Month: July 2018

Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annor Dompreh has said that the Minister in charge of Railway Development, Joe Ghartey needs to have consultation with stakeholders in Nsawam Adoagyiri.

According to the Nsawam Adoagyiri legislator, Chiefs, Member of Parliament and the Municipal Chief Executive of the area where he seeks to revamp railway network should be consulted, as the Minister has had stakeholders’ consultation in some regions like the Western and the Brong Ahafo Regions.

In an interview with the MP, he indicated that the Minister had given him assurance that after his Northern Region stakeholders meeting he would be in Nsawam.

He however pointed out that he was impressed with the revamp projects on going in the railway sector, but lamented over the practice where there are removal of rail slaps going on, whiles some are buried as deep as two meters.

“We have slept as a nation over the years, when it comes to railway development for a while, so one has to be measured in terms of expectations from him and his ministry. This is new and the first Minister for the Ministry”.

Mr. Frank Annor Dompreh noted that if he is to score the Minister he would give him sixty marks, we can do more. In other jurisdictions railway has advanced in technology, moving away from locomotives.

However, we are the first to sign onto many things in Africa and West Africa of which ICT is going to facilitate creation of jobs.

Nsawam had been the hub for railway development in the Eastern Region and praised President Nana Akufo-Addo for his dedication to revamp the railway sector in the country.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery has indicated to Parliament that his Ministry is taking steps to implement the Arms Trade Treaty.

According to the Minister his Ministry is working on a Cabinet memo on the matter for submission to Cabinet for approval.

He further indicated that, the Arms Trade Treaty was acceded to and ratified by Parliament in 2015 and came into force for Ghana after the 22nd of March, 2016.

“Mr. Speaker the implementation of the treaty requires Ghana to put in place certain measures which includes, designation of a competent National Authority, a National Focal Point, a National Control list, strategies to prevent and address the diversion of conventional arms to unauthorized end-users among others”, he said.

Under Article 11 and 75 of the 1992 constitution, the provisions of the arms treaty has to be domesticated and Ghana would have to adopt a legislation, develop rules and administrative measures for implementation.

“Although there are some law some laws on arms and ammunitions, we need to review our legislations to the United Nations standard”, he said.

He was responding to the Member of Parliament for Builsa North James Agalga’s quest to know if there are plans by the Interior Ministry to implement the Arms Trade Treaty which was acceded to and ratified by Parliament in 2015.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh has said if Ghana is able to review its railway network around the country, it would take off the pressure on roads around the country.

According to the Nsawam-Adoagyiri legislator this would help facilitate movement of Ghanaians and added that in the next ten years he want to see a well revived and oiled railway system.

“If we focus on reviving our rail net works we would make a lot of difference and call for extensive education to prevent the massive encroachment of railway lines around the Country’, he said.

Again we would need the media to help with education against encroachment on railway lands, “this is a huge task.”

He lamented in an interview that for a long time governments had not devoted time to revamp the railway network and cited during the period of former President Kufuor much was not done.

And further added that President Nana Addo’s government has shown commitment in revamping the rail sector in Ghana and should be appreciated, “we still think we can do with roads and be able to do away with railway, we need to point out to our people that is not the way to go”, he lamented.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minister of interior, Ambrose Dery has indicated on the floor of Parliament that, report of the investigation into a sexual abuse in Sudan is before the Attorney General’s Department for advice.

According to the Minister, the AG Department would study the report for an appropriate disciplinary action to be taken.

Mr. Speaker, on the 23rd of February this year, the Ghana Police Service received a report of sexual exploitation and abuse against some personnel of the Ghana Formed Police camp, South Sudan from the permanent mission of Ghana Mission to the United Nations.

In line with UN practice in such cases, the Detachment of 46 personnel were withdrawn from Juba, the office of internal oversight service, a UN independent body was commissioned to investigate the allegation, he said.

He said in line with this the Ghana Police Service commitment in fighting sexual abuse a three member team of investigators were dispatched to South Sudan on the 11th of March 2018 to investigate the matter.

“Urgent steps are being taken, by the Ministry and the AG’s department to amend the Ghana Police Service regulations 2012 (C179) to include sexual abuse which are not explicitly captured under the current regulations.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament form Bia East, Richard Acheampong has said separating the Legislature from the Executive would help bring some sanity.

According the Bia East lawmaker, the current practice where Majority of the Ministers are taken from the legislature, promotes masters-servants relations and it is not the best for the legislature.

He added that separating the two arms of government, the legislature would become independent, that would allow members of Parliament represent their constituency properly and not having whips to whip them inline.

“Can you sit in cabinet take a decision and then come to the floor of the House and kick against your government”, he lamented.

He queried “if your party supports passing a legislation to recognize gay rights and your constituents are not in support of it, would you be able to kick against your party and government?”

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Bia East, Richard Acheampong is advocating for Ghana’s Speakers of Parliament to be elected as MPs to represent a constituency.

According to the Bia East legislator, the Speaker is so powerful that he decides on who to call, “you can stand on your feet for a long time, the Speaker can decide not to call you”.

He added that in Zambia, the Speaker is a Member of Parliament and has constituency, but no one is allowed to compete him.

“When the Speaker has a constituency he would understand us better he would go through what we are going through and understand us better we need to change the architecture of our standing orders”.

Mr. Richard Acheampong noted that even as the current standing orders of Parliament is not perfect, the “problem is the one presiding over the House, he has a lot of powers but he is not part of us” he lamented.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Kwabre East, Francisca Oteng Mensah has revealed that the King of Ashanti Kingdom, Otomfu Osei Tutu II would grace the Kente festival at Kwabre East in September.

According to the MP the festival would become an annual event and this year’s Kente festival would be second in the running as she had informed the King who had given his blessing and indicated that he would be there in person.

She further added that, the festival would create jobs for the people in her constituency as crafts and bead making would also be promoted.

“We would launch the festival this coming Sunday the 22nd of July 2018 and we would have a durbar that would bring together all the chiefs under one umbrella”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Chairman of the human resource of the Parliamentary Service Board and Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu had assured staff of Parliament that, the Speaker Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye
remains committed to improving their moral and prepare to motivate them.

According to the Chairman of the Human Resource of the Parliamentary Service Board, some decisions are being taken to change the fortunes of the staffs at all levels and not limited to clerks and directors.

He further pointed out that the Speaker is much interested in the welfare of those at the lower level to the extent that when a decision is being taken he would ask, “to what extent does this decision affect the ordinary worker or the security personnel”.

Mr. Haruna Iddrisu further added that some decisions are being taken to improve the working condition, “we are not there yet but the promise looks good with the commitment for a new pay policy before the Parliamentary service board”

Ghana can celebrate twenty-five years of Parliamentary democracy, not satisfactorily, but Parliament had played its oversight role by keeping the Executive arm of government in check to be accountable to the people of Ghana, he said.

“We can do more as Parliament, when we have well resource and able staffs, but again we need to ask ourselves to what extent had we made Parliament more transparent and accountable to the people”, he pointed out.

Minority Leader made this remarks at the week-long celebration of inter departmental and research information group.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com