Month: April 2021

Member of Parliament for Nkawkaw Joseph Frempong has donated five modern electronic beds and three side drawers to the Kwahu West Municipal Health directorate.

Mr. Frimpong advised the Health directorate to take good care of the items and ensure that they last long.

The Municipal Health Director, Celestine Asante who received the items expressed her profound gratitude to the lawmaker and assured him of equitable distribution of the items, as well as keep the items safe and clean in order to use them for the purpose they are denoted for.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Kwahu West, Yaw Owusu Addo, chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the constituency, Morrison Nyarko the Municipal NDMO coordinator and party faithful were all in attendances.

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Ghana’s only female representative to the fifth Community Parliament, Laadi Ayii Ayamba is advocating for holding Presidents in the West Africana sub-region, to their promise of empowering females.

According to her, before presidential candidates in the sub-region become presidents they promise giving females forty percent position when they are elected; “they win and it becomes a problem”.

“Why can’t they fulfill their promise? During campaigns we are those who sing, jump and dance best. They sign so many documents about women on gender issues at the end of the day it does not work, so every day we are left behind”

She said this in an interview at the ongoing delocalised joint Committee of the ECOWAS Parliament on the theme, “Empowerment of Women in the ECOWAS Region”.

As to whether what she is advocating for is achievable, she responded in the affirmative and said if political parties say they would do it, it should be done. And if ECOWAS Parliament agrees on thirty percent, it has the right to ensure that thirty percent is achieved.

Again, she further noted that ECOWAS can hold Presidents in the sub region accountable to this promise, before they make appointments they should be reminded of the thirty percent promise.

“It’s all about the political will, if you say something it’s because you know you would do it, and if you do not do it you are deceiving the women, no man would have been ruling the world, it would have been women. No man can tell a woman that you cannot rule better, because if I cannot rule better I would not have carried you in my womb for nine month and given birth to you, to become president”.

The Pusiga lawmaker again, underscored the need for the Gender Committee in the ECOWAS Parliament to move out and walk the talk as the talking is too much “We have been talking God knows for how long”.

And revealed that she had wanted to become a solider growing up, but her mother’s thinking was that her only daughter should not be allowed to become a soldier.

“I ended up becoming a teacher, and further a politician all because I am a woman, if I were a man I would be a soldier, I have brothers who are in the police”.

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The only female representative on the Gambia delegation to the Community Parliament, Fatoumatta Njai is advocating for the Republic of Togo which has the mandate to produce the next rotation Speaker of the sixth Parliament to go for a female.

According to her women are dynamic, and emphasised that women can be great Speakers, and further pointed out that in the fourth Community Parliament, the second Deputy Speaker from Ivory Coast, Madam Aminata Kamara Toungara performed well.

Speaking at the delocalised meeting of the Community Parliament in Monrovia Liberia, Fatoumatta Njai described , Madam Toungara as “one of the best presiding officers. When she presides most of the times things run smoothly; again having female speaker would not change anything, except for the better”.

In a mobile phone interview, she lamented and pointed out that the current fifth Community Parliament miss the opportunity of having two female Deputy Speakers among the four slots that were available.  The current chairperson of the Committee on Social Affairs, Gender and Women Empowerment, Kaboubie Reine Bertille Benao Sakande, from Burkina Faso, but the position was given to Niger.

“I would prefer two Deputy female Speakers if you go by the thirty percent female representation, with the four Deputy speakers and the Speaker being a male, we should have gone for two females”.

Madam Njai further, noted that for more female parliamentarians to be achieved it is just the political will.

 “If women are there, they are just capable, why are they not winning elections? They should have a level playing ground with the males, it’s the equity bit that is lacking and we should look into our respective countries and ask why we are not sending more female representatives?”

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Victims of Easter Monday’s rainstorm disaster in the Akim Oda Constituency in the Birim Central Municipality have received support from the Member of Parliament for Akim Oda Constituency, Alexander Akwesi Acquah, together with Mr. Yaw Osafo Marfo, Special Advisor to the President.

The two individuals made a donation of thirty-five thousand Ghana cedis (GHc35,000) and packets of roofing sheets to the NADMO Coordinator for further distributions amongst affected persons.

The two leaders in the company of the NADMO Coordinator and other executives of the New Patriotic Party paid a visit to the victims to sympathize with them, and promised to help fix the situation.

At about 3pm on Easter Monday a very heavy rainstorm hit the Akim Oda Constituency destroying properties worth thousands of cedis.

Some of the properties destroyed were school buildings, electric poles, homes of some constituents, stores, church buildings, and a radio station’s mast.

Also, the storm had an effect on vegetation as many trees fell in the communities.

Mr. Yaw Osafo Marfo stated that he is in talks with benevolent institutions to come to the aid of the people adding that he is hopeful of a positive outcome.

He applauded the MP of the area for his selfless efforts to ensure that the affected persons receive some aid.

Meanwhile, Mr Akwesi Aquah urged the affected victims not to worry, adding they are going to see to it that everyone is sorted out.

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President George M. Weah, Liberia’s President has on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 in a special address to delegates and guests of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Liberia appealed to the Community Parliamentarians to adopt resolutions that will go a long way to advance the course of women empowerment in the West Africa sub-region.

 President Weah made this call during the opening ceremony of the ECOWAS first delocalize meeting of the Joint Committee on Social Affairs, Gender and Women Empowerment/Education, Science and Culture/Health on the theme, ‘Empowerment  of Women in the ECOWAS Region.’

The Liberian President said: “I am very happy that the ECOWAS Parliament is holding the delocalize committee meetings of its standing committees in Monrovia, Liberia.”

In his welcome address, Head of Liberia’s delegation to the Community Parliament, Senator Melvin Edwin Snowe, thanked ECOWAS Parliament for hosting the occasion in his country, noting that President Weah from the onset was pleased to host the event in his country.

 He described the Liberian President as a Women’s empowerment champion and welcomed the Community Parliamentarians and other dignitaries to the occasion.

In his appeal to the Community Parliamentarians, President Weah said: “As many of you are aware, I am a former member of the ECOWAS Parliament while I represented Liberia as a seating Senator. I have fond memories of the time that I spent in Abuja doing the people’s work.

 As I look around today, I see several old faces and new ones. I will like to welcome you all to Liberia and wish that your deliberations here will be fruitful. I am informed that your discussion is centered around the empowerment of women in the sub-region.

 This is a matter that is very close to my heart. As Liberia’s Feminist-In-Chief, I deeply delegated and promoted Liberian women in all aspects of our society but particularly in leadership. I pray that the resolutions that you will adopt here in this Joint-Committee sitting would  go a long way to advance the course of women’s empowerment in our region.”

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Rt. Hon. Sidie Mohammed Tunis, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament has given out Ten Thousand Dollars to facilitate development projects in Sime Darby Central High School, and the Liberia Government Hospital both in Bomi County, Liberia.

Five thousand Dollars was given to the Sime Darby Central High School in Bomi County, Liberia to fund some projects in the school.

Speaker, Tunis made the donations on Monday, April 12, 2021 during an oversight visit to some communities across the Bomi County on entering into Liberia through the Sierra Leonean/Liberian border to attend the ECOWAS Parliament delocalized meeting.

According to Tunis, the visit to the institutions was aimed at bringing the ECOWAS Parliament to the people, engage with them to know their challenges and how their challenges can be addressed.

At the Sime Darby Central High School, Tunis said the donation was to assist the school in projects that would aid in strengthening the school system.

He, however, urged the students to remain focused in their studies, be disciplined so that they can also become leaders in future.

The speaker also urged the female students not to limit themselves but should aspire to become world leaders and professionals in various fields.

 “This is the first school I have addressed in my capacity as speaker and my advice for you all is to remain focused in your studies and disciplined”.

The future of this country is in your hands. Today you are seated there, tomorrow you will be standing up here, but that depends on you and how focused you are.

“Especially you the women, in Parliament we are focusing on women empowerment as priority so that tomorrow you do not just end up in the kitchen but become world leaders, doctors, lawyers and other great professionals”.

For the boys, you also have to be focused so that tomorrow you can become speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, representatives of your counties, Tunis said.

At the Liberia Government Hospital, Tunis said the donation was also a support from the ECOWAS Parliament to strengthen the health system, commending the hospital administration for catering for three counties.

Tunis said that beyond ECOWAS he would also talk with Liberian President, George Weah to ensure they get all the required support.

And appreciate the efforts of Doctors and health workers and that is why when there are agitations for pay rise I say no amount can be enough to pay for all you do.

“I will put pressure on President George Weah to bring this hospital to great standards and provide all the necessary facilities requires”, Tunis added.

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The Member of Parliament for Akim Oda Constituency Mr. Alexander Akwasi Acquah said parliament can do more to reduce road accidents in the country.

According to Mr. Acquah, “if we know the value of live and we know the kind of people that have been rendered fatherless or motherless because of these accidents then we have to find money from the various institutions that are supposed to for this integrated system to be implemented.”

Contributing on PM Express, on Accra base Joy News on “the Pandemic of Road Crushes: Ending the Carnage, he said; “We need an integrated system to check traffic regulations so that the lives we lost on the high ways can reduce, and these are things that we have to put pressure on because we cannot afford to lose lives this way, he stated.

The Oda MP was himself a victim of road crashes on February 1 2021 when he was returning from Koforidua in the Eastern Region on official duty.

He, however, escaped unhurt and was in parliament after a few hours of the incident.

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The Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWA) Parliament, Mohamed Sidie Tunis has reiterated the need for concrete and deliberate actions on Women Empowerment, 25 years after Beijing Declaration.

Speaker Tunis, who was on his way to Liberia for the Delocalised meeting on Women’s Empowerment, made this declaration on Monday, April 12, 2021 at the Mano River Bridge, when he was received by a delegation, consisting of ECOWAS staff and journalists.

He said there couldn’t have been a better venue for the Delocalised meeting than Liberia. This, he said is against the backdrop of Liberia’s serial feats of electing women into prominent political positions.

“Liberia is the most suitable country to host the Delocalised meeting on Women Empowerment because it was Liberia that blazed the trail in 2015 with the election of Africa’s First Female President, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson.

He further noted that years later, another woman was elected Vice President by Liberians and according to the Speaker, this is no mean feats by Liberia and deserve to be reciprocated.

While receiving the Speaker on behalf of the Liberian Parliament and President George Weah, at the Mano River Bridge, the border between Liberia and Sierra Leone, a member of the Liberian Parliament and leader of the country’s delegation to ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe, explained the significance of receiving the Speaker on Mano Bridge, adding that it was Mano Bridge that was used to transport weapons into Liberia during the Civil War.

It’s on the same Mano River Bridge that we are receiving the Speaker into our country, Snowe said.

He assured the security team, which accompanied the Speaker to the border of his security and safety.

“I assure you, the Speaker is at home in Liberia, and there is absolutely no need for reservation”.

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Bomi County (Liberia): Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Sidie Tunis has said the Community Parliament would engage with authorities of Member States to stop the extortion of ECOWAS citizens by Immigrations officials at all border posts.

He made this known on Monday, April 12, 2021 while visiting Gbahjakeh Community in Bomi County, Liberia during an oversight visit to some communities across County on entering into Liberia through the Sierra Leonean/Liberian border.

Speaker Tunis was on the visit to engage with ECOWAS Citizens in the border community to know their challenges and how the Parliament can address them.

The major complains of ECOWAS Citizens in the border town of Gbahjakeh was extortion from immigration officials while trying to cross the borders between Sierra Leone and Liberia to trade.

And pledged the intervention of the Parliament as he plans to first of all engage with the relevant authorities in Liberia and other West African countries.

The speaker further noted that in-line with the ECOWAS protocol on free movements of Persons, goods and services would foster integration, ECOWAS citizens should be able to move freely within the sub-region without any form of harassments.

Tunis, however, urged ECOWAS Citizens to be law abiding in any country they live in or do business.

“One of the reasons why we always have our delocalized meeting is to bring to the notice of authorities the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons and goods and the issue of immigration officers.

Extortion is just one of the challenges we have as a region and it is not just here in Liberia, but it also happens in Sierra Leone, Guinea, in other countries of the sub-region and like I said, “these are all part of the challenges that we are having”

Mr.  Collins Arthur, a Nigerian businessman who deals in electronics said he has lived in Liberia for over ten years, adding that the people of Liberia are hospitable, but the major challenge are from the immigration officials.

Arthur said despite having his papers, the immigration officials continually harass him at his business place just to extort money from him.

He, however, called for the urgent intervention of the ECOWAS Parliament to stop the situation.

Senator Edwin Snowe representing Bomi County also said the ECOWAS Parliament would move into action to end the unfortunate situation, noting that it was one of the reasons the speaker was visiting.

And added that   it is impossible to solve a problem if the problem was not known.

He also said that the town hall still under construction which was used to host the visit will be named after speaker Tunis upon completion.

Mr. Melvin Snowe, also disclosed that the project was a give-back to his county, as it was being built from his allowances collected anytime he attended a sitting at the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja.

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Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe Junior believes harmonization of electoral laws, and tenure of office for presidents is the way to go in the West African sub-region.

According to him, the current situation where some countries are running 4-years, 5-years, and 6-years tenure makes it difficult for the smooth running of community affairs, hence the need to harmonize and make ECOWAS vibrant.

“ Don’t forget that we are changing now from the Economic  Community to the Community of peoples, so there are a lot of things that need to be harmonized so that we can have a vibrant and realistic  ECOWAS as a Community”, he pointed out.

And stated during an interview that his expectations of the kind of sub-region he envisages are high.

Touching on the issue of mobile data, he lamented that ECOWAS citizens are paying roaming charges on telephone network. “You leave Liberia to Sierra Leone, using your Liberia number you pay a lot of money for data used when you maintain your Liberia number, but you have same companies Orange and MTN right in Sierra Leone”.

And emphasised the need to have a harmonized telecommunications in the West African sub-region, as the Community citizens’ moves around freely.

He underscored the need for the Community citizens again, to move freely with their brown car instead of using their passports, “we need to do that and have a monetary policy where we are talking about a single currency for the sub-region”.

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