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Month: July 2023

Anti-LGBTQ bill is a true reflection of what Ghanaians stand for – Ntim Fordjour

Posted on by Kwaku GhanaMPs

One of the sponsors of the Promotion of Proper Sexual Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, Rev John Ntim Fordjour has stated that the bill currently before Parliament is a true reflection of what Ghanaians stand for.

According to him, the anti-LGBTQ bill reflects the desires of Ghanaians evident in the wide-ranging support the bill has garnered from various authorities, including Parliament and the clergy.

He further pointed out that the bill received unanimous approval and bipartisan consensus at the committee level.
He underlined that there were no dissenting views, indicating that both sides of the aisle agreed on the bill’s provisions.

“The bill received a bi-partisan unanimous approval at the committee level and there were no dissenting or whatsoever views. Both sides of the aisle at the committee level agreed and we sought the opinion of the Attorney General who even came to enrich the bill and eventually came back to the Floor of Parliament for a second reading so the entire Parliament is carried along and the position of the law that we are legislating is a true reflection of what the good people of Ghana stand for.”

Citing a survey conducted by the Center for Democratic Development (CDD), the Assin South MP noted that an overwhelming 86 per cent of Ghanaians support the bill. He framed this as a victory for the people of Ghana and their society.

“A CDD survey conducted on the bill indicated that a significant 86 per cent of people in this country support the bill that we are sponsoring and so it is a win situation for the people of Ghana and the Ghanaian society.”

The MP clarified that the bill is not religious in nature and is not aimed at regulating morality.

“It is not a religious law, it is not just a matter of morals but a product of intellectual consultation, and no portion of the bill violates any part of the constitution, or neither does it violate any international treaty or universal declaration on human rights and this is a collective victory.”

Ghanamps.com

Anti-LGBTQ: “We stand united to say Ghanaian values are non-negotiable”—Sam George

Posted on by Kwaku GhanaMPs

Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram Samuel Nartey George has thanked all MPs, Speaker of the House Rt. Hon Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin and his two deputies after the anti-LGBTQ bill was taken through second reading on Wednesday, July 5, 2023.

According to him this is a bill that enjoys the support of both the Majority and Minority members of the House.
“We stand united to say Ghanaian values are nonnegotiable, we will not compromise on the Ghanaian value system, we are going to stand united as a nation and we call on the Ghanaian people to support us as their members of parliament as we pass this bill”.

At a media briefing with members of the parliamentary press corps he noted that they are aware of the attacks and threats that has been made to sponsors of the bill; we are a sovereign nation and will stand for what is a Ghanaian and we serve notice that carrying out those threats will be a high enterprise in Ghana.

“We will call on Ghanaians to boycott every business in Ghana from those countries issuing threats, so if any government from any country thinks they will sanction any of the sponsors of the bill or the speaker after this bill is passed they should be prepared to pack up and leave our country”.

And further indicated that, we will also instigate public outcry against their business in our country if they work here they should respect our laws.

When we visit their countries we respect their laws and until we see them carry out those threats against Southern Arabia, Russia and China then they should stay off Ghana. Under the guidance of the Speaker, we will go into the consideration, we expect the consideration stage to be a very swift one despite there are amendment it’s a product of agreement between the sponsors and the committee, he added.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

“Let us institutionalize Ghana poultry day”—Deputy Agric Minister

Posted on by Kwaku GhanaMPs

Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture in charge of crops, Yaw Frimpong Addo has commended Agrihouse Foundation for pushing to have July 1, of every year marked as Ghana Poultry Day and Chicken Festival.

As a participant in this year’s Ghana Poultry Day and Chicken Festival at the State House in Accra last Saturday, July 1, 2023, he indicated that the nation has a deficit in local chicken production hence the need to increase production to meet local demand and further encourage the production of chicken in high volumes to meet local demand and the excess for export to neighbouring countries.

The Manso Adubia lawmaker further pointed out in an interview that the private initiative undertaken by Agrihouse foundation should be supported by government, hence the need to institutionalize it and pledged his resolve to make that dream come true since it fits into the scheme of things with government policy of improving agriculture production in the country.

“Again it is something that will benefit Ghanaians, and I hope the day will be rotational so that it will not be organised only in the capital – Accra, but in the poultry hub, the Brong Ahafo Region and all regions would benefit from it.

“This Ministry will support it and take it to a different level”, he noted in an interview.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Krachi West MP raises red flag over disappearing toilet rolls in Parliament

Posted on by Kwaku GhanaMPs

Member of Parliament (MP) for Krachi West, Adjoa Helen Ntoso has drawn the attention of Parliament to a practice where toilet rolls are vanishing from washrooms of lawmakers’ offices at Job 600 few hours after they are placed in the wash room by the cleaners.

According to her she was embarrassed last week Thursday, June, 29, 2023 when she had an important visitor who wanted to use the MPs washroom and there was no toilet roll in the washroom.

She drew the attention of leadership of the House of the development on Friday, June 30, 2023 after the Business statement for the week was presented.

Madam Helen Ntoso in an interview with Ghanamps.com pointed out that after the Thursday incident the following day being Friday, she visited the washroom just to be sure of what she witnessed the previous day, “unfortunately there was no toilet rolls in the washrooms”, she said.

She emphasized that the day in question was not the first time that has happened since it has been raised at joint caucus meetings of the House. “We should not only appear nice but our washrooms and environment should also be on point”.

The MP said she met with the cleaners just after raising the issue on the floor of the House and they informed her that they placed toilet rolls at the washroom but within a short time they noticed that they have been picked.

And it further came out that it’s not only the toilet rolls that they have issues with, there are same problems with tissues that are used in wiping hands, as cleaners express surprise themselves at the development.

The Krachi West lawmaker recounted that in 2018 someone was arrested for collecting toilet rolls in the Parliament washrooms.

She has urged leadership to take the issue up to ensure that when visitors to the MPs come they will use the wash room comfortably and if leadership does not address the matter she will be compelled to move a step further by writing to the House committee, as was advised by the First Deputy Speaker who presided last week Friday.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

ECOWAS: “Let us work towards acceptable elections results by all parties”—Fatoumatta

Posted on by Kwaku GhanaMPs
H. E. Umaro Sissoco Embalo

In the wake of opposition political parties challenging electoral results in the West African sub-region, the only female from the Gambia to the Community Parliament is challenging the bloc’s member states to work toward acceptable election results by all political parties.

According to her there is the urgent need to work together to ensure elections in the sub-region are transparent, free, and fair.

She recounted in her own home Country, the Gambia, in 2021 where the opposition challenged the results of the election, but obviously the judges are appointed by the ruling governments, so when you say those challenging the election results will go to the court, “how credible will they be?”

She also questioned Judicial and Executive independence in the sub-region, and wondered if what happened in Kenya where the result was overturned could be possible in the sub-region. “We saw in Kenya how the result was over turned, do we hope that will happen in West Africa?, I doubt it”.

In addition she gave example of the opposition in Nigeria going to court. “What is going to come out of it? I am not saying the elections were not credible I was there as an observer and I will say they were free and fair from what I observed”.

As someone who has experience in election observation in the sub-region and beyond, she noted that she was not in Sierra Leone for their just ended general elections “but from what we are seeing from afar I will not say there were irregularities, because I have not been there during the elections, I have not seen it, but there are claims especially by the EU observation report which clearly stated that the elections were not transparent and was not done properly.

We need to look at all those things as a region if we want to move our region forward”, she noted.

And further noted that as a people we should try to accept the fact that not everybody will be on the same side, we should have a strong opposition, we should have a credible opposition for people to have trust in politicians.

Additionally, she believes the Community Court is the most credible ECOWAS institution and she gives them all the respect because of their professionalism. They have shown in one or two many examples, in the wake of citizens not having trust in the judiciary of member states with election petitions.

For example in my Country Gambia they have given judgment against our government and payment should be made by government to citizens; they are strong institution and should be given the mandate.

“If we take these challenges to our local courts I do not think anything will come out of it, I am not saying they are not credible, but if there is a doubt the people should be given a right to challenge freely and fairly”.

Madam Fatoumatta Njai further noted that as Community MPs they should ensure that each and every MP is seen as equal, that when they take decisions as colleagues but what she has observed at the ECOWAS may be its normal in every Parliament there is hierarchy, we have the Bureau they should be the head of the institution of the Parliament.
“I have seen MPs behaving as if they are first among equals, which I believe is not correct, that is why sometimes people feel relaxed and they do not want to attend sessions and do not want to contribute; that should not be the case in Parliament from my perspective”.

Touching on her take on the inability of Sierra Leon to present its Country report a the First Ordinary Session in Abuja- Nigeria, she said Sierra Leone has just come out of elections and the re-election of their president and “I would want to congratulate the Speaker Rt. Hon Tunis having contributed his part to ensure that the President of his Country was re-elected and for their parliamentary victory because she had just seen the results of their parliamentary election which was released on Saturday, July 1, 2023 in which they came with 88 seats and the opposition with 54 seats; so obviously they have come out with majority and I am not sure if its absolute majority”.

And not forgetting our other colleague Baah who was also the running mate of the opposition, so election is either you win a seat or you lose it; but it does not mean your dignity is lost. What they should focus on is working together.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Ghana Chicken Festival: Kwabena Agyapong calls for more attention on nutritional value of dishes

Posted on by Kwaku GhanaMPs

Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyapong , a flagbearer aspirant of the New patriotic Party (NPP) has advised Ghanaian caterers to lay emphasis on the nutritional value of their meals.

According to him unlike in other jurisdictions where emphasis is given to the protein needs of the people where restaurants sometimes only serve dishes with only protein content, Ghanaian restaurants seems to focus more on the carbohydrate parts of our meal including banku, rice, fufu and other dishes made of carbohydrates.

Mr Agyapong who joined Agrihouse Foundation to mark this year’s Ghana Chicken Festival and the Ghana Poultry Day at the State House in Accra on July 1, 2023, said “we need to change our mind set about nutrition and it stems from how we even designate the names of our dishes because if you get to any restaurant you can see banku is ready, fufu is ready, ampesi; so we concentrate a lot more in Ghana on the carbohydrate; and that is not good for our health, and that is why a lot of people are walking around with diabetes but we don’t know because the starch content in these foods are very high and we need to de-emphasize that”.

He asserts that the opposite is what pertains at the continental restaurants. “You’ll see lamb, chicken, pork, fish and the meats, so they emphasis on the protein and whatever they add are usually the slices of carbohydrates foods”.

According to him, it is a lot of work for the dieticians, the nutritionist; and it should start from the school to help improve our health.

He said he expects the government to take this up and expect the participation of the Ministry of Agriculture in the Ghana Chicken Festival and the Ghana Poultry Day festival to be a bit heightened because the poultry industry has a lot of potential to not only supply the protein needs of the people but to employ a lot of people along the value chain and generate more income for the people.

Mr Agyapong also emphasized the need to scale up poultry production and consumption in in Ghana as the country is lagging behind producing just about 15percent of its poultry needs.

Agrihouse Foundation has instituted the Ghana Chicken Festival and the Ghana Poultry Day to be celebrated every year on July First, an initiative the Foundation hopes to ride on to make a strong case to officially institute July 1, for poultry farmers and Poultry production to breathe new life into the poultry industry and also scale up consumption and patronage of locally product poultry products.

Ghanamps.com