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Month: July 2020

Speaker serves notice to sanction research assistance who do not work from home

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye has served notice to research assistants of Members of Parliament that if they not comply with directives to work from home, they would either be suspended, or their salaries would not be given to them.

According to the Speaker, directive has been given to the research assistant to work from home and submit research work they carry out to lawmakers electronically.

Before leaving the chair Thursday afternoon July 2, 2020 for the first Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu to take charge, he re-emphasised this point as some lawmakers have complained of their research assistants seen on the floors of their offices.

“Those who do not work from outside the House would be dismissed according to the rules of the House. You cannot defile what would be in the mutual safety of MPs and staff without the relevant sanctions”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Parliament to start sitting on Mondays

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Majority Chief Whip Kwesi Ameyaw-Cheremeh in presenting the Business Statement on the floor of the House on Friday revealed that to meet the constitutional requirement relating to the coming into force of the subsidiary legislation presented to the House, the Business Committee has proposed that House sit on Mondays commencing with Monday, July 13, 2020 to August 3, 2020.

He further told the House the Office of the Majority Leader would liaise with the chairperson of the Electoral Commission to determine a suitable date for the Commission to attend upon the House for a briefing on their work programme.

“Mr. Speaker mindful of the busy schedule of the EC, and in view of the ongoing registration exercise, a favorable date as may be agreed upon would be communicated to members of Parliament.

The Majority Chief Whip, who presented the Business Statement on behalf of the Majority Leader Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, further revealed that there would not be question time this week.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Chief of Pramkese cautions subjects to take COVID-19 seriously

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

The Chief of Pramkese in the Kwaebibirem Municipal Assembly, Barima Ofori Frimpong has cautioned his people to take the COVID-19 pandemic serious as it is not a joke and killing people.

According to him some young persons’ in the community beat their chest that when they take local drink, Akpeteshie, they would not get infected with the corona virus.

He, emphasised the seriousness of the disease when one person contract it and infected ten other individuals, thus how dangerous the virus is. As a country, two people got infected and the country is almost going beyond fifteen thousand, he noted.

The chief made this remarks when Pramkese indigenes leaving in the UK donated some health items, like examination gloves, infrared thermometer, goggles, liquid soap theatre boots etc to a health facility in the district.

On the health items donated, he urged the health workers to take good care of the items donated which is meant to provide health service to the people and to save life.

“You should not put the health items in the room and turn around to say you do not have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)”. He further urged the teachers to ensure that students who are back to school observe the needed protocols so that they do not contract the COVID-19 and had same advice for parents as well.

He assured those who donated the health items that it would be kept well and not sold as has been reported in other places so that the indigenes staying outside the country would see the good use in which the health items have been put to.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Pramkese indigenes donate health items to health facility

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Pramkese indigenes residents in the United Kingdom have donated health items to health facilities in the Kwaebibirem Municipality in the Eastern Region.

Dr. Kwame Antwi who represented them donated, face shield, theatre boots, overalls, examination gloves, syringes 5ml and 10ml, infrared thermometer, hand sanitizers, liquid soap, face masks, goggles etc

According to him as indigenes they need to come together, work and ensure their health facility would be elevated to a district facility and he revealed that he is the first person to contribute towards a laboratory built in the district.

He further emphasized the need to contribute individually to ensure their health center functions well and not always waiting for government to always provide little things like pipe and repair leaking roof as is the situation now.

The midwife in charge of Pramkese Health Center, Mabel  Nyarko was thankful for the items received, but quickly outlined some challenges they are  facing  at the health facility, including the leaking roofs right from the OPD to the labour ward.

She stated that  they surfer a lot during the raining season, adding that a labour ward which should be warm to receive a new born baby is rather cold. “It is serious to the extent that the scale on which a baby is put get wet as we resort to mopping and cleaning most of the times when it rains”

Madam Mable Nyarko lamented over the nature of the delivery room which is not conducive for them to work leading to women in labour taking more hours to give birth lasting between eight to twelve hours, which should not be the case.

On the issue of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), she noted that it is nothing good to write home about, as they are copping as health providers. “We do not have face shield and again when some of the women are birthing and burn down they discharge urine which pour on us and enters our nose and mouth”.

A Physician Health Assistant, Harrison Atiobio on his part noted that few of the staffs are on government pay role, and they had to pay the remaining people through their Internally Generated Funds (IGFs) which leaves them with no money after paying salaries.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

There is an under pinning issue on Domelevo’s “Go on Leave” directive —Edward Dery

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Vice Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Edward Kaale-Ewola Dery is of the view that there is an under pinning issue to President Nana Akufo-Addo’s directive to the Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo to take is accumulated leave.

According to him, he was not shocked when he saw the directives from the President because it is normal for civil servants to go on leave including the President himself, but his worry has to do with the timing.

“Under the circumstances and what is happening in the country, he Domelevo is on the neck of government officials. It is possible they would not want him back, someone who is fighting corruption. The President should, rather encourage him if he is serious about fighting corruption and not be hiding under accumulated leave”.

Mr. Dery further argued in an interview that Ghanaians are aware of what is happening, and with the COVID-19 funds that was approved by parliament and contribution of private and public institutions little can be accounted for it.

“Can you tell how much has been mobilized and how much has been spent of COVID-19 fight in the country? We were here when they were supplying food, how many days did they supply food to the needy. How much was allocated to this exercise and Domelevo has been asked to go on leave so that someone can do whatever they want to do?”

Again, today corruption is monumental, people do not see anything wrong with what is happening.
If the Auditor-General does not speak for Ghanaians who would speak for Ghanaians?

As someone who has worked with the Audit Service he noted that the deputies can do a good job in the  absence of Domelevo, “in the eyes of Ghanaians we think there is something that government is hiding”.

“When he is tackling issues with the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo and told him he would cough out money, and when we talked about accountability in Ghana is that the path to go and people cannot have free mind to do their work?”

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

“I have problem with people reading meaning into Domelevo’s leave”—Nyindam

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Second Deputy Majority Whip, Mathew Nyindam has said he has problem with his colleagues in the Minority and some Ghanaians who are reading meaning into the President’s action, that Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo should take is accumulated leave.

According to him he does not think the President Nana Akufo-Addo has offended any part of the 1992 Republican Constitution of the land, “what is wrong with the action of the President, didn’t late President Mills take a similar action?”

He further pointed out in an interview that it is factually inaccurate to say the Auditor-General was asked to take his accumulated leave because he is seeking accountability on the COVID-19 funds and breathing on the neck of government officials.

Again, he questioned if Domelevo is the first Auditor-General in the country to be told to take his leave. “If you misuse and misappropriate funds and you are corrupt, the system would catch up with you and the institution is not made up of an individual”, he stated.

In addition, he noted that  the fact that he is going on leave does not mean he is going away, and added that no one should be “fooled” into thinking that someone wants to prevent Domelevo from fighting corruption.

Mr. Nyindam cautioned that as a nation we should not throw the ball out there into the political arena for it to be kicked anyhow. There is a system in place if the AG is not there, the system would work and whoever is corrupt the system would catch up with the person.

“We should not allow this issue to destroy the good works done by the institution, the President has acted well and I have no problem with it”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Political promises derail planed state development projects – Former Government Statistician

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Former Government Statistician, Grace Afua Bediako has bemoaned the practice in the country where political promises derail already marked down plans by the state.

According to her some of the promises made are off the roof and excessive despite the fact that the state takes pain to put in place plans.

“Most of the objectives and gargets we plan are set-aside and priorities given to political promises which change our plans despite the fact that we have policy framework in place”.

She further pointed out that the practice throws away the framework for national development and as a nation we need to take a critical look at it if we want a sustainable development.

Mrs. Bediako made this remarks when she  participated in a forum organised by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs that brought together Independent Governance Institutions in Accra on the theme, “Independent Governance Institutions and the 2020 elections in Ghana some reflections”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Minority Leader canvas for support of NCCE

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu has made a case for the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) that they need adequate funding to function properly.
According to him Commission should have been part of the education against the spread of COVID-19,   but they came in as an afterthought, while they should have been leading public education on the pandemic.

Again, they do not have budget to embark on public education against spoilt ballot papers and the Majority Leader has made a case for them in allocating resources to them.

“The chairperson of the NCCE, how she got to the forum, the vehicle in which she came in, she cannot be proud of it. They were given a vehicle but that was done a few months ago. For the Commissioners at the national and regional level it is nothing we can be proud of”.

On accommodation, he noted the Majority Leader and himself had to engage the higher authority to consider some accommodation, which has been addressed.

He made this remarks at a forum organised by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs in Accra that brought together Independent Governance Institutions ahead of this year’s Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

Touching on the Commission for Human Right and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), he noted that for almost two to three years the required Deputies for the Commission were vacant until recently when they were filled.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com