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Month: January 2021

Ministerial nominees are nothing new, just recycled Ministers — Haruna

Posted on by Kwaku GhanaMPs

Ranking member on the Appointment Committee of Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu has said President Nana Akufo-Addo’s Ministerial nominees for his second term are nothing new, but just a recycled Ministers.

According to him the Minority are not obstructionist group as their colleagues opposite want Ghanaians to believe; they are positive in their thinking and believe the list of nominee Ministers submitted to the House on Thursday, January 21, 2021 deserve urgent attention.

At a press briefing on Friday, January 22, 2021 just after adjournment of the House, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu noted that within the first term, the President did not have the political courage to reshuffle his Ministers.

Again, he revealed that what strike them the most as they would interrogate it on the Committee is the creation of the Ministry of Public Enterprise, “our Ministries themselves are public enterprises, state own institutions”.

“We are ready to interrogate not just the CVs, but the previous work carried out by the presidents appointees and we would need their handing over notes, they should be made available to us, as required by Act 845 in the presidential transition Act of 2012”.

Mr. Iddrisu expressed worry over the leaving out of some key regions in the president’s cabinet, in compliance with Article 35. “We would have expected that his long list of thirty (30) Ministers, Upper East and Oti regions have no representatives same with Bono East”.

The president needs to carry the country along, he owns it a duty to unite this country; he should recognise talents, those regions have the human resources, “if you compare his list to former president Mahama’s era we were gender sensitive”, he added.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

“Majority caucus is not in our standing orders” — Speaker

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Speaker Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has urged lawmakers to put finality to the confusion in the description of the New Patriotic Party (NNP) plus the Independent Fomena MP as “Group or Caucus”.

According to him, the Standing Orders of the House does not recognize the use of the word Majority caucus but by practice the word caucus is used and urged lawmakers to read their standing orders.
And added that in parliamentary practice there are parliamentary parties and the 8th Parliament has the NPP and the NDC and with the Fomena MP electing to do Business with the NPP, they form the Majority Group in the 8th Parliament.

He made this remarks on Friday, January 22, 2021 when the Majority Chief Whip Frank Annoh Dompreh did not take kindly to his colleagues Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Suhuyini Alhassan Sayibu refereed to his side as the “Majority Group”.

Mr. Speaker said, “I don’t want any more confusion on this matter, I have given my ruling your side is the Majority Group”.

He further noted that the Majority Group are led by the Majority Leader Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and the Minority Leader is Haruna Iddrisu and citied Order 168 to back his point and added that, he is guided by the standing orders.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Dompreh invites Speaker to rule on “Majority Caucus or Group”

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Chief Whip of the Majority Group in the Eight Parliament, Frank Annoh Dompreh invited Speaker of the House Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin to rule to put finality to the confusion of Majority “Group or Caucus”.

According to him he needed a clarification on the matter as ordinary he would not have spoken on the matter, but his colleagues Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Suhuyini Alhassan Sayibu have a well rehearsed strategy to referrer to their side the Majority caucus as “Group”.

“I am employing your good to let my colleagues referrer to us as the Majority caucus and not group, you ruled on this matter and pray that they take cue from your directives, Mr. Speaker”.

This incident occurred on the floor of the House on Friday, January 22, 2021 after Leader of Government Business Osei-Kyei has presented the Business Statement and within same week when the Majority Group had a press conference and advices that they be called caucus.

Mr. Speaker noted that there should be finality to the matter and the NPP 137 seats with the Fomena Member of Parliament opting to do business with them form a group. The Majority Chief Whip noted that he respect the experience and wisdom of the Speaker and thanked him for putting clarity on the matter.

Mr. Suhuyini Alhassan Sayibu, did not take kindly to the Majority Group Chief Whips comments that he and Ablakwa has a well rehearsed strategy and came under Order (93) saying what his colleague from the other side of the House is doing amounts to improper motive and demand apology and withdrawal.

When the speaker intervene, he noted that the chief whip of the Majority did not say anything negative and it was time to move on the subject matter.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Speaker directs 13-member Technical Committee to submit report next week

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Speaker, Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has directed the thirteen member technical Committee set up to review the new Standing Orders started by the Seventh Parliament, to submit its report to the plenary next week Wednesday, January 27, 2021.

On Thursday, January 21, 2021 he pointed out that it is very important that the Committee speed up its work and submit it to the House not later than next week Wednesday.

First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu chairs the Committee and assisted by the Second Deputy Speaker Andrew Asiamah Amoako.

Other members of the Committee are Majority Leader Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, Majority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh and Minority Chief Whip Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak.

The rest are Mr. Joe Ghartey, Cletus Avoka, Ursula G. Owusu-Ekuful, Bernard Ahiafor, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Akim Swedru MP raises concerns over exclusion of new MPs from Technical Committee

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Former Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture Kennedy Osei Nyarko is raising issues with Leadership of the House for composing a thirteen-member technical Committee to review the Standing Orders of the House without factoring in new entrants to the 8th Parliament.

Leadership of the House composed a thirteen-member Committee to review the Standing Orders that was worked on by the Seventh Parliament of the fourth Republic, but could not be adopted before the lifespan of that Parliament ended.

On Thursday, January 21, 2021 when he caught the eyes of the Speaker, he wanted to know if the 8th Parliament which is new had anything called the Technical Committee, because he is aware of the extensive work done on the Standing Order by the Seventh Parliament.

“We have a lot of new members in the chamber, I want to know if there is anything properly tabled before the House for the technical Committee to review our Standing Orders”.

This, the Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin intervened and pointed out to the Akim Swedru lawmaker that there would be an orientation course for lawmakers, and at that point the issues he is raising on the floor of the House would be addressed.

And urged the member to make it a point to be part of that orientation, where a lot of issues would be addressed.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Majority side need to be sensitive to gender and first timers—Bedzrah

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Member of Parliament for Ho West, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah has taken a swipe at the Majority group in the Eight (8) Parliament of the Fourth Republic for not given priority to female lawmakers and first timers.

According to him their side, the Minority group in the composition of the Business and Appointment Committee gave the opportunity to three females to serve on both Committees and same number for first timers.

“Mr. Speaker, I was expecting that my colleagues on the other side would be gender sensitive and at the same time give opportunities to first timers to learn as we have always talked about in the previous Parliaments”.

He made this remarks on the floor of the House when he was contributing towards the adoption of the report of Select Committees for the composition of the Business and Appointment Committee.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Sierra Leone to host the first ECOWAS Parliament Extraordinary Session 2021

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At the climax of the 2nd ordinary session of ECOWAS parliament held virtually, the Speaker of the regional parliament, Rt. Hon. Sidie Mohammed Tunis on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 confirmed that Sierra Leone will be the next destination to host the 1st ECOWAS Parliament Extraordinary Session 2021.

Rt Honorable Sidie Mohamed Tunis, Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament who himself is a member of the Sierra Leone Parliament representing Constituency 101 in Makpele and Soro Gbaima chiefdoms, Pujehun District, Southern Province of Sierra Leone, said the country is fully ready to host the entire composition of ECOWAS Parliament, comprising of the 115 members drawn from all 15 ECOWAS member states.

The 1st ECOWAS Parliament Extraordinary Session 2021 will be the first parliamentary session to be hosted in Sierra Leone since a Sierra Leonean became head of the regional parliament.

Meanwhile, Leader of Sierra Leone delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah, in his remarks said he is fully ready to welcome the parliament here in Sierra Leone. As a leader of the delegation of Sierra Leone to the ECOWAS parliament, he is the chief-host of the delegation and must ensure that the session is properly conducted within the standards of ECOWAS.

The ECOWAS Parliament is composed of 115 seats from each of the 15 Member states. Each State has a guaranteed minimum of five seats. The remaining seats are shared on the basis of population. Consequently, Nigeria has 35 seats, Ghana 8 seats, Cote d’Ivoire 7 seats, while Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Senegal have 6 seats each. The others – Benin, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo have 5 seats each.

The ECOWAS Parliament, also known as the Community Parliament, is a forum for dialogue, consultation and consensus for representatives of the people of West Africa with the aim of promoting integration.
It is established under Article 6 and 13 of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty of 1993. The Protocol relating to the Parliament was signed in Abuja on 6th August, 1994 and entered into force in 14th March, 2002. It provides for the structure, composition, competence and other matters relating to the Parliament. At its 25th session held in Dakar, Senegal on the 21st and 22nd December, 2001 the Authority of Heads of State and Government decided that Abuja should be the headquarters of the Parliament.

Normally, based on directives from the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, the Parliament chooses a venue to convey their meetings. Against this backdrop, the Speaker His Excellency Sidie Mohamed Tunis has confirmed Sierra Leone to host the 1st ECOWAS Parliament Extraordinary Session 2021.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Speaker Bagbin under goes COVID-19 test, advices MPs to do same

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Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has undergone COVID-19 test at the Parliament clinic, and urged Members of Parliament to avail themselves to undergo similar test, which started Wednesday, January 20, and would end on Friday, 22nd 2021.

According to him MPs need to take advantage of the health screening opportunity to know their status as COVID-19 is real, and there is a list with the name of MPs arranged alphabetically and each member is assigned a specific day to undergo the test.

The Speaker further served notice to Members that the House would advice itself when it notices that after all the announcement and discussion, some members fail to do the test.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Direct Election: Ad Hoc Committee’s work has not ended —Kofi Humado

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Mr. Clement Kofi Humado, Ghana’s representative on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWA) Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee tasked to draw a road map for the election of lawmakers has said work of the Committee has not ended.

According to him, before the end of the virtual 2020 Extra Ordinary Session which ended on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, he complained to the Director of Administration, K. Bertin Some that in his English version of the report the work programme of the Committee was not included.

He made this remarks when Ghanamps.com wanted to know if the work of the Ad Hoc Committee has come to an end with the presentation made at the just ended Session.

But he stated; “The Ad Hoc Committee has a work programme it was contained in the French version of the report which Some was reading to us, the work of the Ad Hoc study Committee on the universal adult suffrage”.

Mr. Humado further noted that, he believes the correction would be done in the new version where the Committee has programmed a series of meetings to achieve its mandate.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament commend colleagues for fulfilling their obligation

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Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament Rt. Hon. Sidie Mohammed Tunis has commended lawmakers for faithfully executing the order of business and fulfilling their obligation as required by the Supplementary Act.

At the end of a five days 2020 second ordinary virtual session which started from the 13 to19 of January, 2021, he applauded them for demonstrating their collective dedication to serve their Community and the people.

In his closing speech, Speaker Tunis noted that within the five days, the Parliament was able to consider the Community budget required by law and rendered its opinion.

“Members have indeed proven that they are fellow stakeholders in the ECOWAS project and they are dependable allies of the people they represent”.

And commended, the President of the Commission, Dr. Jean-Claude Kassi Brou and his team of Commissioners and technocrats for their collaboration between the two institutions, as the president reported on the implementation of the Community work programme.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com