Month: September 2012

Chief of Kwesikrom in the Ellembelle district, Nana Bede Ntow, has lauded the Member of Parliament(MP) for Ellembelle, Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, for supporting the prosecution of the district’s development agenda.

According to the chief, no MP has over the years visited the area to ascertain their needs and find solutions to them like Mr Buah.

Nana Ntow gave the commendation when the MP toured about 18 communities in the Northern part of the district popularly called “Aiyinasi North”, which had hitherto, been cut off from the rest of the district.

Some of the towns he visited are Aidoo Suazo, Kwesi Krom, Sentaso, Agyei Obeng Krom,Mandungban,Ewereko,New Basake and Bonzokrom.

He was accompanied by the District Chief Executive (DCE),Mr. Daniel K.Eshun, the Constituency Chairman, Mr. Kwesi Berveh and other NDC constituency executives.

Nana Ntow expressed gratitude to Mr. Buah for increasing access to cocoa growing areas to the rest of the District.

He also thanked the MP for connecting the area to the national electricity grid among others.

At Sentaso, some nurses at the health care centre said inaccessibility of roads and lack of a vehicle as some their problems.

At Ewereko, the chief said they produce a lot of cocoa yet credit was always given to Sameiboi and was happy due to the efforts of the MP to open up the area ,they can now send their cocoa to the district silo.

For his part, Mr. Buah assured the people of fulfillment of the Better Ghana Agenda and pledged to address all their concerns.

He asked the people to rally round the Mahama-led government to deliver its promises to Ghanaians and also retain the NDC in power in December 2012.

Mr. Eshun said as a social democratic government, the NDC is poised to bring development to the nooks and crannies of the country .

He said since he NDC government assumed power in January 2009, it had been its pre-occupation to open up the Northern part of the district to the South which is a predominantly cocoa growing area.

GNA

The Minority in Parliament has accused the Electoral Commission of being inefficient in the discharge of its duties concerning the upcoming general elections especially the publication of the provisional voters register.

According to the group, Constitutional Instrument (C.I 72), 21(2) states that a copy of the provisional register shall be given to each registered political party in the form determined by the commission, including posting the provisional register on the website of the Commission.

Addressing a Press Conference in Accra, the Minority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu noted regrettably that almost 6 months from the end of the registration period and three months before the general elections, the parties have not been provided with the provisional register.

He said the EC is not only dislocating the electoral calendar but is also in flagrant breach of the provisions of Public Elections (Registration of Voters Regulations 2012).

Hon. Bonsu noted that the provisional register is being exhibited without much public education and information even though this is an entirely new and complicated exercise and adequate budgetary support has been provided.

The Minority Leader added that it is becoming obvious that with the exhibition of the provisional register during the first 16 days of September 2012, the EC will not be able to publish a certified register to replace the existing voters register as required under regulation 26 of CI 72 by October 2012.

He added that without the certified register by the beginning of October 2012, candidates for the elections may be compelled by the EC to file their nomination with the provisional register contrary to the regulation on elections which states that nomination paper for each candidate in an election to parliament shall be witness by the signature or mark of two registered voters and supported by 18 other registered voters all of whom shall be registered voter of the constituency.

The Leader again noted that the Minority in Parliament and the New Patriotic Party are not against the creation of additional constituencies per se, but find it distressing, reprehensible, the process in timing of the creation of the new constituencies.

He called on all Ghanaians and other stakeholders to join the minority in appealing to the conscience of the powers that they to save this nation from experimentation.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

The controversy surrounding the creation of 45 new constituencies continuous to deepen by the day as the minority in parliament staged a walked out of Parliament on Monday to demonstrate their opposition to the Constitutional Instrument (CI) creating the constituencies.

The minority argued that the House prior to going on recess witnessed the laying of C.I 73 by the Electoral Commission but when the House was reconvened on monday September 3 for emergency sitting, the MPs were furnished with a new CI 77.

The opposition MPs led by their Leader Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu called for an explanation of the turn of events claiming that the origional C.I that was laid on 15 August had been changed an as such the new document could not be worked on until properly laid in the House.

He concluded that the two document were entirely different and if the Majority Leader Cletus Avoka wanted the House to consider the C.I 77, then he needed to properly lay it before the House.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Joyce Bamford Addo ruling on the issue referred the document to the Assembly Press for the right date and gazzeting number to be corrected.

Just before vacating her seat, She however dissagreed with the minority insisting that it was the same document and that the change in date and gazzet number did not affect the document.

Upon resumption of the Speaker’s chair by the First Deputy, Edward Doe Adjaho, the minority continued with their argument but after realizing they were not making any progress they walked out of the House before it was adjourned.

Kwadwo Anim/ Ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for the Nkwanta South Constituency, Gershon Kofi Bediako Gbediame has assisted two senior high schools in the Nkwanta South District with computers.

The MP provided fifty (50) computers and accessories which were distributed to the Nkwanta Senior High School and the Ntrobonang Senior High School.

Chief Executive of the Nkwanta South District, Joseph Nyofam Ninkab in an interview with Ghanamps.gov.gh commended the MP for his effort adding that the intervention was timely to avoid students from being left behind in information and communication technology skills which is very essential in every field of human life today.

He said though government’s commitment to improving access to acquisition of ICT skills is unquestionable, there is still need for support from private or institutions to accelerate the process.

Mr Ninkab said education has received substantial assistance ever since the National Democratic Congress came to power all with the view of improving education standards for accelerated development.

He assured that government will continue on the same principle by providing more infrastructure and logistics to enhance teaching and learning.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Parliament will reconvene on Monday- September 3 2012, to continue with unfinished business in the House. Parliament went on recess on August 16 to allow members of Parliament travel to their various constituencies to launch effective campaigns for the upcoming December general elections.

One of the major task to be taken care of by parliament is the Legislative Instrument(LI) 73 establishing the 45 new constituencies across the country. The LI was laid in Parliament on August 15 and requires 21 sitting days to mature.

There has been mixed reactions to the laying of the LI, while the ruling NDC government is all for the establishment, the opposition and other Civil Society Organizations have strongly objected to creation of the constitencies since they believe with four months to go for the election the time is too short for the political parties to prepare candidates for the new constituencies.

Though parliament has been sued against sitting for the 21 days the Majority Leader Cletus Avoka has indicated Parliament would go ahead to sit.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh