Month: February 2018

The Minority in Parliament has called on President Akufo-Addo to sack Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta for breaching aspects of the law in the issuance of the $2.25 billion bond in 2017.

They have also suggested that the Finance Minister alternatively resigns over the matter.

A Press conference addressed on Wednesday by the Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, threatened to initiate processes to have the Minister removed from his position through a motion of censure per Article 82 of the constitution.

“We serve notice that in event that the President, Nana Akufo-Addo does not exercise appropriate judgment, we will initiate an action of censorship against the Minister. We in the minority feel strongly vindicated by the CRAHJ report. All of us must uphold the laws of Ghana including the Minister for Finance,” he said.

According to Haruna Iddrisu, the multiple infringements of the law by the Minister in the issuance of the bond as indicated in a report by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), indicated that he acted in bad faith and must not be allowed to remain in office.

CHRAJ in December, 2017 cleared Ofori-Atta of the allegations of conflict of interest in the issuance of the bond, but found him guilty of some infractions in the process.

This followed a petition to the Commission by Brogya Genfi, a known member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Among the 21-point findings in its decision, CHRAJ observed that Primary Dealers also doubled up as Bookrunners/Transaction advisors and that dual role gave them an undue advantage.

It also observed that the “Respondent is either a director, former director or shareholder, or beneficial owner, of several companies whose objects relate to the securities market sector. The companies include Databank and EGL. As such, Respondent’s interests in the growth and well-being of those companies, have the potential to conflict with the interests of the state in relation to the securities market such as the issuance of bonds.

It stated that “The Respondent has business partners and associates related to the securities industry where, according to the Respondent, he has been working for over thirty years. These business partners and associates include partners in Databank, Enterprise Group Limited, Ventures and Acquisitions Limited, as well as Keli Gadzekpo, Trevor Trefgarne and Angela Ofori Atta, also Respondent’s spouse.”

Haruna Iddrisu further urged state institutions to cut ties and discontinue engagement with Databank and Enterprise Group which they say the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has interests.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Ranking member of the Government Assurance Committee and Member of Parliament for Ho West, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, had said the committee would start its first public hearing in March 2018 after its field verification tour.

The Ho West legislator in an interview noted that last year the committee took time to train new members of the seventh Parliament, on what is expected of them and how to go about its duty where a manual was developed.

According to Mr. Bedzrah the Government Assurance Committee, would embark on a field trip to verify project sites base on promises given by Ministers on the floor of the House and at committee meetings.

He added that a year down the line of the current administrations fours year mandate is ample time to start tracking projects and promises.

“We would start public hearing just after the verification trip which we have prepared members enough for this task”, he said.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu, has slammed the Minority over comments he considers embarrassing to the institution of Parliament.

This follows comments by the Minority that some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) vigilante groups had been recruited to provide security in Parliament.

Mr. Osei Owusu who was in the  chair of the Speaker directing affairs of the House in the absence of  the Speaker, on Wednesday  said the comments were unfortunate given that the Minority understands how such exercises were  undertaken.

“Let’s not use partisan considerations to embarrass the institution that we are part of,” he said as he chided the National Democratic Congress Minority.

“Before the police came here, the police were brought in by Honorable Doe Adjaho in 2015, so Parliament security is not new. It is not a new institution that is being set up.”

“The most critical thing for me is not raising the issue with matters that have to do with Parliament, but going to discuss them as if something untoward is happening,” Mr. Osei Owusu stated.

Second Deputy Speaker, Alban Bagbin who later caught the eye of the first Deputy Speaker used the opportunity to advice members to hasten slowly and should not rush the public to public to debate internal matters that can be resolved.

He noted that,  that was the reason why he stood up to give some vital information and explanation to the process of recruitment which is a decision of the parliamentary service aboard just to save the first Deputy Speaker going through this explanation.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Alban Kinsford Sumana Bagbin has appealed to worried Members of Parliament to calm down about recent recruitment of auxiliary security personnel by the Parliamentary Service Board to beef up security of MPs.

The MPs worry was borne out of the fear that they were not briefed about the recruitment process only to see uniformed men and women in the chamber who were not the regular security officials.

The MPs were subsequently briefed at a joint caucus meeting on welfare matters where security issues featured prominently on the agenda.

Parliament in its quest to strengthen and beef up security in parliament engaged the services of private security personnel since the Ghana police Service complained of inadequate men.

The MPs fear the recruitment process had been compromised by some elements of a vigilante group associated with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP). Some members of the Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) questioned the process and called for a parliamentary enquiry to further scrutinize the process.

As the fatherly figure in the house, Alban Bagbin, stated that the Parliamentary Service Board was responsible for such exercises and not Parliament as an institution.

The Nadoli/Kaleo MP urged members not to create the impression that Parliament as an institution had failed to inform the House about the process. He urged Members of Parliament to seek clarity on issues from their leaders before going public with their concerns.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanadistricts.com

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Binduri, Robert Baba Kuganab-Lem has attributed the refusal of Doctors to accept postings to the Northern Region to the lack of development in the region.

He alleged that the current government has virtually halted all major projects started by the previous government aimed at improving the development needs of the region.

Mr Kugnab-Lem who is also the Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Health Committee said policies such as rural electrification started by the NDC government to bring about rural development has been truncated.

The MP has therefore appealed to government to work to improve upon the standards or living in the north so as to whet the appetite of doctors.

Recent media reports indicate that the Northern Region was in shortage of doctors as no doctor accepted posting to the region in 2017 raising concerns about the quality of health care being delivered and the difficulty one goes through in assessing Primary Health care.

By Christian Kpesese / ghanamps.com