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Month: September 2021

If ECOWAS MPs were elected, military coup would not affect representation —Mahama

Posted on by Kwaku GhanaMPs

The first rapporteur to the ECOWAS Parliament’s Committee on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Mahama Ayariga said, if lawmakers to the community Parliament were directly elected, military coups, which have become the order of the day in some West Africa member states would not  have affect representation.

“We do not pray for military coup, and do not encourage it, but should it happen, it would not in any way affect representation to the Community parliament, and I think it is one of the good things of having direct elections”.

In a telephone interview, he pointed out that the Political Affairs Committee has not met yet on the matter of the military coup in Guinea and would not be able to give any clear position, on what they would do, or the way forward.

“What would happen or not I have not been given any mandate of the Committee to state any position of the Committee, the main functional body when it comes to matters like this is the Commission”.

And added that, if they require that parliament should be involved, they would invite the parliament, and he does not think the parliament is at the level where on its own it can engage in such international matters within its operations; “let us wait and see, it all depends on the Rt. Hon Speaker Sidie Mohmmad Tunis”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Guinea Coup: “I don’t know if Parliament would treat the MPs like the Malians” —Ayariga

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In the wake of Mamady Doumbouya staging a coup in Guinea and over throwing former President Alpha Conde and dissolving the National Assembly, the fate of their lawmakers to the Community Parliament is in limbo.

First rapporteur to the Committee on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Mahama Ayariga, has said ones the Guinean Parliament has been dissolved, their lawmakers to the Community Parliament would not be able to represent their county.

“Based on the precedent we have seen in the Malian case, but the Malian situation was a bit different in the sense that the sitting military regime appointed sent a new list to represent Mali and ECOWAS Parliament rejected that list on the basis that the government was not being recognized by ECOWAS, that basically was the issue”.

In a telephone interview, he pointed out that, he does not know if same treatment would be extended to the sitting Members of Parliament from Guinea. “If the new regime does not change the representation, whether or not the Parliament would tolerate the current sitting members until a parliament is equally recognized by ECOWAS”.

He further pointed out that, in his opinion, it is not a straight forward matter, what the Community Parliament would do to the current sitting members from the Republic of Guinea.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP donates reading materials, exercise book and nose masks

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Member of Parliament (MP) for Nsawam-Adoagyiri (MP) Frank Anno-Dompreh has donated over two thousand five hundred (2,500) reading materials, exercise books and nose masks to ten (10) basic schools in his constituency.

This forms part of his education crusade in his constituency as he has placed literacy on his agenda at his constituency leading to great performance from students in the Junior High School (JHS) from his constituency.

In all twenty-five (25) schools have benefited from the Nsawam-Adoagyiri MPs crusade to bring education to the door steps of his constituents.

The ten basic schools that benefited from the MPs recent donation are.

  1. Bishop Ato Junior High School
  2. Adoagyiri R/C Boys primary
  3. Adoagyiri R/C Girls primary
  4. Adoagyiri R/C Junior High School
  5. Sakyikrom united primary
  6. Sakyikrom united Junior High School
  7. AME Zion Basic School
  8. Nsawam SDA Basic ‘A’
  9. Oparekrom MA Basic School
  10. Nana Osae Djan Basic School

Ghanamps.com

“We have more resources than any other continent yet we are poor” — Dr. Apraku

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The Commissioner for Macroeconomic Policy and Research at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku has expressed worry about the African continent have more resources than any other continent in the world yet its people its citizens are impoverished.

According to him, destiny beckons on us to move faster with confidence and to look into the future, and this should be the beginning of breaking from the past and moving into the future.

He made these remarks in Accra where the ECOWAS Commission held a three-day meeting for planning exerts of member states to validate the final draft report of ECOWAS Vision 2050 which ended on Sunday, September 12, 2021.

 

“ECOWAS would be as good as you all wish it to be, we represent the aspiration and hope of our region, we want to be an ECOWAS of people where people lead in dignity and confidence of the future, in the final analysis within our capacity to do that the world is moving on. We cannot be left behind”.

Dr. Apraku said, “every step we take, we seem to take two more steps backward”, adding that we have to reflect deeply on our responsibility to each other, and to our countries, and to the future generations, and make this work. No one is going to do this for us”, he emphasized.

In a speech on behalf of the Vice President of the Commission, Her Excellency Madam Finda Koroma, he noted that the meeting is a key step towards the finalization and adoption of the ECOWAS vision 2050 document.

And stated that the decision to develop this 2050 vision document was with a strong conviction on the need to appreciate the current and emerging opportunities as well as challenges that confront the region in these contemporary times.

It is to build resilience and deliver sustainable development for our people and countries to achieve five phases road map: preparatory stage, assessment stage, formulation and framing, review and revision of 2050, and validation and adoption, recommended by the Council of Ministers had been adhered to.

He indicated that having completed the four-phased of the roadmaps, the expectations of this meeting is to further strengthen the quality and relevance of the draft vision document and to take steps closer to its adoption by the Authority of Heads of States and Government, as a result of your review and validation in this meeting.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Who leads NPP 2024? “Let us support our government to succeed first” —Dr Apraku

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First-year into the second term of President Nana Akufo-Addo administration, names of who is likely to lead the New Patriotic Party (NPP) into the 2024 presidential election has started coming up.

But in the view of Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, former Trade and Industry Minister under the John Kufour administration, it is important that the current Akufo-Addo led government is supported to perform and succeed first, before the issue of who leads the party into the 2024 presidential election to break the eight (8) years cycle is discussed.

As to whether he could contest the flagbearer ship of the NPP when the time comes, he said: “I cannot confirm, we have a lot of time and programme that have been provided by our leadership at the party level and requires us to curtail any outward ambitions and activities that may disrupt or disorient policies that are being pursued by our own government”.

And further pointed out that, the NPP just went through a very difficult elections in the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections, and had not learnt lessons yet; “all of a sudden everybody seems to be interested in the future leadership of our party, let us consolidate this leadership first”, he stressed.

Again, he added that the current government should succeed so that Ghanaians become proud of a government that has the capacity to deliver, then when one runs as a presidential candidate of the NPP, it has the prospect of winning. “You should not just run because you want to be president lose or win”.

“I believe the NPP provide the best prospect for Ghana’s development, but we have to put our house in order and strengthen our structures and learn what went wrong in the 2020 elections and look forward to a united party, and should not be a party that is already fighting each other; it is too early for that”.

As to if the ECOWAS Commissioner for macroeconomics policy and research would be appealing to NPP delegates if he decides to run in NPP primaries when the time comes, he pointed out that it is too early, but however, pointed out that he had contested before and delegates would give one opportunity when one campaign. “We run to win not run to fight, let us build our party to be strong enough so that whoever is selected would have the greater chance to win”.

When questioned on his thought about breaking the eight-year cycle in power, he noted that Ghanaians seems to believe that every eight years they have to change government and even in the most advanced democracies like the United States of America when they started there were no term limits, “you go as long as the people want you to stay in power; we have jumped it and made it mandatory, but eight years is not enough to build sustainable development and should not be taken as if it’s the order of things. Governments should be examined carefully; I use the word advisedly

Dr. Konadu Apraku noted that it takes time to build a stable economy; and in the issues of economic development in recent times, it is always the case that governments that had been stable for a long time have been most successful.

“We need to be careful before we make a change, we should not do that in anger, sometimes we get frustrated we want to change the government, but we need to look at the long-term agenda programme that is being put in place. Economics is not like other things where you grow food and in three months it is supposed to bear fruits, it takes a long time, you have to be patient and very deliberate”, he noted.

He advised Ghanaians not to allow the opponents of the NPP to give them sweet words, and believe the NPP should be given the mandate that they deserve. “If we do well, we should be allowed to continue, it is the same the other way round, and the prospect of Ghana’s development rest with the NPP; I have no doubt at all in my mind”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The world risks losing dividends of democracy if we don’t act in unison — Osei-Owusu

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 First Deputy Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has observed that the quest to contain the Covid-19 pandemic has scaled up the use of emergency powers by a number of governments, giving rise to widespread abuse of those powers.

He was contributing to a panel discussion on the topic “emergency measures imposed by Government must always be subjected to Parliamentary approval and regular review” at the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament currently under-way in Vienna, Austria.

Mr.  Osei-Owusu, who is the leader of Ghana’s delegation to the conference, said the threat to democracy occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic appears to be more catastrophic than the losses already experienced by humanity as a direct result of the pandemics.

He was concerned that the world risks losing the dividends of democracy should governments fail to act in unison and fast enough.

“It is a truism to state that the Covid-19 Pandemic has come to stay, at least into the foreseeable future. Its impact has been devastating to the global economy just as it has constrained the space for good governance around the world”, said the First Deputy Speaker.

He further noted that the shrinking space of democracy as a result of the search for solutions to the pandemic has been characterized, in a number of countries, by the excessive use of emergency powers by the Executive arms of government, often reflecting in decisions that are taken without recourse to the legislature.

In some cases, he said, such powers have been exercised without due consideration to the concerns of opposition parties. In others, they have been very repressive in their outlook and devoid of public inputs and the preferences of the governed. “Human rights abuses are inherent in these, as basic freedoms are denied the people,” he pointed out.

According to the leader of Ghana’s delegation, there has been the use of draconian measures to impose far-reaching restrictions in certain parts of the world. Emergency powers of some governments around the world have been expanded beyond the reasonable remit of the law, and media freedoms have been suppressed, preventing the publishing of any material other than what is politically correct from the perspective of governments. These, he said, are some examples of undemocratic measures undertaken by certain governments under the guise of fighting the pandemic, using emergency power.

Mr. Osei Owusu maintained that “altogether, the legitimacy granted by the Parliamentary approval of the use of emergency powers by governments is complemented by the implicit consent of the public to cooperate with the government in finding a lasting solution to the problem. In the light of the foregoing, it is my considered opinion that it is always necessary to subject the use of emergency powers by government to regular legislative scrutiny and reviews”.

Whilst admitting that emergency powers are essential in dealing with major global challenges including the Covid-19 Pandemic, he said it was for good reason that the laws of most countries require that emergency measures undertaken by governments are brought to the legislature for ratification and, particularly, for extension beyond the minimal terms that the laws often grant governments to exercise.

He shared Ghana’s experience, where the legal regime granting the President of the country the authority to deal with the pandemic, limited any emergency regulation enacted to a maximum period of three months in the first instance, and an extended period of only three months when it was absolutely necessary.

That way, he said, Parliament retained its supervisory role over the executive.

Ghanamps.com

Coup is unacceptable, so is manipulating constitutions to change term limits—Ayariga

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A member of Ghana’s delegation to the Community Parliament, Mahama Ayariga has said military take overs are unacceptable, but was quick to point out that, same is for sub-regional presidents who manipulate their country’s constitution to change their term limits.

According to him it is customary for Authority of Heads of States and Government to condemn the coup d’état in Guinea, and is in order, but after the initial condemnation the aftermath is what is really important

“The principles of military take overs is something that can never be acceptable and constitutional presidents perpetuating their stay in office, invariably leaves the door open for military take over whether legitimate or otherwise so I agree with you”, he said in an interview.

Mr. Ayariga further pointed out that it is unfortunate that the Parliament of Guinea has been dissolved and, in that vein, ECOWAS would send a delegation to Guinea, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana who chairs the Council of Ministers.

“We have to wait to see the outcome of their deliberation that would take place in Guinea”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

CSOs with any input on revised standing order should contact the Committee —Kyei

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Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has advised Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to make input, if they have any to the ongoing revision work on the Standing Orders of Ghana’s Parliament.

According to him the revised Standing Orders is formally before the Subsidiary Legislation Committee which is chaired by, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, and pleaded with CSOs to engage and submit their own input”.

He made this remarks on Wednesday, September 8, 2021 when CSOs and the media engaged him in a zoom meeting to congratulate and engage him after his election as vice chairperson of the Commonwealth Association on the topic, “Africa PMOs Meeting with Vice Chairperson of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association”.

When members of the Civil Society Organisation in Ghana, wanted to know the state of   the revised Standing Order currently, he said “we have gone beyond first and second draft, we have done five drafts already, the final one we would submit to Dr. Ayine and we are engaging them ahead of time, after that we would bring their input and the consolidated one to the plenary for discussion”.

Again, this would allow members to contribute to it either at the committee of the whole or joint caucus meeting for either two or three days.

“When we agree on the terms, then we would consolidate everything then it can be laid in parliament, when laid it goes back to the subsidiary legislation Committee, he added.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Global solidarity can mitigate the pandemic – UN Secretary-General

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The Firth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, which is the world’s largest gathering of the highest level of parliamentary representation, has officially opened in Vienna, Austria. It is being organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Austrian Parliament with the United Nations (UN) as partners.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Secretary-General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, said the solution to a world reeling from COVID-19, climate change, inequality and conflicts is solidarity. Without that, recovery is impossible.

He expressed support for the efforts by countries who, in the current pandemic, are striving to put people first and provide stronger social protections and safety nets. He spoke about the importance of universal health coverage, decent basic income, access to education for all and increased support for girls and women, who have suffered disproportionately from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We need to put women at the center of the recovery and at the center of parliaments. Only three countries have 50 per cent or more women in parliament.  Many have no women at all.  We urge countries and political parties to achieve true gender parity in the halls of power — including through gender quotas”, he said.

In reference to the theme for the conference, “Parliamentary leadership for more effective multilateralism that delivers peace and sustainable development for the people and the planet”, the UN Secretary-General said “people acting in the common interest: that is what the multilateral system does on the global stage; and it is what parliaments seek to do at the national level. Parliaments bridge the global and local”.

He pointed out that parliament is central to advancing human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and told the global parliamentary community that “we are counting on you. There is no time for delay and no room for excuses. The solutions to the global challenges are clear”.

Antonio Guterres identified a commitment to net-zero emissions by mid-century, more ambitious climate plans, phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and delivering credible adaptation support to developing countries backed by adequate climate finance as part of solutions.

Ghana’s delegation to the conference is led by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Joseph Osei Owusu and includes the Clerk to Parliament, Mr. Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah. A number of bilateral meetings with sister parliaments have been scheduled by Ghana as part of the events of the conference.

Ghanamps.com

There is no portrait of Mahama in Bagbin’s office

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The office of the Speaker of Parliament has dismissed publications circulating on social media that, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has hanged portrait of former President John Mahama in his office instead of current President, Nana Akufo-Addo.

“We place on record that the publication under reference in spurious, malicious and unsubstantiated, at no point in time has the portrait of Ex-president John Mahama been hanged in the office of the Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin Speaker of Parliament”.

A statement issued by the Public Affairs directorate of Parliament described the publication as clear fabrication, obviously intended to court hatred and spite for the speaker by creating public disaffection for him, and implored all right-thinking and discerning Ghanaians to disregard the publication.

The directorate has however, admonished persons engaged in such fabrications to desist from the hate-inspired publication on social media which have become the order of the day.

“It serves nobody’s interest to set institutions or individuals against each other, these tendencies only serve to hold back our development and progress as a nation and something we can ill-afford at this point in time in our efforts at national development”, it added.

Ghanamps.com