Month: March 2019

A member of the Defense and Interior Committee and Member of Parliament for Krachi West, Helen Adjoa Ntoso has taken a swipe at President Nana Akufo-Addo saying he does not have the political will in ending vigilantism.

According to the former Volta Regional Minister, the President has surrounded himself with these vigilantes, “if you go to his house this boys are there”.

She further pointed out that, during the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections then candidate Akufo-Addo said he did not have trust in the security agencies, “that is the reason why he got his own security guys who are these vigilantes following him”.

Again if he did not have trust in the security agencies, and he got his own people, you think he would let some of this guys go as President, they have been recruited into the national security, she affirmed.

In an interview, she noted, the security and intelligence Act 1996 526, spells out the the duty of National Security, which is to collect data and they are not security agency mandated by Ghanaian laws to perform security enforcement.

“Like operational Duties, going to polling stations to man a polling centre that is not their responsibility, the police are supposed to do that and when it is beyond them they call the military in”.

In addition, we saw what happened in Ayawaso West Wuogon, they were more armed with protective clothing like bullet proof jackets; how many police officers go on operations and you see them wearing bullet proof jacket? They are more protected than the traditional security agencies and that was why I was asking if he has the political will to withdraw them, she added.

According to her, the President during state of the nation’s address called for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) to meet and talk in ending political vigilantism, but his people have been recruited into the national security and had been armed.

“He has to withdraw them from the national security, before he plans to disband them because they are not acting professionally, their action is not better than what a terrorist does”

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Upper West Akim, Ohene Assifo Derek Bekoe has urged parents not to allow their wards excessive access to Television at the expense of learning.

According to the Upper West Akim lawmaker excessive television viewing is becoming detrimental to most kids who stay long hours watching television.

He made this remakes when school kids from Amasaman basic school visited Parliament on Friday last week but their MP was not around and he had to step in to address the students.

“I am not saying children cannot watch television, but the issue is the excessive watching, if we allow our children to stay longer than the average time, it affects the time they sleep, study at the expense of reading their books”.

Mr. Ohene Assifo Derek Bekoe noted that, at their age in primary school and nursery, KGs why should they stay as late as 8:00pm, adding that time they should be done with what they are supposed to do and have taken their bath and sleep.

“Our private schools start picking up the kids as early as 6:30am, because their buses have to travel a long distance picking up other kids. If you have kids who had to be up by 5:00am why should they be up as late as 10:00pm”.

Again, this is not helping children’s brain to relax and give them sharp memories, and called for the encouragement of parents.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Manhyia North, Collins Owusu Amankwah has taken a swipe at the Minority in Parliament for calling on President Nana Akufo-Addo to resign in the wake of “De-Eye” militia scandal.

According to the Manhyia North legislator, the Minority should rather direct their issue of resignation to their flagbearer former President John Dramani Mahama.

“A whole former President is a flagbearer for a political party, next time you wake up you would see him struggling to become either a Minister or fight with Assembly members to become one of them”, he said in an interview with journalists.

He further pointed out that the Minority should allow the President Nana Akufo-Addo to be, “we are enjoying his leadership”.

Again if they are sick and tired with political leadership, they should narrow it to their own leaders, “if they do not want their own Minority Leader they could take signatures”.

“Were they the people who voted for President Nana Akufo-Addo, those of us who voted for him believe in his ideas and potentials for the good people of this country”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Eight Ministers would address fifteen questions on the floor of the House this week. This was made known when the Business statement for the week was presented by the Deputy Majority leader Sarah Adowa Safo.

Minister for Finance Ken Ofori Atta is supposed to answer four questions which had been addressed to his sector.

Ministers of Aviation, Local Government and Rural Development, and Fisheries and Aquaculture would take a question each in their name.

Whiles the Minister for Education, Energy, Health, Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration would take two questions each within the week.

There would be one urgent question and fourteen oral questions to be addressed on the floor of the House this week.

Member of Parliament for Shai-Osudoku, Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, would ask the fisheries and aquaculture Minister, if she is aware of the recent mysterious extinction of a large stock of species of tilapia in her constituency and what caused it, and remedial action being taken as the occurrences is becoming a frequent one.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Vice Chairman of the Committee on Defense and Interior, Collins Owusu Amankwah has put up a strong defense for “De-Eye” group saying it is not a political vigilante group.

According to the Vice Chairman of the Defense and Interior Committee the group is not secrete, he is aware of their formative stages in 2012.

He further noted that, these are guys who defected from the then, National Democratic Congress (NDC), we have come to recognise them, that when we come to power the objective is to secure jobs for them, “this is a storm being created in a tea cup”.

“I want to put on record that they cannot be classified as political vigilante group, they are NDC defectors who join NPP and other political parties in 2012, with the sole aim of getting jobs, if you see them at state sponsored functions they are offering their services like any Ghanaian”.

Again I have a fair knowledge as far as this group is concerned, “they are innocent group, no one should blame them, why are we doing this to them, the last time I checked they were a registered group”.

In an interview with the Manhyia North lawmaker when it was pointed out that the Minority, has called on the Inspect General of Police to fish out and arrest De-Eye group, he responded, “then the IGP should come and arrest me”.

When questioned if he was part of the De-Eye group, he noted that, “I told you in their formation at the early stages I saw its formation”.

“You are investigative journalists go and check the records if they are registered or not,  is it because one of your own is trying to make the story look credible, the last time I spoke to them was last week Friday”.

Some are gainfully employed working with forestry commission, some working with zoomlion and others waiting to secure jobs.

As to what they were doing at Osu Castle, former seat of government, he indicated “it is open to everybody, it is no more a security insulation, and pointed out that screening is done in Parliament before you entre same way is done there”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Kpandai, and second Deputy Majority whip, Mathew Nyindam, has said in an interview with members of the Parliamentary press corps that there is “nothing new in Manasseh’s investigative report.

According to the Deputy Majority Whip usually he does not take interest in watching much hyped investigative report, but took interest in multimedia’s documentary this time around.

“This time around I took interest to watch the whole documentary intoto, in the video there was nothing suggesting that the state is sponsoring those particular people, if indeed that is where the training is taking place, I would call it abuse of incumbency”.

Again people could use the place at the expense of the state because they think their party is in power.
Mr. Mathew Nyindam again pointed out that what we battling with have to do with same vigilantism that now people are saying we should change the name to militia.

In the first place the President never supervised any vigilante group hence there is no need to call on him to resign, vigilantism is of serious concern to every Ghanaian.

“The President has condemned vigilantism and called on all political parties to disown and disband this group”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Krachi West, Helen Adjoa Ntoso, has said the current government is not prioritizing the issues of the three missing Tarkoradi girls.

According to the former Volta Regional Minister, if this issue of the kidnapping was a priority, President Nana Akufo-Addo would have mentioned it when he delivered the State of the Nation Address (SONA) when he came before the House.

“As parents whose child had been kidnapped would be having sleepless night this has been weeks and months, since this girls were kidnapped, now body knows their where about”.

She further argued that, “we expected the President to talk about it during SONA”, that he is concerned about it and Ghanaians should help in finding the kids.

May be the President is not on top of issue, when it comes to the missing girl or has not been briefed, but what I know as a former Ministers is that, Ministers of state meet to brief the President on what is happening in their sector.

He noted that as a member of the Defense and Interior Committee, he was aware of the Interior Minister and the Police Commander’s appearing before the committee and they asked and were told “they are looking for the girls, they have some intelligence”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com