Month: June 2017

Ranking Member on Foreign Affairs Committee and a Member of the Appointment Committee of the Seventh Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is advocating for the Minority to side of the House to chair the Appointment Committee as the House revises the standing orders in an interview. He noted that, especially with the Second Deputy Speaker from the Minority side it will not be a bad idea more so when the Public Account is chaired by the Minority.

In addition, the North-Tongue MP is pushing for a change in a practice in the House where Ministers vet their colleague Ministers, even as Parliament constitute the committees before the President makes his appointment.

We are masters of our own rules, as soon as MPs are named Ministers we can reconstitute the committees, so that we have the confident we need from members of the general public. That is why this whole vetting process does not proceed until we have some feedback from members of the general public, he said.

Again in terms of issues the public may have against nominees, I can tell you that, the public has been very helpful with information, he remarked. He further pushed for reforms, where various committees in Parliament that have oversight responsibility over the various sector Ministries.

Sector Ministers nominees, would appear before the various Committees to be vetted for example the educational Minister nominee will appear before the education committee to be vetted, “these reforms should happen in this seventh Parliament and we should take advantage of the review of our standing orders”.

Ministers have to prove themselves they are cut-out for a new Ministries, when the President reshuffle his Ministers to different Ministries, they should go for vetting again.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Mfantseman West Hon. Ekow Quansah Hayford has promised to give scholarship to any students that will excel in this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in his constituency. Mr. Hayford urged the students to do all their best to come out well with distinction so to disperse the wrong perception that students in public schools do not do well in education.

He made this known to Peace FM’s reporter Sally Ngissah, when he visited examination centres in his constituency to present 3,154 examination materials (Mathematical Sets) to all the candidates. The MP was disappointed to see some of the candidates pregnant, but went ahead to encourage them not to be afraid but to be bold and write it no matter the conditions they are in.

He appealed to the candidates to work hard to build confidence in themselves to achieve their dreams. “Am optimistic that this candidates will come out well and my constituents will be one of the best schools to go to the grade A schools in the country,” Hon. Hayfor stated. The MP advised the candidates to prepare adequately by taking advantage of the teachers and the available reading materials to make better grades and do well not to re-sit any of the subjects. The Member of Parliament was accompanied by the Municipal Chief Executive Hon. Kenneth Kelly Essuman, the Municipal Education Director Mrs. Martha Acquah and some Assembly Members. Sally Ngissah

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Atwima-Kwanwoma, Dr. Kojo Appiah Kubi, has urged members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to remain focused, loyal and work with passion to whip up voter enthusiasm in the coming election.

He said they all had critical role to play in the political campaign to get the people to turn out in their numbers to vote the party to power.

He was inaugurating the Ahenema-Koboben youth wing of the NPP in his constituency.

Dr. Appiah-Kubi said they should do everything to reach out to every potential voter everywhere with the NPP’s “message of hope”.

He encouraged the youth of the party to lead the campaign to end what he said was the poor and inept management of the economy by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), which had brought extreme suffering to the population.

He hit out at the government for the high utility tariffs, over-taxation of the people and the growing unemployment.

An NPP government led by Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, he promised, would pursue well-thought-out policies to turn the economy around and transform the living conditions of Ghanaians.

Mr. Emmanuel Adjei Dankwa, the Constituency Chairman, said they had launched a vigorous campaign to win over more voters.

He said given hard work and unity of purpose, there was no way the NPP would not win this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections by a wide margin.

Former Deputy Minister of Finance and Ranking member on Finance, Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, has said in an interview that it’s wrong, for the Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta to give an impression that, he is saving the Nation six hundred twelve million dollars $ 612 million dollars with his $2.25milion dollars bond.

He noted that, the maths does not add up, “Per our calculation they are wrong, we are asking them to give full particulars and how they say this is going to come about. Again the point of termination, is for us to be satisfied with responses given then job done and answers given on conflict of interest and insider trading”.

There are so many unanswered questions, after the answers given by the Finance Minister we will then decide if a probe is necessary in the this whole matter, he said.

Presenting the business statement on the floor of Parliament, Majority leader Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu confirmed that, the business committee, had programme that Wednesday 7th of June 2017 the Minister of Finance Ken Ofori Atta will go before the House.

To respond to the Half Hour Motion moved by the Minority leader on the 31st of May 2017 and seconded by Majority leader. As the Finance Minister is expected to provide detailed information on the recent Two Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty Million United States Dollars (US $ 2.25 billion) Bond including the full complement of documentation related to the issuance, the participants, the utilisation of the proceeds and the currency in which the Bond was settled.

On the question whether, the Ajumako/Enyan/Esiam legislator met with the Council of State, relating to brouhaha on the bond he noted that, he was not prepare to say anything relating to the issue. But rather as a constitutional mandated body they are entitle to meet any body or institution in their line of duty.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso /ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South and Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu has urged the Military high command not to seek revenge, over the death of late Capt. Mahama.

“We are told Biblically and I am sure by extension in the Koran vengeance belong the Lord, even in your unjustified anger. We have come far as a Country, it remains a question of our respect to the rule of law and it remains a question to our Ghanaian values and attitudes” he said.

“We know that women birth “they do not kill, but that has happened, so be as it may we can only prevail on the Men and Women of the Ghana Arm Forces (GAF) not only, not to look for revenge in Denkyirah but elsewhere”.

The Minority leader who made the appeal when leadership of the House on Friday called on the bereaved family to pay their respect further added that, there should be a second look at Military and Civilian relations, and trust that “this will not endanger a growing tolerant relationship that exist in our Country today, with a solid relation as civilians relative to what the Military do”.

Speaker of Parliament Rt. Honorable Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye assured the bereaved family that Parliament is listening with good ears the request to build monument for the Capt. Maxwell Mahama.
He reveal that the late captain Maxwell Mahama was the grandnephew of the former Speaker, RT Honorable Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo, whom the House respect so much, “whatever madam has to do we will do and offer more”, he said.

The Speaker was accompanied by both the Majority and Minority leader, Minister of Defence Honorable Dominic Nitiwul and Interior Honorable Ambrose Dery.

The Majority leader Honorable Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, on his part bemoaned carnage that has engulfed the Nation, “it appears the value for human life is on the decline”, yet it takes the death in this case the gruesome murder of just one person to agitate the radar of the Nation. Are we adding and respecting life?

He noted that, the National Constitution guarantees human rights “what happened to our colleague did not in any way, guaranty and protect human rights”. A solider who had a gun with him did not shoot is way out of danger but will want to reason and rationalize the situation he find himself in and with his attackers.

People are not prepared for reason, it tells a lot about the nature of the person we have lost, this should mark a water shared in the life of all Ghanaians, he said.

That is why I agree with the family head when he said, “it would be most unfortunate if anybody try to capitalize on this as a political event, but thankfully the whole Nation is up in arms against a few people who will want to politicize it. And I think that, what best we can do for Capt. Maxwell Mahama is to ensure that this becomes a never again for us as a Country”, he remarked.

And further added his voice to call by the Speaker of Parliament Rt Honorable Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye that the state should take care of the wife and children.

“We must also pursue justice to the latter of it, if this matter should be a water shared for us as a Country we must pursue it to its logical conclusion. Mob injustice cannot be allow to hold the Nation to ransom”.

He urged those circulating the horrific images on social media to put an immediate end to that practice, “the happy thing is that the Ministry of Communication has taken steps to block those media houses engage in that”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Assin South, Mr John Ntim Fodjour, has asked the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) to take all the necessary precautions to ensure the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) papers do not leak.

Final year Junior High School (JHS) students will today, Monday, June 5 begin the BECE exams.
In previous years, the leakage of BECE questions has resulted in the cancellation of papers bringing untoward hardship on students and parents.

He stressed that, Parents are sometimes asked to pay for the re-sit of the papers, while the candidates would have to spend long hours preparing again for the canceled papers. The Member of Parliament said this on Friday that they don’t such things to happy again this year.

Mr Fodjour stated this on the floor of parliament “The perennial leakages of the WAEC examination papers are an unfortunate phenomenon which grossly undermines the integrity of the education system of Ghana,”

The Public Relation Officer of WAEC, Agnes Teye-Cudjoe said over 400, 000 candidates from 0ver 15,000 public and private schools are expected to sit for the exams at 1,702 centres across the nation. She also promise that, they are also putting up measures for a leakage-free basic education certificate examination this year.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Education Service (GES) have also appealed to the general public especially security agencies, religious bodies, civil society and the media to help secure a leakage free exam.

The GES also claim candidates from Denkyira Obuasi have been reposted to sit for their examination at Piaso, a community nearby due to the recent lynching Captain Maxwell Mahama who was mistaken by some angry mob to be an armed robber.

Rosemary Afua Obeng Yeboah/Ghanamps.com

The Minority Leader in Parliament Hon Haruna Iddrisu expressed the need for Ministers of State to be readily available in the house to respond questions and other concerns that may arise from Members of Parliament promptly.

He has therefore urged his colleague Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs to ensure that Ministers of State respond without delay to Parliamentary summons to provide answers to issues of national concern from the lawmakers.

Hon Haruna Iddrisu pledged the Minority`s readiness to support the Speaker in his quest to finalise the review process of the Standing Orders of the House through the Standing Orders Review Committee which is expected to guide the smooth running of proceedings.

Majority Leader, Mr Kyei Mensah-Bonsu assured of his resolve to ensure Ministers of State responds timeously to the calls of the house. He promised to liaise with the Chief of Staff in order to prevail on Ministers to respond to Parliament`s calls promptly.

Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com