Month: March 2018

Majority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu has said looking at the tall order of the House before it goes on recess on Friday 23rd March 2018, the House will start extended sitting from Tuesday 20th March 2018.

According to the Majority Leader, this move will enable the House conclude its business before the House goes on recess on Friday.

Member of Parliament for Adaklu Kwame Agbodza urged the leadership of the House to ensure that sitting in the House starts on time.

The Majority Leader pointed out that three days ago the Adaklu MPs was in a meeting whiles, work was going on at the plenary but did not have cause to raise issues because it was in that meeting and hope he will learn from that.

Minority Leader demanded that the Majority Leader see to it that the necessary complement accompany the extended sitting.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul has justified the recent action of the Military against some illegal sand winners in the Nawuni River in the Kumbungu constituency of the Northern region and sent a further strong warning to the offenders that government will not look on unconcerned to save the water body from further pollution.

According to the Minister who is MP for Bimbilla, the Ghana Water Company Limited had cautioned that if no action was taken to stop the pollution of the River, it would shut down its treatment plants because it spends six times more to treat the water because of its high turbidity level due to pollution.

“Mr Speaker, can you imagine what would have happened to the people of Tamale and the surrounding areas when the Ghana Water Company had stopped producing water to the Tamale Metropolis and the surrounding areas for three days” he queried.

The action by the Operation Vanguard wing of the Military to burn the trucks he said was necessitated since several attempts to arrest the illegal sand winners proved futile.
He stated that the team on four previous attempts to effect arrests could not be successful as the perpetrators bolted.

Mr Nitiwul stated that the Kumbungu incident was not the first time the military burnt down mining equipment saying that “the military is the last man standing and their work must not be politicised.”

“Mr Speaker, the action of the military which is not the first of its kind was to send a strong signal to the miners along River Nawuni after several warning to the miners to stop polluting the river,” the Minister said.

The Defence Minister’s utterances was prompted by a statement by Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak on the floor of Parliament demanding a probe into the burning of 14 tipper trucks, an excavator and dozens of motor bikes at Afia Yile by military personnel on March 3,2018.

The MP also called on parliament to ensure that compensation is given to the affected people.

The military contingent from the Operation Vanguard team burnt down the trucks and other equipment in the Dalun Electoral area in a bid to prevent sand winners from polluting the Nawuni River which is a source of drinking water to the Tamale metropolis and its adjourning communities.

But Ras Mubarak in his statement stated that the military were excessive in their approach in dealing with an illegality by perpetuating an illegality which contravene the laws of the land.

“The burning down of fourteen tipper trucks, an excavator and motorbikes is an egregious violation of the fundamental human rights of the tipper truck operators,” he said.

According to him sections of the Mining and Minerals Act which empowers the state to confiscate equipment used in, or associated with the commission of an illegal mining activity.

“Clearly Mr. Speaker, the laws of the land do not prescribe the burning down of trucks and other equipment, and the military, which I hold in high esteem, acted arbitrarily and that must not be accepted in this current dispensation.

“State actors, especially the military, cannot and must not be seen to be sidestepping the laws of the land. It sends a bad signal that we are still stuck in the stoneage,” Ras Mubarak stressed.

In his contribution to the statement, First Deputy Speaker of the House, Joseph Osei Owusu, advocate a more radical approach to curb the rate of illegal mining activities in the country.

The radical approaches which includes shooting to kill he said will scare potential illegalities miners.

However Second Deputy Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin disagreed on the use of force.

The Nadowli/Kaleo, MP said the application of force in the past to deter illegal miners has not yielded positive results and recommended a national dialogue whiles appealing to the conscience of illegal miners to find a workable solution to the menace.

The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye stated that the use of force by the military was permissible per provisions of article 13 of the 1992 Constitution.

According to him, the action taken by the military should serve as a warning to potential illegal miners to be law abiding citizens.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Madam Sarah Adwoa Safo, the Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, Thursday said government was determined to drive the agenda for growth, job creation and prosperity for all, hence the creation of new assemblies to bring governance to the doorsteps of the citizenry.

She said “this will ensure effective and efficient decentralisation through grassroots participation, better planning and improved service delivery in local communities”.

Madam Adwoa Safo was delivering an address on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the inauguration of the Ga North Municipal Assembly.

She called on the people to assist in the successful execution of the functions of the Assembly for the development of the area.

Madam Adwoa Safo said the highest political authority at the local level were the assemblies, which have deliberative, legislative and executive powers and are considered to be essential for ensuring balanced and equitable development in their areas.

“I am expecting all of us to fully embrace the decisive bold step to make our metropolitan, municipal, and district chief executives elected by the people, for greater efficiency, accountability, democracy and development,” she said.

The MP urged the citizenry to endeavour to make the decentralisation agenda work by minimizing agitations on location of district capitals, election of presiding members, appointments and provision of critical facilities in parts of the communities.

Mr Clement Nii Lamptey Wilkinson, the Municipal Chief Executive for Ga West, in a welcoming address, entreated the inhabitants of the area to ensure that they cooperate with the staff of the new assembly to facilitate the undertaking of development projects.

GNA

Member of Parliament for the Bawku Central constituency in the Upper East region, Mahama Ayariga is advocating a renegotiation of the Electricity Company of Ghana deal with American firm, the Millennium challenge Compact.

According to the Chairman of Parliament’s Subsidiary Legislation Committee, the decision to hand over ECG to a private sector to manage is demeaning.

The MP called for a rethinking about the decision and described the entire deal as “unnecessary”.

The deal which has to do with only managing ECG, the lawmaker said is not good for the country’s image.

This he said means we can’t manage our own basic needs.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Five heroic teachers from the Ghana Education Service who accepted posting a couple of years ago to the remotest island community of Dorfor Kome in the North Tongu Constituency have been honoured.

Their commitment and tireless sacrifices by crossing the Volta River virtually every day resulted in molding about One hundred and four (104) pupils in the community.

The Member of Parliament (MP), Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa of the North Tongu Constituency in the Volta Region was much enthused about the sacrifices made by the teachers; and in view of this the MP has presented to each teacher a brand new laptop computer.

The presentation took place when the MP, Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa paid them a surprise visit.

He congratulated them for their relentlessness and also encouraged them to keep up the good work. On the part of the teachers, they thanked the MP for remembering and honoring them.

By:Alice Abubakari/ Ghanadistricts.com

Minister of the Interior Ambrose Dery has asked for evidence that repatriated Indian businessman, Ashok Sivaram was manhandled in the processing of his deportation.

According to the Interior Minister in an interview with ghanamps.com, he needed evidence that any security person has manhandled anybody and he would cause an investigation into it.

“We have a proud record in this Country of handling people properly, when Ashok Sivaram was at the airport we could have said he has not entered the Country technically”.

As to whether the Interior Minister has a personal interest in the case as being alleged, he noted that he has never met the Indian businessman, “I do not know him.”

I am not going to allow anybody to use me to work against anybody, it has not happened and it will never happen, he remarked.

He recounted that the issue was raised on the floor of the House and he frankly said the issue is before the court, “now the Supreme Court has come out with their verdict and he has been repatriated.”

“We will implement the law a number of people have been deported his is not the only person, people will be deported and he was deported on security grounds period”.

He went to court, the High court that gave a ruling in his favor, we respected it, as we disagreed with it we went back to court and in the end the Supreme Court has spoken and I think the supreme court has done the right thing taken the right decision making him leave the country, he added.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Chairman of the Committee on Mines and Energy, Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi has said the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) and other interested parties around which controversy have surrounded will be engaged by the committee to be better inform on how to deal with the issues.

Mr. Duncan Amoah the Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has accused BOST of causing financial loss to the state to the tune of 30 million dollars when it sold about 1.8 million barrels of oil below the market price to an unlicensed company.

“We engaged BOST before this issue came up, and we were scheduled to meet them again when this issue came up. We want to take our time and meet them and do proper due diligence; we have to get the necessary documentation so that we can reach an informed decision,” he remarked

The Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), Alfred Obeng Boateng, has so far denied allegations of financial malfeasance against the company by the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), saying they are false and baseless.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

“Scrap off the Minister for Public Procurement position it is redundant if the Minister claims she is not responsible for answering questions on the GH 28.8 million contract to a private company to supply 1800 vehicles”, Member of Parliament for Ashiaman Ernest Henry Norgbey has said.

According to the Ashiaman MP, he is not satisfied with the response given by the Minister of State at the presidency in charge of procurement, that the question be directed to the Ministry of Finance.

“The question that I ask does the President under take procurement issues, the President is not eligible to undertake procurement. It is done by the Ministries and agencies on behalf of the President”.

He further noted that MASLOC is under the presidency, admitting that the Minister gives policy advice to the President, “what advice has the Minister given to the President on procurement formulation and policies?”

Again the Speaker Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye would not allow me ask the procurement Minister follow up questions, he lamented.

If MASLOC is under the president then the Minister is supposed to answer this question, what advice did you give the President concerning MASLOC, she questioned.

Mr. Ernest Norgbey noted that government is hiding something “fishy from Ghanaians”, as the speaker has directed will be done.

As to why the Ashiaman legislator did not direct the question to the right Ministry, he responded that but the Speaker admitted the question, what was the basis for the Speaker to admit the question in the first place?

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Catherine Afeku, has said she is worried that as Ghanaians, “we are losing our culture by desecrating dead bodies”.

According to the Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister, the essence of revering the dead is lost on us and recounted when she was growing up the dead in her family and that of her neighbors a modicum of respect was shown.

“We mourn and had a one week celebration there was some appreciation of the cycle of life”, she lamented.

Her remarks comes in the wake of statement by the MP for New Edubiase George Boahen Oduro condemning a practice creeping into the Ghanaians culture, by posting pictures of the dead on social media.

“Mr. Speaker we are not saying technology is not good, but the abuse of it is becoming a growing concern it is seriously affecting the bringing up of our children in our society, we are becoming insensitive, we have gotten to a stage where the dignity of the dead is desecrated”.

As legislators we should have a crusade against this act, it is becoming the norm of the day, we have ordinary people who die and their bodies are shown without any show of care of the bereaved family members, she lamented.

If possible, Mr. Speaker we should have a declaration from this House, from members from both side that it is good to have social media, there should be a stop where we draw the line. That the sanctity of our culture is eroding, the level of respect we show to the dead is gone, she added.

As a sector that is in charge of culture, we are pleading with the youth, let us look back to how our forefathers did revere the dead and resolve to restore the sanctity of the dead as one day we will go through it, it’s just a matter of time, she said.

By: Kwaku Sakyi—Danso/ghanamps.com

Ranking Member on Finance, Ato Forson, has given indications that he will personally drag the Minister of Finance Ken Ofori Atta and the Governor of Bank of Ghana (BoG) Dr. Ernest Kwamina Yedu Addison to the Supreme Court.

According to the former Deputy Finance Minister, if the two fail to respond to his letter by providing technical details relating to the takeover of UT and Capital Bank by the Ghana Commercial Bank, he will have to resort to the court.

The Ranking member of Finance last week wrote to the Governor of the Bank of Ghana and the Finance Minister requesting some technical information on the takeover of the two banks.

He said in an interview with ghanamps.com he has not received any response from either of them.

“I run into both the Finance Minister and Governor over the weekend, the Finance Minister indicated that the legal team of the Ministry is going through the letter and will respond to my letter, whiles the Governor said he will also respond”.

He further indicated that often times issues are raise through press conference and a political twist is added to it and the issue dies down, but this time around he has decided to write to the governor and the Finance Minister.

“We are asking for clarity in the provision of certain information that we deemed outstanding, relating to the two banks that were liquidated of which the central bank signed and purchased an assumption transaction with GCB. As we speak, the public does not know anything about it. We have read from an IMF document that says that the government of Ghana represented by the Ministry of Finance is going to arrange some bond issuance, about one percent of GDP which is about 1.6 to 2 billion cedis to defray the cost relating to the collapse of the two banks.”

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com