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Month: March 2020
“It’s petty for MPs to renege on an occasion like this”—Speaker Oquaye
Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye has said he feels petty for Members of Parliament who renege on coming to Parliament to pass a stimulus package for Ghanaians on Saturday.
He thanked members of the Majority side who were sitting on his right hand side who showed up in their numbers.
“We should be mindful of the fact that for very obvious reasons, the state is in an emergency and emergency measures including sacrifices are expected in such circumstances; some are laying down their lives so that others may live in hospitals and in homes. And throughout the World I pray that we would continue to show this kind of sense of patriotisms in the light of our present circumstances which is pleasing to all concern Ghanaians”.
Professor Oquaye further noted that if sacrifice is not shown to the nation now he does not know when again the House can die for the nation.
He noted that the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has been ready to address the House on matters concerning financial implications and the present state of affairs but has to stop this for Monday, adding that sometimes we want to see him in the House to present papers and when he is ready to come to see to such matters which would bring about the appropriate response from MPs, it’s so petty for MPs to renege on such an occasion.
Another development is when MPs raise the issue of quorum, and stated that this does not give positive image about the House as it is obvious that the nation is standing at a moment of national emergency. It is a state of life and death and thanked the Majority side for showing up on Saturday morning, “we would continue at the service of our nation”.
Meanwhile, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu had indicated to the House two weeks ago that sitting on Saturdays are not part of their meeting days and in the wake of the coronavirus where MPs need to rest and boost their immune system he cannot guarantee that his side of the House would be coming to the House on Saturdays.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com
ECOWAS offices in Lagos and Abuja close from March 31 to April 13, 2020 — President
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President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission Jean-Claude Kassi Brou has directed that all of its agencies having offices in Abuja and Lagos be closed down from March 31 to April 13, 2020. According to him all staff of ECOWAS Institutions in Abuja and Lagos should stay and work at home during the period and to follow the guidelines and advisory on COVID-19 pandemic issued by the West African Health Organization (WAHO). As they continue to monitor the situation at the regional level and would inform staff of development as and when it becomes necessary. He gave this directive in as statement in the wake of West African sub-region recording eight hundred and ninety-four cases with twenty-four deaths in the fourteen member states excluding Sierra Leone. Nigeria hosts the ECOWAS Commission, Court of Justice and Parliament with coronavirus cases rising to the level of one hundred and eleven with one death. H. E. Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has initiated a fourteen days lockdown with all business and offices in Abuja and Lagos to be closed. Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com |
COVID-19: Ghana’s economy would be affected seriously—Finance Minister
The Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta has told Parliament in a statement that the Ghanaians economy would be seriously affected in the wake of the pandemic.
He further briefed Members of Parliament on measures government is putting in place to address the corona virus pandemic.
He said, the budget made for 2020 has seriously been affected due to unexpected expenditure that came up through the prevention of the disease from spreading further in the regions of 18.9 billion Ghana cedis (4.7%) to 30.2 billion (7.8%) of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He further touched on programs the President has put in place in making sure that, government reduces the accumulation of economic situations from the coronavirus.
And said, the President is determined to cushion the economic and social difficulty the virus is introducing to Ghanaian businesses and the people at large.
“The government’s economic team has also been tasked to minimise the job losses and the impact of Job losses and also to maintain fiscal discipline to make sure that the people have money to spend”.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com
“It’s petty for MPs to renege on an occasion like this”—Speaker Oquaye
Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye has said he feels petty for Members of Parliament who renege on coming to Parliament to pass a stimulus package for Ghanaians on Saturday.
He thanked members of the Majority side who were sitting on his right hand side who showed up in their numbers.
“We should be mindful of the fact that for very obvious reasons, the state is in an emergency and emergency measures including sacrifices are expected in such circumstances; some are laying down their lives so that others may live in hospitals and in homes. And throughout the World I pray that we would continue to show this kind of sense of patriotisms in the light of our present circumstances which is pleasing to all concern Ghanaians”.
Professor Oquaye further noted that if sacrifice is not shown to the nation now he does not know when again the House can die for the nation.
He noted that the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has been ready to address the House on matters concerning financial implications and the present state of affairs but has to stop this for Monday, adding that sometimes we want to see him in the House to present papers and when he is ready to come to see to such matters which would bring about the appropriate response from MPs, it’s so petty for MPs to renege on such an occasion.
Another development is when MPs raise the issue of quorum, and stated that this does not give positive image about the House as it is obvious that the nation is standing at a moment of national emergency. It is a state of life and death and thanked the Majority side for showing up on Saturday morning, “we would continue at the service of our nation”.
Meanwhile, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu had indicated to the House two weeks ago that sitting on Saturdays are not part of their meeting days and in the wake of the coronavirus where MPs need to rest and boost their immune system he cannot guarantee that his side of the House would be coming to the House on Saturdays.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com
Saturday Meetings: “They are rather exposing us to COVID 19”—Dr. Ayine
Former Deputy Justice and Attorney General Minister, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine has taken a swipe at the Majority side of the House for rather exposing them to the Coronavirus infection by insisting that the House meets on Saturdays before the House goes on recess April 4, 2020.
According to him it is far from the truth that the Minority did not show up in the House to do Business because they are not patriotic.
Dr. Ayine noted in an interview that the House does not sit on Saturdays and there has to be a justifiable reason for the House to sit on Saturdays and a pressing Government Business that cannot wait.
He made this remarks in the wake of the Minister for Defense condemning the Minority for not showing up on Saturday and the Speaker Professor Oquaye feeling petty for the Minority Members for not showing up in this national crises.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com
Our refusal to sit has nothing to do with coronavirus economic mitigation —A. B. Fusinie
Ranking member on Communication, A. B. A. Fuseini has taken a swipe at the Defense Minister Dominic Nitiwul for demanding that the Minority apologizes to Ghanaians for not showing up in the House on Saturday.
According to him, contrary to the very irresponsible effusions by the Minister, the Minority refusal to sit on Saturday has absolutely nothing to do with turning their backs on a coronavirus economic mitigation debate.
“Our checks revealed that only a World Bank coronavirus loan facility of US$35million was laid for later consideration. A remarkably bizarre spectacle in this time of crisis for a Government preaching ‘Ghana beyond Aid’”.
He noted that the Minority communicated to the Speaker and the entire House after making the same point at the Business Committee was that Parliament was being abused by the ruling majority for narrow political gain and noted that it is their only motivation to accumulate days for the Electoral Commission’s Constitutional Instrument on the December 2020 elections to mature.
And, further pointed out that MPs across the world including the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been affected by the COVID 19 and several of his colleagues, some twenty-three MPs in the Iranian Parliament out of which two have already died.
Per the Standing Orders of Parliament, sittings of the House are from Tuesdays to Fridays. Contrary to this, Mondays have been added which we have fully supported because we were made to believe that there was a lot to attend to on the agenda. As it turned out, not much business was ready for the House to conduct much to the frustration of even Mr. Speaker as many hours and days were literally wasted.
The Saturday sittings were an imposition and a blatant ambush by the majority in flagrant violation of parliamentary due process and conventions.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Minority remains a diligent, conscientious and patriotic group as has been our reputation and we are always ready to carry out our mandate to the people of Ghana. However, we refuse to be party to a crude abuse of the parliamentary process simply because all what is on the mind of the NPP Members is the next election and not protecting the lives of Ghanaians.
He further noted that their colleague Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa demanded that the Minister for Health be made to brief the House on the latest update in the war against COVID-19. Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa also appealed to the Speaker to welcome debate on a lockdown, take statements and urgent questions which Minority Members have long filed on this apocalyptic development in the history of humankind.
The official records of Parliament will bear us out that in the absence of any serious business in the House on Saturdays, the Minority rather resolved to better utilize Saturdays and Sundays by supporting public health education in our constituencies and by making significant donations towards defeating the pandemic seeing that Government’s response has so far been late and abysmal to say the least.
Mr.Ni
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghaanamps.com
Minority should have come with a motion on Saturday — Osei-Kyei
Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has stated that the Minority should have come with a motion to overturn the Saturday meeting they were opposed to.
According to him when he presented the Business statement two weeks ago and last week, members of the Minority noted that they would not be part of the Saturday meeting.
“We conduct business base on our own rule and procedure based on the standing orders so I pointed out to them that if they want a decision taken to be overtaken, they know the procedure. It is clear they should come by a motion to overturn it, when I checked, no such motion has been submitted”.
He further pointed out that one cannot compel any member to be in the House as individual and collective they have decided not to be in the House.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com
Panic buying before deadline unnecessary — Interior Minister
Minister for the Interior, Ambrus Derry has said mad rush for food, gas and closure of some banks as observed on Saturday March 28, 2020 ahead of the announced lockdown on Monday is totally unnecessary.
According to him, measures announced by the President Nana Akufo-Addo has made it possible for people to go to the market to buy food stuff and other essential items, as markets would be opened.
“It is a misunderstanding some banks that usually open on Saturday were closed but banks were exempted. Some people say their salaries hit their account on Friday by 5:00pm but they cannot get their money, that again is totally unnecessary”, he lamented during an interview with journalists on Saturday in Parliament.
Mr. Derry further noted that another observation the security service has made is that filling stations and gas stations were unnecessarily over crowded, despite the fact that they would remain opened.
“It is dangerous to go with that crowd because it can cause fire. All I can say is the measures put in place were well taught out by His Excellency the President and the security would do its work, but we invite the media and the community at large to help us do the right thing”.
Again, he pointed out that we should all make sure that the President’s goals are achieved by stopping the spread to make life possible.
As to whether the police have enough men and women to enforce the lockdown in Tema, Accra and Kumasi, he noted that as much as possible people should stay at home and come out only if it is necessary as the security would enforce the law firmly with all the commitment they can get.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com
Coronavirus fight: “Let the records capture NDC MPs let Ghanaians down”—Nitiwul
Minister for Defense and Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, Dominic Bingab Aduna Nitiwul has taken a swipe at the Minority for boycotting Saturday’s sitting.
According to him, their action is a stab in the back to Ghanaians and should be placed on record that when they were needed to pass a stimulus package of two trillion dollars for Ghanaians in the fight against coronavirus they absented themselves.
Last two weeks Friday and this week the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu served notice to the Majority that in the wake of the coronavirus where they need to be strong by boosting their immune system, they would not be part of any Saturday sitting till the House goes on recess.
“Mr. Speaker there is nothing important than to put partisan politics aside and worked together to fight the coronavirus which is an invisible enemy as single united force. For the NDC Minority to boycott Parliament at this particular time is uncalled for. Mr. Speaker there is nothing important to the average Ghanaians today that in particular Parliament and their representatives will give them assurance that they are working in their interest in this particular matter”.
He further urged that as a lawmaker if you are woken up in the night to come and pass law which would provide a stimulus package for Ghanaians to fight the COVID-19, you have to wake up and come, and he finds it nauseating that the Minority side would boycott parliament, “Mr. Speaker what else are they looking for”.
And, noted that this must be made clear to the people of Ghana that when they needed the NDC Minority they let them down.
“Mr. Speaker Ghanaians would demand apology from the Minority side of the House that in this critical time, the most important thing to Ghanaians are their survival and coronavirus is not a rumor in Ghana. The Executive is helping put in place a policy; it is for MPs and Parliament to also do their part, and it is unpatriotic for anybody to do this. Winning elections is not the ultimate for Ghanaians at this moment, power is not what we are looking for, what is power when you do not have the people to rule over?”
The former Deputy Minority Leader called for a strong message to be sent to MPs who boycotted sitting on Saturday and noted further that what is more worrying is that the Majority Leader Osei-Kyei noted that the Minority did not offer any reason for their boycott.
He commended MP for Kumbungu Ras Mubarak on the Minority side who showed up on the floor, and said he would commend him if he chooses to stay and would condemn him if he decides to leave.
“Doctors are dead fifty-one (51) in Italy, we pray nothing like that happens in Ghana, the best we can do as MPs is to support, I would be very shocked if the Minority boycott today’s meeting, I hope they are having a caucus meeting and they are late to attending to the House”, he lamented.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com