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All must learn from Anas GFA exposé – Hon Woyome

Ranking Member of the Parliament’s Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture, Kobena Mensah Woyome has urged all stakeholders in Ghana’s sports sector especially football to learn very useful lessons from the investigative exposé done by Anas Aremeyaw Anas for a better sporting future for the country.

The Member of Parliament for South Tongu who said he is not surprised by the investigative work due to recent and pass events in the Ghanaian sporting circles urged all to hasten slowly.

In an interview on what his views are on the work done by Anas, Mr Woyome said it is early days yet to pass any sweeping comments.

According to him it is important for one to be equipped with details concerning the issue to inform better discussions.

The South Tongu lawmaker urged the Tiger Eye production to involve Parliament as the law making arm of government to inform the crafting of relevant laws for the country.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Anas exposé an opportunity to fight corruption- Mpohor MP

Chairman of the Youth and Sports Committee of Parliament, Alexander Kofi Agyekum has stated that the undercover expose by investigative Journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas of the alleged rot in Ghana football has provided a fertile opportunity for the country to get rid of the much touted perceived corruption in the sector.

He urged the country to cease the moment with all the arsenal at its disposal to create total sanity in the sector in order to pave way for an enhanced sports development.

Mr Agyekum who is the Member of Parliament for Mpohor in the Western region in an interview with www.ghanamps.com urged all stakeholders in football and in sports in general to show keen interest in the matter which he believes has the potential to redefining the future of Ghana football for the better.

He assured of the readiness of the Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture for that matter Parliament to assist as part of its oversight responsibility for the betterment of Ghana sports.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

Petitions Committee in the offing- Majority leader

The revised Standing Orders of Parliament which is currently at the editing stages will make provisions for the Petitions Committee of Parliament, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has disclosed.

The Petitions Committee of Parliament when established is expected to focus on specific issues that citizens of Ghana will petition Parliament about for prompt attention.

Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu who is Member of Parliament for Suame and Majority leader disclosed this at a leadership meeting that brought together, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrissu, the Chairmen, Vice Chairmen and Ranking Members of the various parliamentary committees on strengthening parliamentary oversight over the executive.

He expressed displeasure about the situation where members of the public often times petitions Parliament but the House is unable to address issues raised due to lack of a dedicated body to deal with such concerns.

“When a petition is presented to the house, often times the Speaker will ask Majority Leader please can you go and meet the demonstrators or the petitioners, and that’s about the end of it.

Nothing happens after that, and yet the people that we represent are the people who come to us that we are not happy with A, B or C,  how do you resolve that for us but we take them, and we are not able to do anything about it. We must have a properly defined structure to deal with this,” he said.

The Petitions Committee will therefore come in handy to close that gap.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Local Govt committee unhappy with delayed $259m project

The Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government and Rural Development has expressed its unhappiness about delays in the completion of the Kejetia Central Market which it said will negatively affect payment of the loan contracted for the project.

The first phase of the $259 million project which is expected to be in two phases has delayed beyond schedule even though the beginning of the loan repayment timelines draws closer.

The delay in completing the project is said to be due to litigation on structures earmarked for demolition to aid completion of the Market including a structure near one of the entrances to the Kejetia enclave which blocks access to roads and drainage systems and another designated for electrical systems for the new market.

The loan repayment for the facility is expected to come from monies to be realized from the market after its completion.

During an inspection tour of the facility, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government, its Chairman, Kennedy Osei Nyarko urged the need for the completion of the new market and handed over to city authorities by the end of August this year.

“It is a must that the project is completed by end of August and handed over to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) for traders to start coming in for trading.

“From there, the second phase commences, then we start finding ways of raising money from the traders to settle the loan”, he said.

The Committee proposed that the KMA partners with private developers to help pay compensation for the demolition of the obstructing structures.

“They should get a couple of investors and make an arrangement for them to pay for the demolition so they can use the part of the land for a project that compliments this one”, Mr Osei Nyarko stated.

By Christian Kpesese ghanamps.com

Minority call on government to withdraw restrictive direction to MMDAs

Minority members on the committee of Local Government and Rural Development, has urged government to withdraw its restrictive directives to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies with regards to the use of their approved funds.

According to the Minority, Nine Hundred and Five million, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Thousand, Nine Hundred and Eighty-Two (GHc 905, 999, 982.00) Ghana cedis was given to 254 MMDAs in 2018, for their planned local government projects and programmes as approved for them in the formula.

Deputy ranking on Local Government and Rural Development, Benjamin Kpodo at a press conference noted that they have picked up information that a directive has gone out to the MMDAs to transfer funds to be applied in the following projects.

School feeding, 40 percent, GHc 362, 399,992.80; National builders corps, twenty percent (20) GHc 181, 199,996.40; planting for food and jobs twenty percent (20) GHc 181,199,996.80; and the balance for the Assemblies own projects twenty percent (20) GHc 181, 199, 996.40.

He further called on government to explore and find other means of funding its flagship programmes.

And urged government to desist from any further acts that seek to deprive the Assemblies of their lawful funds due them for implementation of their local development agenda, such as introducing legislations that seek to appropriate parts of the monies due to the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF).

The Minority urged government to take steps to regularly release DACF as stipulated in the constitution and avoid holding such funds long in arrears.

And noted that decentralization can be deepened when units are strengthened financially to function satisfactorily.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Sanitation Ministry and GAMA marks menstrual hygiene day

Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resource in collaboration with Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) Sanitation and Waster project have marked menstrual hygiene day celebration in Tema.

It was under the theme, “Empowering women and girls through menstrual hygiene management” and brought together young girls within the Tema Metropolitan basic schools.

Queen mothers and medical personnel took turn to educate mostly young girls on their reproductive health and how to attend to their menstrual hygiene, at the Chemu Senior High school assembly hall in Tema.

Deputy Director of Environmental Health and Sanitation Management at the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Kweku Quashie in an interview pointed out that if water is provided at the basic schools, it would help reduce school dropout among girls because of challenges with menstruation.

He added that the Ministry is in charge of hygiene and has a role to play in celebrating menstrual day and further called on the various Assemblies to help provide sanitation and water in their basic schools.

In the rural areas girls run away from school when they are in their menses, because there are no facilities like decent washrooms and change over rooms for them to use, he said.

Mr. Kweku Quashie indicated that the Ministry in collaboration with GAMA has provided toilet facilities for some basic schools within the 11 GAMA project areas and changing rooms.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

We are committed to ending open defecation in Ghana—World Bank

World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Henry G. R Kerali has said the World Bank is committed in ensuring that open defecation would be a thing of the past in Ghana.

According to the World Bank Country Director, there is the need for a collaborative effort and working together and placing sanitation issue on a high priority.

He made this remarks at the opening of a three days urban sanitation forum ongoing in Accra on the theme, “Taking Urban Sanitation Solutions to Scale”.

Mr. Henry G. R. Kerali further pointed out that one key challenge Ghana has to face is dealing with sanitation problems and the World Bank is providing funds for households toilet at subsidized amount.

Again there should be better coordination among various agencies and local authorities dealing with sanitation issues in Ghana, he said.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Install a biometric clocking system in Parliament—Agbodza

In his quest to change the attitude of Members of Parliament to be punctual to the chamber for proceedings to start on time, Governor Kwame Agbodza is advocating an installation of a biometric clocking device in Parliament.

He further noted that installation of the biometric device for MPs to clock in and clock out, so that it would help get the true picture of MPs who report on time.

When you look at the vote and proceedings of Parliament you see a number of people on it, you ask yourself, did the House have all these number of people, “I do not feel comfortable talking about this”, he said.

Again you are infuriated by the fact that you have to leave everything you want to do, you come to the chamber its empty, “we are a few people whose attendance is written into law, we start proceedings at 10:00am and close at 2:00pm”, he lamented.

According to the Adaklu legislator, if pilots, doctors, teachers and police do not turn up to work on time, how would running of the country be like?

Mr. Governor Kwame Agbodza pointed out that clerks and staff of Parliament run around to put things in place to ensure that everything is set for Parliament to start on time, you come early waiting in an empty chamber.

“When you talk about it, people say you are too known, you have said enough stop talking, how can I stop if I stop  it means I should join in not being punctual, we expect government to deliver on time but we do not come to work on time”, he lamented.

“If MPs do things on time they would take that same attitude back to their constituency, some MPs come and sit in their office, I am not saying MPs job is only on the floor of the chamber we do a lot of work outside the chamber.

And if we cannot come to the chamber to start work at 10am, let us change the law and start work in the chamber at 2:00pm but even with that some would come to the chamber late, some might turn up around 3:00pm”, he said.

By:  Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghamaps.com

“I support Masters and first class research assistants”—Ashiaman MP

Contrary to views of his colleagues Members of Parliament of not accepting first class and masters research assistants, Henry Ernest Norgbey Member of Parliament for Ashiaman has a contrary view and support the move.

According to the Ashiaman lawmaker, most MPs do not have time to conduct their own research or read through documents to make meaningful argument, due to Parliamentary and constituency work.

He further added that, having a masters and first class research assistant would boost MPs contribution and can speak on authority that some MPs do not have Diploma or HND, some have NVTI.

Despite supporting the idea of masters and first class research assistant, he was quick to point out that, some first class holders did not obtain their grades genuinely, as second class upper and lower division holders are better than them, he lamented.

And added that he has gone through tertiary educational system and he is not intimidated to have a first class or Masters Research assistant.

Again, an MP diploma holder would say, how can I bring someone with higher academic credentials than me to work for me to undermine me?

Mr. Norgbey  reiterated that back in the constituency and even in Parliament MPs engage people to do some work for them, “if you go and engage someone without that qualification to write a statement for you what meaningful contribution or statement would you make on the floor of the House?”

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

95% of software on NDPAS delivered—Andah

Deputy Minister for Communications, George Andah has said ninety-five percent of software on the National Digital Property Address System (NDPAS) has been delivered.

It was launched by President Akufo-Addo in October last year, with ten million, nine hundred and ninety-six thousand, three hundred and ninety-six, and nine pesewas (10, 996, and 396.09) Ghana cedis allocated for the project.

He noted that Vokacom limited, the software supplier, developer had been paid nine million, nine hundred and ninety-four thousand, eight hundred and twenty (9,994,820) Ghana cedis.

The remaining 5 percent would be paid after the completion of the project with one million Ghana cedis allocated to Ghana post for the implementation and operational cost.

Mr. George Andah further told MPs that government would have to spend more money on publicity and marketing to ensure that Ghanaians everywhere knows about Ghana Post GPS and can have their digital address.

“Mr. Speaker as to how much had been paid to Google, we have not paid anything, it was not part of the cost and Ghana Post has no direct relation with Google, he said.

However, Vokacom has direct relationship with Google outside the original scope of the project and as a value added opportunity, a total amount of $1,395.64 has been paid for the standard level usage of the Google map on the NDPAS from September 2017 to-date to Google, he said.

This came to light when MP for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak wanted to know the expenditure on the National Digital Property Addressing System.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com