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Month: February 2020

Buem MP appeals to government to support 1D1F with water and roads

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

Member of Parliament for Buem, Daniel Kwasi Ashiamah and a member of the Government Assurance Committee has appealed to Government to come to the aid of companies working in partnership with the current administrations in the area of the flagship programme, One District One Factory (1D1F).

According to the Buem Lawmaker government should come out clear with a policy to support the companies with water and access roads.

He made these remarks after the Government Assurance Committee visited Ekumfi Fruit and Juice factory in Ekumfi under the IDIF programme to ascertain for themselves some promise made by the Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyeremantey  on the workings of the company.

In an interview he pointed out that haven visited B5 Plus that deals in steel manufacturing and Ekumfi Fruit and Juice Factories, he noticed that they have employed Ghanaians and for them to survive they need assistance from government in the areas of access to road and water.

“I am happy Ekumfi Fruit and Juice Ltd is full Ghanaian owned, we have been to the farms and seen what is going on, my worry is that the Minister should build a business scheme for participants to join”.

He further pointed out that if government assists the Ekumfi Fruit and Juice Factory with a source of water which they do not have currently, it would help the company to get a constant source of raw material so that in the future their operation does not end up abruptly.

And added that the issue of ownership of the land should be spelt out clearly, not the current practice where the out-growers own the land but the company is creating an impression as if they own the land which could result in some confusion in the future.

“Otherwise one day it would be as if the Ekumfi Fruit and Juice had bought the land from their fathers and there would be litigation; that partnership must be spelt out clearly”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Former chairman pleased with Government Assurance Committee work

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs
The immediate past chairman of the Government Assurance Committee, Yaw Frimpong Addo has commended the current leadership of the Committee for reviving and making the Committee active by embarking on verification trips both in Accra and the Central Region.

Mr. Addo noted that the intervention of the Committee has been late in coming but its better late than never.
“When leadership change, the style change, some of the programmes that we had laid down and we said we were going to push through in 2018 and 2019 did not see the light of the day but now it is underway”.

He was impressed with the enthusiasm exhibited by both the Majority and the Minority members that they have shown up in their numbers in the workings of the Committee.

“In the delay with the work of the Committee people were thinking the Committee was in coma or dead, but you can see the committee is working and doing our oversight work. It is good for our democracy”.

Again, we are following Order 174 where all comments made by Ministers of the floor of the House and anywhere would be verified.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minority gives Gov’t three-day ultimatum to evacuate Ghanaian students

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

The Minority has called on the Government to immediately evacuate Ghanaian students currently locked up in China to a less Coronavirus infected area in Asia or be lifted back to Ghana.

According to the Minority, if government does not hid their call they would reconvene and tell the World their next line of action.

Ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa noted that Ghana has the capacity to evacuate Ghanaian students from China especially those trapped in Wuhan where the coronavirus originally started from.

Addressing the media, he noted that France, Switzerland, Philippines, Russia, Libya among other countries have all evacuated their nationals from China as a result of the outbreak of the virus, whiles the United States of America is even doing a second round evacuation of their nationals.

“We urge the Ghanaian Government to swiftly move in to save Ghanaian students before anything bad befalls them”.

Mr. Okudzeto further backed his point by pointing out that Libya during their war nine years ago, Ghana was able to evacuate her nationals who were more than a thousand back to the country.

As records released by the World Health Organisation indicates that one thousand and sixteen people have been confirmed dead with forty-three thousand infected with the coronavirus, “Government cannot be insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians, this is a humanitarian issue and the earlier Government Acts the better”.

Meanwhile in a related development, the Ranking member on the Committee of Health Kwabena Mintah Akandoh is calling for the screening of all Chinese nationals in the country.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minority considering SONA boycott

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs
The Minority in Parliament has threatened that they may boycott the State of the Nation Address (SONA) which is slated for next week Thursday February 20, 2020 to be addressed by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

According to the Minority lawmakers despite provisions made for them to receive five percent of the District Assemblies Common Fund, government has renege on that constitutional duty.

This came to light as a result of a meeting held by the Minority caucus where they resolved to execute their plan if government does not release the MPs Common Fund by Friday.

Member of Parliament for Bodi, Sampson Ahi pointed out that the delay in releasing the funds is a deliberate attempt by the Executive to sabotage lawmakers ahead of the December 2020 parliamentary elections.

“Despite both the Minority and the Majority lawmakers have not received the funds, it is the Minority who are feeling the heat, since they have something to show for in their respective constituencies”.

And added that when a lawmaker is in the Majority and funds are release to the Assemblies, they are seen to be working because the lawmaker has some influence over how they are disbursed and quickly pointed out that in the case of the Minority it is a different ball game.

“Minority MPs have to work extra hard to develop their constituency which the Executive is trying to stifle”, he lamented.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Haruna appeals for change of burial date of late wife of his Deputy

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

Leadership of Parliament on Monday 10 February 2020, mourned with Deputy Minority Leader Dr. James Kluste Averdzi in his constituency Ketu North for the loss of his wife.

In a short statement on Monday he appealed to the family of his deputy to consider changing the date of the burial of the later wife of Dr. Averdzi from March 7, 2020 to another appropriate date as leadership would be in Kumasi to commemorate the independent anniversary and have to travel back to Accra the following day.

“It is no longer Averdzi’s funeral, it has become our funeral and is our collective funeral. I, the family can re-think the date, we would stand with you and mourn with you as the wish of the institution to support one of our own”, he added.

He noted that as the incident is emotionally destabilizing, he hoped that God would give him the fortitude to accept his lost. “For he gives and takes away, we cannot question God, we hope he would give him the courage to accept things that we cannot change”.

Mr. Iddrisu recounted that the day the death occurred in the early morning when his Deputy sat by him for some reason he notice he was not feeling too strong so he turned to him and said, “Averdzi and he turned and said leader then I said take a rest and slow down; little did we know that a major setback was on its way”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Government Assurance Committee visit UGMC

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

Government Assurance Committee of Parliament has had a working day tour to ascertain for themselves facilities at the University of Ghana Medical Center on Friday February 7, 2020.

Ranking member of the Committee Dr. Rashid Pelpuo in his open remarks noted that both the Majority and Minority members of the Committee want to see for themselves every detail of things they have heard about the Hospital.

“We hear the facility is higher than a teaching and tertiary hospital, this shows something is happening in Ghana and we want to be part of it and hope the report would be of interest to parliamentarians, whatever we do, we would share with members”.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of UGMC, Dr. Darius Osei in his presentation gave an overview of how the facility has been operating when members of the Government Assurance Committee touched base with the facility last week Friday.

He told the visiting members of Parliaments Committee that the issue of who owns how much share in the facility had been settled; whiles government owns sixty percent shares, the University of Ghana owns forty percent in the facility.

Dr. Darius further told the Committee members that the website of the Centre would be in full operation 1st of March 2020 and with the completion of the first phase same month this year the facility would kick start.

As Parliament’s approval of a supplementary budget of forty-seven million dollars would start the second and finance phase which should end in March of 2021. The current total staff strength of the facility stands at 350 and by March would jump to 410.

He further revealed that the medical facility is higher than a tertiary and teaching hospital. At the moment there are fifteen specialists on board. The hospital is also said to be going paperless, hence all staffs from different medical facilities who have been hired have been taken through training.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Effutu MP advocates for EU model for ECOWAS Parliament

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

Debate on direct representation of lawmakers in the Community Parliament became critical topic and heated up before the life span of the fourth legislature ended February 3, 2020.

Member of Parliament for Effutu constituency in Ghana and a member of the fourth Community Legislature, Alexander Kwabena Afenyo-Markin is advocating for the European Parliament model where lawmakers are elected to represent their people.

“MPs should be directly elected. There should be a system where you are a Community Parliamentarian and not a National Parliamentarian that would give them a full time commitment”.

In an interview he noted that he has been of the view not to spend so much time coming for meetings at the Community Parliament at the expense of his constituents, hence the need to adopt the EU Parliamentary style.

“I am coming from Effutu and there is an emergency I have to go back, you can come and spend all your time at the Community Parliament and it is not all that engaging, it is a whole new story. I agree for us to look at exploring the avenue of election”.

On his view on how best to deal with the relationship between the Community Parliament and the Commission, he noted that it is a matter of agreeing to the frame work, “I do not see any struggle between the two institutions”.

“If we put the frame wok together and it is strengthened and we have a template to follow there should not be a problem at all”.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin further emphasised that Parliament means a debate and there should be engagement and accommodation of dissenting views, let us show that in the Community Parliament.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com/Banjul

West Africa Health Organisation ready for Coronavirus—Edwin Snowe

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

In the wake of the fight against the coronavirus globally as Health Authorities in the different parts of the World are putting in measures to combat the diseases and prevent it from spreading, leader of the Liberian delegation to the expired fourth Community Parliament, Edwin Melvin Snowe Junior has said the Director of the West African Health Organisation has revealed that measures had been put in place to contain the spread in the sub-region.

“All airports in the sub-region are being monitored especially flights from Asia and not only flights from China”.

He further pointed out in an interview that he hopes the measures put in place would be respected. “When you get to the airport, avoid shaking hands, be careful with people around you that are not feeling well, encourage them to be rushed to the nearest medical centre “.

In addition, he recounted that the because of the Ebola virus that came from his country and claimed thousands of lives in Liberia and other affected countries, the World would be minded to seriously deal with the virus to the best of its ability.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com/Banjul

“World Bank should disassociate itself from gay right to aid”—Speaker Oquaye

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye has told the World Bank Country Director, Pierre Jean Laporte that institution should disassociate itself from championing gay and lesbian rights which is usually linked to aid in Ghana and Africa.

According to the Speaker the World Bank should disassociate itself from some modern issues of human rights being pushed on African countries in exchange for aid.

“The West would have to respect our views, do not link such things to aid for economic development because they have nothing to do with us, Ghana is not castrating people because they are gay’s. No we are not engage in any anti-human rights; the issue is offence is offence, it is time for us to look at this new interpretation”.

He told the visiting Country Director of the World Bank to Ghana that human rights issues are gaining economic under pining in global relationship and are issues that concern “us deeply”.

Professor Oquaye emphasised that Ghanaian die of ‘kwashiorkor’ and there are many problems that needs to be tackled.

“When AIDS is spreading in Africa we are unable to manage it as the developed world has managed it, we seriously want to make known to the appropriate institutions that if they want to assist us economically they should do that”.

In addition, they should realize that economic stability has effects and social implication and those issues should be brought to the front burner as they would be beneficial way to deepen “our relationship”, he emphasised.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Muntaka courts World Bank support to fast truck E-Parliament

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

As Parliament is saddled with a lot of papers in conducting its business, Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak is courting the support of the World Bank to fast truck and conclude the E-Parliament programme.
According to the Minority Chief Whip, the process was started with the chamber screen but the screens were not user-friendly.|

“I am  talking about five to six years ago; sometimes it is so embarrassing if you look at the volume of papers we have to carry around when it could be easily distributed to enhance our work efficiency, for our work to be quick and fast”.

He further pointed out that the House had to suspend sitting sometimes jut to wait for some papers to be run.

“This World Bank project is a very important one and it should be fast tracked we need to help us enhance the work we do here”.

The Minority Chief Whip made this comments when the new country director of the World Bank, Pierre Jean Laporte to Ghana paid a courtesy call on Speaker Professor Aaron Oquaye.

In a related development, he called on the World Bank to help Ghana address its challenges. “Poverty in urban cities in Ghana is really growing up, you see people sleeping on the streets outside at East Legon, and you are getting slams there too but unfortunately you design your programmes but the emphasis is more on the rural areas”.

He also emphasised the need to tackle urban poverty with the number of people moving into the urban centers putting pressure on facilities there.

“When you want to assist us, have a look at our plans we have developed, instead of coming down with your own models of what you want done, as the amount of money you are offering push us to give up on our plans”.

Mr. Mubarak also noted that if the World Bank really want to help Ghana get out of its challenges, they should look at development agenda that Ghana has and look at how they can tap into it to help.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.co