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Economy on the path of ruin – Bosomtwe MP

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bosomtwe constituency Mr Simon Osei-Mensah has accused the government of putting the economy on the path of ruin.

He cited, what he termed, unmatched corruption and mismanagement, and said the economy was in real danger of being completely run down.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi, the MP, a professional banker, called for decisive measures to tackle official corruption, clean up the mess and restore sanity.

He said things were not looking pretty good and the handlers of the economy would have to act quickly to fix it.

He said it was curious that the national debt, which stood at GH¢9.00 billion in year 2008 had bloated to GH¢39 billion, just within a space of five years.

It becomes even more curious when the government has nothing to show for this – cannot pinpoint what the money was used for.”

Mr Osei-Mensah asked that the Economic Management Team should “sit up and have a good look at the way things are being done”, saying “the reckless spending pattern – the haemorrhage, must stop.”

He also underlined the need to set up a technical committee to do a thorough assessment of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) to ensure its smooth implementation.

He said everything must be done to prevent a situation where the country might not be able to raise enough revenue to pay workers.

GNA

Students’ Leaders must ensure peace – Okudzeto

Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a Deputy Minister of Education, has urged leaders of students’ unions to ensure peace on their campuses during and after the Supreme Court verdict on the Election 2012 petition.

He appealed to active political groupings on campuses not to allow themselves to be swayed by any politician or political party after the Supreme Court verdict to cause mayhem and destruction.

“Whichever way the verdict goes, we are using this opportunity to appeal to you to ensure that the campuses are not destabilize and that the conduct of students is most descent and peaceful,” he added.

Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa said this at a meeting the Ministry had with leaders of students’ unions from both public and private tertiary institutions in Accra.

He appealed to the student leaders not to lend themselves to any political party to mobilize students for any public manifestation.

The meeting, the first, was to create a platform for engagement with students’ leaders to find out their needs and how they could come together as partners to solve the various problems in the education sector.

The Deputy Minister urged the leaders to be of best behavior and to serve as role models for others to follow as the student body would look upon them after the judgment.

“Put up your best attitude on campuses to ensure that there is peace for you to complete your education,” he added.

Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa said as a Ministry they thought that the era where few students’ unions got the opportunity to interact with government officials were a thing of the past.

He expressed the hope that the meeting would be an annual affair to create the platform for productive interactions with unions of tertiary institutions.

“We hope to institutionalize the engagement to enable you to interact with officials from the Ministry and other educational stakeholders at the beginning of every semester as a means of finding lasting solutions to major problems facing students on their various campuses,” he said.

He said “As a government we see students’ leaders as partners to move Ghana’s education forward and we want to collaborate with you for your corporation in addressing your concerns on your various campuses.

“As a former students’ leader, I’m privy to the frustrations and challenges of students and I pledge my commitment to be a willing students’ Ambassador to ensure that your concerns are addressed,” he said.

On the current UTAG strike, Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa said the first cheques for the premium had already been disbursed and negotiations on books and research allowances were on-going with Fair Wages Commission and until the negotiation had been concluded, government would not know how much to pay them.

“Negotiations have to be concluded and agreements reached on what to pay before government can come in,” he said and appealed to the striking lecturers to call-off the strike in order not to destabilize the 2014 academic year.

The students’ leaders appealed to government to provide the various campuses with infrastructure to make learning and teaching less stressful.

They also appealed to the government to intervene with Universities’ Authorities to review their school fees downwards to lift the burden on both students and parents.

GNA

Atwima-Nwabiagya South MP presents gifts to Muslims

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Atwima-Nwabiagya South, Mr Anthony Osei Boakye, has presented food items to Muslims to support them as they ended their month-long fasting.

It includes bags of rice, edible oil, sugar and cartons of cream milk.

The MP said this was to show solidarity with the Muslim community in his constituency as they successfully went through the period of piety.

He advised them to be calm and respect the law, especially the youth, who he said should repudiate violence.

Alhaji Issifu Abubakari, Chief Imam, received the gifts and expressed his gratitude to the MP.

GNA

MP for Nkwanta North denies wrongdoing in riots

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkwanta North, John Oti Bless who has been named by prosecutors as one of those behind last Thursday’s riots in the area has fingered an officer of Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) in the violent protest.

Some National Democratic Congress (NDC) youth activists burnt at least five state vehicles in protest of the President’s nomination of Paul Levin Gyato as District Chief Executive (DCE).

The MP’s name came up on Monday in court as the police begun prosecuting eight of the 26 people arrested.

He claims to have been wrongly accused by the district BNI officer whom he (the MP) has accused of playing an active role in the chaos that ensued.

“…So many years now the district BNI officer has been in the pocket of the DCE. Whatever the DCE wants him to do is what he does…[ and the people on the ground have problems with him],” Oti Bless stated.

Joy News

Joseph Amankwanor donates to Muslim Communities

As the month of Ramadan draws to a close, a number of individuals and corporate organizations continue to make their contributions towards making the Eidl-Fitr a success.

In light of this, the Member of Parliament for the Upper West Akim Constituency, Joseph Sam Amankwanor has also donated food items to the Muslim community in his constituency.
The items included sixty (60) bags of rice with a number of cooking oils.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Amankwanor called on them to use the period of Ramadan to pray for peace for the constituency and the country as a whole adding that Ghana needs the Lords intervention than ever as the country waits patiently for the out come of the election petition.

He urged especially the youth to stay away from violent activities and focus on building a better future for themselves by paying more attention to their studies.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Police must be proactive – Hon. Amankwa Asamiah

The NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Fanteakwa, Hon. Kwabena Amankwah Asiama, popularly known as Hon Guarantee has asked the Ghana Police Service to be ‘proactive’ and not reactive in discharging their duties and avoid an had i known situation.

According to him, had the police responded promptly to the initial act of vandalism by the youth of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), ‘the issue of burning vehicles and offices would not have started in the first place’.

Hon Guarantee was reacting to the agitation that arose between the youth of the NDC following nominations of District Chief Executives and the fact that they don’t approve of some of them.

Contributing to a panel discussion on Tuesday’s edition of ‘Kokrokoo’ Hon Amankwah Asiama said the country is already faced with economic challenges and “the little money that has been squeezed to buy government vehicles has been burnt. It is not right to take the laws into your own hands. There are a lot of ways to send your message across”

“Some of the regional ministers are saying that even if the person is rejected he or she will be brought back…that is what causes some of these agitations sometimes.

“Some of the blame can also be laid at the doorstep of the police service. Sometimes they sit or wait for issues to aggravate before they intervene…We plead with the police to be proactive as well as the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI)… They should not allow the political parties to take the laws into their own hands before trying to solve it. Otherwise it will seem like we don’t take decisions that will help but always wait till it is too late.”

The Fanteakwa North MP was also of the view that if the DCEs were elected, some of these issues could be avoided.

Source: Rebecca Addo-Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana

Ahafo Ano South West MP to launch scholarship scheme

Needy but brilliant students in the Ahafo Ano South West constituency will soon not have cause to worry their heads over how their school fees are paid as that will be the responsibility of the Member of Parliament for the area.

Hon. Johnson Kweku Adu has decided to establish a scholarship scheme to help fund the education of such students who have ambition of becoming great personalities in the future.

Speaking to Ghanamps.gov.gh, he disclosed that the programme is expected to be launched in September which is the commencement of the new academic year in order to take care of some students who apply for scholarship, adding that he hopes to sponsor about 300 students annually but will start with an initial 200 students from the SHS to tertiary level.

He said the programme will be run with proceeds from his share of the MPs Common Fund and GETFund.

Hon. Johnson Kweku Adu expressed his unwavering commitment to improving the quality of education in the area, saying the youth who are the future leaders without receiving quality education cannot do much in a world which is becoming more competitive by the day.

He assured to give all the needed support within his means to his constituents in terms of education to help the students achieve their various aspirations.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Ashie Moore to help run a 24 hour pharmacy shop for Adenta

Residents of Adenta will soon have access to a 24 hour pharmacy service to address the various health needs of the people.

This will be made possible by kind courtesy of the Member of Parliament for the area, Ashie Moore who will be partnering a private individual to run a well-stocked pharmacy shop.

He has decided to pay from his own resources for the services of the pharmacist who will work throughout the night.

‘’I want to establish this system for the people of Adenta, which will be a centralized pharmacy shop where any constituent who is unable to secure drugs prescribed for him/her in any hospital could come home unbothered, but having confidence of finding one in this very shop’’ he said.

He added that in running this service he is also mindful of the safety of worker and as such will be in touch with the Adenta Police to provide one police officer daily to the shop to provide security.

Hon. Ashie Moore noted that this measure is his small way of contributing to solving some of the health needs of the good people of Adenta.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Bantama MP renovates KATH female ward

The Member of Parliament for Bantama, Mr Kwabena Kokofu ,has renovated the D. 5 female ward of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) at a cost of GH¢32,000.

According to Mr Kokofu, funding for the renovation of the ward was sourced from the GH¢50,000 provided for Members of Parliament to enable them to rent apartments in Accra.

Following the renovation of the ward, which included tiling of the floor, paintings, refurbishment of the offices, washrooms, toilets and other facilities, Mr Kokofu has now adopted the ward to enable him to maintain it periodically

He has also donated three television sets to entertain patients and staff of the ward, a deep freezer for storage of medicine, four ceiling fans, four wheel chairs, quantities of T. Rolls, detergents, and hand gloves among others, as his personal contribution to help create a healthy atmosphere at the ward

Mr Kokofu has also promised to replace all the louvres and doors of the female ward as a way of providing serene atmosphere for quality health delivery for patients.

Presenting the items at a short ceremony, Mr Kokofo expressed concern about the deplorable conditions in parts of the hospital and pleaded with philanthropists to support the development initiatives of the hospital authorities.

“The concept of adopting the D5 female ward at the KATH will continue because I will not only undertake regular maintenance, but will also have meaningful interactions with the staff and patients on admission as regularly as possible,” he assured

“I was overwhelmed upon seeing the deplorable conditions at parts of the hospital during a recent visit and decided to renovate the D 5 female ward for adoption to speed up the recovery of patients on admission. With the adoption, I can undertake regular maintenance to ensure that the staff work in a serene and hygienic environment,” he explained.

Earlier in an address, the Chief Executive of the KATH, Prof. Ohene Adjei, commended Mr Kokofu for his gesture, saying “even the quantities of hand gloves and detergents presented will reduce our bills on such items drastically”

He said since the KATH was located at a strategic position in the country, it had over the years attracted a large number of patients, a situation he said had overstretched their facilities.

“The hospital serves eight out of the 10 regions in the country, and as a teaching hospital, our facilities are also used by a number of medical students across the country, so our facilities are always overstretched,” he explained.

Daily Graphic

Hon.Sena Okity Duah to hold stakeholders forum

Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku, Hon. Sena Okity Duah is to convene a stakeholders’ forum this weekend to brief her people of her activities in and out of Parliament since they voted her as their representative.

The forum is expected to bring together the constituents who are from different backgrounds and profession such as the fishermen, traditional authorities, market women and the police.

Speaking to Ghanamps.gov.gh, Hon. Hon. Sena Okity Duah stated that she would use the opportunity of the forum to educate the constituents on the work of Parliament and also outline her developmental programmes for the constituency.

She hopes to engage the stakeholders from time to time since they play a major role in the development of the area and will require their support to enable her succeed as the Member of Parliament.

Meanwhile in a related development, Hon.Okity Duah has donated assorted items worth GHS 7,000 which include bags of rice and gallons of cooking oil to the Moslem community in her area as they conclude their month long fasting programme.

She commended the Moslems for their endurance over the past 30 days while they sought spiritual upliftment and also prayed for the peace of Ghana.

Hon. Sena Okity Duah advised the Moslem youth not to allow themselves to be used by unscrupulous persons, but rather channel their energies to building their communities and the country as a whole.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh