Month: February 2021

Member of Parliament for Madina Francis Xavier Kojo Sosu has said he is not satisfied with the answers that the Minister for Road and Highways Kwesi Amoako Atta provided to the Appointment Committee on working on bad road networks in the capital.

According to him Accra is the gateway to the county’s capital and a drive through the capital shows that they are bad especially his constituency.

He said,  “Ayie Mensah and Adenta new site is completely horrible, many parts of Madina is cut off, so I wanted to find out if they have any policy to improve road network and consider one moving forward, but it was business as usual, long narrative which did not answer my question”.

Again, being someone who had run the Ministry for the past four years he should be able to remember the commitment and comments he made which was widely reported. “If you go online you would see the number of roads he said he was going to construct”.

He further pointed out that it is understandable that COVID-19 has slowed down the economy, but when you come before the Appointment Committee there are two things that are going to happen, accounting to the people on your mandate and you justify why you should be given a new mandate. “That score I think he did not do well”.

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A member of the Appointment Committee of Parliament, Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini has said Ghanaians need to hold on and pay attention to things coming out of the ongoing vetting process.

According to him, he is happy the whole process is being carried live for everybody to follow and would urge many people to follow the live broadcast because a lot of issues are coming out.

“The airport testing is pointing out to a scandal which should be investigated by a by-partisan Committee of Parliament. It is strange that such a contract carried out at a sensitive area and security zone, Ministers-designate say they are not aware of it”, he said during an interview.

Again, he pointed out to the dubious recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces and The Ghana Police Service, and the fact that both Ministers-designate, want Ghanaians to believe that some data base was made available and that was where they were recruiting, but the facts do not support such claims.

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Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has called for a full scale by-partisan investigation into the activities of Frontiers Health-Care Services Limited contract.

According to him responses from various sector Ministers designate on the one hundred and fifty dollars charged at Ghana’s airport on anti-gene test raises a lot of doubt about the contract for which there must be deeper investigation.

“This clearly shows that, there is something fishy and fraudulent about the award of the contract”, he said at a press briefing in Parliament on Friday, February 19, 2021.

He further explained that, when the Health Minister- designate came before the Committee he did not know anything about the contract and said that, they should find out from Presidential Tax force.

Same for the Minister-designate for Attorney General and Justice, who also serve on the procurement board told the committee, he does not know anything about the contract, including the immediate past Procurement Minister at the Presidency.

Madam, Sarah Adwoa Safo also told the Appointment committee that, she does not know anything about it, but rather directed the Committee to enquire from the Finance Minister-designate, Ken Ofori-Atta.

Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa further explained that, the Information Minister- designate who was the same Minister for Information at the Ministry at the time of awarding this same contract also directed the committee to seek answers from the Ghana Airport Ltd. Assertion

Per the North Tongu MP’s assertion, the processes and the laws on procurement were all breached, especially on procurement Act section 41, which details procedure for awarding contracts in times of emergency or catastrophe. But considering the answers being given by the nominees at the Appointment Committee, it “clearly shows that procedure and laws of procurement were not followed in awarding the contract to Frontier Health-care Services Ltd”.

Mr. Okudzeto, who spoke on behalf of the Minority in Parliament did indicate that, they are going to file a motion on the floor of the House and call for a by-partisan enquiry into the matter and find out how come the contract was awarded to Frontier Health-care Services Ltd in breach of, “our procurement laws for the necessary actions or punishment be applied”.

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Member of Parliament for Yiepe/Kusawgu Constituency, John Abdulai Jinapor has noted with grave concern ruling by the International Court of Arbitration against Government of Ghana over the termination of an emergency power agreement with GPGC Limited.

He has called for the prosecution of officials involved in the creation of judgment debt awarded against the country in the termination of the contract with GPGC limited.

According to him  the ruling further ordered that,  government of Ghana  pay the full value of the early termination in the amount of USS 134,34 8,661 as well as accrued interest of $30,000,000. The Government of Ghana has been ordered to pay other related cost of USS 3,309,877.74 at the rate of LIBOR for three-month US dollar deposits, compounded quarterly.

At a media briefing in Parliament on Friday, February 19, 2021 he said,  the Minority equally noted  that the haste with which the former Minister of Energy,  Boakye Agyarko terminated this particular agreement against expert advice especially from the PPA  is largely responsible for  embarrassing the country, and the  ruling  has dented the image of Ghana internationally.

Mr. Abdulai Jinapor indicated that in paragraph 492 of the 194 page ruling of the ICA confirms that, the state could have opted for a negotiated settlement which would have resulted in a settlement cost of not more than $18.000,000 to the Republic of Ghana.

In addition, he noted that, on the contrary, the former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko decided to rush to terminate the agreement by a letter dated 13th March 2018, rather than apologising for his reckless decision which has led to this huge financial loss to the state, “Mr. Agyarko has sought to justify his actions under the guise of a so-called cabinet memo”.

The MP went on to say, the so-called advise from cabinet did not do any good to Ghana and must not be an option if such decision would bring huge judgment debt to increase the hardship and huge debt on the good people of Ghana to pay.

Mr.  Jinapor further urged government to do something immediately to reduce the price of fuel in order to bring some relief to Ghanaians.

He said, the price of fuel in recent times has been increased number of times soon after the general elections.

The failure on the part of government to reduce the price of fuel would cause some transport operators to increase their fares for passengers in order to recover the extra money paid on fuel and that would affect the pocket of the ordinary Ghanaian.

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Member of Parliament (MP) for Ejisu, John Kumah is advocating for the election of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), so that MPs can focus on their core mandate of law crafting.

According to him if MPs move out there to campaign, Ghanaians at the various districts would come and tell them their problems instead of the MMDCEs who receive and manage all the financial resources.

“As MPs go out in the constituency to campaign, they receive all the open requests for development projects. If you tell them you are a law crafter it would be like you are being insensitive by telling Ghanaians you are not responsible for their development needs”. And added that the situation is difficult because as an MP “you are out there seeking their votes”.

The MMDCE that are rather duty-bound to ensure development in these districts/constituencies, because they are not voted for, people do not even care to know them, he noted.

John Kumah who was speaking in an interview noted that there is an overwhelming view across the country that MPs should intervene on issues on development in the constituencies/districts.

This, he noted is so because the laws have not yet been changed for MMDCEs to be elected to make them more accountable to the people they serve, knowing they would have to go back to them to seek their mandate if they want to maintain their job.

There should be a second look at the Common Fund Act for the distribution of the resources so that whichever law would be applied gives some space of up to fifty percent of the Common Fund to MPs so that they can have a say in terms of its application to local development issues that are brought to them, he suggested.

“When we do that, the communities would be much more appreciative and now believe their MPs are also taking part in the development of the local areas”.
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Former Ranking Member on Communications Committee, Alhassan Bashir Fuseini has said the delay in restoring the licenses of Radio Gold and XYZ should be blamed on President Nana Akufo-Addo.

According to him the President has always detested Radio Gold and does not like dissenting voices.

“If President Nana Akufo-Addo was interested in having them come back in operation they would have been back on air by now. If the president does not want anything to be done, do you think the Minister can go ahead and do it?”

The Sagnarigu lawmaker pointed out that in the Seventh Parliament, the sector Minister gave the Committee her commitment that if both radio stations who had taken their closure to court withdrew their case in court, they would be recommended for licensing.

“And we prevail on Radio Gold and XYZ to go and withdraw the matter from court, they complied and presenting a fresh application as agreed on.  To be frank with you, NAC and the Minister commence the process trying to regularize the operations of Radio Gold and XYZ”.

Mr. Fuseini in an interview on Thursday, February 18, 2021 however, noted that an order came from above and from the “President Akufo-Addo”, because the radio stations in question had submitted fresh applications to the National Communications Authority (NCA).

Again, if the Minister was not for the process she would not have given her commitment.

He is however, quite sure the frequencies of both stations are still intact, adding “they are intact otherwise some other radio stations would have been using it”.

He endorsed, agitation and petitions to draw the attention of the public and stakeholders for the restoration of Radio Gold and XYZ back on air.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Chairman of the Appointment Committee Joseph Osei-Owusu is unhappy of a current practice where growing young person in the Ghanaian society helping their parents in farming is term “child labour by developed countries”

According to him growing up in cocoa growing area any time he visited her ground mother in the village she helped her at the farm and carried fire wood home on his way back from the farm.

“Do we have our local definition for child labour or we rely on the one from our donor?” He enquired from the Minister-designate for Employment and Labour Relations when he appeared before the Committee.

In his response, Ignatius Baffour said, “unfortunately we do not have our local definition for child labour”.

He was however, quick to point out to the Committee that Ghana together with its international partners develop one, under the national hazardous activity frame work.

Such that when anyone comes to the country to conduct a survey the definition is used, as prescribed by the International Labour Organisation and other international organisations.

“That is why, I believe the current definition should not be seen as develop world definition, but our collective definition”.

He then questioned the Committee members and asked them, how many of those who were helping their parents on the farms have risen to the top like the chairman of the Committee. “I held same views as you but when I went into the subject matter my perception changed?”

Mr. Baffour  Awuah further noted that statements on the subject matter was made in the Seventh Parliament, and expose the level of understand of the subject matter and pointed out that as lawmakers they are supposed to be the lead eye of society.

“So if we do not understand and appreciate the issue of child labour then there is a very big problem we have to deal with”.

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Minister-designate for Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah is proposing legislation against the advocacy of LGBTQI activities in Ghana, when he came before the Appointment Committee of Ghana’s Parliament on Thursday, February 18, 2021.

According to him, given the current push for the legalisation of homosexuality in Ghana, the country needs to consider passing a law that tackles its promotion because the practice, in itself, is culturally unacceptable and goes contrary to section 104 of the Criminal Code, 1960.

Mr. Nkrumah  said: “Customary law frowns on LGBT activities”, adding: “People say despite the Criminal Code on the general position of customary law, it is just mere expression; they are just advocating it but if you ask me about law and background, I will say, that is when somebody like me will argue that then we should be able to contemplate legislation in the interest of public morality, which will not be against the Constitution but we will now say that you cannot advocate and promote LGBT activities in this country”.

His remarks follow the participation of the European Union (EU) in the opening of a new office space for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender and Queer Intersex (LGBTQI) community in Ghana.

The EU also reiterated its supports for local civil society organisations that push for the rights of the LGBTQI community.

Mr.  Oppong Nkrumah, however, stressed that the practice is alien to Ghana’s customs and tradition and it is the reason that laws must be passed to deal with persons who advocate and promote the practice in the country.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Ministers-designate for Fisheries and Aquaculture Mavis Hawa Koomson, and Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah are scheduled to appear before the Appointment Committee today, Thursday, February 18, 2021 as each would be subjected to three hours of questioning.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah is hoping to be approved by Parliament as the Minister for Information while Hawa Koomson is hoping to be approved as the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Mr. Oppong Nkrumah is being re-assigned to the Ministry he held previously and would not be new to that office when approved.

He served as a Deputy Minister from 2017 to 2018 in the same Ministry, but was later made the substantive Minister after reshuffle, where he served in that as the portfolio until the end of the first term of Akufo-Addo’s administration.

Madam, Mavis Hawa Koomson on the other hand served as Minister of Special Development Initiatives, one of the many new ministries created in President Akufo-Addo’s first term and being moved to a new Ministry.

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Minister-designate for Fisheries and Aquaculture Mavis Hawa Koomson has said she is sorry for firing a weapon near a polling station during the voter registration exercise in July 2020 ahead of last year’s general elections.

 “Mr.  Chairman, I want to take this opportunity to also apologize to the people who were so scared on that day”, she told Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Thursday, 18 February 2021. She explained that: “It was in defense of myself, because I felt my life was in the danger in the circumstances that I found myself in”.

The Minister-designate said even though she had a bodyguard as Minister of Special Development Initiative, the policewoman was not around at the time of the incident, thus, her decision to take matters into her own hands.

She said the gun she fired was hers and is duly licensed, when questioned on the floor of the House where the vetting was being done.

The MP for Awutu Senya East Constituency said she regretted the incident and wished it had never happened.  When asked if she would resort to her gun if she found herself in the same circumstances again, she said “no”.

She, however, pleaded with the Committee not to belabor the issue since it was still under investigation by the police.

“Mr.  Chairman, I want to plead with this Committee that the issue is with the police for investigation, so, I wouldn’t want to say much about it”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com