Month: March 2018

Member of Parliament for Bekwai and First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu is worried over the way and manner in which the law enforcement agencies and members of the general public look on unconcerned as the environment is being destroyed.

According to the First Deputy Speaker, wrongdoers have had their way in the country for far too long, leading to the breakdown in law and order, most especially in the mining sector.

He further revealed that current laws are not punitive and deterrent enough to ward off evildoers and call on the security to deal with the wrongdoers ruthlessly.

“There are some countries as recently as the 60s if you littered you were shot in the street. That was the law and they implemented it. Sometimes we need to be strong on wrongdoers,” the MP for Bekwai remarked.

“We are pampering wrongdoers in this country too much and they are not many. So Mr. Speaker, I think we should stand by the military and we should all stand together to ensure that our water bodies are clean and safe,” he said.

He was contributing to a statement on the floor of the House concerning the burning of trucks and excavators allegedly used for sand winning in the Kumbungu constituency.

He added, “I have made some very extreme suggestions and I know people are not happy about that, but regrettably I don’t have the authority and if I had I would have made the law that if you find people on the water body shoot them. That is how recalcitrant those people are.”

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Ho West and chairman of the Volta caucus in Parliament, Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah has interacted with students from Botoku D/A Junior High School from the North Dayi constituency.

The students numbering more than fifty (50) were in Parliament to see for themselves and have firsthand experience on how the legislative arm of government works.

They were accompanied by their teachers numbering about six (6).

Mr. Emmanuel Bedzrah took the students through parliamentary procedures and further pointed out that there are various committees that work in Parliament and after their work it is brought to the plenary for discussion and adoption.

And further mentioned that there are two dominant parties in Parliament, Majority side made up of the ruling government the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress.

Some of the students wanted to know if the Legislative House was made up of only the NPP MPs. But the MP explained that it comprised of both sides of the house.

He further pointed out to them that the House works on consensus basis to reach a decision and added that most MPs go for committee meetings that is why you do not see most of them in the chamber whiles others are caught up in traffic.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Obuasi East, Dr Patrick Boakye-Yiadom has encouraged school children to take their studies seriously in order to become useful to themselves and society in future.

He urged the children to aspire to the sky as their limit by marrying their books.
Don’t let anything distrust you from your books.

The Obuasi MP made the call when he interacted with over 100 upper primary pupils and teachers from AngloGold Ashanti (AGA), Obuasi when they visited Parliament House.

He educated the pupils on the workings of Parliament including the law making processes, oversight responsibilities and representational functions.

The House he told the children is composed of people with diverse backgrounds and professions.
He encouraged them to endeavor to have a profession that they can rely on at all times before venturing into politics in future if they so desire.

Dr Boakye-Yiadom also encouraged the children to respect their teachers and always take their institutions so that they can make their parents, guardians and all including him the MP proud.

AGA School was established in 1961 as a department within AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mines to cater for the educational needs of workers and children within its catchment area.

The schools vision is to empower children to become responsible, confident and creative builders of society through a rich learning experience that delivers academic excellence, leadership and achievement of the greatest potential.

It comprises, preschool, lower primary, upper primary and Junior High motto is: inspire, renew and transform.

Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Government’s programme to develop Ghana’s railway network system is on course following the shortlisting of nine (9) firms to submit proposals for the Central Spine stretch of rail line from Kumasi- Paga also known as “the Ghana Railways Master Plan” project, Railways Development Minister has disclosed.

The Sector Minister, Joe Ghartey assured that his outfit and other implementing agencies are leaving no stone unturned as they go through the necessary due processes to ensure the realisation of the project.

“Mr Speaker, in this regard, the Ministry has gone through the first phase of the procurement process, that is the Expression of Interest phase and has shortlisted nine (9) firms who are to be issued with Request for Proposal documents to submit detailed Technical and Financial Proposals by the end of March, 2018 for further evaluation ” he told Parliament.

Mr Joe Ghartey stated these on the floor of Parliament where he appeared in response to a question by Adaklu Member of Parliament, Kwame Governs Agbodza who sought to know about the progress of work on the Kumasi – Paga railway project.

Procurement & Contract process

According to the Essikado-Ketan Member of Parliament, in line with provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2003,(Act 663) as amended by the Public Procurement (Amendment) Act, 2016, (Act 914), the Ministry went through a competitive tendering process and selected a consortium of firms led by MessrsGauffIngenieure and Messrs ILF Consulting Engineers all from Germany.

The firms were selected after an approval by the Tender Review Committee and the Entity Tender Committee of the Ministry. The contract for the project was signed on December, 22, 2017 whiles official work commenced with a kick off meeting on January, 25, 2018.

Feasibility studies on the project which expected to completed within six calendar month period is currently ongoing whiles a concurrent procurement has also been initiated to procure the services of a Transaction Advisor to procure private sector investor(s) to develop the railway lines from Kumasi-Paga after the feasibility studies.

Objective of Project

The overall objective of the project is to develop a railway corridor between Kumasi and Paga to improve rail and logistics infrastructure, as part of an integrated transport network in Ghana.

It is also seeks to improve rail transport services for passenger and freight to help reduce cost of transportation, especially in trade to and from the hinterland and the regions of the Northern part of the country.

The project will when completed will significantly reduce transportation cost of goods and services to Burkina Faso and other Sahelian countries.

Project Background

The Central Spine rail line also known as the Ghana Railway Master Plan which runs from Kumasi through Tamale to Paga is a 595 km green field project.

A green field project of such nature requires feasibility studies to determine its financial, economic, environmental and social viability.

The feasibility includes surveying and mapping-out of the right-of-way (RoW) for the railway line before the procurement of an EPEC Contractor to undertake the construction works.

Approximately, only 947 kilometers of Ghana’s rail network which is currently operational is faced with obsolete network and poor track infrastructure, resulting in the closure of greater part of the Western and Eastern lines and the entire Central line, leading to a high incidence of derailments that lead to loss of operational hours and damage to rolling stock.

Available data showed that the rail sector commanded an over-70% market share of freight and passenger transport in the country during colonial days until the 1970s, and carried over 2 million tonnes of freight and 8 million passengers annually in the 1960s and 1970s.

However, due to inadequate funding for maintenance, the rail network deteriorated leading to the diversion of freight traffic onto roads, exacerbating deterioration of the roads.

President Akufo-Addo’s Government has pledged to revamp the railway sector to open up Ghana’s economy.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

Minister for Education, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh reiterated government’s resolve to ensure quality education delivery in the country.

To this end, he said, his outfit is committed to education reforms to bring about the desired outcomes.

DrOpoku-Prempeh who is also Member of Parliament for Manhyia South said these during a dinner dance of the Wesley Grammer School in Accra.

He commended old students for their significant contributions towards education in the country whiles urging for more complementary efforts to government.

By Christian Kpesese / ghanamps.com

The Minister responsible for Roads and Highways, Akwasi Amoako-Atta has cautioned road contractors in the country to expedite action on road projects for completion on time.

Failure to complete projects on schedule, he said, will attract termination of contracts.

Mr Amoako-Atta who is also the Member of Parliament for the Atiwa West constituency in the Eastern region gave the warning in Cape Coast during a two day working tour of the Central region.

He assured of government’s determination to fix all poor road networks in the country to provide relief to all Ghanaians.

By Christian Kpesese / ghanamps.com.

Hundred packs of assorted drinks has being donated to the Dowine Sports Circuit during their annual under thirteen sports festival hosted by the Domwine Primary school in the Lawra District of the Upper West region.

The support came from the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lawra constituency Mr. Anthony N-yoh Karbo.

A welfare committee member, Mr Albert Aa-uune who stood in on behalf of the MP for the donation, stated that, he was glad that the Circuit have been able to organize such a festival involving all the schools in the Circuit not just purposely to play games and win but also to select young boys and girls who are talented in the various category of games.

He said this will ensure those who will be selected will be properly trained to go places setting Abedi Pele and the Ayew brothers as example.

The Circuit Supervisor, Boro Alexis Faakan-I on his part appealed to the teachers to treat every child as their own, and to the officiators of the games to be fair in their officiating in order not to cause agitation among the students during the games.

The Circuit sports Chairman thanked the MP and the team for the kind gesture saying “this is the first time we are receiving such support for such an activity and we are praying for the MP to continue to have good health long life and continue to support us in times of this when we appeal.”

There was a ceremonial kick by the Chairman Mr Aa-uune to officially open the start of the games.

By: Alice Abubakari/Ghanadistricts.com

Member of Parliament for Abirem, John Frimpong Osei is calling on government to put in place a holistic and pragmatic policy to address issues of the well-being of the people in the mining communities.

According to Mr. Osei Frimpong as the Nation benefit from mining, host communities lose their livelihoods; their waters bodies are polluted through seepage of arsenic substance, environmental degradation and there is social vices.

He further noted that enactment of the Minerals Development Fund (MDF) Act 912 of 2016 brought a great sigh of relief to the people in the mining areas in anticipation of interventions to ameliorate their hardship.

Again the Act provides a legislative backing for the allocation of 20 percent of mining royalties received by the government to mining communities for development.

In a statement on the floor of the House, the Abirem legislator noted that the MDF makes available financial resources for the direct benefit of mining communities, a holder of interest in land within a mining community.

“Mr. Speaker regrettable however, the implementation of the Act has been fraught with some delays” and called for the MDF Board to be constituted and a local management committee to manage the fund.

He added that until Act 912 (2016) is fully implemented people living in mining communities will continuously remain short changed without alternative livelihoods.

“It is disheartening to see the unemployed youth in Abirem constituency particularly those in the communities affected by mining desperately looking for non-existent job opportunities. Some limited jobs have been created for some of the youth, but the majority of the unemployed youth and active middle aged farmers whose land have been ceded to mining companies face unbearable realities of life.”

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com