Month: May 2021

Ketu South residents are marveled at the action taken by the Member of Parliament for the area, Abla Dzifa Gomashie for coming back to their various communities to thank them for voting for both her presidential candidate, former President John Dramani Mahama, and herself.

A gesture that gave the former president over 80,000 votes even though he could not emerge as the ultimate winner for the presidency in the 2020 presidential election.

For people who were obviously elated for seeing their MP return to them after winning the election, they believe she will continue to touch base with them, and support in finding solutions to the mirage of developmental challenges confronting them.

Madam Gomashie also used the opportunity of the large crowds that welcomed her in each of the communities to educate her constituents on Governance and entreats parents to take their children’s education seriously.

She also reminded the people of the need to continue to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols to guarantee their safety, and also advised that speed limits and other road regulations be respected by motorists in order to reduce accidents on our roads and to save lives.

As one of the biggest constituencies in the country, she announced that because of how communities are far from her office at Aflao, she has another one for the people who are close to Agbozume/Klikor.

She said though the MP’s Common Fund is yet to be disbursed by the central government, she is poised to start her free training apprenticeship sponsorship program with 20 modules due to start in July in batches.

The MP who toured over 70 communities made it clear to them that she will work hand in hand with them and bring them the needed development. She also said she will visit all other communities she campaigned in anytime she has a little time, now that parliament has resumed.

Ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Mpraeso Constituency, Davis Ansah Opoku is confident in his discussions with the Moroccan Ambassador to Ghana, HE Mrs Imane Quaadil, on how the greater Kwahu could collaborate with Morroco in the areas of tourism, agriculture and support for the Muslim communities would yield positive results.

According to Opoku, Morocco’s tourism contributed an amount of MAD 81.4 billion ($8.89 billion) to their economy in 2019, and they attract lots of tourists each year.

He therefore called on the ambassador to assist in the design of a tourism circuit and also the establishment of a tourism information centre in Kwahu.

Tourism in Kwahu is an untapped field, he recounted, adding that each town has unique tourism sites, and investing in marketing these sites will create many jobs for our people.

The MP said, we discussed fish preservation and also banana production, and possible exportation to Morocco.

According to the MP, the Ambassador accepted an invitation to visit Kwahu with the hope to visiting the Rock City and the paragliding site, and would love to see the greater Kwahu.

He said he also used the opportunity to appeal to her to use her office to support the reconstruction of the Mpraeso Mosque.

Ghanamps.com

The first Ordinary Session of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Parliament for 2021, starts today, Thursday, May 27, 2021 in Abuja Nigeria,

The Chairman of the Authority of Heads of States and Government, President Nana Akufo-Addo is expected to address the Parliament today.

He is expected to address issues on terrorism, the fight against COVID-19, regional integration, climate change and democratic governance among others.

The Vice President of Liberia, Jewel Cianeh Howard Taylor will also be present at the opening ceremony which takes place today.

President of the ECOWAS Commission Jean Claude Kassi Brou, in accordance with Article 32 of the Supplementary Act, stated that “At each ordinary session of the parliament, President of the Commission shall present a general report on the status of implementation of the community work program”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com/Abuja.

Director of Public Affairs of Ghana’s Parliament Madam Kate Addo has hinted that in the second meeting of the first session of the 8^th Parliament, they would try to breach the gap between Parliament and the citizenry using the media.

According to her Parliament is encouraging Ghanaian citizens to engage more with them, but was quick to point out that they are pleading that the language used on their facebook portal and other platforms should be decorous.

“So that we can have decent conversation, that is devoid of disrespect to Ghanaians and the institution at large”.

She said there would be a lot of activities making this meeting very busy, including international assignments. “As we speak, we have a delegation that has left to South Africa the Pan African Parliament and another heading to Nigeria Abuja for ECOWAS Parliament”.  There would also be a number of courtesy calls on the Speaker, she stated.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Banda Constituency, Ahmed Ibrahim has expressed worry over delay in the presentation to parliament the formular for approval for the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETfund) and the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIL).

According to him the second quarter is almost ending and as a member of the Local Government and Rural Development Committee, when they went round all the sixteen regions during the recess, they witness how the Assemblies are suffering,

He added that the Majority Leader in presenting the Business Statement for this week noted that those statutory payments are contingent on the formular being presented to the House for approval, and stated that the law also indicates that the formulas should be presented on time.

And further expressed worry over a circular that had asked MMDCEs to step aside for vetting until they are either re-appointed or otherwise. “So is like the decentralization process has totally collapsed, we must put pressure for the funds to be sent to the Assemblies for them to work”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Majority Leader, Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has set the record straight that President Nana Akufo-Addo and the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Daniel Botwe have not issued any circular for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to step aside.

According to him something in that regard was circulated but did not emanate from the presidency neither the sector Ministry, but such a thing was put in circulation, “only the originators know of it”.

He noted in a further development that there has been a letter disclaiming the ownership of the earlier letter and went on further to point out that, Coordinating Directors at the various Assemblies are not spending officers and cannot spend if they are not authorized to do so, hence a circular went out in that regard not to spend more than two thousand Ghana cedis.

He made this known when he presented the Business Statement for this week on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, and the Member of Parliament for Banda, Ahmed Ibrahim raised concerns on the floor of the House concerning activities at the various MMDAs, stating that nothing is happening at the Assemblies because of the directive to the MMDCEs.

He was however happy that the process of nominating and approving MMDCEs by the president who is vested with that authority has started, and started last week and ongoing at the various Regions.

On the issue of approving formula for the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETfund), and the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL), the MP was not happy parliament has still not received documents to that effect.

He was however, quick to point out that the Banda MPs concern was his use of the word “contingent”, that is approval is contingent, that when it comes to the House it would be approved. But the Majority Leader went ahead to point out that the formula would be presented next week.

“We would insist on that, I have indeed met with the sector Ministers concerned and they have all agreed to present the formula for approval by next week”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

As part of enforcing the COVID-19 protocols, Director of Public Affairs of Parliament of Ghana, Kate Addo has noted that the number of people who visit the House would be controlled.

 According to her the protocols have not been relaxed yet, but going forward, the House would review its position and allow more visitors in the future when things get normal.

And as part of the usual practice in the House, there would be a media encounter with leadership of the House on Thursday, May 27, 2021 where the media in parliament would interact with leadership and ask questions, she said in an interview.

She further noted that the Appointment Committee of the House would start vetting the President’s nominees for Minister of State and Deputy Ministers nominees, from June 2, to June 15, 2021.

Again, Public Accounts Committee would hold its usual public hearing, whiles committees that do not sit in public would hold their usual meetings not open to the public, as Committees would play their oversight role on Ministries, Agencies and Departments with Ministers coming to the floor of the House to ask questions.

Madam Kate Addo pointed out that, private members motions would be taken on the floor, as well as statements, as the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta is expected to present a supplementary budget, whiles referrals before Committees would also be looked at, she said.

On journalists who report from the House, she advised that those who would not have essential duties on the floor are being encouraged to stay in their offices and use parliament’s electronic sources like Facebook for their news.

“If the need be for an interview, we at the public affairs department would facilitate that to reduce the human traffic and as the year goes by, we would reduce the restrictions when there is improvement”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com