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Month: June 2015

Fallen MPs:Gifty Klenam, Isaac Osei, et al. out of Parliament

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

According to provisional results available to Joy News, the Member of Parliament for Nhyiaso constituency Dr. Richard Anane would not return to Parliament in 2017 after losing in the NPP’s primary.

The former Minister of Health lost to former Ashanti Regional Organiser Kennedy Kankam.  Dr. Anane obtained 110 votes while Mr. Kankam had 247. Kweku Appiah Menkah polled 30, and Stephen Amoah 164 votes.

Also in the Assin Manso Akroso constituency, the incumbent Yaw Owusu Boateng polled only 80 votes. He was beaten by George Kwame Aboagye who had 314 votes.

Also in the Akropong constituency Nana Ama Dokua won with 294 votes to beat the incumbent William Ofori Boafo who could only manage 94 votes. Mercy Bampoe got 157 votes and 18 for Serwaa Akoto.

In Subin constituency, incumbent Isaac Osei has also lost to Eugene Boakye Antwi.

Isaac Osei will be missing in the next Parliament.

In the Abirem constituency in the Eastern Region incumbent Esther Obeng Dapaah had 125 votes but lost to John Frimpong Osei who polled 230 votes.

Also in the Eastern Region, Eyiah Kyei Boffour polled 294 to beat the incumbent Gifty Klenam who managed 112 votes. Kwadwo Odame Antwi had 16 votes, Stephen Asamoah Duah obtained 101.

In the Greater Accra Region, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh won massively having obtained 315 votes to beat the sitting MP Justice Joe Appiah who had 184. Kofi Ofori came second with 301 votes.

Member of Parliament for Tarkwa Nsuaem in the Western Region Gifty Eugenia Kusi lost her parliamentary bid to former MCE Mireku Duka. She had 312 as against Duka’s 453 votes.

At Mampong Constituency in the Ashanti Region, a former presidential candidate and the incumbent MP Addai Nimo failed to retain his seat. After counting, he received 207 votes to place second in the primary election. Kweku Ampratwum Sarpong won with 232 votes. Benjamin Arthur had 66 votes, followed by Peter Abum Sarkodie who polled 33 votes.

Francis Addai Nimo

Still in the Ashanti Region, Asante Akim North MP Kwadwo Baah Agyemang has lost the election.

From the Ashanti Region in the Kwadaso Constituency Dr. Samuel Kwadjo Nuamah polled 191 votes to overthrow the incumbent Dr. Afriyie Owusu Akoto who had 95 votes. Hilda Addo obtained 139 votes; Dr. Charles Dwamena 98, Dr.Kingsley Nyarko 78, and Vincent F. Manu 14.

Dr. Afriyie Owusu Akoto lost the primary

Also in the Bantama constituency Daniel Okyem Aboagye beat the sitting MP Henry K. Kokofu. They obtained 288 and 256 respectively.

At the Asene Manso Akroso in the Eastern Region Yaw Owusu Boateng, the incumbent was defeated by his contender George Kwame Aboagye.

NPP Primaries:No elections at 30 constituencies

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

As the largest opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) begins its journey to recapture power from the ruling NDC government through the election of their parliamentary candidates on Saturday 13th June 2015, 245 out of the 275 constituencies will see a lot of action.

The remanining 30 constituencies have been omitted from the primaries due to a variety of outstanding issues.

According to a statement issued by the party and signed by its general secretary, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong a date for the primaries of those constituencies would be announced in due course.

The affected constituencies are as follow:

Ashanti Region

New Edubiase

Akrofuom

AdansiAsokwa

Manhyia North

Juaben

Kumawu

Brong Ahafo Region

Kintampo North

Central Region

Upper Denkyira West

Greater Accra Region

Dome- Kwabenya

Tema West

Tema Central

Tema East

Ayawaso Central

Okaikoi South

KlotteyKorle

Oboom – Domeabra

Ablekuma West

Krowor

Upper East Region

Talensi

Upper West Region

NadowliKaleo

Volta Region

Ho Central

Nkwanta South

North Dayi

Krachi Nchumuru

Ketu North

Western Region

Bia East

Bia West

Juaboso

Akontombra

Kwesimintim

Talensi by-election slated for July 7

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

The Electoral Commission has set Tuesday, July 7, 2015, for a by-election in Talensi to elect a Parliamentary candidate for the area.

The seat became vacant after the Member of Parliament for the area, Robert Nachinab Doameng was elevated to the position of Paramount chief of the Tongo Traditional Area.

According to the EC in a statement signed by Amadu Sulley, Deputy Chairman in charge of operations, the commission will hold the by-election “in accordance with Article 112(5) of the Constitution, as amended by section 3 of Act 527.”

“The Commission will take nominations for the said by-election on Tuesday, 23rd and Wednesday 24th June 2015, at the district office of the Commission at Tongo from 9.00am to 12.00pm and 2:00pm to 5:00pm.”

Nomination forms may be obtained from the district office of the Commission or at the Regional Office in Bolgatanga.

Candidates for the election shall provide two recent photographs (bust) showing the full face and both ears with red background, on the submission of their nomination forms.

Filing fees

The filing fee for the election is One Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢1000.00).

I’m ready for Ebola vaccine trial – NDC MP

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, Ebenezer Teye Larbi is offering himself voluntarily for the Ebola vaccine trial.

According to him, the hue and cry over the vaccine trial for Ebola which claimed many lives in Liberia and Sierra Leone is due to the lack of education.

The Lower Manya Krobo MP made the comment following the suspension of the vaccine trial in the Volta region.

The Ghana Health Service announced the suspension of the Ebola Vaccine trial that was to take place at the University of Health and Allied Science after many people kicked against it.

The groups including civil society and NGOs vehemently opposed it due to what they say is inadequate information to guide volunteers.

But on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Wednesday, Ebenezer Teye Larbi cautioned such groups not to create fear and panic among the citizenry.

He noted that the trial is being done in the country because Ghana is an Ebola free country to enable them do a fair assessment to how the vaccines will work.

The Lower Manya Krobo MP also debunked claims that the volunteers will be injected with the Ebola virus.

“People will not be injected with the Ebola virus rather a prototype of the virus which will produce antibodies to fight the virus” he explained.

Teye Larbi maintained that the trial is “very very voluntary” and government will not force it on anyone.

“I’m ready to do the Ebola vaccine trail if they approach me” he stressed.

Myjoyonline.com

District Assembly elections to come off soon as Parliament okays C.I 89

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Parliament has ratified the District Level Elections Regulations, 2015, Constitutional Instrument (C.I) 89 which is to regulate the conduct of this year’s local level elections.

This follows the Constitutional Instrument (C.I) 89 meeting the mandatory legal 21 Parliamentary sitting days.

The approval empowers the Elect oral Commission to now begin the process of setting a date to hold the District Assembly elections after it had been botched due to a dispute at the court.

C.I.89 also provides for the nomination of candidates for District Assembly or Unit Committee elections and other related items.

The report of the Parliamentary Committee on Subsidiary Legislation on the District Level Elections Regulations, 2015 (C.I 89) signed by its Chairman, Osei Bonsu Amoah, which recommended the approval of the C.I was earlier laid on the floor of the House on Tuesday.

The District Level Elections Regulations, 2015 (C.I. 89) was laid in Parliament on March 20, 2015 and gazetted on the same day.

The Electoral Commission postponed the District Level Elections, which was originally set for October 2014 to March 2015.

Earlier to that, the District Electoral Areas and Designation of Units Instrument, 2014 (C.I.85) which was laid before Parliament on Friday, November 21, 2014, was to come into force on Monday, December 22, 2014.

But before the C.I.85, could come to force, the Electoral Commission had opened nominations of candidates for the District Assembly and Unit Committee elections.

The nominations were closed on Sunday, December 21, 2014, a day before the regulations came into force.

An aggrieved candidate for the District Assembly elections, Benjamin Eyi Mensah, filed a suit at the Supreme Court, in quest of, a declaration that the opening and closing of nominations for the elections preceding to the entry into force of the regulations was unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court unanimously held that the opening and closing of the said nominations pending the entry into force of C.I.85 on Monday, December 22, 2014 was unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court maintained that by virtue of Article 51 of the 1992 Constitution, the Electoral Commission is mandated to specifically make regulations for the District Level Elections.

As a result, the Electoral Commission could not rely on the Public Elections Regulations, 2012 (C.I. 75) to conduct the District Level Elections.

Subsequent to the Supreme Court decision, the Electoral Commission then ensured that the District Level Elections Regulations, 2015 (C.I.89), was laid on Friday, March 20, 2015.

Under C.I.89, the Electoral areas specified in the District Electoral Areas and Designation of Units Instrument, 2014 (C.I.85) constitute the electoral areas for the purposes of elections to the District Assembly for the district concerned.

Kwadwo Anim/GhanaMPs.gov.gh

Nkoranza MP advocates restriction on sale of acid

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

The Member of Parliament for Nkoranza South, Mr Emmanuel Kojo Agyekum, has called for restriction on the sale of acid and other harmful chemicals in the country.

He noted that the use of acid by people to attack others is worrying and appealed for public support to restrict the sale of the chemical in the open market so that it does not fall into wrong hands for mischievous purposes.

Mr Agyekum, who a Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, made the call when he paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Sefwi-Wiawso, Nana Katakyie Kwesi Bumagama II at Sefwi-Wiawso in the Western Region, to court the support of chiefs towards the national sanitation exercise.

He appealed to the chiefs to rally their support behind the sanitation exercise in order to rid communities of filth.

Nana Bumagama, pledged the support of the chiefs and people in the traditional area towards the sanitation exercise and directed that no funeral or any social gathering should be organised during the period.

GNA

Law on District Assembly elections matures today

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

The law meant to regulate the conduct of this year’s District Assembly elections, Constitutional Instrument (C.I) 89, matures today Wednesday 10th June 2015 after meeting the required 21 parliamentary sitting days.

The report of the Parliamentary Committee on Subsidiary Legislation on the District Level Elections Regulations, 2015 (C.I 89) was laid on the floor of the House on Tuesday.

This is to legally empower the Electoral Commission (EC) to proceed and set a date for the district level elections after several months of the event being stayed due to dispute at the court.

The District Level Elections Regulations, 2015 (C.I. 89) was laid in Parliament on March 20, 2015 and gazetted on the same day.

A report of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Subsidiary Legislation on the District Level Elections Regulations, 2015 (C.I.89) signed by its Chairman, Osei Bonsu Amoah is recommending the CI to come into force at the expiration of 21 sitting days as provided for under Article 11(7) (C) of the 1992 Constitution.

The Electoral Commission postponed the District Level Elections, which was originally set for October 2014 to March 2015.

Earlier to that, the District Electoral Areas and Designation of Units Instrument, 2014 (C.I.85) which was laid before Parliament on Friday, November 21, 2014, was to come into force on Monday, December 22, 2014.

But before the C.I.85, could come to force, the Electoral Commission had opened nominations of candidates for the District Assembly and Unit Committee elections.

The nominations were closed on Sunday, December 21, 2014, a day before the regulations came into force.

An aggrieved candidate for the District Assembly elections, Benjamin Eyi Mensah, filed a suit at the Supreme Court, in quest of, a declaration that the opening and closing of nominations for the elections preceding to the entry into force of the regulations was unconstitutional.

Then, the Supreme Court unanimously held that the opening and closing of the said nominations pending the entry into force of C.I.85 on Monday, December 22, 2014 was unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court maintained that by virtue of Article 51 of the 1992 Constitution, the Electoral Commission is mandated to specifically make regulations for the District Level Elections.

As a result, the Electoral Commission could not rely on the Public Elections Regulations, 2012 (C.I. 75) to conduct the District Level Elections.

Subsequent to the Supreme Court decision, the Electoral Commission then ensured that the District Level Elections Regulations, 2015 (C.I.89), was laid on Friday, March 20, 2015.

Under C.I.89, the Electoral areas specified in the District Electoral Areas and Designation of Units Instrument, 2014 (C.I.85) constitute the electoral areas for the purposes of elections to the District Assembly for the district concerned.

C.I.89 also provides for the nomination of candidates for District Assembly or Unit Committee elections and other related items.

Kwadwo Anim/GhanaMPs.gov.gh

Speaker declares Talensi seat vacant as MP resigns

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Edward Doe Adjaho has declared the Talensi seat vacant after the Member of Parliament for the area Robert Nachinab Doaneng Mosoore has resigned his position.

The Speaker announced the resignation on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday.

The former MP about a month ago was enskinned as the Paramount Chief of the Tongo Traditional Area, a position that bars him from engaging in active partisan politics.

Leadership of Parliament requested the Speaker to allow the former MP to be invited to the House to enable MPs eulogize and honour him as he is the first MP to be made a paramount chief, a plea which the Speaker agreed to.

Rt. Hon. Doe Adjaho congratulated the former MP and wished him well in all his endeavours.

The Speaker further directed the Clerk of Parliament to notify the Electoral Commission of this new development.

The current situation means that a by-election will be held soon to elect a successor to occupy the Talensi seat.

The Majority led by its Chief Whip, Mohammed Muntaka had previously piled pressure on the Speaker to declare the seat vacant.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Ayawaso East MP’s fuel station demolished at Mile 7

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

A fuel station at Mile 7 in Achimota, Accra, said to be the property of the Member of Parliament for Ayawaso East, Nasir Toure was on Monday demolished by the Ga West Municipal assembly.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Ga West, Sam Atukwei Quaye, who led the exercise stated that the fuel station had no permit and was also built in water ways.

The MP is said to be in the process of acquiring a building permit.

The demolition was met with a strong resistance by some well built young men, while a woman also  went naked in  a bid  to obstruct the exercise.

The unfortunate death of over 150 lives at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle following fatal flooding in Accra coupled with a fire outbreak on Wednesday June 3, has sparked the demolishing of several structures in water ways in parts of Accra.

President, John Mahama while announcing a package for the flood victims last week cautioned that unauthorized structures situation in waterways will no longer be countenanced.

GhanaMPs.gov.gh

Circle inter-change could have waited, Accra drains should have been priority – Agyarko

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko has launched a scathing attack on the Mahama led administration for always having its order of priority wrong.

According him, his verdict and assertion of the government is evidenced in the government deciding to rather construct a multi- million interchange at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle instead of undertaking a major construction of storm drains in Accra.

He believes building storm drains in Accra would stop the perennial flooding of the capital city during rainy season would have averted the needless loss of over 100 lives in last Wednesday heavy down pour coupled with the fire outbreak.

Ghana recorded its deadliest flood disaster last Wednesday, June 3, when the city got flooded and a fire explosion occurred at the Goil filling station near Kwame Nkrumah circle.

As of last Friday, 150 dead bodies had been found. At the close of the search and rescue efforts which ended at 6 p.m. Sunday, 10 more bodies had been found.

Contributing to a discussion on the aftermath of the disaster on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo Show Monday, Hon. Kyeremanteng Agyarko stated that though he was not opposed to the construction of the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Inter-change, that project could have been stayed for a proper drainage system to be constructed.

“Let no one say that I am against the construction of the interchange, I think the government could have put that on hold since there was no pressing need for that, and rather build the drains ……here we are lamenting and grieving over the death of our compatriots, it could have been avoided this government must have its priorities right” he said.

In 2013, the Government of Ghana and the Conti Group of Companies of the United States of America signed a US$660 million agreement for the drainage and sewage project.

Known as the Accra Sanitation, Sewer and Storm-Water Drainage Alleviation Project, experts believed that the project would have controlled the perennial flooding as well as the sanitation challenges of Accra.

The Parliament of Ghana consequently approved the loan facilities, paving way for President John Mahama to break grounds for commencement of work, however almost three years after; the Finance Minister Seth Terkper has said the funds are yet to hit government accounts.

He disclosed that disbursement of the funds by the US Exim Bank has stalled because of variations made to the original project plan and scope.

Kwadwo Anim/GhanaMPs.gov.gh