Month: September 2017

Ranking member on Communications and Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu, Alhassan Bashir A. Fuseini said the Majority cannot stamped, the Minority to comment on the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) scandal.

Speaking to the issue in an interview with Ghanamps.com, he stated that the figures keep flip-flopping, it was $45 million and came to $62 million now $72 million, I am hearing $89 million now.

He lamented that even those at the helm of affairs do not have hands on what the figures are, so how they expect the Minority out of government to have the necessary facts, to jump in to the fray go and hold press conference.

According to the Sagnarigu legislator the Minority has an integrity to protect but the New Parotic Party Majority has lying as their stock in trade.

Again our press conference on the Finance Minister’s corrupt $2.2million bond we had documents and facts to back it and the very letter he signed under the Agriculture Development Bank we had a copy, he said.

“We are not going to shield any one or hold brief for anybody, if anyone is found to have engaged in finance wrong doing, they should be held individually but not the party, when we have the full facts we will come out”.

He however revealed that, under the current government within the eight (8) months in office, there is a scandal under the National Petroleum Authority(NPA) on same software purchase scandal amounting to $90 million.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The Tema West Member of Parliament, Carlos Ahenkorah has been suspended for six month for interfering and stopping a demolition exercise by the Tema Metropolitan Assembly.

The Public Relations and Complaints Committee of the Assembly chaired by Richard Fiadomor reached the decision after deliberations.

Residents of Tema West were charged by their legislator to stop the Tema Metropolitan Assembly task force from demolishing their properties.

Mr. Adu Boateng the TMA works Engineer, who was supervising the exercise said the structures were creating nuisance on the edge of the road.

The Tema West lawmaker who got wind of the demolition exercise went to the scene and urged residents to stop the task force from going ahead with their exercise.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) James Klutse Avedzi says the public hearing of the committee is yielding results as most public institutions are doing everything within their means to avoid infractions before appearing at the committee.

In an interview with Ghanamps.com, Mr. Avedzi indicated that, PAC will resume hearing for Public Corporations, Boards, Agencies and Departments and further pointed out that, some Corporations and Boards who could not appear before the committee will be re-scheduled.

Monday the 11th of September 2017 Public Account Committee will be sitting to deal with Public Corporations and Boards the chairman said.

And further said he was looking up to a day when, public institutions will come before the committee and all that will be done is to hip praises on them for following the laid down financial process.

According to the Chairman of PAC, reports on the various Assemblies will be the next report they will focus on after Public Corporations and Boards.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The member of parliament for Offinso North Constituency, Collins Ntim, said Government is set to roll out a new agricultural policy dubbed, “Planting for Food and Investment”, to complement the existing nationwide “Planting for Food and Jobs”, flagship initiative.

The initiative will ensure the large scale cultivation of cash crops such as cashews, Oil Palm, Mango and tree Shear to produce raw materials to feed the various factories which will be established under the “One District, One Factory”, agro-industrialization drive.

Disclosing this in an interview with Accra-base Okay Fm today, a deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Collins Ntim, said the ministry with the help of the agric ministry has developed a practical framework ensure the swift commencement and sustainability of the all-important programme.

The Minister, who is currently on a tour to all MMDAs in Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and the three regions in the North also added that, various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive (MMDCEs) have been properly oriented to enable them play a proper oversight responsibility over the new initiative.

The “Planting for Food and Investment” programme, according to Mr Ntim, is projected to create at least 10,000 direct and indirect jobs for the youth in each district across the country.

He urged Ghanaians to rally behind the NPP government since it is bent on delivering on its numerous campaign promises.

Emmanuel Frimpong/Ghanamps.com

The honorable Member of Parliament for the Bolgatanga Central in the Upper East region, Isaac Adongo has proposed that Board of Directors of corporate institutions especially in the Banking sector must have supervising Boards to check their activities.

This, he noted will eliminate the phenomenon where only Bank owners and shareholders constitute Boards with its attendant risks in decision making.

The presence of a superior Board he observed will check excesses and build confidence and ensure some level of sanity in the financial sector which is in the news for the wrong reasons in recent times.

He made the proposal at a business forum organized by an Accra based media organization, XYZ Broadcasting on the theme: Enhancing the competitiveness of indigenous Banks.

Mr Isaac Adongo also a Member of the Finance Committee of Parliament expressed misgivings about the current reactionary regulatory framework of the country which does not support indigenous banks enough making themendangered species.

He advocates an effective regulatory banking system that is responsive to needs of customers, a regulatory invention that is value adding to services that they deliver to customers.

The outspoken lawmaker also expressed concerns about the lack of people of the necessary technical expertise on Boards of Banks.

The Bolgatanga Central lawmaker also advocates the setting up of a standard minimal requirement for consideration as a member of a board.

He challenged local banks to move towards a risk management approach and give proper attention toresearch and development to maximize their competitiveness.

Christian Kpesese/Ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Salaga South constituency in the northern Region Mr Adam Salifu Braimah has underscored the untold hardship last month’s flood has brought on affected families in the Salaga Constituency and its environs.

He said it was unfortunate for them to endure the difficulty brought to them by the flood but added that it was a natural disaster so he will continue to liaise with other authorities to ensure the needed support is extended to them.

The MP who was speaking during the distribution of relief items to affected persons also promised to help the affected communities in his own way so that they can get back their lives.

Mr Adam Braimah secured the relieve items through the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) with support of the District Chief Executive (DCE) Mohammed Tamimu of the East Gonja District Assembly.

Affected persons were presented with items such as cement bags, mattresses, blankets, buckets,mats, rice, cooking oil and many others things to help them cope with life for the mean time.

The MP on behalf of the district NADMO Coordinator, Mr.Umor Alhassan urged the people manage what have been provided while efforts are made for further assistance.

The recipients were also grateful to the MP, DCE and all others who came to their rescue and for the supports extended to them.

Alice Abubakari/Ghanamps.com

Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu is predicting that Ghana’s educational sector is on the verge of collapsing.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Mr. Iddrisu noted that, “I see chaos within the educational sector”.

The Tamale South legislator’s comment comes in the wake of the Internet-based challenge that has engulfed the Computerized School Selection Placement System (CSSPS), leaving parents and Basic Education Certificate Examination(BECE) graduates frustrated.
Parents besieged the Ministry of Education premises on Tuesday to have their wards placed.

A statement signed by Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, on Monday, 4th September, 2017, said “following the release of the Computerized School Selection Placement System (CSSPS) outcome on 31st August 2017, we have received reports from some parents and guardians over difficulty in accessing the website provided for completing the placement process”.

“The Ministry has been working with the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) to resolve this challenge and wishes to assure the general public of immediate full access.In view of the challenges experienced, the deadline for accessing the internet to complete the placement process has been extended to midnight on Thursday, 7th September 2017”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Ranking Member on Energy and Mines and Mp for Damango in the Northern Region, Adam Mutawakilu has indicated that the Minority will mobilize Ghanaians to resist any attempt to sell Volta River Authority thermal plant.

Speaking with Ghanamps.com, he noted that, the Minority is waiting for government to fulfil its promise of reducing electricity as promised during the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

According to Adam Mutawakilu, VRA is indebted to major companies like Anglo Gold and Newmont Diamond cement, and “today we say we are selling it off, what happens to the contract arrangements?’That is why consultation is very important as a government before a decision is taken you need to take note of that, he said.

He added that demand of power increases annually by ten percent, but the current government between 2000 and 2008 when they were in power never added any significant power generation to our power stock.

He noted that the NDC government cannot be blamed for the challenges in the power sector because of the legacy debt which can be traced way back to ten years.

According to Mr. Adam Mutawakilu, NPP started investing in the power sector when “we had power crises in 2007”.
From 2009 to 2016 the NDC government increased the country’s power generation from 1920megawatt to 4,065megawatt, the ranking member stated.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com