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Month: August 2018

Second Deputy Speaker’s comments unacceptable—Rawlings

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Founder of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President Jerry John Rawlings has expressed serious misgivings about comments made by the Second Deputy Speaker Alban Kings Foard Sumana Bagbin.

The NDC flag bearer hopeful and Second Deputy Speaker made disparaging comments about two persons with disability who served in the former government.

Mr. Alban Bagbin attributed the poor performance of the former President John Mahama led government in the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections to the appointment of two disabled persons.

Former President Jerry John Rawlings who chairs the council of Elders of the NDC said comments made by the Second Deputy Speaker were unacceptable and were contrary to the values of and principles of the social inclusions of the NDC party.

He further indicated that the ongoing intra party democratic processes taking place are meant to further deepen the democratic credentials of the party and the National Executive Committee (NEC) would have to ensure the full application of the rules and regulations governing the  campaign utterances and electioneering.

“Such utterances have the tendency to negatively affect the unity and cohesion of the Party”, the founder said in a statement sing by Kobina Andoh Amoakwa his communications Director.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

We need overhaul of our legal education– Past President of GBA

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
The immediate past President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Nene Abayaateye Ofoe Amegatcher has called for a comprehensive general overhaul of the legal educational system to help save the legal system in Ghana.

He further called on Ghana Legal Counsel to set up and investigate private institutions who offer legal education in the country and take out those that do not meet the requirement to set up a legal institute in other to save and sanitize the system.

Mr. Nene Abayaateye Ofoe Amegatcher made this remarks when he appeared before the Appointment Committee of Parliament to be vetted as one of the four nominees for the position of the Justices of the Supreme Court by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Ghana Legal Counsel should give accreditation to institutions who meet the requirement and whose students are to be accepted into Ghana Law School to read law, since most of these private institutions which offer legal education does not even have libraries for research work, he lamented.

He again suggested that, proper mechanism must be put in place to check the legal education before things get out of hands, to help save the legal education in Ghana.

Chairman of the Appointment Committee of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu wanted to know the nominees view of private Universities that churn out law students into Ghana Law School.

The nominee who is a lecturer at the Ghana Law School said he was shocked when he marked the script of some of the students who have LLB from the private Universities, “all they care about was fees they charged and churn out thousands of LLB students”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

If NDC brings Mahama 2020 negativity adduce to him would play back— Joseph Cudjoe

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Deputy Minister of Energy in charge of Finance and Infrastructure, Joseph Cudjoe has said in case the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) makes a mistake of bringing back John Dramani Mahama to contest the 2020 Presidential election, the negativity adduced to the former President John Dramani Mahama especially corruption would play back in the next election, “he is being followed by people we pointed fingers at as corrupt who looted state money”.

He further pointed out in an interview that the former President is coming with same team, it creates signal to the effect that, “these guys are coming again and would be a challenge thing to market to any average Ghanaian on the street”.

“Again the average Ghanaian would say, they looted and are not satisfied with what they took away they are coming again?”

Mr. Joseph Cudjoe made this remarks in the wake of the former President John Dramani Mahama giving indications in a letter to the party that he has interest to contest to lead the NDC into the 2020 polls.

“If I were in the NDC fold I would do damage repair by bringing a fresh Presidential candidate to give the party a fresh image”, he said.

As to whether the Nana Addo led government is delivering on its promises, JM created “doomsor” we have addressed it Ghanaians would make a choice, joblessness we are addressing it Ghanaians would make a choice.

Again wide spread corruption this government is dealing with it, Ghanaian would make a choice, President Akufo-Addo promise free Senior High School(SHS), Mahama said it was impossible and latter said it should be gradual.

“Former President John Dramani Mahama would come face to face with realities that free SHS is being implemented”, he pointed out.

Ghanaians would ask, if JM is coming to cancel free SHS, Nurses training allowance and  teacher training allowance as NDC delegates vote for their flag bearer they should consider these things.

On the issue of corruption, when asked if government has been able to prove a single case, Mr. Joseph Cudjoe noted that prosecution takes time, “you cannot say because a prosecution has not been done they are not corrupt”.

Let me play the devil’s advocate here, what if government wants to bring prosecution close to election or waiting for John Mahama to pop up as a candidate.

In Ghana we have a tradition, that you attempt an election and you lose for the third time you have a chance of being elected, but in this case John Mahama was an incumbent and lost he was removed, bring him back is going to be a challenge.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Ningo-Prampram MP supports businesses within his constituency

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, has supported businesses in his constituency that are facing capital constraints and had folded up with thirty thousand Ghana cedis over the weekend (GHc 30,000).

Ten persons have benefited from this intervention by the MP this year under the MP’s Livelihood Support Programme, an initiative the Ningo-Prampram legislator put in to cushion businesses within the constituency.

Persons who benefitted included those trading in call cards, while items like baking ovens, deep freezers among others were given out to others.

Mr. Jonathan Atteh a physically challenged person was a beneficiary of call cards worth thousand Ghana cedis (GHc 1000) after years of struggling to finance his business which was on the verge of collapse.
He vowed not to resort to begging on the street as a way of life with the support he had received from the law maker.

Mr. Samuel Nartey George urged the beneficiaries to put into best use the assistance they have received and ensure that their business survive.

In addition five (5) persons benefited from five motorbikes which are used for commercial purpose “Okada”, while ten (10) tricycles were given out to farmers to help them carry their farm produce after harvesting to the market.

In an interview, Samuel Nartey George indicated that what started as an annual programme is now intended to be replicated every quarter of the year, where forty persons would be in productive business.

On the Education front, currently forty (40) students pursuing various courses at the country’s various tertiary institutions, as one beneficiary said she is at her final year pursuing Masters degree at the University of Ghana.

Asked what criteria one needs to meet in order to benefit from the MPs Livelihood empowerment, he noted that there is no political consideration, it should be a business that has a daily turnover that can be sustained.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Human trafficking: Ghana needs to improve its status on Ghana on human trafficking —Sup. Baah

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police Service, Superintendent Mike Baah, has underscored the need for Ghana to improve its status on human trafficking.

According to Superintendent Mike Baah, Ghana has moved one step on the United States watch list on anti-human trafficking, from “tire two watch list to tire two”.

He disclosed this in an interview at Afram Plains North when Ghana observed anti-human trafficking.

Superintendent Mike Baah noted that child labour and trafficking is mainly prevalent in mining and fishing communities, despite the fact that Ghana has passed law against human trafficking in 2000 Act 694.

“We have done something but we need to do more to help protect our children, it is good to organise a sensitization programme to educate people in communities that engage in child labour and trafficking”.

He added that if Ghana did not improve its ranking on human trafficking and dropped to tire three(3), that would have affected Ghana’s relations with the United States of America, “that would have been a doom for us all the support we receive from the US government would have been affected”, he lamented.

Again being on the tire two watch list we need not to be complacent, we need to do more to consolidate the gains we have made, he said.

“We are moving at a slow pace as a nation, it is good that the awareness is being created, those who exploit our children should be brought to book to serve as a deterrent and again we need to build the capacity of stakeholders and the media should help us in the awareness creation” he lamented.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Bagbin to react to public outcry on his discriminatory’ comments

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Flag bearer hopeful of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alban Sumana Kinsford Bagbin is set to respond to the public outcry that has greeted his recent derogatory comments against appointments of  Persons Living With Disability as ministers of State by former President John Dramanduring his administration.
The Second Deputy Speaker during a recent campaign tour in the Volta region in a bid to lead the NDC to election 2020 is alleged to have stated that the appointment of a Blind person as Minister responsible for Chieftaincy and a stammer as Minister for Communications by President Mahama contributed to the humiliating defeat of the party in the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

These comments however did not go down well with some civil society organizations and disability groupings in the country and have variously urged the Nadoli- Kaleo and Ghana’s longest serving Member of Parliament to retract his claims and apologise.

Mr Bagbin is set to hold a press conference tomorrow at his campaign office in Osu, Accra to formally explain himself to the Ghanaian populace on matters that arouse out of his tour.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Parliament to probe collapse of banks

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

The Finance Committee of parliament is expected to begin probes to ascertain reasons resulting into the collapse of some seven banks in the country.

The Committee after a crisis meeting held in Parliament has scheduled a three day hearing starting from 5th to the 7th of September, 2018 for the exercise.

Chairman of the Finance Committee, Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah said the committee had written to the Bank of Ghana for the relevant documents that will help the committee into the probe.

“We agreed on the mode of the hearings and who to invite and all other matters, so that is what we have been deliberating on. We are now going to write to the Bank of Ghana, that is why we have given ourselves three weeks to ask for documentation and we will meet again here on the 30th of August to peruse those documents and if there are any gaps, we will ask for more.

So we need documentation to form our opinions on what to do, primarily there is going to be hearings and the dates have been agreed upon. Today we are writing to the banks to ask for all the documents” he stated.

Dr Assibey-Yeboah also a Member of Parliament for New Juaben South explained that the Committee will invite the Bank of Ghana, KPMG, PwC, Ministry of Finance, and the new Consolidated Bank of Ghana Ltd.

According to the Chairman, Parliament is generally concerned about the Ghanaian economy hence the move.

“We are concern with the economy generally, all matters dealing with the economy and if banks are collapsing and the Ministry of Finance is setting up a bank, and if they are doling out GH?8billion, don’t you think we should be concern? So how are we strengthening the law for example, banks and specialized deposit taking laws so these do not recur? He asked.

On the 1st of August, the Bank of Ghana announced the formation of the Consolidated Bank of Ghana after the collapse of some 5 banks [Unibank, Sovereign, Construction, Beige and Royal], according to BoG they were insolvent and revoked their licences then merged them into what it has been christened the Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited.

This comes only a few months after it revoked the licences of the UT and Capital Bank which were also indigenously owned.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Parliament to probe banks collapse in camera- Ato Forson

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Parliament’s Committee on Finance expected probe into the collapse of seven Banks in the country would be conducted in camera.

The Ranking Member of the Committee, Cassiel Ato Forson who stated this said due to the sensitive nature of the issues the hearings will not be public but the media will be briefed before and after every session.

“We are going to look at what actually caused the collapse of the seven banks [is it negligence, recklessness, or other exogenous factors, I think we will establish that, we have also agreed that going forward we should look at the health of the entire financial sector and make some recommendations to Parliament and where possible recommend something to the government for necessary action” he stated in an interview with www.ghanamps.com.

The Finance Committee after a crisis meeting held in Parliament scheduled a three day hearing starting from 5th to the 7th of September, 2018 to enable it establish the causes of the collapse and make a recommendation for the consideration of Parliament and government.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

Ningo/Prampram MP woes Armed Forces to aid Bundase residents

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
The honorable Member of Parliament for the Ningo/ Prampram constituency in the Greater Accra region, Samuel Nartey George has appealed to the leadership of the Ghana Armed Forces to extend provision of water to serve residents of the Bundase community which hosts Military shooting range for the forces.

According to the MP the community is confronted with water supply challenges for a long time hence the appeal to the GAF as a social intervention.

He stated that an attempt by his outfit sometime ago to get water tankers to supply the community with water was resisted by the military with an explanation that they were conducting an exercise which does not permit entry at the time.

The MP has thus appealed to the Military to consider extending water supply to the residents as part of its social responsibility to the community that hosts them.

In response, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lt Gen. Obed Akwa expressed gratitude to the Bundasi community for availing the facility which has contributed to peace keeping operations.

He assured to offer support to the community in order to ensure continues stay of his men in the area.
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) shooting Gallery along the Teshie –La road was relocated to Bundase for threats of encroachment among other factors.

It is a hilly community located at an elevation of 73 meters above sea level and is suitable for such military operations.

By Christian Kpesese / ghanamps.com

Heads of department to be surcharged- PAC

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, James Klutse Avedzi has hinted that Heads of Government Departments and Agencies who failed to ensure that fuel purchases are entered into the log books and cited in the Auditor General’s report will be surcharged hence forth.

According to him, the excuses being cited for failure to enter such purchases have become too rampant some of which are cock and bull stories.

Mr Avedzi gave the hint when some government agencies appeared before the Committee to respond to infractions raised against them in the 2016 Auditor General’s report.

On recurrent infraction in the Auditor General’s report has been the lack of records on fuel purchases which are supposed to be entered into log books placed in each government vehicles.

The absence of log books means the fuel purchases might not be used for official government duties.

Surcharging heads of institutions enforceable by the Attorney General is expected to inject some level of supervisory efficiency in the public sector.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com