Month: June 2022

Electing Community Parliament lawmakers is going to benefit the West African sub-region and not the current Speaker Dr. Sidie Mohamed Tunis whose flagship programme it is, Senator Edwin Melvin Junior has said.

According to him the current system of various National Assemblies approving delegations to the Community Parliament made their first loyalty to their National Assemblies.

He cited an example by saying as chairman of a very strategic Committee of Senate in his home country Liberia, Public Works and Infrastructure Development, if there is a Committee hearing in his parliament, “I want to stay at home, my first responsibility is to my colleagues back home, we need work on this programme you have a choice to make”.

He gave an example of Ghana and pointed out that its lawmakers are one of the productive members of the Community Parliament but when the issues of the passage of their Electronic Transfer Bill (E-Levy) came, MPs from Ghana could not come to the second Ordinary Session of 2021, their loyalty was to their party and Parliament they remain in Ghana.

“They needed numbers to deal with the E-Levy, so E-Levy had an impact on the Community Parliament. Again we were unable to have the Ordinary Session two weeks ago in Abuja. We had a situation where all the major political parties were going for their primaries and the political situation in Nigeria did not allow us to go there at the time we decided”.

Chairman of the Political Affairs, Peace, Security and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe J. in a telephone interview from his base in Liberia pointed out that, a suggestion was muted to move the first Ordinary Session to Ghana as a second choice.

But his colleagues from Nigeria were quick to point out that when that is done, they are unable to move to Ghana in their numbers because they have a situation in their National Assembly. There is discussion on their national constitution and there is an upcoming election.

“We  had to delay the session by extra two weeks because, we wanted to make sure the situation in Nigeria was clear to enable us move to Nigeria. So this is the situation  we are facing and we would continue to face it because there are growing demand on attendance of MPs in their home countries”.

Additionally, the more countries experience democratic rule, the more there are demands on MPs and until they can achieve electing MPs to represent them in the Community Parliament they have to split between their national Parliament and that of ECOWAS.

“I think the ECOWAS Parliament would begin to achieve more, it is the Community tax payers’ money, if you pay for the ticket of the MP to fly to Abuja, and that MP goes to Abuja for two three days and there is emergency, he or she has to come back home because that is where his or her allegiance is; but if you have an MP who is dedicated to serve his Parliament you would have more from him or her than we are having now”.

As to whether, the Authority of Heads of States and Government contacted to help champion electing lawmakers to the Community Parliament would be able to assist, he said “this is only attainable through the political will. Once the Authority of Heads of States do not show that political will that is needed; the speakers dream would not come to reality”.

And this requires more than just dinning, winning, laughing and joking together; it requires honesty and that is what they need to resolve. This issue of electing MPs to ECOWAS Parliament, just regular visiting and pleasantries is not sufficient enough to solve this problem, he emphasised.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Chairman of Liberia’s Senate Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure Development, Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe Junior has held his first confirmation hearing after his practice as a lawmaker for 17years.

He thanked his colleagues on the Committee and other Senators who made time to attend.
“Thanks for your assistance in guiding me through the process, I remain grateful”.
During the hearing, the nominee, Madam Ruth Cooker-Collins was collaborative, respectful and professional in answering questions that were posed to her.
The Senate Committee on Public Works will revert to committee room to determine the fate of the Minister designate and report to the Senate Plenary within the period of two weeks, he said in his Facebook post.
Ghanamps.com

As part of his agenda as a lawmaker, Member of Parliament for Kombo South Kebba K. Barrow in the Gambia, has embarked on an outreach programme.

He presented food donations to the Kartong Community in Kombo South for their annual “Gamo” and Quranic Recitation which took place on Saturday, June 4, 2022.

Items donated comprise of 5 Bags of Rice (50k) 5 Gallons of cooking oils (20 litre) and 30 packets of drinking Water. The Kombo Parliamentarian was accompanied by Community elders including Bafoday Barrow and Mamo Fofana.

The Donations were respectively distributed to the Kabilos ( wards) and women’s folks and witnessed by Community elders including Aja Nkie Touray ( Women’s leader) Fasaikou Jabang(Deputy Alikalo) and Sanisi Fatty the Iman of Sanchaba in Kartong Village, Kombo South District, West Coast Region.

Ghanamps.com

The political situation in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea has pushed the Authority of Heads of States and Government of the Economic Community of West African States to hold an emergency meeting in Accra Saturday, June 4, 2022.

The 6^th Extraordinary Session is expected to review the decision taken on the political situation in the above countries

It is also to look at efforts made so far by the political leadership in those countries.

For the first time, the meeting is being held at Ghana’s Presidency, Jubilee House.

At the last meeting of the Authority in March, concerns were raised about the continuous detention of deposed Burkina Faso leader Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.

It also upheld the suspension of Burkina Faso from all ECOWAS institutions until constitutional order is restored.

On Guinea, the Authority expressed “serious” concern over the lack of visibility on the transition.

It noted that the six-month deadline set by ECOWAS for the conduct of elections has not been respected.

On the social and political situation in Mali, the Authority notes that the security and humanitarian situation in the country continues to deteriorate with attacks by terrorist groups resulting in military and civilian casualties.

The Authority, therefore, recommended an urgent need to reach an agreement in order to avoid further deterioration of the situation in the country.

Ghanamps.com

Members of parliament around the Nzema area have called on the Ghana Gas Company Limited to address socioeconomic challenges of the people in their immediate environs before extending their assistance to other parts of the country.

The MPs including Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, Ellembelle; Dorcas Affo-Toffey, Jomoro; and Kofi Arko Nokoe, Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira, at a press conference on Thursday addressed by Mr. Emmanuel Amah Kofi Buah expressed surprise that Ghana Gas has abandoned the needs of the people of its immediate areas of operations and is rather solving challenges of other areas.

Mr. Buah who admitted that Ghana Gas is national in nature and would at some point extend its corporate social responsibilities across the country said it is rather sad that instead of starting such assistant from their operational areas, they abandoned the people and are helping build edifices in other regions.
“As we speak we have hospitals there with a lot of challenges, and so you see Ghana Gas building, refurbishing hospitals in the Eastern Region, building schools in the Ashanti Region, which is okay; but we are advising Ghana Gas that we speaking as representatives of the people in the closest of the area they operate that they are not happy”.

He said the situation is building up agitation among the youth and the traditional leaders, a situation he said is not healthy for an important national asset as the Ghana Gas Company Limited.

According to the MPs it is important to note the sacrifices of the people of the Western Region especially the communities in the Nzema area and attend to their needs.

He said compensation has still not even been paid for the lands acquired; “but the communities there have been patient, but a lot of development in the last few years is really creating a lot of tension and concern in the communities in the area, especially in the six districts of the Western region.”

“The reason this is important, I want to be very clear, Ghana National Gas Company is national in nature and so it is important that their reach in terms of corporate social responsibility would be reflected across the country, by all means it is very important. But I think that their focus on places must start from home; their immediate areas of operation.

“As we speak in the last few years, Ghana Gas is spreading its tentacles across Ashanti Region, Eastern Region and all sorts of places except for the areas that it operates – the Nzema area.

They should focus first in addressing some of the concerns that have been put forward by the chiefs and people constantly on daily basis whether is on education, health care, hospitals, because “it is very disheartening when I come from Atuabo, or Anokyi and I know that God forbids if anything happens tomorrow morning, I would be the first to be affected, I know the sacrifices I have gone through with my farm lands to Ghana Gas, to read on daily basis Ghana Gas is building hospital bungalows somewhere else and my hospital has nothing”.

Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira MP, Kofi Arko Nokoe in adding his voice said though his area hosts the longest stretch of the pipeline, he cannot pinpoint one project by Ghana Gas in the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Constituency.

He appeals to Ghana Gas to evenly distribute the projects bearing in minds where they operate.

Dominic Shirimri/Ghanamps.com

Ranking member on Local Government and Rural Development, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has given indication that the Committee is worried with the flooding situation in the nation’s capital, and this week there is expected statement on the floor of the House.

According to him he expect that the Rt. Hon Speaker would give some directives as to what should be done with the annual situation, in line with directives given by President Nana Akufo-Addo, for some dredging to be done.

In an interview, he pointed out that he is very optimistic and certain that certain decisions would be taken by the Regional Coordinating Council.

Whiles at that he further pointed out that but for the Regional Officers’ election by the NPP over the weekend that would get his colleagues in the Majority occupied, the Committee which has oversight responsibility over the Local Government Ministry, would have gone round to see for themselves how the flooding has affected people within the capital.

“Our hope is that we would not have only talks, action would follow the talk so that we minimise the effect of the flooding”.

In addition he noted that he is worried that with the current flooding, authorities would go out there to conduct demolishing of peoples buildings; it is not right more especially when local authorities have allowed them to build on water ways, they cannot just get up and go and demolish, they need a court order to do that.

“And when demolishing is done what about those who have been affected by the floods now and lost their properties; what are we going to do to them. If we are not careful we would end up causing a lot of social disruptions, the homes to be demolished they are also going to become homeless.”

He emphasized that there is going to be consequences on every action that one takes, but was quick to add that there is the need to take a very decisive decision to move buildings in water ways.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com