Month: February 2021

Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu has served notice ahead of Wednesday, February 10, 2021 vetting of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s Ministerial nominees for his second term that his side would do their work without fear or favor on the Committee.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, February 9. 2021 he revealed that they would probe into the records of Ministers not only their CVs; their knowledge would be measured, IQ on subject matters, temperament and the extent to which they have served the public as well as integrity and public service.

Mr. Iddrisu told Ghanamps.com that the clerk has disclosed to him that handing over notes of former Ministers had been made available, and he had directed that copies should be made available to Mahama Ayariga.

“So those former Ministers who do not want us to know if they left liabilities, we would go into them”.

When questioned if handing over notes are part of the yardstick to become a Minister, he said, “no one determines what is required for us, we would be doing our own work”, he said.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

 

Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu has urged President Nana Akufo-Addo, the Commander-in- Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces to take immediate steps to demilitarize Ghana and allow the Ghana Police Service to carry out their constitutional duties.

According to him it is the duty of the Ghana Police Service to maintain order and when it becomes necessary they collaborate with the Ghana Armed Forces.

At a press briefing before the commencement of business on the floor of the House on Tuesday, January 9, 2021 he noted that it is very despicable that men in uniform would be reduced to carrying bags of key public officials.

“That is not the Ghana Armed Forces we know, we want him to restore the dignity, honor and respect of the Ghana Armed Forces, they should intervene on matters of maintaining law and order, and we are with the president in maintaining the security of all Ghanaians at all times”.

He further noted that it is becoming a matter of sight nuisance seeing armed-wielding men of the GAF all over guiding Chief Executive Officers.

“Has the Ghana Police Service become weaker?” We are calling for the necessary reforms of the Ghana Police Service to strengthen them to become responsible for the maintenance of law and order”.

In addition, the constitution defines an elaborate role for the military and the police as the military are in charge of Ghana’s territorial integrity, he emphasised.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

 

Former Ranking member on the Committee of Health, Kwabena Minta Akandoh has urged the Nana Akufo-Addo lead Government to as a matter of urgency dissolve the COVID-19 technical team and form a more competent team.

According to him if Government had taken off their political lens they would have seen more competent people to be part of the team. There is nothing they are saying now that the cases are surging.

When we said the cases were going-up some of them said we were lying, “we can all see what is happening now the cases are going up”.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 on the issue of a possible lockdown, he noted that if the necessary measures are put in place he does not think the time is up to be calling for a lockdown.

“Government is not walking the talk, they gave directives for schools to be re-opened, when you get to the schools on the first day there was no Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and you are virtually spreading the virus, because it takes seconds to spread the virus. When you go to most of the constituencies there are no thermometer guns”.

He pointed out that those who come to Parliament of Ghana their temperatures are taken every day, “we were told our borders were closed, we were taking tests at the airport taking one hundred and fifty dollars whiles other countries were taking less than seven dollars; where from the new variant coming from the UK?”

Again, the question is how the new virus entered the country, with the amount they are charging if they really did the test at the airport, total lockdown would not be needed.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Member of the Health Committee in the Seventh Parliament, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaane has said Government mismanaged the first lockdown to the extent of asking Ghanaians their political party allegiance before giving them food that was being distributed during the period.

“Where are you coming from, all these questions and the way the lockdown was carried out was so bad that, when you mention lockdown people start looking down on their shoulders to see what is going to happen”.

According to him that does not mean lockdown should never be recommended, and that if the situation get bad, as a country we do not have any option than to lockdown; that is the worst scenario.

He made this revelation at a press conference on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 when Ghanamps.com wanted to know if the Minority would back a second lockdown with the COVID-19 figures going up.

He also suggested the need for government to put in place proper parameters if lockdown becomes very necessary.

On the closing down of kindergarten schools, he supported the idea saying it is good for them to go home, since there are cases of pupils contracting the novel coronavirus in Kumasi.

And further noted that as a country we went into hibernation when the cases were dropping and the President Nana Akufo-Addo has said infection takes place when, people are in enclosed area, “have we taken steps to have classes out of enclosed area? It is just getting a shed, but we have not done anything like that”.

“We have slept all these months and all the money government got during this pandemic they wanted to use it in opening a bank, we cannot say there is not money, government wanted to use part of the COVID-19 money to open a bank”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram Samuel Nartey George has said he has been vindicated for not allowing his kindergarten children to go to school looking at the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases.

According to him he has made this public not to let his children go to school as schools have opened and the infections keep going up.

He made this remarks in an answer to question asked by members of the Parliamentary Press Corps when the Minority address the media on the current COVID-19 situation in Parliament on Tuesday, February 9, 2021.

“We have heard of stories of parents putting black nose mask on their kinds but when they come back from school it is blue, when ask they said, I want like the blue of my friend”.

Again, government must tell us what the vaccine they are going to roll out is, as they are hearing from technical persons that under lining technical conditions above the ages of seventy are not going to be recipients to the vaccine.

The protocols of given the vaccine is different from that of the rest of the world, rather the aged and those with underlining health condition would be given the priority. They are the first group, and what is brought to Ghana, “why are they targeting the youth or the young people?” they queried.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Majority Group Chief Whip, Frank Annor Dompreh has said he is not surprised that his colleague, the Minority Chief Whip Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka has withdrawn and apologized for the allegation he made that a Supreme Court judge had wanted to influence election of the Speaker of the 8th Parliament.

According to him he suspected that the allegation was not true and he is happy his colleague has done the needful, and as public servants they have to learn from this.

“People occupying position of influence need to be mindful of their utterances more especially, when it has the potency of putting at loggerheads both the Legislative arm of government and the Judiciary”.

In an interview with members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) over the weekend, when they inquired if Parliament should take an action in this direction, he responded that “potentially yes, but in reality no. I think he has done the needful, we are all humans and we make mistakes, and he has taken a significant position on the matter”.

He further added that the matter should be left to rest as such, but was quick to point out that, “next time people would not give him the needed respect when he said what he said. I notice it was to divert attention, we should forgive him for his mistake”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak has apologized on the corruption allegation against a Supreme Court judge upon deep reflection and broad consultation on the aftermath of his allegation.

Mr. Mohammed Mubarak alleged during an interview with Joy News TV on January 10, 2021, that a Supreme Court Judge was trying to influence a female member of the Minority group to vote for one of the candidates as the Speaker.

According to him the allegation was based on a report from a trusted colleague which was that, she has been approached by a justice of the Supreme Court seeking to entice her to vote for a particular candidature during the contest for the election of a speakership of the 8th Parliament.

He noted in a statement he issued, where he apologized and made retraction on Saturday, January 6, 2021, admitting that because he did not specifically name any judge, this may have had the effect of scandalizing the judiciary in its entirety.

“This unintended consequence is deeply regretted and I apologize for the harm done to the image and reputation of my Lord Justices of the Supreme Court and the Judiciary as a whole”.

And added that he would let sleeping dogs lie, and will consequently refrain from any future public commentary on the matter which he has indicated that was originally reported to him by a trusted female colleague of Parliament.

“I implore the media and the general public to kindly respect the spirit in which I offer this apology and retraction”.

He finally added that, it is his fervent prayer that the existing historical cordial relations between the Legislature and the Judiciary would not be affected by this incident but would continue to grow in the interest of the country.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com