Month: February 2022

Minister for Health Kwaku Agyeman Manu has told Parliament funds have been secured through budgetary allocation by the Government of Ghana to ensure that the Builsa South District Hospital under Agenda 111 is constructed.

According to him provisions have been made to ensure Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) that will be raised for payment in the course of the project are honored assuredly.

The contractor has completed five (5) out of the 8 hospitals under this project, the  training for the assigned clinical and non-clinical staff was  undertaken from 31% May, 2021 to 12″ July, 2021, the Technical; Handing Over was carried out on the 5″ August, 2021.

The Ghana staff and the Health Service have subsequently deployed Operationalization of the Hospital commenced on the 1st September, 2021 benefitting the people of Tain District and it, environs.

Dr. Clement A. Apaak Member of Parliament for Builsa South wanted to know if funding has been secured for the proposed Builsa South District Hospital under the Agenda 111 and when work would commence.

Ghanamps.com

Members of Parliament on the Minority side of the House from the Upper West Region have expressed concerns about withdrawal of the military personnel assigned to protect the Rt. Hon Speaker Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin.

Former Deputy Majority Leader, Dr. Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo addressing members of the Parliamentary Press Corps on Wednesday, February 2, 2022 noted that providing security for the three arms of Government should not be compromised, but “in the case of the Speaker all these security tenets were breached”.

“This inspires our deep concern about the apparent inaction by Government to address the issue despite some worries expressed variously by the public on the withdrawal of the Military security from the official security set up of the Speaker”.

He assets that like any of the leaders of the three arms of Government, it is their  belief that the security of the Speaker is of paramount concern to the people of Ghana and requires the Government to rise to the responsibility of adequately addressing the present lapse.

“The lack of sufficient response by the government to the present situation is generating worry and compelling this briefing. We seek to urge the Government to give adequate response to the worry expressed by the myriads of public opinions expressed and to satisfy the complete security needs of the Speaker.

It is our expectation that matters of security must be handled expeditiously with adequate consultation and discussion away from public concerns”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Leader of Government Business, Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on the passage of the E-Levy has said his side stands with the Republic to ensure “revitalization of the economy, if people want to see the collapse of the economy so be it, we would want to stand with the Republic”.

His comment is in response to the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu when he said they want to stand with the public to reject the E-Levy with emphasis.

He further explained to the House that when he presented the business statement for last week Friday, January, 28, 2022 there was no indications that the E-Levy would be taken, but subsequently to that there was some engagement between leadership of the two caucuses.

“It was determined that the E-Levy would be introduce last week Friday, at the speakers conclave,    this discussion was had so it is not a matter of surprise,  when I came to present the business statement I said if we were able to conclude the discussion it would be introduced in the House on Friday. And if we could not finish it, it would come this week in the cause of this discussion to facilitate its introduction to the House, we could not make much progress last week Friday.

“That is why I said if we could not do it, would come this week, and even before walking in here, the minority leader who is the ranking member of the business committee ask about the status and I told him that we would come to some determination despite the fact that it has been advertised for tomorrow in the provisional order paper. Even that I told him we need to confer on that because we may not be able to do it to all intent and purposes”.

 “He asked whether that was an assurance and I said that is double assurance, that it would not come off tomorrow certainly we would determine when together, so it is not as if anybody want to spring any surprise”, the Majority Leader explained.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu has demanded that Leader of Government Business, Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu makes it clear to the House as to when the Electronic Transfer Bill 2021 would be introduce to the House and in which form.

According to him they do not want any surprises and are not happy with the uncertainty surrounding introduction of the Bill to be taken through the various stages a bill goes through in the House.

“The second reading, in what form should we expect it, we cannot continue with this uncertainty, Friday January, 28, 2022 you try introducing it, is it Tuesday today or tomorrow Wednesday,  when do we subject the E-Levy thorough debate of its principles and we walk through it thoroughly  consideration to third reading we stand for its rejection”.

Mr. Iddrisu sought this clarifications on the floor of the House before it started sitting on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, and urged the chairman of the Business Committee to do what it appropriate within their standing orders and carry them along as is required under order 160 and article 106.

The Ghanaian economy and fiscal consolidation is very important and it is the function of the Business Committee under Order 53 to determine the business of each sitting and the order in which it shall be taken.

“We need to know earlier, when we adopted the business statement we were told the E-Levy would be introduced tomorrow. Today I do not see anything relating to the E-Levy on this important matter, there cannot be surprises. Indicate to us when the bill would come to parliament and what form”

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

In the wake of the military coup in Burkina Faso, Mr. Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah,  lawmaker at the fifth Community Parliament said these developments attest to the fact that citizens in the various members states are fed-up with the elite democratic establishment.

According to him when citizens elect political actors into office in the sub-region they forget those who elected them and the happenings within the sub-region should serve as a lesson.

Mr. Bedzrah recounted that a security expect with the Kofi Annan Peace Keeping Institute in the wake of the coup in Guinea pointed out that by the need of 2021 he was expecting four more coups in the West African sub-region.

“They are what we call early warning signals. Has anyone gotten in touch with him? No, and his statements are all over the place, what have we done about early warning signals?”

Responding to whether the lawmakers cannot play any role in acting on early warning signs as they did in the fourth legislature, he said, “we do not have enhanced powers as it is being said, our powers are limited, we debate and write reports to Authority of Heads of States; they are supposed to implement them, we are not the implementers”.

And if they do not implement them that is how far they can go as a Legislature and added that they as lawmakers can go in and have dialogue with parties with the early warning signals, “what about the Heads of States who have one of their own engaging in some of these illegalities? In Guinea the man changed the constitution to allow him run for a third term”, he lamented.

“And you are not asking the military junta to give time table to hand over, when you were there and the man was doing all those things you could not sanction him; this clearly shows it is a club and when you enter as Head of State your peers would protect you”

He further questioned what the peer review mechanism is all about if Heads of States within the Sub-region cannot do such assessment, “we better close down ECOWAS and give it to the African Union to run it”.

“Our president Nana Akufo-Addo has not helped us at all; under his leadership three coups have occurred within the Community, it shows he is not up to the task it should be given to someone else this would not happen under late former president Jerry John Rawlings or Olusegun Obasanjo. We need strong men who can move in as soon as you have these Intel; Burkina Faso has been there for all these time”.

He added that 2022 is a new year and he hopes the Burkina coup would be the last to be heard of in the sub region, “the Ghanaians president being chair of ECOWAS and its unfortunate that during his chairmanship one term one coup, I call for a quick assessment of his ability to be able to stir affairs”.

The last Ordinary Session in Abuja-Nigeria, Community lawmakers raised issues with the treat to the sub-regional democracy and added that it is not new his former colleagues from Burkina Faso affirm that there has been insurgency in their country, Heads of States were written to and nothing has been done; it shows there is failure by leadership”.

“We have an adage in our part of the world that if a fish would rot, it would start from the head, if Ghana we chair and all these going on it means there is something wrong. The ECOWAS Heads of States went to Mali to prevail on the Junta to stick to the time table and return to democratic time table; what happened? Citizens rose up against them?”

 The citizens of Mali indicated that they, prefer the military junta than a democratic rule, same in Guinea when the chairman went with the Ivorian Leader.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

A member of Ghana’s delegation to the fifth Community Parliament, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah is convinced that the time is now appropriate for ECOWAS to have a standing army to deal with the numerous coups the sub-region is witnessing.

According to him the Authority of Heads of States and Government have already been overtaken by events of coups in the West African sub-region.

“They are left with nothing but to bury their heads in shame; they have not helped issues at all, I do not think they would be able to do things to help the sub-region”.

 Mr. Bedzrah further added that the Heads of States and Government of ECOWAS should not be waiting for issues of coup to happen before they think of assessing the situation. “Look at what is happening between NATO, Russia and Ukraine, the whole of Europe has moved in and the Americans have joined just to avert destruction there”.

Again, he pointed out that Community lawmakers have been agitating for the return of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) West Africa army and this suggestion was made to the ECOWAS Commissioner of Security to move should there be coup.

He indicated that in the European Union, they have a standing army, why is it that ECOWAS doesn’t have a standing army for countries within the sub-region to contribute their army which should be stationed in Nigeria or somewhere close so that in case they are needed, they can move in, “it is time to re-think this whole business of ECOWAS”, he added.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com