Month: January 2018

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante- Apeatu was in Parliaments yesterday to meet the Committee on Defense and Interior, to brief them on the recent shooting and killing of police personnel on duty around the country.

In an interview with a member of the Committee and Member of Parliament for Ashiaman, Ernest Henry Norgbey, he pointed out that the incident of “killing” of police men is becoming one too many hence the committee finds it urgent and necessary to get the IGP brief the Committee.

He further proposed that, combat equipment should be acquired for personnel of the police service in other to be a step ahead of robbers and those who attack them.

As to whether the country is safe with current incident of shooting and killing of the police personnel, the Ashiaman lawmaker indicated that the country is safe.

The visit of the Police chief comes in the wake of last Sunday’s attack by armed men numbering six on the Kwabenya charge office and forcibly released seven prisoners.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome/Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo has said the touting of state of insecurity in the country after the shooting of a police at Kwabenya is the handy work of the opposition.

She assured people in her constituency that it is safe, she had received assurance from the Inspector General of police (IGP) David Asante-Apeatu and the Minister of Interior of the safety of people in her constituency.

And further assured members of her constituency that the President Nana Akuffo-Ado lead government had made security its top priority.

Interior Minister and the IGP were both in Parliament on Tuesday, to meet the Committee on Defense and Interior, which the MP assured her constituents that the report would come to the plenary.

The Deputy Majority leader visited the Kwabenya police station on Tuesday, to sympathize with both the police and visited wife of the police who was shot on Sunday.

Miss Sarah Adwoa Safo in addition revealed that very soon a 405 accommodation flat facility would be rolled out in Kwabenya as plans are far advanced with procurement procedures for the President to cut sod.

And revealed that the Atomic Energy has provided land for that purpose. She said it is a Private and Public Partnership (PPP) agreement, where a modern police station and training center would be built for the police.

“We are aware of the challenges the police face in this Constituency, hence the President had dedicated time for this project very soon we will have a well decent police station with the necessary infrastructure development”, she said.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Parliament has given the Committee set up to probe the alleged extortion of monies from expatriates during the 2017 Ghana Expatriates Business Awards a one week extension to present its report to the House.

The Committee is now expected to submit its findings on January 31, 2018, instead of the initial date of January 24.

Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, who made this known, said this had become necessary following a request by the Committee for Parliament to give them ample time to complete their work.

According to Mr. Mensah-Bonsu, the expatriates who were asked to appear before the Committee requested for in-camera meetings, thus prompting an extension of the deadline.

He informed the House that, chairman of the Committee indicated to him that they had run into some bit of roadblock as some of the businesses they invited had indicated that they would not want to sit in public and would want in-camera hearing.

And wanted the extension, in order to be able to present their report to the House latest by 31st January 2018.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

A Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Babara Oteng Gyasi has bemoaned the destructive level of the Dunkwa-on-Offin River in the Central Region due to activities of illegal mining popularly called galamsay.

The PresteaHuni-Valley Member of Parliament made the call when she paid a familiarisation tour of the area to ascertain the level of pollution as a result of the illegal act.

This she said cannot be allowed to continue hence the President’s campaign.

“We cannot continue to destroy our country in this manner” she laments.

According to her it is a clear indication that the President’s agenda to fight illegal mining is a good course and urged all well-meaning individuals to support the initiative to safeguard the environment.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu popularly known as Joe Wise has urged Ghanaians not to believe just anything said about public office holders including politicians without crosschecking the facts.

He expressed disappointment about the description of mere allegations as scandals in the media.

Mr Osei-Owusu noted that targeting people with wrong doings without proves of same tarnishes people’s hard won reputation and must therefore be checked.

The Member of Parliament for Bekwai also emphasised the value of teamwork and individual contributions for the attainment of set goals.

According to him every single individual, and units in an organization along the value-chain in the public service delivery process is very important whiles urging that each is appreciated for their contribution.

According to him, the failure of one unit has replicating effect on others along the chain hence the need for all to discharge their responsibilities effectively and professionally for the benefit of the country.

Responding to varied number of issues on UTV morning Show last Friday, the Chairman of Parliament’s Appointment Committee noted that competency is different from popularity which mostly wins votes.

This he observed accounts for the poor performance of some people in elected positions of society.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

A Deputy Minister for Transport, Daniel NiiTei Titus Glover has urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the country to embrace the ICT reality in order to enable them meet up with the technological challenge posed by Uber in their business activities.

His call came in the wake of protests by transport operators especially taxi drivers that Uber was taking them out of business.

The Deputy Minister denied claims that the Ministry has directed online portal based transport company, to spray/brand its cars for easy identification.

The Tema East Member of Parliament said Uber was only asked to liaise with all relevant stakeholder agencies including the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to enable it formalise its operations especially with regards to the payment of taxes.

He hinted that government will consider engaging with stakeholders to draft policy guidelines to the various District Assemblies to regulate the taxi subsector of the transport sector of the economy.

The Minister who was speaking on Accra based Citi fm, breakfast show denied knowledge of any memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Uber and the Ministry of Transport.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

The honorable Member of Parliament (MP) for Dormaa East, Ali Maiga Halidu has stated that the life of all Parliamentarians are at risk since the nation has so far failed to get fair trial for the murderers of late MP for Akuakwa North.

The MP has therefore appealed to the Speaker of Parliament to intervene in the trial case of the killers of the late Joseph BoakyeDanquah to ensure justice.

According to him MPs are rendering very valuable service to the state and must therefore be given adequate protection at all times.

He noted that the security situation of Ghanaian MPs compared to their counterparts in other jurisdictions is not the best hence the need for an urgent attention.

According to him, the failure of a fair trial for the late Abuakwa North lawmaker will further put the life of all current MPs at risk.

He wondered why the state is struggling to get fair trial especially the difficulty to get an autopsy report for a whole MP who was murdered in cold blood.

The Dormaa East lawmaker feared ordinary citizens who suffered same might suffer worse trials in their favour.

M rHalidu who expressed these sentiments on GTV’s Breakfast show, last Friday called on the Speaker to intervene whiles urging the State to show more commitment to the JB murder case and ensure adequate security of Parliamentarians.

The court has ordered the pathologist in the JB murder case to produce the pathologist report by February, 8, 2018.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

Member of Parliament (MP) for Banda, Ahmed Ibrahim has called for constitutional amendment to ensure that Speakers are sworn in as acting President once, in the life span of a Parliament.

According to the first Deputy Minority whip by 2020, Ghana should have a constitutional reform where all speakers can be sworn in once, any time there is the absence of the President and his Vice in the country, there wouldn’t be the need to swear in the Speaker again until the life span of the Parliament ends.

He noted that the emergency recall on Sunday to swear in the Speaker as acting President was cost to the state and lamented over how most MPs had to travel all the way from their constituency to Accra.

First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu on Sunday 21st January 2018, under order 42(3) summoned the House to sit in accordance with Article 60 (11) “where the President and the Vice-President are both unable to perform the function of the President, the Speaker of Parliament shall perform those function until the President or Vice-President assumes office, as the case may be”.