Month: September 2021

The Second Deputy Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Andrew Asiamah Amoako has called for closer collaboration between Ghana and Hungary to boost their economies, in a meeting with the deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary, István Jakab.

According to him modernization of Agriculture in Ghana, for instance and a general improvement in education and commerce.

 He further acknowledged the efforts of the Hungarian Government in supporting institutions in Ghana in the areas of sanitation and scholarships to Ghanaian students.

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary, István Jakab MP, touched on the long-standing relationship between Hungary and Ghana and assured the Ghanaian delegation that he will make a special case to his government for an increase in the number of scholarships given to Ghanaian students. The Deputy Speaker of Hungary is scheduled to visit Ghana in November 2021.

The Ghanaian delegation included Members of Parliament for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku and Nadowli Kaleo,   Anthony Sumah Mwinkwaara. Others are the Honorary Consulate to Hungary, H.E Boldizsar Peter Entz, the Chairman of the Hungary-Ghana chamber of commerce  Lawrence Tetteh and some staff of the Parliamentary Service.

Ghanamps.com

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu is at the head of a five-member delegation to Vienna, Austria to attend the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament to be held from Tuesday 7th to Wednesday, 8th September 2021.

The Conference, which is being jointly organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the United Nations, (UN) and the Austrian Parliament, is preceded by the 13th Summit of Women Speakers, which took place on Monday, September 6, 2021.

A subsequent summit, the First Global Parliamentary Summit on Counter Terrorism, being organized by the IPU and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism will be held on Thursday, September 9, 2021

A statement issued by the Public Affair Directorate of Ghana’s Parliament said Mr. Joseph Osei Owusu is expected to present a paper on the overall theme of the Conference, “Parliamentary leadership for more effective multilateralism that delivers peace and sustainable development for the people and the planet”.

It said, the delegation on arrival called on the Ghanaian ambassador and permanent representative to Austria, Philbert Abaka Johnson.

And discussions centered on how to use nuclear energy/power to develop relevant parts of Ghana’s agricultural, building and allied industries for an overall effective economic growth were held.

The Clerk to Parliament, Mr. Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah is also part of the delegation.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro Dorcas A. Toffey has said she has videos sent to her which forms part of evidence that; people are crossing the Ghanaian border illegally with Cote d’lvoire aided by officials of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) despite the closure of the land border at Elubo.

According to her, officials of GIS are taking bribes allowing people to cross and even carrying them in their official vehicles to cross the border, but she does not have interest in leaking out those videos to the Interior Minister.

That is not what I am interested in and want to do, “I am really reaching out to government to do something as soon as possible, and waiting till the right time if nothing is done then we would have to do what we have to do”.

In an interview, she pointed out that the Thursday, September 2, 2021 demonstration against the continuous closure of Ghana’s border at Elubo with Cote d’lvoire, the people within the land borders are suffering and government can support them by providing with food and money which should be across board and non-partisan.

“Otherwise, the proper protocol measures against COVID-19 which have been instituted at the airport should be done at the land borders. I brought a private company here to see if same protocol measure could be put in place at Elubo, this can be done if government really want to support”.

The Jomoro MP further pointed out that, she together with colleague lawmakers in the land border communities, would not hesitate seeking audience with President Nana Akufo-Addo to put their issues before him.

“We would put ourselves together if nothing gets done, as I see what my people are going through, I do not have money to give to everybody. When the pandemic started, I gave out food to people, but for how long can I continue to do this at large numbers? If government is not prepared to open the borders there should be an intervention like providing them with food”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu has described as malicious publication on the front page of The Herald newspaper banner headline “CSO names Haruna Iddrisu and Ato Forson in GNPC bribery scandal”.

“I wish to place on record that the publication under reference is spurious, malicious, baseless and a figment of the imagination of the “ghost” writer. The fact that the writer mysteriously omitted his by-line shows his or her malevolent intent and points to the fact that the publication is a fabrication. I wonder why the writer will want to hide under the cloak of anonymity if he or she were confident of his news story”

According to him, he had at no time participated in or been privy to the issues, dealings and processes that have been alleged against him.

The said publication is nothing but falsehood calculated at tarnishing my hard-won reputation and bring me into disrepute and public opprobrium. And, also exposes the general lack of knowledge and understanding of the workings of parliament.

“I entreat all well-meaning and discerning members of the public to read in-between the lines and see this publication as exactly what it is – malicious, mischievous and a pack of lies.”

“I also implore my colleague members of the NDC Caucus in Parliament to disregard this attempt by what is obviously the work of unseen hands to create disfavor and disaffection for me personally”.

 It is also a premeditated effort to place a wedge among us as the Minority Group, cause disunity within our Caucus and make us incapable of holding government accountable for its policies and decisions – which is one of our key responsibilities.

“I demand that The Herald retracts the said publication and render an unqualified apology with the same prominence as the said malicious publication within 24 hours failing which notice is hereby served that I have instructed my lawyers to assess all possible grounds that this publication offers for a legal suit against The Herald newspaper, the writer of the story and all the hidden faces behind such a wicked and politically motivated publication against my person”

This was contained in a press statement by the Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Tamale South Haruna Iddrisu.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro, Dorcas Affo Toffey has lost the mother, Mrs. Mary Affo-Toffey.

The sad incident occurred on Saturday, September 4, 2021 at the University of Ghana Medical Centre in Accra.

Official report picked up by Ghanamps.com from the office of the Jomoro lawmaker has it that the remains of the MP’s late mother has since been deposited at the morgue in Accra.

Ghanamps.com

Constituents of Jomoro on Thursday, September 2, 2021 had the opportunity to benefit from free surgery at St. Martin de Porres Hospital at Eikwe in the Ellembelle constituency.

Persons mostly elderly people were bussed by the Member of Parliament for Jomoro to the health facility to undertake their surgery.

Madam Dorcas A. Toffey, on Thursday, September 2, 2021 after participating in the demonstration against the prolonged closure of the country’s land borders moved from Elubo straight to the hospital to observe how the surgery she had paid for, for her constituents had gone.

On her arrival at the hospital, the medical officer in charge pointed out to her that he was expecting larger numbers like three hundred from Jomoro but as at 5:00pm only 64 had shown up out of the 300.

The MP noted that she had to participate in a demonstration otherwise she would have gone round herself to urge her constituents to come out in their numbers to undertake the surgery.

And promise to ensure that on Friday, September 3,2021 she would ensure that those listed to benefit from the surgery would make it to the hospital as she went round to observe the level of work done on Thursday.

An eye screening was carried out in the Jomoro constituency that detected that mostly the elderly within the constituency had eye problem some needed surgery whiles others needed eye drops.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Member of parliament for Yilo Krobo, Albert Tetteh Nyakotey is calling for action from the government on educational infrastructure in the Yilo and Krobo lands.

Mr. Nyakotey who bemoaned the poor educational infrastructure at the basic level in his constituency believes the government can do better with infrastructure that is congenial for study to ensure a solid foundation for the children in their quest for formal education.

He however assured that he would not fold his arms to see the situation degenerate, hence has partnered with a non-governmental organisation, “Pencil of Promise” to help build school blocks in 8 communities for the basic level.

The MP who assured that work has started on some of the projects said he has provided his contribution of about GHC100,000.00 towards the successful execution of the school blocks, adding that everything that is left would be taken care of by the NGO (Pencils of Promise).

He said he has to partner with the NGO because he would not be able to marshal all the resources himself to move at the rate he wants the situation addressed, but getting a helping hand would make the work easier. More so, the assemblies do not have funds because they have not even received their common fund from the government to be able to intervene at this time, and even at that they can do very little.

“When I was going to start the Agogo project with the Pencils of Promise, after I made the commitment and we started buying the items, I had a conversation with the MCE, and the MCE promised to come to their aid, so in my opinion, if we can come together, at the end of the day it is the constituency or the municipality that benefits, and I will continue to collaborate with the Assembly”, he assured.

Some of the schools to benefit include Agogo Anglican, Azaa Community School, Amaganya school among others.

He also noted that almost all of the communities are without kindergarten blocks forcing the children to walk several kilometers on daily basis to school, a situation that must be dealt with in time.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com

After Thursday’s September 2, 2021 demonstration at Elubo against the long period of closure of the land border between Ghana and Cote d’lvoire which has lasted more than a year, the Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Dorcas A. Toffey has served notice that if government fails to heed their call, they would stage yet another demonstration.

According to her she is hoping that the government under the leadership of President Nana Akufo-Addo would do something about the prolonged closure of the border so that they would not have the cause to organise another demonstration.

In an interview she pointed out that marriages are falling apart, people are committing suicide and lives are being taken away more than the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When you talk about security, people are going through unapproved routes, who is checking on them, we do not know even know their COVID-19 status, so anybody can come in, we are all at risk and government needs to put in place proper protocol measures to open our land borders”.

And further noted that there are business people who have gone for loans and cannot pay back due to the continue closure of the land borders, and as soon as possible government should do something about it.

The demonstrators turned out in their numbers with placards which read, Nana Addo aden, we can not pay our utility and rent, “Mr. Fellow Ghanaians’ please be sensitive to your fellow Ghanaians and open the borders, be a good leader Nana Addo.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com