Ranking member on Defense and Interior and former Deputy Minister of Interior, James Agalga has taken a swipe at the Security agencies and government for treating colleague lawmaker, Kennedy Agyapong with kid’s gloves.

According to the ranking member of Interior whether Kennedy Agyapong is connected to the murder of the late investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale or not his comments under the criminal code, for the police to ask him for recordings and not treat him as a suspect is wrong.

Mr. James Agalga noted that under section twenty (20) of the criminal and other offensive Act, he should have been arrested, sent to the charge office for interrogation, and statement extracted from him like they did to Koku Anyidoho.

“For heaven sake Kennedy Agyapong is not above the laws of Ghana, because of who he is, under our constitution the law is not a respecter of persons”, he lamented.

He made this remarks at a press conference addressed by the Minority and added that, “we expect him to be treated as equal before the law”.

The police only went to his house and ask that he assist them by giving them a tape recording, “this shows something is wrong, Ken is above the law, if it were to be you and me we would have be arrested, he pointed out.

Again they allow him to travel outside the shores of this country and he said worse things which are unprintable whiles at the VVIP lounge which I cannot repeat.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minority Chief Whip Mohamed Mubarak Muntaka has dismissed assertions that the Minority was late in the Monday 21st January, 2019 press conference in responding to the killing of investigative Journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale.

According to the Minority chief whip, they were being sensitive to the family hence they did not rush to put up any statement last week when the incident happened.

He was responding to questions from journalists at the press conference why it had taken the Minority quite some time to respond to the killing of the investigative journalists whiles international media outlet and persons outside Ghana had reacted long ago.

“We had Alhassan Suhuyini on Newsfile on Saturday, Ablakwa, Agbodza were ask to commensurate with the family whiles leadership from our side were in Yendi”, he lamented.

And further argued that, we cannot have all the one hundred and six (106) Minority members be reacting to this issue, we needed to have a press conference that is what we are doing now.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minority Leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu has said Ghana can learn from France’s Parliamentary democracy.

According to the Minority Leader France has practiced parliamentary democracy for so many years and the country has a lot to learn from their procedures.

He made this remarks when the incoming French Ambassador to Ghana Anne Sophie Ave called on the Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye on Monday 21st of January, 2019.

Mr. Haruna Iddrisu added that Ghana has French Parliamentary Association who would be visiting France in the course of the years for an exchange between Ghana and their French counterpart.

The visit by the French President cements the bilateral relations between the two countries and I hope you can help the President with his one district one factory policy, since you have companies that are into processing of natural fruit, it can support the President of Ghana’s initiative, he added.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Flagbearer hopeful of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has said if he becomes President of the Republic of Ghana he would scrap off ex-gratia given to Members of Parliament (MPs) and Ministers.

According to the Second Deputy Speaker, the condition of service for Ministers and Members of Parliament is in the hands of the President and is usually based on a report from a committee established by the President.

He further added that this issue has become a thorny issue and noted that as a country we need to do away with the special condition of service for article 71 office holders.

Mr. Bagbin was speaking on a Citi Fm news programme point blank when questioned as to what he has done to fight corruption whiles in leadership as Majority Leader whiles some MP Ministers took double salary.

“Again I agree with the constitutional review committee for us to have established a national emolument commission to work at it holistically. The whole idea of ex-gratia I do not think is serving the purpose for which it was established; it is a complete waste, it is a contract employment?”

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

A Deputy Minister for Education in charge of basic schools, Barbara Ayisi Asher has reiterated government’s commitment and determination to improve Technical and Vocation Education Training (TVET) delivery in the country.

According to her, infrastructure improvement is key on the agenda to improving technical and vocational education in order to attract young people.

The Deputy Minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Cape Coast North said as part of a strategic roadmap, government is currently embarking on infrastructure improvement in all TVET campuses across the country.

She disclosed that an additional 20 new TVET institutions being established across the country all aimed at making Ghana a hub of skills training to enhance the general economic development of the country based on industralisation.

Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

A Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah has disclosed that government is aimed at shifting Ghana’s economy from that of commodity- based to that of an industrialisation led.

As a result, a number of programmes through what he called a “10-point agenda for transformation’ to help achieve that goal has been introduced.

“We have introduced a very ambitious transformational agenda for the country and there are some areas which I believe will interest you” he told a business forum.

Mr Carlos Ahenkorah who is also the Member of Parliament for Tema West made the disclosure during a Ghana-Tunisia business forum in Accra.

According to him other policy reforms such as tax reductions have been done in order to support private sector growth.

Government, the Deputy Minister said is reviewing modalities for calculating tax basis that is acceptable by all.

He challenged the Tunisian investors to take advantage of the numerous opportunities provided by the Ghanaian government.

Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Presidential candidate hopeful of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, has dismissed assertion that he dislikes former President John Dramani Mahama.

According to the Nadowli/ Kaleo lawmaker the former President John Dramani Mahama has been one of his “darling friends for many years”

He further recounted that he attended Tamale Secondary School with one of John Dramani’s senior brothers Alfred, “he was my mate we finished together”.

“There is no way I would dislike him, those who know us, I camping in his constituency and when I launched my campaign I invited him”.

In an interview on citifm, on Tuesday the 15th of January 2019 he added that, “we are not in this business as family and friends, it is a national duty and therefore the focus is on the nation, how we can advance the development course of our country better, hate I do not believe in that”, he lamented.

Again John Mahama happen to be one of the contestants, “you do not say I am contesting against him”,  he is relevant now, but by the time the contest is over he would not be relevant, he would not be relevant because he would not be there I would be contesting 2020 with other candidates from other political parties.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The Chiefs of Abesim Divisional Area in the Sunyani Municipality have received a cheque of 3,000 Ghana Cedis from the Member of Parliament, Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh to support their Educational Trust Fund.

Abesim Educational Trust Fund was established by the Traditional leaders of the area to assist the brilliant but needy children in the community.

This benevolence by the MP is geared toward actualizing his vision of improving educational standards in his constituency, a move which is championed by the divisional chief and his elders.

In a related issue, the MP also donated Ten Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 10,000.00) to Saint James Seminary and Senior High School to support their 40th Anniversary.

The donations were made on behalf of the MP by the Presiding Member of Sunyani Municipal Assembly, Mr. Ansu Kumi and accompanied by the constituency secretary and others.

By: Alice Abubakari/Ghanadistricts.com