Month: July 2021

Members of Parliament have unanimously rejected the current car loan arrangement meant to procure vehicles to enable them effectively carry out their duties as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.

While the House approved an amount of Twenty-Eight Million United States Dollars (US$28,000,000.00) to finance the Purchase of Vehicles for members of the 8″ Parliament [2021 to 2024], they resolved not to accept the current arrangement going forward.

A Finance Committee report on the Medium Term Loan Agreement among the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Finance, Members of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana [2021 to 2024] and the National Investment Bank Limited for an amount of Twenty-Eight Million United States Dollars (US$28,000,000.00) to finance the Purchase of Vehicles for members of the 8″ Parliament [2021 to 2025], recommended Discontinuation of the Vehicle Loan Arrangement for MPs and Members of the Council of State.

The recommendation according to the committee arose from recent concerns expressed by many sections of the Ghanaian public about the burden the current vehicle loan arrangement for Members of Parliament and Members of the Council of State impose on the public purse. “These legitimate concerns are fueled by the fact that, of all the Article 71 office holders, it is only Members of Parliament and Members of the Council of State who benefit from these vehicle loans, part of which are re-paid by the state.”

An all-embracing debate on the recommendation on the floor of the House on Thursday, July 15, 2021 saw all the MPs agreeing to the recommendation since many argued that the current arrangement was rather putting burden on them.

The MPs rather called for fair treatment like all Council of State Members. “Members of Parliament and Members of the Council of State should have similar duty post vehicle arrangements as other Article 71 office holders have.”

With the new arrangement, Government would have to bear the full cost of the vehicles, maintenance, fueling, insurance as well as employ drivers for the MPs.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanaps.com

The Chairperson of a 9-Member Ad-hoc Committee investigating the procurement of Sputnik-V COVID-19 vaccines says their probing into the matter is not a witch hunting exercise.

According to Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the committee will give all witnesses a fair hearing and will not dive into a ‘deep ocean’.

He also pleaded with the press to ensure accurate reportage that will not prejudice the outcome of the committee’s work.

Vice Chairman of the committee, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh is asking witnesses appearing before the committee to corporate with all honesty to help achieve the purpose of the committee.

The health minister noted that after signing the contract, they got assurance that three hundred thousand vaccines would be supplied, based on Ghana’s ability to give them a letter of credit base on the agreement but Ghana delayed in providing that.

“After sometime they came back to confirm that they have run out of stocks and Russia was going to supply them with more stocks and they would be able to supply Ghana within two weeks. And two weeks when we enquire, they said they have still not gotten supplies and we started to engage them to let us withdraw from the agreement”.

The minister told the committee the withdrawal was occasioned so that Ghana can look elsewhere for some of the vaccine as they have failed to supply Ghana with the promised vaccine, and told the Committee, as things stand now Ghana does not have any contract.

“They gave verbal notice they would not be ablet to supply us any longer, so we requested that they terminate the contract”.

The Committee would continue with its public hearing on Monday, July 19, 2021 with the health minister to conclude with him.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Adu-Twum has said, in 2020, Government through its efforts to help students amidst COVID-19 to prepare for the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) procured 568,755 past questions for students to try their hands on before sitting for the actual exams.

He explained that, the Ministry of Education contracted Messrs Kingdom Books and Stationery to supply 568,755 WASSCE past questions at a contract price of GHS 33,641,043.75.

Dr Adu-Twum concluded that, procurement of these questions was funded through the Free Senior High School Account and the results of the 2020 WASSCE was tremendous compared to previous years WASSCE performance.

The Minister gave this clarity when the Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement A. Apaak asked the Minister, how much it cost the State to procure 568,755 pieces of past examination questions for Senior High School students who wrote the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 2020 and the source of funds for the procurement.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram Samuel Nartey George has noted that comments made by the Chairman of the defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, Ken Ohene Agyapong against Erastus Asare Donkor, a journalist are more grievous than the comments made against Ahmed Suale who was gruesomely murdered few years ago.

Mr. Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central in the Central Region is alleged to have said on a TV programme that the journalist should be seriously beaten, and threatened that if he was the President of Ghana, he would ensure he is beaten mercilessly.

“In the case of Ahmed, no reference was made to the president, but in this case, you have a leading member of the NPP make these comments, and when he speaks it carries weight”.

In an interview with journalists on his expectations of the issue that the Speaker has referred to the Privileges Committee, he noted that he does not want to preempt the work of the Committee, but clear lines should be drawn as a country for everyone.

Again, this is an individual whose conduct has gone all the way to the Supreme Court. There is a case pending against him, but the Chief Justice is unable to hear the case, but in the case of Dr. Akuritinga Dominic Ayine, a former deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, he has been hauled before the General Legal Counsel and Supreme Court for contempt.

And added that parliament has an opportunity to lay down the matter and say that enough is enough, standards and quality should be upheld, “he is not just an MP, Chairman of Defense and Interior”.

Also, it is a critical Committee of all parliaments in the world, and supervises the Interior ministry which the police fall under. Additionally, Ken has done some philanthropic works for the 37 Military Hospital, “would the military be able to hold him to account? It’s only the peoples’ representative that can do this work”.

“Erastus Asare’s MP should have been the one moving a motion on the floor, we need to see for once Parliament doing what is in the interest of Ghanaians”, Sam George lamented.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Chairman of the Public Account Committee (PAC) Dr. James Klutse Avedzi has noted that they as a committee can enforce surcharge only if it’s recommended by the Auditor General (AG) in its report that is presented to the House.

According to him Article 187 clause 7 of the 1992 Constitution gives the AG the power to disallow any expenditure, surcharge the officers whenever they conduct an audit and infractions occurs.

He noted in an interview that in the just ended public hearing of the AG’s report for MDAs, it came out clearly that people who had infractions against them were rushing to go and pay funds before they appear before the Committee.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has once again reminded members of parliament of the limit of their privileges to free speech and where they can exercise it without consequences.

According to him, the Privileges of free speech for MPs is only in the House and does not extend to outside the Parliament House, including radio and television programme among others.

The Speaker said the privileges to free speech “applies in full force in plenary sessions and committee sessions, not when the persons are outside debating issues or on radio or TV. You don’t have that right, that privilege to just say anything because you are a member of parliament, not at all. You are not above the law. “

According to him, it is for good reason because they represent a large number of people, hence they are given the full immunity to be able to say anything that the people want them to say. “That is why you say it here and you are covered”, but it does not permit them to just say anything anywhere.

His caution followed a report lodged against the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, and Chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, who is alleged to have made life-threatening comments against Erastus Asare Donkor, a journalist with the Multi-Media Group during a Net 2 TV programme “the Attitude”, that has brought the name of the House into disrepute.

Mr. Agyapong is said to have

• called for the ‘serious’ beating of Erastus Asare Donkor;
• asserted that “we should beat the hell out of “Erastus Asare Donkor; and
• threatened that if he (Honourable Agyapong) were the President of Ghana, he would have ensured that Erastus Asare Donkor is beaten mercilessly.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Assin Central in the Central Region, Kennedy Agyapong has been hauled before the Privileges Committee.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin coming under Order 27 of the Standing Orders of Parliament accepted Mr. Alhassan Suhuyini’s request to exercise his discretion under Order 27 of the House and referred Mr. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong to the Privileges Committee for investigation and report to the House.

Mr. Alhassan Suhuyini, Member of Parliament for Tamale North coming under Order 30 (2) of Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana brought to the attention of the Speaker life-threatening comments that the MP for Assin South and Chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament was alleged to have made during a Net 2 TV programme “the Attitude” against Erastus Asare Donkor, a journalist with the Multi-Media Group that has brought the name of the House into disrepute.

According to him, in the said video, Mr. Agyapong

• called for the ‘serious’ beating of Erastus Asare Donkor;
• asserted that “we should beat the hell out of“Erastus Asare Donkor; and
• threatened that if he (Honourable Agyapong) were the President of Ghana, he would have ensured that Erastus Asare Donkor is beaten mercilessly.

Mr. Suhuhi also noted that the MP issued similar threats on the same Network to the late Ahmed Suale before the journalist was gunned down in cold blood by unknown assailants.

He believed the Privileges Committee would be able to ascertain the veracity of the comments that were made and recommend sanctions, if possible, that would act as a deterrent for future comments of Mr. Kennedy Ohehe Agyapong and other members of Parliament that may be tempted to act like him.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com

The Ranking Member on the health committee and MP for Juaboso, Kwabena Minta Akandoh has said, President Akufo-Addo’s government and the health ministry has not been serious with Ghanaians with respect to COVID-19 pandemic when it comes to issues of testing and vaccine.

 He explained that, there a number of people who are being affected with the disease and increasing too fast in recent times, but government has left Ghanaians to their fate without taking the appropriate measures in addressing the challenge.

At a media briefing on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 he indicated that, Government promised to vaccinate 20 million Ghanaians against the disease at the end of the year 2021 but only about One million people have so far been vaccinated, even though, we are in the seventh month of the year.

The ranking member further said, Government announced to Ghanaian that, all citizens can walk to any public health center for COVID-19 testing for free but that has not been the case when one visits these centers unless a referred case.

He concluded that, some health facilities charge between Ghc 300 and Ghc600 for COVID-19 test which is way too expensive.

He said the government must quickly move to address what appears to be the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic with increased vaccination, contact tracing and regular updates to keep the citizenry abreast of new developments with regard to the virus.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com