Month: May 2018

Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has given guidance to leadership of Parliament, not to place so much emphasis on academic researchers as research assistants for Members of Parliament.

According to the Nadowli/Kaleo legislator, academic researchers are recruited into the research department of Parliament.

He further added that MPs research assistants could run partisan ventures for them and all over the world in Parliamentary democracy that has been the practice.

And gave guidance to leadership of the House to speed action on recruitment of research assistant for MPs, “for two years now the public is of the opinion that MPs have research assistant, he said.

Mr. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin cautioned leadership to help end the matter on the issue, that had been raging on for more than a year.

MPs research assistant would be permanent with them, they are not employees of the Parliamentary service, depending on how long and MP stay these research assistant could be part of the House, but subject to good behaviour, he said.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu has hinted that the new standing orders being worked on by Parliament would open up other committees to the public in their line of work.

According to the Minority Leader, the new standing order of Parliament which is at the editing stage would open up committee meetings to the public apart from three committees that are open to the public.

Public Account Committee, Appointment Committee of Parliament and the Government Assurance Committee so far are the only committees open to the public.

The Tamale South legislator disclosed this to Journalists who cover Parliament at a media encounter, that brought together leadership of Parliament and Journalists to ask questions.

Mr. Haruna Iddrisu pointed out that leadership of the House together with the Speaker Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye are working hard to strengthen workings of the committees, to enhance the public’s appreciation of the workings of the various committees.

Again when committee works are held on the quite, the public would question the justification for awarding funds to committees to carry out their work, hence the reason why we ask for memorandum from the public when considering a Bill he said.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Lambuse, Edward Dery Ewula, is lamenting over the absence of majority of MPs on the majority side on the floor of Parliament to attend the funeral of the late Appiah Minka in Kumasi.

According to the Lambuse legislator only 15 members of the majority side of the House were in the chamber conducting business.

He further drew the Speakers attention that it is about time serious concern is raised about attendance to the floor of the House to do business.

“If you do not want to do business, we would start raising issues of quorum and we would not do any business on the floor of the House, we cannot have 169 and only 15 members from the majority side would be sitting her to conduct business”, he lamented.

Deputy Majority Whip Mathew Nyindam on his part noted that leadership of the House are concerned about the attendance to the House to do business on the floor, but that of Thursday had to do with a funeral in Kumasi.

He added that both the Majority and Minority leadership had to attend this important funeral but does not mean business in the House is not important, but much would be done to get members to attend to business on the floor.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Banda, Ahmed Ibrahim is questioning why President Nana Akufo-Addo’s Ministers are always flying out of Ghana and not coming to the floor of Parliament to do government business.

According to the Deputy Minority Chief whip, most of the Minister are not coming to the floor to answer questions, but rather sending their deputies to come do business on the floor.

He made this remarks when the second Deputy Majority Whip sought permission for the Deputy Ministers of communication to answer questions on the floor of the House on behalf of the Communications Minister.

Second Deputy Majority Whip, Mathew Nyindam when he caught the eye of the speaker noted that not all the Ministers have travelled out of the jurisdiction and further added that when they fly out of Ghana it’s for the countries interest.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Bantama, Daniel Okyem Aboagye has noted that when the President Nana Akufo-Addo says Ghana beyond aid, does not mean, the country can’t borrow.

According to the Bantama lawmaker further added that, if we say Ghana beyond aid does not mean if someone is giving you an aid you would not take, again if someone says I am giving you technical assistant would you say you do not want it?

He added that, you do not stay in an isolation, you have trade cooperative agreement, development cooperative agreement with countries in the process you get helped and you help others, he said.

Again borrowing should be responsible and we need to manage our own affairs as much as possible, we should try and generate revenue within our own means and resources.

And make sure we control waste, improve revenue management and commended Ghana Revenue Authority for organizing a training workshop for Journalists from Parliament on Tax Identification Number (TIN) and tax laws.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Adaklu, Governor Kwame Agbodza has said in the midst  of the scandal against the Ghana Football Association President, Kwasi Nyantakyi, President Nana Akufo-Addo has questions to answer.

According to the Adaklu lawmaker said the important question that should be addressed is, “did the FA President give bribe to the President and his Vice? again, did he contribute towards the campaign of the New Paretic Party (NPP)?”

He further noted that allegation against President Akufo-Addo cannot be swept under the carpet, “Nyantakyi is not a small boy, the MMT boss also made allegation against the President, why didn’t the President ask for his arrest?”

We are very curious, are they trying to arrest him and have a gentleman’s agreement with him?, in the coming days we need answers to this questions, he pointed out.

Mr. Governors Kwame Agbodza recounted the days of late President Mills when he asked EOCO to investigate GFA, looking at the investment that had gone into football but the then opposition NPP jumped to the defense of the FA saying FIFA would ban Ghana.

When I look back, I think President Mill should have gone ahead with the investigation, even if FIFA would ban us we would have had the opportunity to organised our FA and further added that the current GFA had been misbehaving for a long time, he said.

In addition, despite the huge investments made in GFA, their achievement is low, this current FA compelled former President Mahama to fly money to Brazil, otherwise players would not play, this players who did not need this money all was done to ridicule former President John Mahama.

Instead of the country rallying behind former President John Mahama, the NPP and some of its elements within the GFA, pretended that this was something to do with former President Mahama.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghananmps.com

Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu had set the record straight on the ranging issue of “double salary payment, saying  “I was under paid”.

According to the Tamale South legislator, the very government that said he took double salary, there is absolute evidence that he was under paid, I can give evidence to that, they should go and look at their system failure.

“Since the issue is under investigation, I would leave it at that, I was never paid what we call rent allowance, I could not have known since the two systems were not speaking to each other”, he lamented.

He further added that, the police should be allowed to finish with their investigation, “I can put on authority that I did not take double salary, it is an employer and employee issue we would deal with it”.

“I do not want to prejudice the issue since it is with the police”, and further said his colleague from Ketu South Fifi Fiavi Franklin Kwetey suffered the same fate.

He made these revelations when he had a media encounter with members of the Parliamentary press corps on Wednesday 23rd May 2018.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com