that members exercise restraint for the report to be made available to them by Tuesday.

Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh