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Month: October 2018

“Let us not create impression of war between Ghanaians and Chinese”—Wa West MP

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Member of Parliament for Wa West, Joseph Yieleh Chireh has urged Ghanaians not to create impression as if there is a war between Ghanaians and Chinese in the crusade against galamsey.

According to the chairman of the Ghana-China Parliamentary Association, because of the colour of the Chinese, they are easily noticeable but may not be people who are indulging in the illegal mining activities.

In an interview, he gave the example of the brouhaha between, Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) and the Nigerian traders, “we have Ghanaians fronting for the Chinese who have the technical knowhow and equipment”.

“They arrive in Ghana, go to the villages see the chiefs and they allow them to do the galamsey, that one you cannot entirely blame the Chinese; what are the laws saying, how do we enforce them”, he questioned.

The Wa West lawmaker added that when the newly appointed Chinese Ambassador called on the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, “he gave assurance that they do not endorse wrong doing”.

He said, if we catch anybody breaking the Ghanaian laws we should punish the person, “China cannot say no you can’t, if we have the necessary commitment to enforce our laws this is what we should be responding to”, he lamented.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Government Assurance to have public hearing before December 22nd —Chairman

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Chairman of Government Assurance Committee, Yaw Frimpong Addo has given assurance that the committee would have its first public hearing before the House goes on recess for the second session 22nd December 2018.

According to the chairman of the committee from the discussions held with leadership of the committee, there is every indications that there would be public hearing by the committee before the year end.

Investigations and checks done by ghanamps.com indicates that lack of funds is impeding the committee from carrying out its oversight responsibilities.

So far the committee is yet to hold its first public hearing of the seventh Parliament of the fourth Republic, the chairman keeping hope alive and assuring ghanamps.com most of the time that public hearing of the committee would happen.

Mr. Yaw Frimpong Addo has also revealed that when the House returns from recess there would be two verification trips done before the public hearing.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

PAC to start sitting twice a week when House resumes—Avedzi

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Dr. James Klutse Avedzi has revealed that the Speakers committee would start sitting twice a week when the House resumes on the 30th of October 2018.

According to the chairman the committee has no plans to sit within the remaining time for the recess to be over.

In an interview when ghanamps.com questioned how workable it was, the chairman indicated that despite the third meeting of the second session of the seventh Parliament of the fourth Republic being a budget meeting, it is workable.

He further pointed out that PAC would not have budget estimate referred to it during the budget consideration by the committees, “we can continue doing our sitting whiles the other committees are sitting.

When it comes to the report consideration by the House, we would be part of it to consider the report as a House, he said.

Again after the passage of the appropriation Act, we can come and do our work as the Public Account Committee.

Meanwhile during the emergency recall of the House, Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye gave directives to committee chairs to speed up referrals before them since the third meeting would be a budget meeting and there are a lot of work to be dealt with.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Bagbin is the best for NDC victory 2020- Fritz Baffour declares

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin is the best material to deliver victory for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 general elections, declares Fritz Baffour as he announces his support for Bagbin and accepts to be his Director of Campaign and Communications.

Speaking at a press conference at the Secretariat of team “ASK Bagbin” to announce his choice for the Second Deputy Speaker as flagbearer of the NDC, the 66 year old former Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South constituency in the Greater Accra region declared that he fully and proudly endorsed Bagbin as the best leader to lead NDC for victory in the 2020 general elections.

Mr Baffour stated that his choice of Bagbin is based on his admiration for sense of duty and purpose.

According to him the longest serving Member of Parliament is a good man, a team player and open to suggestions.

He explained that his choice for ASK Bagbin not based on malice for any of the aspirants but it is because he (Bagbin) a good man and has no hatred for any of the aspirants.

Mr Baffour assured to bring aboard the ASK Bagbin agenda his experience as media and Communications consultant.

The NDC he said is the party for the vulnerable, the voiceless and a party for the man on the streets hence that true message of hope is the yardstick for the ASK Bagbin team for which he is part of.

The Campaign and Communications Director of team ASK Bagbin said he will eschew adversarial politics in the conduct of his duties.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

NPP should continue with NDC’s elderly care policy —Former Minister

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur has urged the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to continue with the elderly care policy the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) started.

According to the former Minister when she was the sector Minister, she launched a policy frame work created for the elderly, among which included; Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), elderly were registered to join public transport free of charge,  they do not queue at the hospital and able to access social service for free.

“What we are asking this NPP government is to continue,  these laudable interventions that were started by the NDC government because the elderly knows no political color it is our responsibility to ensure that the elderly are cared for” she lamented.

She further added that, the elderly had toiled, as carpenters, farmers, market women and fisher folks for mother Ghana.

“When you are at your old age of your life, it is the responsibility of government, youth and every able body Ghanaian to support and care for the elderly”, she said.

The former Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, made this remarks when she supported the Ellembele Member of Parliament (MP), Kofi Armah Buah to mark three years anniversary of Aya community centre that cared for the aged in the constituency.

She added that, life expectancy for the ordinary Ghana has increased, hence the need for government to increase its support for the elderly and emulate the good works of the Ellembele lawmaker.

Nana Oye Lithur commended the Ellembele lawmaker, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah for his initiative and said it is a first of its kind in the Western Region and noted that his former cabinet colleague did deliver as a Minister for Energy, and also made people of his constituency proud.

“His passion for the elderly and lover, is the reason why after three years the Aya community centre for the elderly is still in operation”, she said.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Fritz Baffour is Communications and Campaign director for Bagbin

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Second Deputy Speaker and flagbearer hopeful of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Alban Bagbin has unveiled Fritz Baffour as his director of communications and campaign.

The former Chairman of the Defense and Interior was introduced at a press conference held in Alban Bagbin’s campaign head office in Accra.

Speaking to the media on Monday, the former Ablekuma South lawmaker said he had known the second Deputy Speaker over thirty years before he went into politics and had always admired his sense of duty and purpose, and again his sense of service.

According to him, his choice to support Mr Bagbin “was not based on any malice. It’s because I feel he’s a good man. All the contestants for the NDC flagbearership are people I know and I have a lot of respect for. But this is a democratic dispensation and a process and so I have come out to support Alban Bagbin.”

“I am a staunch believer in the values of the NDC transparency, probity and accountability and Alban Bagbin among all the about 13 persons hoping to lead the NDC into the 2020 elections is the only embodiment of those values”, he said.

He noted that, Alban Bagbin upholds all the values of the NDC. “Again we are the party of the vulnerable, we are the party of the voiceless, we are the party of the man in the street and we believe in equal opportunity for all and that we should be the ones to ensure means for people to have access to best things in the society I do not believe in adversarial politics”.

“I’ll not hurl insults to anybody or manufacture insults and invectives at anybody”, he pointed out.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Ablakwa put seven questions to chief of staff on travel ban

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Ranking member on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has written an open letter to the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frame Osei-Opare requesting for an update of ban imposed on Ministers and other appointees of President Akufo-Addo since the 21st of June this year.

According to the North Tongu lawmaker under the signature of the Chief of Staff, sector Ministers, their Deputies, heads of government agencies and MMDCEs were directed to temporarily suspend all foreign travels.

“Speaking on the matter to the press; both your Deputy, Mr. Samuel Abu Jinapor and former Information Minister, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid vouched for the authenticity of the document which was at the time in wide circulation. They both attempted to offer some clarity and assured the nation that “soon” new guidelines covering future foreign travels will be developed as Government strives to cut expenditure and keep Ministers and other appointees focused on domestic duties”.

He further pointed out that the tendency of going public with bans of all sorts and remain silent thereafter hoping all Ghanaians  will forget and move on does not promote trust in public office, neither does it create a good image of government and also destroys, “our quest for accountable governance”, he said.

“It has been four long months since this matter became the subject of national interest, Ghanaians deserve to know”.

Mr Ablakwa questioned if the ban is still in force? When would it be lifted?  He also queried if the promised new guidelines are ready, and what is contained in the new guidelines? Can the taxpayer be informed how much had been saved and what has been the general impact assessment of the ban?

“With all due respect, it is imperative to point out that we seek to continue in the spirit of public engagement on this matter as initiated by your Government when your signed memorandum was made public and formed the basis for extensive commentary by numerous Government officials”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee urges AU to champion “free movement protocol”

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Frank Annoh-Dompreh has urged the African Union (AU) to champion the drive for the popularization of the free movement protocol.

According to the Nsawam/Adoagyiri lawmaker, the AU should zero in on African countries that have remained adamant in their attitude, which would not facilitate the bigger dream of the continent.

He further added that visa free movement agreed upon with 2018 as a deadline cannot be met, as countries such as Mauritania, Ghana, Senegal and others have shown goodwill by the passage of laws that allows a ninety (90) day stay in their countries without visa.

Mr. Frank Annoh-Dompreh made this at the need of a two days conference in Dakar Senegal, in which he represented Parliament of Ghana and added that, he was confident Ghana would ratify the protocol soon adding, fifteen (15) countries are needed for it to come into force.

The vision is not towards visa relaxation, but, total abolition.

“Some successes had been chalked; relaxation of visa regimes by some African countries like Ethiopia, whiles number of African countries are willing to ratify the protocol has increased from fifteen (15) to thirty-two out of the fifty-two countries. Rwanda is the only African country that has ratified the protocol”, he said.

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee lamented over the current system where it is more expensive to travel within the sub region than to travel outside the continent, with even a longer travel hours and pointed out that it is totally unacceptable.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Napo, Yankah must go over KNUST brouhaha—Minority

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Minority in Parliament is calling for the resignation of the Minister for Education, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh and the Minister of state in charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah in view of the recent disturbances and impasse at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

At a press conference on Monday, addressed by the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, he said, “this whole impasse, which has now spiraled out of control, is a failure of leadership by the government and a reflection of the super incompetence that has characterized the Akufo-Addo administration”.

“It must be emphasised that the Minority would not accept the erosion of the rule of law and the deliberate undermining of the sacrosanct principles of academic freedom and the independence of higher institutions of learning as enshrined in Articles 21 and 70 of the Constitution of Ghana and the National Council for Tertiary Education Act, 1993, Act 454”

He further indicated that the  Minority in Parliament unreservedly and absolutely denounces the government’s unlawful conduct in dissolving the Council of the University;   “we demand the immediate reversal of the illegal act”, he said.

In the view of the Minority, a proactive and consultative leadership would have better managed the government’s unpopular policy of the conversion of single-sex halls of residence at the KNUST. In any case, “we do not believe that of all the issues confronting higher education in Ghana, the conversion of single-sex halls should even feature as a priority at this crucial time”.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if Prof. Kwasi Obiri-Danso must be removed because of this policy and its implementation, then it stands to reason that the two Ministers of Education, namely Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Prof. Kwesi Yankah, who publicly endorsed the policy, supervised, championed and praised its implementation, should resign or be fired with immediate effect. The Minority hereby demands that the two ministers must be treated equally just as Prof. Obiri-Danso”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Ho West MP commend Speaker on introducing sign language in Parliament

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Member of Parliament for Ho West, Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah has thanked the Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye for the innovation of introducing sign language in the chamber.

On Tuesday when the House resume from its three months recess, there was an introduction of on-screen display of activities in the House including contributions and debates of members on issues.

Added to it was a small blue screen at the lower corner where a man could be seen doing the sign language, interpreting proceedings to those who need.

Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu called on the Communications department of the House to ensure that the sing language does not cover the big screens in Parliament.

He pointed out that when the Speaker was delivering his open remarks, the person on the screen doing the interpretations had covered a large portion of the screen and should be adjusted properly, as he commend the Speaker for the novelty.

“Mr. Speaker you have paid your due to person with disability to appreciate the work we do, I am sure our brothers and sisters in the world of disability would appreciate the working that you are doing to get workings of Parliament close to them”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com