Month: July 2017

He expressed worrying concerns about the increasing rate of accidents on our roads hence the need the implementation of the LI to help curb accident cases.

The lawmaker urged the Parliament Select Committee on Roads and Transport to expedite action on its work of advice on the implementation of LI.

Responding to the members question on the floor of Parliament, Minister for Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah said his office is awaiting a report from the Parliamentary Select Committee on Transport to take action on the implementation of the controversial Road Traffic Regulation, 2012 (L. I. 2180).

The Committee`s report he noted, will help the ministry to address the concerns raised by the public when the implementation the Regulation was due.

In July 2012, Parliament passed the Road Traffic Regulation, 2012 (L. I. 2180) for the provision of ambulance services, road marking services and the towing of disabled and abandoned vehicles on the country’s various road networks.

Following the passage, an agreement was reached between the government acting through the Road Safety Commission (RSC) and the Road Safety Management Services Limited to carry out the implementation of towing the disabled and abandoned vehicles at a cost to vehicle owners and motorcyclists.

However, the implementation was greeted with public outcry about the outrageous amount being charged.

The major concern was that the amount being charged for the towing of the disabled and abandoned vehicles was too outrageous.

This, the Minister stated informed the decision to hold the implementation of the LI for further consultation with stakeholders.

“Mr. Speaker, when we got the issue of communication, it appeared that the education did not go down well with the public, hence, the various concerns raised by the public for us to put on hold the implementation of the service.

To address the concerns of the public, I directed that the national road safety commission to withhold the implementation to allow for proper consultation of the general public.

As part of the consultation we have engaged the various stakeholders as well as the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport. We have also met various stakeholders including transport owners, operators, the media the civil society. I am therefore awaiting the report of the Parliamentary Select Committee to help me address the problem,” he noted.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

The former Trade and Industry Minister was against VRA running the Volta Lake Transport Company and the Volta Hotel.

“We should be looking for a private partnership agreement invite the Private sector to partner government in this venture to rather make them more effective and efficient”. And further added that this move will also expand the facility, “Mr. Speaker VRA should focus on power generation we have a national challenge”, he said.

He was contributing to a statement made by MP for Pru East Dr. Kwabena Donkor on the need for the state to designate the Volta Lake Transport Company as a fully owned state parastatal.

“Mr. Speaker I wish the Minister of Transport, is directed to work with VRA to help them detach running of the Lake Transport from VRA”, he remarked.

Meanwhile Deputy Majority Leader, Miss Sarah Adwoa Safo disagreed with the Minority leaders point and suggested that there is nothing wrong if the Volta River Authority runs a business to boost its internal generated funds (IGF).

And added that since the running of the other business will help boost the resource base of VRA in its running and noted that the difficulty will arise if running of the other business will affect the core mandate of VRA and called for the striking of balance duty.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

“All we are asking for is due process should be followed in Presenting the Bill for the creation of the office of the special prosecutor”, he said.

A former Deputy Attorney General and MP for Bolga East, Dominic Ayini argued the bill was unfit to be laid because due process had not been followed.

According to him, the basic requirement for such a bill to be laid was for it to be gazetted in the Ghana Publishing Company, 14 days before it is brought to the floor of the house.

“As you can see we do not have a copy of the Bill for us to even know the content of the Bill as well-meaning Ghanaians have started raising constitutional issues. Until we see the Bill and its content, I do not want to say anything about its constitutionality”, he said.

Until the issue of the former Deputy Attorney General no one has indicated to us that this Bill has to go under a certificate of urgency, I think that there has been a breach of the Constitution  we need the gazette notification, the Bawku Central MP demanded.

“I believe the two Bills that have been presented, Office of the Special Prosecutor Bill 2017 and Zongo Development Fund Bill 2017 laid simply because, President Nana Akufo-Addo at his first media encounter says he has brought the Bills to Parliament”.

And so the Bills must have been seen to be brought to Parliament, but the process was not respected, we all believe in establishing institutions that will help us fight corruption. Anything a President brings with the proper aim of fighting corruption we will support that initiative, he said.

He further added government had all the time to present the Bill on Office of the Special Prosecutor it was not done until when the President was about meeting the press why the rush in the process?

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

He noted that most of the promises given by the ruling New Patriotic Party government will have started yielding results.

“When they have gotten power, they are still talking as if they are on a camping platform they have even not kick started the engine not only to start moving they are still at one place”, he said.

And added that all former Presidents have had their first media encounter after a year in office, President Akufo-Addo wants to show novelty, but  “when you have very little to tell or nothing to say, apart  from you taking salary and likewise your Ministers”.

“Go and check most of the corporate boards and agencies, national health insurance, we had to refuse taking the formula before they rush to reconstitute the board. Most of the boards have not be constituted, even government, he could not constitute it six month”.

Six month in officer, the NPP government is panicking just thinking of replacement, thinking of witch-hunting,  how much they can pay their debt in the 2016 election and sort out their friends who helped them in the election”, he said .

On the President’s fight against corruption, the Asawase law maker noted that the President was not doing much in his promise to fight against corruption, and gave an example of government inability to give a break down on the amount of money that was spent fighting the army worm invasion.

He further gave indication that the Minority will address the media on Thursday touching on issues relating to the President’s first media encounter.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for the North Dayi constituency, Joycelyn Tetteh has called on all Ghanaians to join hands in consolidating the gains and work hard for a better future as Ghana celebrates 57 years of her Republican status.

She salutes all senior citizens who have played very important roles in the nation building process through their sacrifices.

According to her, we have come far as a people and as a country hence the need for all to pray for the realization of the goals of self rule.

“We must pray for us to achieve the reasons we have wind ourselves off colonial rule’’ he said.

According to her Ghana has achieved a lot over the years since gaining a republican status with the Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah as her first President.

She mentioned the peaceful elections and the peaceful transitions of power from one elected party to another government especially since the advent of the fourth republic and the continuous unity and peaceful coexistence as some of the positives over the period.

She noted Ghana has also witnessed massive infrastructure development since becoming a republic.

The North Dayi lawmaker who is a youth herself challenged young people to take over from where the forebears have left off for the progress of the nation.

She urged the youth to play their part in the nation building process through hardwork and dedication to duty.

Ms Joycelyn Tetteh also cautioned young people to desist from social vices for a better future.

Ghana become a Republic on July,1 1960 relieving itself from British rule with Dr Kwame Nkrumah as her first President.

By Christian Kpesese

Mr Patrict Boamah said the gesture forms part of desire to give back to society which has given him the opportunity to reach where is he today

“My believe is that the country has offered me the opportunity, I must also support the young ones to also get to where I am today, that is where I take my inspiration from.

This is a constituency in Accra but has a lot of poor people within the community who needs help, sometimes you go round the schools, the shoes that the kids wear, the books, pencils, basic teaching materials are lacking” he said.

The MP expressed worry about the poor state of school infrastructure in the constituency and hope that students would be able to compete fairly with others from more endowed schools in the country.

He believed there is a lot all stakeholders could do including government in order to enhance education delivery in the area.

The Okaikwei Central representative expressed his believe in government’s commitment in supporting the educational sector with the various initiatives to support parents to sponsor their own kids to attain the heights in the educational ladder.

Mr Patrick Boamah has printed some 5,000 books for schools within the community to complement the President`s vision of providing quality education to every child in the country.

By Christian Kpesese

He also advocate the executive to ensure that the Building Industry Regulatory Authority and Survey Council bills are introduced to Parliament as a matter of urgency for passage.

Mr Muniru made the call on the floor of Parliament in a statement on the lessons Ghana should learn from the Greenfell Tower Fire disaster in the UK.

He called for the extension of Fire regulations to cover residential buildings and emphasized the need to pay attention to in finding solutions to the implementation challenges facing the nation.

According to him the Grenfell Tower incident that claimed over 79 lives with many people presumed missing should be a wake up call for Ghana’s Ministry, Department, and Agencies to take a structural fire audit on existing structures for their safety preparedness.

He cited the recent fire disaster at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) Central Stores and praised the Ghana National Fire Service for its swift intervention  in putting it off before it could escalate  to other facilities.

“Now the question here is that how safe are we in Ghana per our building rules and regulations, because we rely on our colonial masters British”

“We need an immediate thought and answer because Ghana climate differ from that of the UK which has regular snow” he queried.

Mr Muniru advocate for Ghana to rely on its own data and statistics based on research development on climate change due to the Greenhouse effects leading to rising temperatures above 5 degree Celsius across the globe.

The Speaker called for a multifaceted approach and invited the Minister for the Interior to brief Parliament

By Christian Kpesese