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Month: October 2018

We are set for Fridays vetting -Minority chief whip

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Deputy Ranking member of the Appointment Committee and Minority Chief whip, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak has said the committee is set to start vetting of the first batch of reshuffled Ministers on Friday.
When ghanamps.com visited the Minority chief whip in his office on Thursday morning he was busily going through curricula vita of some of the nominees to appear before the committee.

According to the Deputy Ranking he has heard on a number of occasions where Ghanaians have said the committee just passes any body that comes to the committee.

“The duty of Parliament is to assist the President to run his government efficiently, we have had to do the approval process in earnest, we do not seek to disqualify people just because we have to disqualify them. There are criteria that we need to follow and the constitution is very clear you cannot become and a Minister until you qualify to become a Member of Parliament (MP)”.

He further pointed in an interview that; “we need to find out does the person qualify to be an MP, if you are a Member of Parliament (MP) you have already taken away fifty percent of the burden”.

Ministers designate to be vetted on Friday are, Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah; Gender, Children and Social protection, Cynthia Morrison; and Upper East, Paulina Tangoba Abayage.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minister for Information designate to reactivate brand Ghana project

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Minister for Information designate, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has told the Appointment Committee when approved he would bring the brand Ghana project back.

According to the Minister designate, very often many nations had taken their national branding exercise very serious on international news network.

He further indicated that Ghana had tried branding itself internationally few times but had not been successful.

Mr. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah made this remarks when the ranking member of the Appointment Committee and Minority Leader, wanted to know what the nominee would do to help the President brand Ghana.

The Ofoase-Ayirebi legislator noted that, there are various arms to the brand Ghana process, tourism which would attract people to Ghana and investment leg which would have to work with Trade Ministry and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC).

In addition there is the domestic market that had to be worked on, for Ghanaians to get local understanding and believing that it is good to buy made in Ghana goods and emphasizing that, Ghanaian products are not substandard, we should have pride in made in Ghana, he said.

“ I have been looking back to bring  that structure and  would be able to help us to do the  actual branding, it is not just about a few colors and time lines we need a proper structure in place to have it done”, he lamented.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Attitudinal change is key for public sector reforms- Quashigah

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Member of Parliament for Keta, Richard MawuliQuashigah has identified attitudinal change as the key element in Ghana’s quest to reform the public sector.
According to him several efforts have been made by successive governments to reform the public sector but the situation remains unchanged.
The MP who was contributing to the Finance Committee of Parliament’s report for the approval of $35 million to finance a proposed Public Sector Reform for Results Project (PSRRP) asked “what point can we say we have arrived about the continues talk of Public Sector reforms as a country”.
MrQuashigah noted that unless the attitudes of people who work in the public sector changes for the better, the talk about public sector reforms will remain a mantra.
By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

Committees adhering to Speakers directives

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Committee chairs are adhering to directives given by the Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye during the emergency sitting to speed up referrals at the committee level.

According to the Speaker the third meeting of the second session of the seventh Parliament of the fourth Republic would be a budget meeting and there are a lot to be done hence his advice.

Despite the House being on recess, committee meetings are being held in Parliament. On Wednesday the 10th of October 2018, the committee on Youth Sports and Culture held a meeting to deliberate on some matters before it, likewise the committee on Works, Housing, Sanitation and Water Resources.

The Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs had a stakeholders meeting to deliberate on companies bill whiles the committee on Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs would be also engaging on a field trip.

In an interview chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Dr. James Klutse Avedzi had also indicated that PAC would be meeting during the recess and when the House returns from recess 30th of October, each week there would be hearing to dispose of the backlog of referrals.

Chairman of the Government Assurance Committee Yaw Frimpong Addo has also pointed out that his committee has gotten the green light for funds and would start within the recess.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Extension work in Parliament progresses

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Building extension works to provide offices for some Members of Parliament (MP) who do not have offices in the Job 600 building is progressing at a faster pace.

China State Construction that under took rehabilitation of job 600 is currently undertaking the extension works.

Speaker of Parliament during the emergency recall indicated to MPs that there is an extension works going on at the premises of the House and MPs should adhere to health and safety as there heavy equipment moving around.

Members of the Parliamentary service board had planned on two occasions to go round with members of the Parliamentary Press Corps to inspect progress of work this week but had not been successful.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Seize the stigmatizating against persons with mental illness- Dr Zanetor

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
In commemoration of ‘World Mental Health Day”, The Member of Parliament (MP) for Korley-Klottey Constituency, Dr Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings, paid a working visiting to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.

She was conducted round by the head of the institution, Dr. Pinaman Appau to have a fair view about the state of the facility. Dr Agyemang-Rawlings asked how long will this important facility continue to survive on donations?

The MP noted that the only mental health facility we have in the capital is in a deplorable state and such an emergency all-hands-on-deck approach is needed to give the institution as well as other mental health facilities in the country a facelift.

Dr Agyemang-Rawlings again stated we cannot relegate the mental health of our people to the background

She urged Ghanaians to seize the stigmatization against persons with mental illness. According to her, mental illness is curable and affected persons should not be treated as outcast in society but rather be seen as victims which needed help from the general public to live.

Dr Zenator, gave the assurance that she would take the advocacy to Parliament to deliberate on the Legislative Instrument (LI) on the Mental Health when it resumes from recess.

‘’There have been mental laws but the government upon government failed to enforce it to the letter, while funding also remained another factor if which mental health facilities remained in poor and dilapidated”.

The MP for Ledzorkuku and Board Chair for the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Oko Boye was there to lend his support and supported the hospital with her widow’s mite.

By Alice Abubakari/Ghanadistricts.com

We have a lot of business to do in the water and sanitation sector to achieve SDG 6—Minister

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has said Ghana has a lot to do in getting clean water and sanitation in achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) six (6).

According to the Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, government under President Akufo-Addo has made it a policy to provide safe water and lot is being done to cover urban and community water.

She further pointed out that in the area of sanitation she is so glad that there has been provision of house hold toilets.

And added that until people have household toilets, community toilets would be provided. She was however quick to add that, “providing toilet in households gives individuals dignity, privacy and addresses issue of quality of life and helps improve them.

She made this remarks when the WHO country representative Dr. Owen Laws Kaluwa paid a courtesy call on her and invited her for a high level WHO meeting to be hosted by Ghana next week.

Minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah, indicated that she would be at the high level conference with the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman and was happy that Ethiopia and Uganda would also be participating in this high level meeting.

She advised that, “we should all avoid bad conducts like polluting the air and water, with polluted water we would have water born diseases and with air we would also have air born diseases”, she lamented.

“Coincidentally we visited some part of Accra to ascertain the sanitation condition, we would need a lot of funding to ensure that we have good sanitation, President Akufo-Addo has tackle the issue of illegal mining galamsey. We are tackling garbage especially plastics, I would say Ghana Water Company produces one of the best waters under WHO standard”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

PAC leadership to meet IGP over fast trucking of cases before police

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Leadership of the Public Account Committee (PAC) would be meeting the Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante Apeatu over cases that are referred to the police that are unduly delayed.

According to the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Dr. James Klutse Avedzi, cases of financial infractions, misappropriation, and embezzlement that are usually referred to the police are unduly delayed.

He made this remarks in an early regional public hearings of the committee, of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and Technical Universities.

In an interview, chairman of PAC, Dr. James Klutse Avedzi indicated that the leadership of the committee had not been able to meet with the IGP yet despite their earlier promise.

When the interior Minister appeared before us recently,  we reminded the IGP, he said he was waiting for us, we are yet to do that and we would do that, it came up at our regionally rounds, he said.

“Our work is being delayed because police investigation are not concluded and delayed”, he lamented.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

First Deputy Speaker forced to adjourn after complaining of waist pain

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

The first Deputy Speaker of Parliament Joseph Osei Owusu was forced to adjourn the House at 7:30pm on Thursday when he complained of waste pain, whiles Leader of Government Business Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu wanted the House to continue with some legislative work.

Parliament was considering the Minerals Income Investment Fund Bill, 2018 which is at the consideration stage and the House would want to pass before it continues with its recess Friday 28th September when it breaks.

Members of Parliament whiles on recess had to be called back for emergency sitting to consider some loan agreements and Bills that require urgent passage.

On Thursday the House started sitting around 11:30am and suspended sitting around 1:30pm, around 5:30pm there were only four MPs on the floor, whiles the first Deputy Speaker walked into the chamber to find it almost empty.

MPs started trickling onto the floor of the House when the first Deputy Speaker took the chair to start proceedings.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Wa Central MP picks humanitarian award

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
The Member of Parliament for Wa Central Dr Rashid Pelpuo has been recognized and honored for his contribution to humanity in the area of poetry.
He was given a plaque, a citation, a medallion and a sheol from India at the recent International Humanity Conference held at the Common-Wealth Conference Hall of the University of Ghana, Accra.
Dr Pelpuo who is the former Minister of State in-charge of Public Private Partnership (PPP) is a poet and a prolific writer was honored among other dignitaries who are deemed to have affected the world with their writings that speak to the aspirations and plight of the down trodden in society.
A collection of the poetic Rashid Pepuo’s poetry book titled “The True Meaning of Life”was launched at the conference.
The lawmaker was a leading contributor in poetry for his school magazine, the Phoebus, and has since kept faith in communicating his thoughts through his poems on varied topics.
By ChrisitanKpesese/ ghanamps.com