Month: November 2019

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Frank Annoh Dompreh is advocating for the use of diplomatic means in addressing issue of trade in the wake of Nigeria closing its boarders, since August 21, 2019, resulting in some Ghanaian business men and women having their goods locked up.

According to the Nsawam Adoagryiri lawmaker, Ghana, Nigeria as well as Benin and Togo all members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) should resole trade issues using diplomatic channels.

However, the affected countries can invoke the relevant protocols of the ECOWAS on free movement of goods and services, and pursue penal measure outlined in the ECOWAS provision against defaulting countries, if need be.

In a statement on the floor, he further added that the unilateral decision by Nigeria to close their boarder is also a matter for security and it is evident that this has become a habit, many have called on the ECOWAS Commission to address the issue in the upcoming ECOWAS summit this weekend.

Ghana does not disregard the intention of Nigeria to address smuggling of goods however, though the expression of the plight by legitimate enterprise, it is evident that steps taken have negatively affected businesses, he noted.

“Mr. Speaker, legitimate Nigerian traders also express their displeasure in the border closure, and it is increasingly becoming necessary that a swift movement from both the Ghanaian and Nigerian governments is needed to restore trade.

Again, the closure of the Nigerian boarder is not in the interest of ECOWAS as a block, as long as Nigeria remains part of ECOWAS, “they are expected to permit the protocols under ECOWAS to guide their action”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Garu, Albert Alalzuuga Akuka has said the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government has deceived Ghanaians in the three Northern Regions with its one village one dam (1v1d) policy.

“I know the value of dams to the people in the Northern Regions, we have a very long dry season period, as an opposition MP when government talked about 1v1d, I was happy about it, I told myself if government can implement this project very well it would be good for us, what I am seeing is disappointing, we just have death traps all over the place”.

He noted in an interview with journalists in parliament after Minister for Special Development, Hawa Koomson answered a question on the floor of the House, and added that, he visited the sites but what he saw was just an eyesore.

“As a former District Chief Executive of the area, I dug small earth dams I did not make noise about them they are still in use, this one they claim they had provided for two hundred and fifty thousand cedis per dam. A standard dam would not cost that much, rather they should link up with Irrigation Development Authority to be able to do a proper survey that can determine where water can be collected to have a kind of dam we are looking for”.

The former DCE noted that when the Minister was answering questions on the cost per small earth dam, she talked about the topography of the area determines the price, and the average is two hundred and fifty thousand Ghana cedis.

“Didn’t the NPP talked about 1v1d in the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections? They have just done something to represent something. The Minister said the Small Earth Dams are at various state of completion, but the contractors said they have finished when I visited”.

Again, all the ten small earth dams she talked about if you place them together and had done one which could stand the test of time would have been the best, one good dam could help us with water through the dry season for two to three years, he added.

“I am a politician but we should not do politics with this dam issue, this is not the kind of dams we were looking forward to”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Anyaa Sowutuom, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has said it has come to her attention that some dubious persons are fraudulently using her name to dupe and extort money from unsuspecting members of the public.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration  such persons give empty promises to facilitate all kinds of deals for them including passports and visa acquisition.

“I don’t have any authority over the issuance of visas or control job vacancies in any the existence of LinkedIn and Facebook account bearing my name is fake, I am not on any social media platform”.

The Ministry has cautioned the public against accepting request on all social media in the Ministers name, as well as resist attempts by some miscreants who dupe them by soliciting for funds in her name

“Such criminal acts shall not be tolerated and the public is strongly advised to report persons engaged in such fraudulent posts and activities to the law enforcement agencies for prosecution in accordance with the law or call 0501533888”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Former Deputy Minister of Information is advocating for the establishment of media fund to support journalists who come under attack by way of their medical bills to aid them recover and by way of their legal bills in the pursuit of justice.

In a statement on the floor of the House, he noted that 2nd November 2019 commemorated the United Nations member states as the international day to end the impunity for crimes against journalists.

According to UNESCO report “intensified attacks new defenses” more than one thousand one hundred journalists have been killed between 2006 and 2018 for reporting the news and bringing information to the public.

On the average, this constitute one death every four days; and in nine out of ten cases, the killers go unpunished.

Despite the fact that Ghana now boasts of a vibrant and pluralistic media which is striving to perform its function of keeping the citizenry informed, ensuring that public officers are accountable and leading causes for societal progress there are issues we must all be concerned about as democrats, he added.

As we observe this day, it is said to acknowledge that for the first time in Ghana, a journalist, Ahmed Hussein-Suale was brutally murdered and we must use this day to appeal to investigative authorities to expedite work in identifying the perpetrators and bring them to justice, he emphasised.

“We need regular updates so that it does not appear as though Ahmed’s death has been forgotten”, he lamented.

Three journalists from the Ghanaian Times newspaper including a lactating mother were terribly assaulted by ten police officers in March this year.

“Mr. Speaker, it is paramount that as a country we take decisive steps in addressing recurrent attacks against journalists which mostly goes unpunished. Some law enforcement agencies who are tasked with protecting the rights of citizens flout these rules with impunity and if left unattended may not only be selling doom for journalism but also for all citizens”.

Again, the impunity against journalists can also come in the form of denying them decent working conditions. When government deliberately boycott media platforms and also deny them adverts with the view to financially emasculate the press, all these perpetuates impunity against them.

The National Media Commission should do more in defending the liberties of journalists and ensuring that those who harm them find no peace, he concluded.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Deputy Minority Leader, Dr. James Kluste Averdzi has told Parliament it should not allow Ministers to dictate to it how it should conduct its business.

According to the Deputy Leader, it is not right for the Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyeremantey to tell the House when it is convenient for them to come to the floor of the House to answer questions that had been sent to them way ahead of time.

He made this remarks on Tuesday 5th of November 2019 when the Minister did not turn up on the floor to answer a question base on prior committee. The Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu presented a letter with regard to that on the floor of the House.

According to the Majority Leader, though the House received communications from the Minister who would want to come personally to deal with the question, commitments to other pre-arranged programme made it impossible to be present. He however indicated that if the table office can communicate with him he would be available on Friday.

But Mr Avedzi argued that, “He has deputies who can come and answer questions if he is not available, I believe the Minister had given indications that he would come that is that is why we do have the question programme. We should be firm on this issue because there are questions asked by MPs which has been on the drawing board for more than six months”.

Mr. Mensah-Bonsu noted that his colleague the deputy Minority Leader should not jump into conclusion because he is not aware of when the question was transmitted to the Minister of Trade and Industry.

Again, the communications from the Minister to the House said the Minister has a pre-arrangement and if any other day or Friday since Tuesday was not workable.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com