Month: May 2013

The Member of Parliament for Akim Swedru Constituency, Hon. Nyarko Osei Kennedy has urged the youth in his area to engage in agriculture in a bid to help scale down the ever -increasing unemployment rate in the country.

Speaking in an interview with GhanaMPs.gov.gh, the MP indicated that about 10 youth in his area had received his assistance and were currently engaged in a 4 acre farming project in the area.

He said, despite its main purpose of ensuring that adequate foodstuffs are produced to meet the market demand, the main purpose was aimed at drastically reducing unemployment rate in the area.

Hon. Osei Kennedy confirmed that only 4 acres was secured for the first phase of the project which started at Akim Swedru but added that adequate land will be cultivated when the second phase of the project starts at Aduasa, a suburb of Akim Swedru.

Meanwhile, the MP is also set to commission a new piloted solar project for the Akwatekrom Junior High School (JHS) to assist teaching and learning in the area.

He said studying at night almost becomes impossible especially communities with no electricity, adding that the move could go a long way to resolve all setbacks since students could converge at the school and study during late hours of the day.

According to the legislator, about 10 selected schools in the constituency are expected to benefit from the project after the piloting process.

Emmanuel Frimpong Mensah/GhanaMPs.gov.gh

Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, Member of Parliament (MP) for Banda constituency in the Brong-Ahafo Region has observed that, the Bui dam project has enabled many of the youth in the area to acquire employable skills.

He explained though many of the casual workers who were engaged during the construction phase of the dam were laid-off, most of them had become master masons, carpenters and craftsmen who had established their own shops.

Mr Ibrahim was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Bui after President John Dramani Mahama had inaugurated the first power supply of the 400 megawatts hydro-electric dam last Friday.

The MP explained that, within the five years that the main construction works on the dam begun, there had been a quick transfer of technology in the area as thousands of the youth understudied and learned a lot from the Chinese and other expatriate workers.

Mr Ibrahim said the dam had opened up the area to economic opportunities, as majority of the workforce were recruited locally, thereby reducing the rural-urban migration among the youth.

He entreated the local people to be patient as the area would soon be flooded with economic activities that would promote job creation and reduce poverty.

Mr Ibrahim lauded the existing cooperation between the local people, the Bui Power Authority and Sinohydro, the construction firm, and was optimistic that such cordial relations would be sustained.
Alhaji Ahmed Alhassan, Presiding Member of the Banda District Assembly commended the government for completing the project and was hopeful that with the first power supply switched on the energy crisis in the country would soon be over.

Alhaji Alhassan said the District Assembly was also linking up with business entrepreneurs and other investors to come to the area, adding that, the assembly would also ensure the development of tourist sites to boost eco-tourism.

GNA

Member of Parliament for Tano North constituency in the Brong Ahanfo Region, Hon. Freda Prempeh has donated 30 set of Jerseys and footballs to some selected youth clubs and churches in the area.

The MP who made this known in an interview with Ghanamps.gov.gh stated that the presentation was specifically aimed at unearthing talented footballers through the various youth clubs and churches in the area.

She gave the amount of the football kits to be GHs 13,500, adding that funds were secured from her own share of the MPs common fund to finance the move.

Meanwhile, Hon. Freda Prempeh had earlier on donated ew computers and printers to Bredi Junior High School (JHS) to boost the teaching and learning of Information Communication Technology (ICT).

She however indicated that the Duayaw Nkwanta and Yamfo Traditional councils had also received a fair share of the national cake as the two councils also received new computers and printers to assist record keeping and other official duties.

Hon. Prempeh also presented about 100 bags of cements to assist the construction of a new durbar grounds for the chiefs and people of Susuaso community.

Emmanuel Frimpong Mensah/GhanaMPs.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for Bolga Central, Hon. Emmanuel Opam-Brown Akolbir has indicated that he is earnestly making moves to ensure that two communities quiet set apart from the Bolga township will get a Senior High School(SHS) to boost the standard of Education in the area.

The two communities are Fumbrungu and Sherigo, which are fairly large communities within the municipality and about 16km distant from Bolga.

Speaking with Ghanamps.gov.gh, the MP stressed that the need to establish two second cycle institutions for the earmarked communities was considered in his first term from 2009 to 2012, thus would consequently partner other stakeholders to essentially implement the initiative soon. He said this is to ensure that students from the municipality will be at par with their counterparts from the urban areas.

He reiterated that over the years much effort have gone into providing school structure for the school children but was quick to add that there were still a lot of areas yet to be covered with dignified structures to facilitate teaching and learning activities.

He noted that the area was still lagging behind in education because of infrastructure deficit, however he admitted that the assembly in conjunction with GETfund strived to construct some classroom blocks for certain communities in the last four years.

A total of 28 separate classroom blocks have so far been secured for some deprived communities, in which 12 was funded by GETfund and 16 also were put up by the assembly respectively.

In the same vein, the MP also confirmed that he had been able to provide 3 unit classroom block for Tindonmolgo, a suburb of the municipality to assist improve quality education in the area.

Meanwhile he revealed that he has resolved to assist fund the construction of another 3 unit classroom block for the same beneficiary community shortly to meet the standard infrastructure required for a primary school.

Jonathan Adjei/Ghanamps.gov.gh

In the wake of this weekend’s fire outbreak at the Kantamanto Market in Accra, the Member of Parliament for Nanton, Murtala Ibrahim Mohammed has urged traders to learn the habit of insuring their wares.

According to him, traders especially in Kantamanto have no reason not to insure their wares as they have been witnesses to several fire outbreak incidents in that same market, during which many of their colleagues lost several properties to the fire.

Properties worth thousands of Ghana Cedis were destroyed when fire gutted the Kantamanto market on Sunday morning. Personnel from the Fire Service had a difficult time quenching the fire due to the location of the shops and the layout of the area

Affected traders who were struck by the unfortunate incident broke down in uncontrollable tears, some of them devastated because they had recently gone in for loans to stock their shops.

This is the third fire outbreak in two years at the same venue, a situation that has caused a lot of concern among authorities.

Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana show on Monday, Hon. Murtala Ibrahim Mohammed described the incident as regrettable, adding that the affected traders could have had a bit of relief if they had insured the wares.

He bemoaned the culture where many Ghanaians fail to insure their property worth millions of cedis only to lose these properties to some disasters.

Hon. Murtala Ibrahim Mohammed, further wondered why similar market fires happen only in the absence of traders who only come to meet the extent of destruction of their property the next day.

“ You realize that all the market fires over the years both in Accra and Kumasi happen either in the evening or at dawn, when there are no persons around to quench the fire as soon as it starts’’ he said.

He called for a proper structuring of markets to enable the Fire Service to easily access the markets in the event of fire to reduce the extent of damage caused to property.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North, Kwadwo Baah Agyemang has supported the education of eight Senior High Students in his constituency with scholarship packages.

Two students each were selected from four schools in the area and are to benefit from the scholarship scheme throughout their three (3) year course.

Speaking to Ghanamps.gov.gh, Hon. Kwadwo Baah Agyemang stated that awarding the scholarship formed part of his programme of ensuring an improvement in the quality of education in his constituency and that he will do anything within his capabilities to realize this dream.

The MP who is in the first year of his first term of office is fully funding the cost of the scholarship package by himself as the MPs share of the Common Fund which is given to all Parliamentarians quarterly is yet to be disbursed.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Member of Parliament (MP) for Nadowli/Kaleo Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has served notice to the Executive arm of government that, Parliament will not work according to its time table.

He recommended that if sector Ministers cannot come to the House to answer questions due to their busy schedules, deputy Ministers can come to the House to answer questions on the floor of the House.

The second deputy Speaker cautioned that if that does not happen, Parliament will advise itself accordingly.

“If that did not happen, we will take it that they are treating us with contempt because it is an order from the House it should not be taken lightly”, he said.

The speaker quoted standing order 60 (1) to back his point, “Ministers shall, by order of the House be requested to attend Sittings of the House to answer Questions asked of them”.

His comments come in the wake of some Ministers in President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government failing to appear before the House to answer questions on the floor of the House, that has attracted the Minority MPs to complain and draw the attention of the Business Committee of the House.

Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini expressed worry over his question which was advertised for Friday 20th October 2017 but was taken away.

Chiefs and elders who travelled all the way from Tamale North to witness the Roads and Highway Minster’s response were left disappointed.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Volta Regional Minister, Hon. Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo has inspected the site for a landing beach project which is suppose to serve as an alternative route after the closure of the Adome Bridge in the Asuogyaman District of the Volta Region.

It was recently announced that the Adome Bridge which is one of the most famous and treasured edifices linking the South-Eastern part of the country to the Volta and Northern regions, and serves as a tourist site in the country would be closed down for rehabilitation work to be carried out on it.

The deck and all hangers of the bridge will be replaced as part of the rehabilitation exercise, starting June, this year. The entire foundation of the bridge will also be checked to ensure that the integrity of the structure was guaranteed.

Parliament, in December last year, approved a 129-million euro credit Bank of Austria to finance the rehabilitation of the Adomi Bridge.

Hon. Nii Laryea who inspected the site as part of his tour within the Volta Region said due to the impending closure of the bridge there was however the need to create an alternative route for the over 120,000 workers, traders and tourists who ply the road on a daily basis.

He said ferries will also be made available to ensure safe and quick transportation from one end of the Volta Lake to the other.

Hon Nii Laryea who is also the MP for Kpone Katamanso Constituency is also expected to visit other places such as Kpassa, Nkwanta, Damango among others tomorrow with the Minister of Roads and Highways.

Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/Ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for Kpandai constituency, Matthew Nyindam has in a short term measure committed an amount worth GHS 11,500 in rehabilitating the Loloto dam to ostensibly increase and improve the capacity of the dam for residents.

The project which formed part of myriads of intervention under the MP’s water project was to open up the water level so it could serve the surrounding communities and reduce the stress of the local folks regarding access to water for domestic use.

In an interaction with Ghanamps.gov.gh, the MP maintained that access to water and the general water situation at the district leaves much to be desired since the few boreholes constructed in selected communities was inadequate and had a lot of pressure on them.

Mr. Nyindam is however seeking to extend a helping hand to the assembly so it could meet the water needs of individuals living in the area, stressing that he was ready to lobby NGO’s and some development partners to assist in this regard.

He also indicated that he would allot portions of the MP’s Common Fund to assist shore up water supply for residents and also cover more communities with safe drinking water at the district.

Jonathan Adjei/Ghanamps.gov.gh