Month: July 2017

Member of Parliament for Ashaiman Constituency Mr. Ernest Henry Norgbey is lamenting over the absence of serious Parliamentary business on the floor of the House seven months into the four year administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

The MP in an interview with Ghanamps.com stated that “We are absolutely doing nothing serious in the House, as a journalist you can see that all we do is making statement on the floor. After the budget presentation vetting of Ministers and the President presenting state of the Nations address”.

‘Ministers do not make themselves available when we have question time on the floor, I will be charitable to give this seventh Parliament of the fourth Republic 30 per cent”, he said.

“Government says they have very competent Ministers, where are they let them come to the floor of the House and answer specificquestions that one to they do not want to come”.

I have never seen such a thing before, I have been following workings of Parliament before I became an MP.For the past seven month we are in the House doing absolutely no serious parliamentary business, he lamented.

He further noted that, if you hear the Minority leader lamenting on the floor of the House over this situation, he is expressing the views of members of the Minority bench.

The President said he is in a hurry, if really he is in a hurry they should bring Parliamentary jobs to the floor of the House, he remarked.

Most of the times when the Majority leader calls for adjournment of the House, you will notice that the Minority say “no we want to work we need to work for the people of Ghana that was why we were elected”, said.

Four years is just around the corner if you have wasted seven months, what are going to do between 2019-2020 you will do nothing. Because “our concentration will be on the next  election you have only two years to do something meaningful all we see is corruption in the system, he noted.

The Ashaiman lawmaker noted that Government has promised to fight corruption, but most Ghanaians are disappointed in the government as we speak.

“They deceived Ghanaians and are now face with the realities and cannot do anything meaningful. As they   promised Ghanaians, tensions are very high most of the promises are not sustainable they did all that just to be elected into power”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Chairperson of the Electoral Commission Mrs. Charlotte Osei and her deputies’ ruckus cannot be attributed to the New Patriotic Party (NPP). “I saw the signs written on the walls last year March, I offered some advice but was not taken”, Majority leader Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu said in an interview with ghanamps.com.

He further added that, last year at a special budget committee hearing for the commission, he asked a simple questions when the two Deputies of the EC came to meet the special budget committee.

Before we begin “maywe know the where about of chairperson is she coming, we understand she has traveled I was taken aback. I repeated the question and got same response from the two Deputies”, he said.

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs further inquired “can you have a situation where the Commissioner will travel outside the jurisdiction without informing the deputies this goes to confirm the bad blood”.
What we are witnessing is their own internal bleeding, “it should not be and I did advice but it was not taken”, he remarked.

The Suame lawmaker further reveal that there are non- election related matters that have to be attended to; refurbishment of biometric and verification equipment.

“You recall before the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections some of the equipment had to be cannibalized to be repaired, there was no time to do testing of the new once which were refurbished. We have a whole lot of those equipment that may not be working”.

Again the IT section of the commission is out of joint, the equipment that was procured was supposed to last for a period. “Usually the IT department requires replacement every five years, it’s been close to ten years now and nothing has happened”, he lamented.

According to the Majority leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, there are some proposed referendums.  For the internal “squabbles are not allowing them to attend to these matters. “As we speak certain contractors had not been paid because claims have not been submitted on their behalf”, he said.

He further remarked that, “if we can get the relevant personalities involved, I believe we can resolve this situation.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for the Juaboso constituency in the Western region, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has expressed reservations about Government`s Ghs5.24 million expenditure so far on the Ghana @ 60 independence anniversary celebrations.

According to him the expenditure so far by the Ministry of Finance from government coffers contradicts the President`s pronouncement that the private sector will finance the 60th anniversary celebrations.
He wondered why money had to be taken from the national kitty for the celebrations despite the fact that many corporate institutions have donated towards the celebrations.

The MP expressed these concerns in an interview after asking the Minister of Finance on the floor of Parliament how much the nation has spent so far on the 60th Independence celebration.

Deputy Finance Minister, Kweku Kwarteng in an answer explained that out of the GHs5.26m expenditure, GHs3.0m went to the Office of the Chief of Staff at the Ghana at 60 Secretariat whilst GHs100,000 and GHs2.16m went to the Regional Coordinating Councils and 216 District Assemblies respectively.

GHs3.1m of the total amount came from Government of Ghana sources of funding whiles 2.16m from the District Assembly Common Fund(DACF).

Ghana turned 60 years on March 6,2017 and given the landmark independence celebration, a special committee christened “Ghana: 60 Years On” was inaugurated to oversee the celebration themed: “Mobilising for Ghana’s future.”

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Agona East, Queenstar Pokua Sawyerr has extended a helping hand to veteran actor AsunabaKwakuDarko alias Super OD who has been home ridden for over 3 years.

Items presented to the octogenarian actor includes an electric wheel chair, a bag of rice, cooking oil, creates of egg, packs of toilet roll, and a crate of milk. The rest of the items are boxes of lipton tea, sugar, a bucket of washing powder, loaves of bread and GHC 1000.00.

The items especially the wheel chair the MP said will help in the upkeep of the legend who now has difficulty in movement due to old age though not sick.
Mrs Sawyer commended Super OD for his good works which has been an inspiration to her and many Ghanaians.

She urged Ghanaians to honour our heroes and heroines whiles they are alive instead of waiting to read nice words after their death.The MP prayed for good health and long life for the veteran actor.

The Agona East lawmaker said she was touched by the sad story of the super Star when watched his unfortunate predicament on TV3 where he is unable to walk without an aid.

She disclosed that the donation was out of her love for the vulnerable in society, stating, ” he who much is given, much is expected.”She assured the veteran of a regular visit with support.

Super OD who could not hide his ecstasy thanked the MP for her kind gesture and advised the youth to care for their parents and do their best and not depend on anybody for their survival.

Supper-OD, 82, has featured in many local series including OsafoDadzi on GTV.The  hilarious Actor , started his  career  from the 1970s to the 90’s,  and was very popular for his roles in one of the local series, known as Akan Drama on Ghana Television (GTV).

Until his retirement, Super-OD acted with his rib cracking jokes that gained himmuch popularity both local and international.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Deputy minority leader James Klutse Avedzi has expressed doubts about government ability to secure a $15 billion credit facility from the Chinese government to implement its flagship campaign promises.

He also expressed surprised to see government run to China for the facility which he said was in total ad variance to the NPP`s stance on loans during the electioneering period.

The Ketu North Member of Parliament says he does not believe the deal would come to pass judging by attempts by the previous NDC administration to secure just $ 3billion facility was not successful.

He however stated that the minority is keenly waiting for terms of the agreement between Ghana and China in order to have an informed position on the announcement by the Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia.

‘We would like to know what kind of facility, if it’s commercial loan, credit, and purpose of facility to make an inform decision’’ he stated.

Mr Avedzi cautioned government to hasten slowly is raising the hopes of Ghanaians on the deal.

He explained that such deals take a minimum of two years to realize hence the need to tread cautiously.

Anti-Galamsey crusader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Manso Nkwanta Constituency of  the Ashanti Region, Hon Albert Joseph Quarm claims to have personally funded the fight against illegal mining activities in parts of the country from his own resources.

“I can remember at least spending five million Ghana Cedis from my own pocket in fighting galamsey in my constituency alone not to talk of those in other areas”, he revealed on Abusua FM’s” Abusua Nkoma” on Monday.

“Manso Nsiana community where I hail from in my constituency nobody has been able to mine illegally there because I spent a lot of money to prevent the locals and Chinese nationals from doing it”, the lawmaker revealed.

“It is not only my community and constituency alone I have to protect. I felt like doing it across the entire region and in the whole country”, the Environmental Miner and Land Reclamation Expert told host of the show Kwame Adinkra.

The MP who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Prof. Qualm Publication reiterated  that as a mining expert, he is not against mining rather will not support  the  illegal ones reiterating his resolve  to fight any activity causing pollution to the environment.

“You cannot influence me with money to stop doing what is good. some have tried bribing me so I will not continue the fight. I am going to expose them if try it second time”, the MP warned.

Rosemary Obeng Yeboah/ ghanamps.com

Minority Chief Whip Mohamed Mubarak Muntaka is urging his colleagues in the Majority to stop flexing and withdraw the Office of the Special Prosecutor Bill 2017 which they rushed in laying on Tuesday in an interview.

Absence of copies of the Bill flouts order 75 of the Standing Orders of the House after 24 hours, we are yet to be served with copies to make rigorous deliberation, he said.

As soon as sufficient copies of the paper for distribution to members have been received in the office of the Clerk, notice of the presentation of the paper may be placed on the order paper and as soon as Mr.  Speaker announces papers of presentation, the paper shall be deemed to have been laid,” he quoted Order 75.

He further noted that, Constitutional Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee members do not even have a copy of the Bill, even as the Speaker had referred the Bill to them to work on.

And further dismissed assertion that, the fire outbreak at Job 600 which houses Members of Parliament is the reason for MPs not having access to the copies. “Clerks’ at the table do not have their offices at job 600 where is the Bill, it has nothing to do with job 600”

“As for verification the Speaker could have called the Clerk of Parliament do you have enough copies of the Bill, for him to say yes or no”. “The copies are not in this House I can bet you. They are now working on the Bill putting the doting the T’s and I”.

According to the Asawase lawmaker, the Bill was rushed into Parliament because the President’s first encounter with the media he had promised to establish Office of the Special Prosecutor.
“All the President will say is I have laid it today, it is left with Parliament, let us not do this politics of convenient let us take Parliament serious”, he said.

As to why the laying of the Zongo Development Fund Bill, 2017 is not generating much controversy, he noted that the Majority side had not said it was under a certificate of urgency.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com