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Month: June 2021

ECOWAS Court Judgement: “Mali delegation to hold on with new sanction” —Speaker

Posted on by Kwaku GhanaMPs

Lawmakers in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, meeting at the ongoing First Ordinary Session 2021 in Abuja Nigeria, have been wondering on the way forward, on a judgement given by the Community Court that the transitional MPs appointed to the ECOWAS parliament can be sworn-in.

The matter came to light on Wednesday, June 3, 2021 when some MPs questioned the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H. E.  Jean-Claude Kassi Brou who presented a report on the state of affairs on ECOWAS as an institution.

The Rt. Hon. Speaker had to clarify the issues by saying, “regarding a court judgement from the ECOWAS Court, under normal circumstances we would have invited the Hon members to immediately come over and take their oath”.

He, however told the plenary that, with the new sanctions in the wake of the renewed coup, “we have to hold on until that particular aspect is cleared”. These remarks got most of the lawmakers applauding to the decision.

  Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com/Abuja

Minority demands Health Ministry to investigate cement carrying ambulance

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The Minority on the Health Committee in Parliament is demanding independent investigation into circumstances that led to the use of an ambulance to carry cement bags on a video that has been on circulation on social media in recent times.

According to the Ranking Member on Health, Kwabena Minta Akandoh, explanation offered by the National Ambulance Service that the act was committed by a mechanic working on the vehicle, which was still in the custody of the supplier Ghana Autogroup Limited for servicing is an insult to the integrity of Ghanaians.

“The silence of the Ministry is too loud on issues of public interest, and therefore, we are calling on the Minister to constitute an independent probe into the matter for Ghanaians to know who and who are culpable, and who has been punished for that offence,” he added.

The Juaboso MP also alleged that despite being distributed to constituencies across the country, the ambulances have not been properly integrated into the healthcare system, hence the idleness of the vehicles, hence such a result.

And added that when well-integrated, when they are called upon, they can move from one healthcare center with patients to the other. According to him, as the “No Bed Syndrome” is still with Ghanaians, “the Ministry has not been able to increase beds that is required, hence the Minister must think outside the box and find an IT medical center where medial doctors would be calling through to call ambulances”.

Again, with this, it would be easy to identify where there are empty beds. “It would not be the responsibility of the patients to be looking for beds all over; this is common sense and highly expected of the Ministry”, he added.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Ketu South: MP calls for measures to halt degradation of Ecosystem

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Member of Parliament for Ketu South, Abla Dzifa Gomashie has invited the Ministers for Lands and Natural Resources, and Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, to pay a visit to the Ketu South Constituency to witness and find solutions to adverse practice that affect the Eco-System.

According to her, unlike illegal mining in other parts of the country that got everybody talking because of its injurious effect on the environment, her area in the Ketu South is experiencing sand winning, and reclaiming of lagoon lands for construction.

Madam Gomashie making a statement in support of the World Environment Day Celebration on the theme: Let’s Unite to Save the Environment, said the number of trucks that come across the border from Togo for sand “is very bad, it is scary”.

She expressed worry that people are being granted permits to fill the lagoons and build. “We are losing even the lagoons”, she said. Adding that the lagoons support the livelihoods of the people, because it is where tilapia is harvested, and in the dry season the people mine salt. “As we are filling them now, it means that the opportunity for people to get all these natural resources are being taken away”.

The MP called for a collaborative action between Ministries, particularly Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and the Local Government and Rural Development Ministry to call the Assemblies to do the right thing so that the Ecosystem can be sustained.

Madam Gomashie also brought to the fore the plight of the people along the coastal communities in her Constituency indicating that “as we speak some of the communities have been washed away by tidal waves”, a situation that requires action from the government and the Ministry to find lasting solutions to what is now known as an annual ritual that the people go through.

 Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com

ECOWAS Court Ruling: “We should not be supporting undemocratic system” —Bah

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In the matter of the opinion of the ECOWAS Court of Justice that the Malian Transitional Council representatives can be sworn in at the ECOWAS Parliament, as the country moves on a transitional road reverting the country back to constitutional rule, leader of the Sierra Leone’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, Chernor R. M. Bah has noted that as a community parliament they should not be supporting government that are not democratic to participate in a democratic system.

“I cannot challenge the decision of the Community Court of Justice, it is within their domain, but as an individual independently, I would not have gone that road, definitely we would be condoning things which we should not condone”.

He pointed out in an interview that, in the wake of the coup, elected MPs were removed from office, and their positions would now be occupied by selected individuals; “the very things we are complaining about”.

As to whether MPs elected before the coup should be brought back, he noted that for some of them, that was their thought, but they were told they cannot be brought back because the government under which they served was overthrown and Mali should not be represented until they return back to democratic governance.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com/Abuja

Speaker honours Secretary General of ECOWAS Parliament, other staff

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As promised by the Speaker of the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) Parliament, Rt. Hon Sidie Mohamed Tunis, on Wednesday June 2, 2021 honoured four staff members for their immense contributions towards the fifth Legislature.

The Secretary General John Azumah was the first to receive the Speakers award, and was presented to him by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou.

Mrs. Rukka Ajana, acting head of translators, Chinwe Adelekan, head of library and Fatimah Diop, head of conference were among the other recipients of the award.

Rt Hon Sidie Mohamed Tunis was full of praise for four staff members who were honoured, stating that they were very instrumental in making the organization of the ongoing First Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament 2021 possible.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com/Abuja

Haruna admonishes parliamentary press corps to report accurately and timely

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Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu has charged members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) to endeavor to report accurately and timely as the fourth estate of the realm, as well has hold Parliament accountable, including state and government institutions.

At a media engagement on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 with leadership of the House to highlight what to expect in the second meeting of the first session of the 8th Parliament, where members of the media in parliament have the opportunity to seek clarification on issues in Parliament.

He further lamented over the sacrifices that lawmakers make that go unnoticed, or unreported, hence the public has a different perception about parliament and lawmakers for that matter, and appealed to journalists in parliament to throw lights on the sacrifices MPs make, so that it is not seen as though all is well with MPs.

He said a lot of works go on quietly, and MPs have to stay and work late into the night for the smooth running of the country. “We stay late and work on bills”.

And further pointed out that the Appointment Committee would start its work on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 and any member of the public who has anything credible against any nominee to be vetted should not hesitate, to pass that information on to the Speaker, Chairman of the Committee or his/her Member of Parliament.

“Deputy Ministers are supposed to assist their Ministers and are not Ministers, again my side would continue to hold government accountable to the people, Ministers and members in the Majority would not be able to do that, so those of us in the Minority would continue to play our oversight responsibility. Because the president cannot dismiss as he would do to a Minister”, he stated.

Additionally. he noted that where the Minority needs to agree with the Majority and cooperate, they would do that, and gave an example of how they are consulting in other to bring to justice those who lost their lives in the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. “We would move a motion for an investigation to be carried out”, he said.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

“ECOWAS Court ruling make sense, but current coup not favouring” —Humado

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A former member of the Ghana’s delegation to the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) Parliament, Clement Kofi Humado, has said the opinion of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, that the Malian MPs under the transitional council should be sworn in makes sense.

He said the position taken by the Community Court of Justice does not favour the military junta, but should be left in the hands of the military junta to adjust quickly to the situation.

“I believe we do not have to deny a group of people their representation because of the turmoil in their respective country, the people still need to be represented good or bad, that is why if the MPs were elected directly by the people, this issue would not have arisen”, he said in a telephone interview from Accra.

 He further noted that, as to whether there is a military junta or not, ones the MPs were elected to become members of the ECOWAS Parliament, he said they would continue to work on behalf of their people, “I welcome the decision of the Court let us see how it plays out”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com/Abuja

Majority leader backs burning of excavators

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The Majority leader Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu has defended the action of the Operation Halt in burning excavators found at illegal mining sites.

Addressing the Parliamentary Press corps, during the leaders’ media briefing on Wednesday June2, 2021, the leader of Government Business said there is a need for reality check to help salvage the environment to remain useful to us and for future generations as enshrined in the constitution.

according to him, the law provides that when an operator using excavator illegally is chanced upon, that person must be arrested; but when you have a situation as happening now, where you go to a river body where the excavator is not supposed to be there in the first place , and the person who is operating it upon hearing that you are advancing vanishes, then removes the vital part, if you want to remove it, you can’t remove it, what do u do? As I said in parliament, you further demobilize it.”

 He wondered why a country like Ghana, currently has over 5000 excavators, when it is the least used equipment for road construction in which it is used for excavation for drains, and dredging of streams for the construction of bridges. “How can you have in this country, excavators now numbering over 5000?

“Today, streams feeding rivers have been diverted, and hugely polluted. Look, if you take the top soil 2feets, it takes 200years for the soil to replenish itself. If u dug 100 meters, how long will it take? He queried.

He asserted that minerals on the surfaces of the ground, in water bodies, and underneath the soil are all vested in the president on behalf of the state, and noted that a research conducted showed that for just one year, export of gold to Dubai amounted to 2.5 billion dollars. “What is the share of the state in that? Nothing, because these galamseyers don’t pay tax on anything. They smuggled whatever they have or chanced upon through foreign countries. We must be candid with ourselves”

He also mentioned that the forest cover of this country in the 20th century was 8.5 million hectors, but by the 21century it has dwindled to 1.5 million. “Now within the past ten years, no thanks to galamsey, we have lost 500,000 hectors of forest cover. Today as we speak, the forest cover of this country is less than 600,000. Where are we going as a country?

He said the effect of the galamsey is the inability of the Komenda Sugar factory to produce sugar because the raw water that is supposed to be pump from the Pra River to irrigate the farm has been mudded, and the cyanide content in the water cannot be purified, and even if treated water is used it would have effect on the production cost.

He advised that for these reasons, we must confront reality, and do what we can to avert further destruction to the environment including water bodies.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com

ECOWAS Court: “ Malian Transitional MPs should be sworn in”

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The ECOWAS Court of Justice has opined that Members of Parliament of the Community Parliament, appointed  under the transitional council in Mali should be sworn in based on legal basis, as the Parliament sought its opinion.

Speaker of the Community Parliament Rt Hon Sidie Mohammed Tunis, asked the administrative head of the Parliament, John Azumah to read the opinion of the court to the plenary on Tuesday, June 1, 2021 before the start of the presentation of the country report.

It comes at the back of the Community Parliament seeking the opinion of the court in the wake of the first coup in Mali, and the Malian delegation presented themselves but were not sworn in during an Extra Ordinary Session in Sierra Leone.

In January 5, 2021 the transitional council elected the Malian delegation to represent them in the Community Parliament. In the opinion of the ECOWAS Court, the transitional MPs should be sworn into office until there is an election of new representatives, by a new Assembly in Mali.

 “Which shall result in the restoration of the national constitutional order in the State of Mali”.

This was signed by the president of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Edward Asante on Monday, May 31, 2021.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com/Abuja

Appointment Committee begins vetting of deputy ministerial nominees

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Four Ministers designate of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government would appear before the Appointment Committee of Ghana’s Parliament on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 for vetting.

The following designated Ministers would appear before, Charles Adu-Boahen Minister of State designate for Finance, Benito Owusu-Bio Lands and Natural Resources, Augustine Collins Ntim Local Government Decentralisation and Rural Development.

And Osei Bonsu Amoah, Deputy designate Local Government Decentralisation and Rural Development.

In an earlier interview with the Direct of Public Affairs Kate Addo noted that, COVID-19 protocols would be observed hence there would be limited number of people in the vetting room where the national broadcaster, the Ghana Broadcasting Cooperation (GBC) would telecast the event live for other media houses to pick feed from.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com