Month: November 2017

Ghana’s legislature has passed into law the Zongo Development Fund Bill, 2017 to pave way for the establishment of a fund with a $ 50,000,000 seed capital to accelerate development and help bridge the opportunity gap between Zongo communities and other privileged communities in the country.

Second Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu announced the passage of the Bill on the floor of Parliament last Friday after it went through the third reading.

Minister for Zongo and Inner-City Development, Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface who expressed delight at the passage of the Bill said the stage has been set for the transformation of Zongo communities and improvement of living conditions of persons living therein for the better.

One critical priority area of the Nana Akufo Addo led government is the improvement of the socio-economic conditions and infrastructure deficit of deprived communities across the country inspired by the Directive Principles of Sate Policy, Chapter 6, articles 36- 39 of the 1992 constitution.

The Zongo Development Fund law, 2017, is therefore expected to provide a sustainable funding source to address the myriad of challenges confronting Zongo communities.

Some of these challenges include infrastructure, lack of basic social amenities such as healthcare facilities, poor drinking water, poor sanitation and others which have bedevilledZongo communities over the years.

The Fund is also expected to provide special financial assistant to the targeted community to persue higher education and training in other vocations, support business ventures to help reduce crime rates in Zongo communities.

Sources of money for the Fund include, the annual budget allocation approved by Parliament, grants, loans, voluntary contributions and internally generated funds.

Parliament’s joint Committee on Local Government and Rural Development and Finance in its report on the Bill to the plenary for the second reading recommends a dedicated source of funding to ensure reliable source of funding the Fund.

The Zongo Development Fund Bill, 2017, was laid in Parliament on Thursday 26th October, 2017 by the Minister for Sports, Isaac Asiamah on behalf of the Zongo and Inner-City Development Minister.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

The honorable Member of Parliament for Jirapa, Dr Francis Dakurah has noted that Ghana’s criminal justice system is not fully developed like that of the Western world to create absolute confidence in law enforcement agencies and the judiciary.

According to him, since there is no absolute trust in the system, parcels belonging to people suspected to be involved in corrupt cases should be opened in their presence rather than just among the security.

The MPs call came in the wake of the advent of the creation of the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

Sections of the Office of the Special Prosecutors Bill, 2017 currently before Parliament provides that parcels belonging to suspects can be search by Police in their absence.

The Jirapa lawmaker argues that Officers wanting to incriminate suspects can in-plant foreign materials into parcels of suspects in order to implicate them in their absence.

He has therefore cautioned against the passage of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Bill without making provision for such considerations.

By Christian Kpesese

Member of Parliament for the Adentan constituency, Yaw Buabeng Asamoah has urged school children to take their education seriously to enable them become useful citizens in future.

The MP made the call in an interaction with students of the East Bank Senior High School (SHS), located in Adentan when they visited Parliament to familiarize themselves with the working of the legislative arm of government.

According to him the whole world is driven by knowledge hence government’s decision to invest in education through the implementation of the free SHS policy.

The lawmaker encouraged the children to use social media wisely to avoid abusing it. He educated the students on work of parliament.

Mr Buabeng told the students that nobody including the President is above the law of Ghana and urged them to disabuse their minds from the perception that MPs are above the law.

He explained that Members of Parliament were only immune from arrest when they are performing their lawmaking duties to enhance the process of lawmaking but can be arrested if the Speaker is written to that effect.

By Christian / kpesese/ghanamps.com

Members of Parliament (MPs) from both the Majority and the Minority side of the House have reacted differently towards research done by the media on their performance in Parliament.

Whiles some MPs blame the media for not capturing work done  at the committee level, others believe focusing on only work done in the plenary is wrong, as others have pointed out that those in the habit of rating them do not even get in touch with them.

Member of Parliament for Pru East, Dr. Kwabena Donkor bemoaned the low esteem which the media and electorates hold MPs due to the way and manner MPs go about campaign, as some promise to bring ferry to areas where there are no rivers and promise electricity in areas where there no transformers.

He further noted that there is the need to embark on education for Ghanaians to know that MPs are lawmakers.

And further noted that during elections hardly do you hear MPs talk about the quality of laws they have contributed in passing, but rather all you hear is promise of extending electricity.

According to Pru East legislator there is the need for both the Majority and Minority to work together as collective body on this topical issue.

Meanwhile, the MP for Pusiga, Laadi Ayii Ayamba is calling for committee meetings to be open up to the members of the general public and media so that they can appreciate work done by the MP as most of the performance assessments are done, mainly on performance MPs put up on the floor of the House.

And further added that most of the institutions and individuals who conduct polls on performance of MPs should seek clearance from leadership of the House.

By:  Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Kwame Dafeamekpor has said that call for former President John Mahama to lead the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020, Presidential election should be left for MPs.

Mr. Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor back his point with the fact that, Members of Parliament are on the ground and they know what the grass root base of the party want.

In an interview, he noted that, the act of the Regional Chairmen endorsing the former President to lead the party in 2020 was an act of sidelining other potential contestants in the party’s flag bearer ship race, “as members of the National Executive Committee they ought not to do that”.

When the party has given directives that we should all focus in helping reorganize the party after losing the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary election, he said.

According to the South Dayi lawmaker, the Regional Chairmen may not be acting as NEC, but as a sub-set of NEC and a powerful caucus coming out this way, “how will the camp of Dr. Ekow Spio Garbbrah Professor Joshua Alabi,Atubigah and others feel?he questioned.

And further questioned what about if, Regional Secretaries, Youth Organizers and organizers take a different turn what will be the effect? it will be seen as a party is not united.

The Regional Chairman are supposed to be neutral they are “primo interpret ”, he lamented.

Mr. Dafeamekpor urged NEC to reprimand the Regional Chairmen in the form of caution so that they can desist from such act in the future and further noted that, much attention should be given to the party’s re-organization especially with registration of members.

There are internal turmoil so they ought not to do that and I believe that NEC have to reprimand them, it can come in the form of caution they must desist from such an act so that we can see to the re-organization and registration that has started to the end of December 2017 going forward.

Minority in Parliament just held a press conference not long ago, on the Energy Levey Bond, which government through the Finance Minister has cost financial lost to the state, then you the Regional Chairmen collapse it with your visit to the Ex-President Mahama he said.

And pointed out that the party Regional Chairmen should have allowed supporters of the Ex-President to have taken this move.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Afram Plains North, Betty Krosby- Mensah has expressed dismay at the alleged relocation of the Donkorkrom campus of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development from her constituency to Bunso in the Akyem area.

The MP who expressed her disappointment in a press release signed by her described the proposed relocation as a discrimination against the people of the area according to the 1992 constitution citing a possible involvement of President Akufo Addo in the deal.

‘’The action of the Minister of Education is an act of discrimination against us for which the constitution clearly frowns upon by article 17 (2) of the 1992 Constitution.

 We are tempted to state that the president of this country, His Excellency, Nana Addo Danquah AkufoAddo is involved in the relocation of the proposed Donkorkrom campus of the University to the president’s hometown in Akyem and thereby discriminating against us in favour of the people of his hometown’’ the statement said.

By below the full statement:

RELOCATION OF THE DONKORKROM CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FROM AFRAM PLAINS NORTH CONSTITUENCY TO BUNSO IN AKYEM

We have heard with dismay and disappointment NPP government’s intention through the Ministry of Education to alter the documented policy of the previous NDC Government to site a campus of the University of Environment and sustainable Development (hereinafter referred to as “the University”) at Donkokrom, the District Capital of Kwahu Afram Plains North by relocating same to Bunso in Akyem.

We want to state unequivocally that we would resist all attempts by this government to deprive us the opportunity to benefit from the policy of the NDC government to build a campus of the University at Donkokrom.

 It must be noted that the people of the Afram Plains North Constituency have not only been deprived of many basic necessities but also higher educational institutions for far too long.

It is clear that this government does not appreciate the plight of our people and further seeks to aggravate our sufferings by taking away our hope to better the lives of our youths and children.

We therefore want government to take note that we would vigorously resist any attempt to relocate the Donkokrom campus of the University to Bunso in Akyem.

Government’s response through the Press Secretary of the Minister of Education did not address the issues as expressed earlier.

What authority does EXIM Bank have to dictate to us about the location of this University especially when the facility we are procuring from them is a loan and not a grant?

Government must note that the location of this University campus in Donkorkrom will satisfy the need for fairness and equity as it will serve the entire Kwahu enclave and a section of people from the Volta region. Koforidua Technical University is situated among the people of Akyems and not far from Bunso.

There is also the Bunso Cocoa College situated right in the heart of Bunso offering options to the people of Akyem whilst the whole of Kwahu has none to boast of.

We have also heard with shock that the inaccessible nature of our transportation system is being used as an excuse to snatch this important infrastructure from us.

We want to state emphatically that it is not the duty of the citizens to create accessibility. The onus solely lies on the government and we believe that a government with the will to see Afram Plains grow and develop will not hesitate to provide same.

Afram Plains has suffered numerous painful neglect over the years because it is surrounded by water that did not originally exist and seems cut-off from the rest of the country.

These waters came about as a reason of the construction of the Akosombo Dam. However, this Dam is what has been serving the nation with electricity over the years. Do the people of Afram Plains deserve this neglect and underdevelopment even though our comfort has been sacrificed for the entire nation? We certainly deserve better.

The action of the Minister of Education is an act of discrimination against us for which the constitution clearly frowns upon by article 17 (2) of the 1992 Constitution.

We are tempted to state that the president of this country, His Excellency, Nana Addo Danquah  AkufoAddo is involved in the relocation of the proposed Donkorkrom campus of the University to the president’s hometown in Akyem and thereby discriminating against us in favour of the people of his hometown.

We hope that the president would dispel any such valid temptation by putting the Minister of Education in order and ordering him to reverse the said discriminatory and nepotistic decision.

We also hope that the president and the Minister of Education will act swiftly in addressing our concerns in order to avert any foreseeable public disturbances within and outside the Constituency.

Signed

Hon. Betty Krosbi Mensah

MP, Afram Plains North Constitutuency.

Issued on the 9th day of November,2017

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.coma