Deputy Minister of Interior, James Agalga is calling for the immediate streamlining of the sale of dangerous chemicals on the open market.

His call follows the untimely death of the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Adams Mahama which happened following an acid attacked by some unscrupulous persons.

Mr Adams Mahama’s death has sparked a debate over how common the sale of such dangerous chemicals have become and the fact that it is sold to unsuspecting persons whose motive for buying the chemical is unknown.

It has also emerged that a gallon of acid is sold for GHC1.50 on the open market, a situation which has ignited the expression of concerns and fears by the general public, as the status quo appears that everyone is unsafe.

However speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana Show on Monday, Hon. James Agalga who is also the Member of Parliament for Builsa North stated that the unfortunate death of Mr Adams Mahama is serving as a wakeup call for the country to take a decision on the need to regulate the sale of acid on the open market.

“There is a laid down procedure for acquiring cyanide for instance, it is sold under some restriction and I think we should begin to fashion the sale of acid around this same procedure, in so doing I’m sure such unfortunate incidents of people suffering acid attacks and being maimed in the process will reduce drastically” he said.

Hon. Agalga assured Ghanaians and the family of the late Chairman Adams Mahama of government’s commitment to ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous crime are brought to justice.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

The former Greater Accra Regional communications director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mike Ampong has filed a lawsuit against controversial NPP member, Kennedy Agyapong for comments he made regarding the death of the party’s Upper East Regional Chairman.

Last week, Kennedy Agyapong called for the prosecution of the party’s National Chairman, Paul Afoko and the General Secretary, Kwabena Agyepong claiming that they masterminded the killing of the NPP Chairman.

The Assin South Member of Parliament (MP) said: “Kwabena Agyepong must face the rigorous of the law, Afoko will face it. If they don’t face it, we in the NPP know what to do. I am challenging them…they are the ones behind all the nasty happenings in the party.

“They are behind it. I believe that Kwadwo Mpiani is now satisfied with what has happened…Kwabena Agyepong you are satisfied. Afoko you are satisfied…I swear, nobody can stop us from this party and if they want this party to collapse then so be it.”

However, Mike Ampong believes that Kennedy Agyapong should present the evidence he claims he has to the Police to assist in the investigations and has since filed a law suit seeking to compel him to do so.

“I have submitted a suit against Kennedy Agyapong because he said that he has evidence to the effect that Kojo Mpianim, Paul Afoko, Kwabena Agyepong and Kojo Mpianim’s boss were the people behind the killing of Adams.”

“I am a member of the party and I am a citizen of Ghana and it is our responsibility as citizens to cooperate with the security agencies. What has happened is a crime, a crime that can happen to anyone at all,” he said on The Big Issue on Saturday.

“If somebody has evidence as to the identities of those who killed the NPP Chairman, why won’t that person help the security services by providing that information so that those criminals can be apprehended?,” Mr. Ampong queried.

“Criminal acts should be treated as crimes. We should not allow people to hide [under the] cloak of partisan politics and commit crimes.”

Prosecute the culprits, whoever they are

Mike Ampong also called for the prosecution of the culprits when they are found and arrested, even if they occupy a prominent position within the party.

“Let us not depend on our emotions. For now a lot of speculation is going round. Let us allow the security agencies to do their work. And once the culprits are apprehended, let us not say because of partisan politics they should go free. Even if it is the National Chairman who is behind [the killing] and it is found that he was behind it, we should not protect anybody because it is a crime,” he said.

“Somebody’s life has been taken away. Somebody’s father, others may have been depending on him. A crime is a crime,” Mike Ampong added.

Citifmonline.com

An eighteen seater water closet toilet facility has been commissioned for residents at Nima, a suburb in the Asokore Mampong Municipality in the Ashanti Region.

The project which is an initiative of the Member of Parliament for Asawase Constituency, Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak was funded through the MP’s share of the Social Investment Fund (SIF).

It is to fulfill the MP’s quest for improve sanitation and good health care for residents in the area, more importantly to help in the fight against open defecation that has the tendency of diseases outbreaks.

Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed urged the people in the community to keep the facility clean to avoid sicknesses such as cholera.

He also commended the Municipal Chief Executive and Staff of the Assembly for their hard work and support extended to him to accomplish a number of things in various communities adding that they can accelerate development if they continue to work together for a common goal.

Gertrude Najat Achelogo/Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Access to ICT education in the Keta Municipality continues to receive priority attention from the Member of Parliament for the Keta Constituency, Hon. Richard Quashigah.

Ever since becoming the representative of the constituency in parliament, Hon Richard Quashigah made significant input in ensuring that students at all levels in the constituency benefit from acquiring ICT education to make them competitive.

He has over the period donated computers to a number of educational institutions, and is determined to give to all schools under his jurisdiction.

True to his words, seven (7) more schools including Afiadenyigba R.C, Asadame, Horvi, Sasieme, Asadame, Keta RC, and Adzido M.A schools were on Friday 22nd,   2015 presented with five desktop/laptop computers each.

According to him, it is his desire to bridge the ICT knowledge gap between those in deprived communities and their counterparts in the urban centres where it is easy to access ICT education.

This, he said is what motivates him to continue to dialogue and engage relevant institutions to make his quest achievable.

He expressed gratitude to the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) where majority of the computers came from and other individuals for their immense support towards making ICT education in schools in the municipality possible.

He assured schools that are yet to receive computers/laptops to rest assured that they will not be left out as efforts are underway for more computers that will be distributed to them.

He also indicated plans to help teachers in the various schools to also benefit from some of these ICT equipments in due course.

Mr. Raphael K. Kwashie, the Municipal Director of Education received the computers /laptops on behalf of the schools and expressed appreciation to the MP for the gesture.

He said the IT materials that the MP has so far donated to schools means he has solved a major logistic deficiency in those schools and entreated all beneficiary schools to handle those equipment well and also put them to good use.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.gov.gh

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Ebo Barton-Odro, has ordered the winnowing of the Conduct of Public Officers’ Bill, 2013 to remove the clauses and issues members consider contentious.

The bill, which aims at regulating how public officials conduct themselves, has generated heated debate in the past two weeks and made the leadership suspend debate on it and remove “thorny” clauses  on some occasions.

For example, the proposed Clause Six of Chapter One  which stated: “Where a public officer, after the declaration of assets, acquires an asset which is required by section five to be declared , that asset shall be deemed to have been acquired unlawfully unless that asset is shown to have been acquired from the lawful income of that person; a loan or any other lawful means or an acceptable gift or inheritance,” has been removed.

In its place, members have inserted: “Any property or assets acquired by a public officer after the initial declaration required by section four of this Act and which is not reasonably attributable to income, gift, loan, inheritance or any other reasonable source shall be deemed to have been acquired in contravention of this Act.”

The replaced clause generated heated debate in the House when it was brought to the fore, with many members expressing the view that it infringed on the right of public officials to acquire property and contravened the 1992 Constitution.

Mr Barton-Odro, who sat in the Speaker’s Chair at the time, then directed that a second look be taken at the clause and the required amendments made.

At yesterday’s sitting, it emerged that there were still many clauses that were likely to cause controversy hence the move by the First Deputy Speaker.

Other issues

Earlier, the Minister of Power, Dr Kwabena Donkor,  was in the House to answer questions pertaining to the supply of electricity to some rural communities in the Central, Northern, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions.

Graphic.com.gh

The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Attah Akyea has called on the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to crush seeming tensions within the party.

Commenting on the death of the party’s Upper East Regional Chairman, Adams Mahama who died from an acid attack on Thursday, Attah Akyea tasked leaders of the party not to only “contain the situation” but also educate party members to refrain from what he describes as an “ego fight.”

He posited that those occupying various positions in the party should not serve their personal interest but that of the party.

Speaking to Citi News, he said “I do not understand why a general secretary or a chairman of the party should have a tiff with another serious member of the party. Is it a personal undertaking or we are looking at the bigger picture.

“You are not there as a Chairman of the party for its sake, you are not there as a General Secretary of the party for its sake. You are there to prosecute an agenda and that agenda is for the generality of the party and also by extension Ghana,” said the MP.

He also condemned the attack that killed Mr. Mahama, saying it is very alien to the NPP. “It is very alien to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and whoever is behind it with due respect, by my training as a lawyer, the security people should pick the individual up or if they are a group of persons in a conspiracy so that the law will have its full course.”

He expressed fears that the current situation might prevent the NPP from wrestling power from the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) “How Ghanaians can trust us as a political party to rescue this nation from the misrule of the NDC. ..if people are in their individual turfs and they do not see the larger picture, its sad indeed“.

The MP also extended his condolences to the family of the deceased saying “my heart goes out to the bereaved family. Someone might have lost a father and someone might have lost a son and I think the party too has lost a great man. My condolences are extended to you people wherever you are.” He said the party will also support the family to finally bury the deceased.

Deputy Minority leader, Dominic Nitiwul is calling for the resignation of some leaders of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the wake of the death of the Upper East regional chairman, Adams Mahama.

Hon. Nitiwul is unable to comprehend why leadership is not able to deal with internal party wrangling which has festered into such despicable crimes such as the death of Mr Adams.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Thursday Hon. Nitiwul who is also the Member of Parliament for Bimbilla said “If people have conscience they should be resigning; we have already sacrificed Adams and we should not allow anyone to die again”.

Mr Adams Mahama the Upper East regional chairman died in the Bolgatanga Hospital Thursday where he was being treated after two men bathed him with acid on Wednesday night.

The police are yet to give more information about their findings in relation to the case, however there are speculations that the attack is politically motivated as he was in the news over a week ago for allegedly scheming an attack on the National Chairman of the NPP, Paul Afoko, and General Secretary, Kwabena Agyapong when they visited Bolga.

Brother of the National Chairman, Mr Afoko has been fingered for instigating the attack, – an accusation the Chairman has strongly denied.

However Hon. Nitiwul blamed National executives for their inaction in promptly settling internal party squabbling.

He condemned the dastardly act asking “How can a human being commit such a callous and hideous crime against a man who has dedicated all his life to the NPP? I’m still in shock”.

Dominic Nitiwul, was further saddened that the names the late Adams Mahama mentioned to have been his assailants were party supporters.

“The names being bandied around are party people, not even our political adversary; this is the worse thing that has happened to the party” he lamented.

Hon. Dominic Nitiwul pushed for calm and urged the generality of the party to unite and accomplish Mr. Adams Mahama’s dream of seeing the NPP back in power.

Ghanamps.gov.gh/Kwadwo Anim

The Member of Parliament for Upper Denkyira West, Hon. Benjamin Ayeh has advised the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) not to relent on its advocacy role of helping maintain the  peaceful political atmosphere in the country as nation warms up for its much anticipated 2016 general election.

He said the NCCE has been tasked to complement roles played by various political parties in educating their followers on the need to avoid violent attacks on people who do think in line with their political ideology or philosophies.

The MP was reacting in a pannel discussion on yesterday’s gory acid attack on the NPP’s Upper East Regional Chairman, Mr.  Adams Mahama, on Adom TV’s Badwam morning show programme, Thursday.

The Chairman was confirmed dead this morning by Doctors at the Upper East Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga where he was battling for his life after two assailants stopped his car whilst he was about entering his house midnight on Wednesday and poured the corrosive substance on his face and entire body.

Hon. Ben Ayeh who said the act must be condemned by every Ghanaians however, urged party faithful to remain calm as the party and the police were still conducting investigations into the incident.

He tasked the police to apprehend anyone found in connection to the chairman’s death, adding that the party was not going shield anyone from being arrested to face the full wrath of the law.

A deputy minister of Children, Gender and social protection, Mr. John Alexander Ackon also expressed his condolence to the party and family who have lost their beloved and urged for speedy  investigation into the attack.

Meanwhile, investigation emanating from the police administration indicates that two people have so far been arrested in connection to attack and death of the Regional Chairman.

Emmanuel Frimpong M/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi has kicked against any move to investigate what caused President John Dramani Mahama’s faux pas at the official opening ceremony of the 47th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS in Accra.

According to him, President John Mahama will not be the first President in history to have experienced such an embarrassment on an international stage.

ECOWAS chairman, John Dramani Mahama stunned his fellow Presidents and other guest when he paused his speech and started searching for missing pages in his speech.

“Where is my speech…I am missing certain pages in my speech…,” he said plainly.

As President John Mahama searched for his missing speech, the large audience amazed by the turn of event burst into an ovation.

The Presidents was seen turning around as though for looking for support but he had none, yet he was able to give highlights of what the leaders present will deliberate on.

Section of the public have called for the sack of the President’s handlers for humiliating the President, however speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii sen show on Wednesday, Hon. Terlabi opposed such calls and stated that Ghanaians should stop making a fuss of this issue.

“ we should rather be praising the President for putting his skills in communication at play, in the sense that despite the challenge he faced momentarily he managed to still address the gathering, that is a mark of a good communicator” he noted.

Hon. Terlabi added that it is important that Ghanaians focus on supporting the President to deliver the Better Ghana Agenda and not to dwell on trivialities.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

 

The Member of Parliament for Akuapem South constituency, Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah has criticized government for continuously appointing politicians to head key state institutions.

He explained that normally, these state agencies and institutions require high technocrats who have no clear affinity with any political party so they could head such offices dispassionate with no political interest.

Mr OB Amoah, on the Badwam platform on Adom TV Wednesday flayed Mr Moses Asaga for his justification of the 9% fuel price hike and his misplaced comments that followed the development in the media.

“Politicians are seen to be running state institutions too much,” the former Minister of Sports in the Kufuor administration stated.

He said: ‘Ghana is not all about NDC/NPP however the ordinary Ghanaian should matter in every executive decision.’

According to the Akuapem South legislator, Mr Asaga was insensitive with some of his comment made in the media. “I am sure if there was a technocrat manning that office he would have been careful with his comments in the public,” Mr OB Amoah reiterated.

However, the Managing Editor of the AL-HAJJ newspaper maintained that the ‘Mahama-led administration is bringing some revolution into the Ghanaian economy’ and Ghanaians will realize it later.

“He [Mahama] is taking the bull by the horn,” Alhaji Bature hinted, adding that with the strategic management of the power sector now, he believed #Dumsor will be over by December this year.

He was even confident that Ghana could later become net exporters of power per the bold steps taken by government to solve the power crisis now.

Jonathan Jeffrey Adjei/Ghanamps.gov.gh