News:
January 1, 2015
The Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho dismissed a motion filed by a Minority Member of Parliament, demanding legislative inquest into the acquisition of the Merchant Bank Ghana by Fortis Equity Funds Limited.
Accra, Jan 10, GNA – The Majority Leader, Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor described as contemptuous the Minority’s public dissent on the ruling made by the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, dismissing a motion seeking the House to investigate the sale and acquisition of Merchant Bank.
Accra, Jan. 9, GNA -The Minority in Parliament questioned the integrity of the Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho, accusing him of plotting to prevent a motion it filed seeking an inquest into the sale of Merchant Bank Ghana to Fortiz Equity Fund Limited.
Accra, Jan. 29, GNA – Parliament resumed sitting after the yuletide break, recording rigorous discussions and negotiations on the momentous issue of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) as the House considered the controversial Plant Breeders Bill (PBB).
Accra, Feb 5, GNA -Mr Ebo BartonOdro, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament directed the House’s Committees on Roads and Transport, and Education, to probe the introduction of tolls by the authorities of the University of Ghana, in view of the reactions the venture was generating.
Accra, Feb 6, GNA – Dr Richard Anane, the Member of Parliament for Nyiaeso, appealed to the government to urgently provide funding for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to prevent the system from imminent collapse.
Accra, Feb 7, GNA- Parliament decided to probe a demolition exercise carried out by the Tema Development Corporation (TDC), at Adjei Kojo near Tema, where over 200 properties were pulled down, rendering hundreds homeless.
Accra, Feb. 18, GNA -The State of the Nation Address that was to be delivered by President John Dramani Mahama on February 20, 2014 was rescheduled for Tuesday February 25. This was announced on the floor of Parliament by the Majority Leader, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, who informed the House that the Presidency had postponed the occasion “due to unforeseen circumstances.”
Accra, Feb. 20, GNA – Management of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) appeared before the Public Accounts Committee to answer queries on the purchase of GHC1, 800 fuel by its Sunyani Office in 2011, without any records in the log book.
Accra, Feb 25, GNA- President John Dramani Mahama said the economic turbulence the country was experiencing was temporary and would, therefore, be surmounted in the coming weeks.
Accra, Feb. 25, GNA -President John Mahama set Parliament reeling with laughter when he jokingly told the legislators in the Minority, who were heckling him, that he was not their equal.
“Herr! Order!!! I’m not your co-equal”……Mr Speaker, who said tweaa” throwing the House and personalities who had thronged the Legislature to listen to his State of the Nation Address into uncontrollable hilarity.
Accra, March 4, GNA – Parliament commenced debates on the state of the nation’s address with the Majority side defending the policies of government and the Minority side criticizing issues raised by President John Dramani Mahama on January 25, 2014.
Accra, March 11, GNA – The Leadership of Parliament asked to investigate the damaging allegation that lawmakers accept inducements to articulate the views of their benefactors in the Legislature.
Accra, March 14, GNA – The Leadership of Parliament said it would do “whatever is appropriate” to establish the truth regarding the allegation that legislators received inducements to do advocacy on the floor of Parliament.
Accra, March 21, GNA – Parliament ratified the Petroleum Agreement between the Government of Ghana and five organisations for the exploration of oil in the Expanded Shallow Water Tano Block.
Accra, March 26, GNA -Parliament called for a national pre-emptive strategy to contain the growing threats of the deadly Ebola Virus that had occurred in some West African countries, should it hit Ghana.
Accra, June 10, GNA – Parliament joined the global outcry for the release of more than 200 girls abducted in Chibok, Northern Nigeria, by Boko Haram insurgents in April.
Accra, June 10, GNA -The Minority in Parliament reproached government for illegally making use of money from the Petroleum Stabilization Fund, accusing government of colluding with the Bank of Ghana to withdraw 177 million dollars from the Fund.
Accra, June 12, GNA- Some legislators faulted President John Mahama for publicly announcing his ministerial appointments and reshuffle without Parliament’s prior knowledge, arguing his omission violated the law and was unacceptable.
Accra, June 27, GNA – Members of Parliament expressed their displeasure over a directive from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that excluded them from receiving protocol services at the Ghana High Commission in the United Kingdom.
Accra, July 3, GNA -The Minority in Parliament voted against a loan agreement between the government and the International Development Association (IDA), for 156 million dollars, to finance the Ghana Secondary School Education Improvement Project.
Accra, July 2, GNA -The Minority in Parliament filed a motion seeking Parliament to institute a bipartisan committee of enquiry to investigate events surrounding Ghana’s preparation and participation in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Accra, July 14, GNA – The Majority in Parliament rejected a move by the Minority, urging a legislative inquiry into Ghana’s showing at the just-ended FIFA World Cup tournament in Brazil.
Accra, July 16, GNA – Finance Minister Seth Tekper expressed optimism that Ghana would surmount its economic depression, maintaining that the upturns indicate the economy was on the path of resurgence.
Accra, July16, GNA – The Government revised upwards all budget inflows denominated in foreign currency and the 2014 total expenditure estimates due to the exchange rate depreciation.
Accra, July 18, GNA- Parliament began a debate on the mid-year review of the 2014 Budget presented by Mr Seth Terkper, Minister of Finance.
Accra, Aug. 12, GNA – The Minority, New Patriotic Party (NPP), raised red flags on the decision of the Government to procure a $300-million credit facility from the VTB Bank Capital of Russia to enhance international peace-keeping operations.
Accra, Sept 12, GNA-The Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) called on the Government to urgently release funds to state organisations concerned with health, to stem the tide of the outbreak of cholera.
Accra, Oct 1, GNA -Parliament re-convened for an emergency meeting called by the Speaker, to consider some financial agreements and to approve some Committee Reports.
Accra, Nov. 4, GNA – The Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho performed the duties of President when both President John Mahama and Vice Kwesi Amissah-Arthur were out of the country on official assignments.
Accra, Nov.7, GNA – Parliament threw the searchlight on the political situation in neighbouring Burkina Faso, and asked members to hold the Executive and other arms of Government in check to forestall the perpetuation and abuse of power.
Accra, Nov. 11, GNA – The Parliamentary Committee on Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises began an inspection of state and public facilities to ensure that they complied with provisions in the Disability Law
Accra, Nov 13, GNA – Parliament raised concerns over the preparedness of the nation’s security personnel at the border posts to the threat of the Ebola epidemic, cautioning that they stood at a serious risk of infection.
Accra, Nov 19, GNA – The Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) stated in advance its intention to kick against the proposed imposition of a 17.5 per cent Special Petroleum Tax announced by the Government in the 2015 Budget Statement.
Accra, Nov. 20, GNA – The Majority in Parliament under a Certificate of Urgency endorsed a 17.5 Special Petroleum Tax regime.
Accra, Nov. 21, GNA – The Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, ordered an immediate investigation into the inconsistent supply of power to the House, which had resulted in several power cuts in recent times. The frequent power outages disrupted proceedings on the floor of the house.
Accra, Nov 26, GNA – The Speaker of Parliament abruptly suspended sitting when an argument on a narcotics haul nearly degenerated into a contest of which political tradition had its history steeped in narco-trade.
Accra, Nov 27, GNA -The Minority in Parliament called for a bipartisan legislative inquiry to unravel circumstances that led to the smuggling of 12.5 kilograms of cocaine from the Kotoka International Airport to the United Kingdom.
Accra, Dec. 3, GNA -Parliament approved the 2015 budget and financial policy of government that sought to restore fiscal stability. The stability is expected to be achieved by harnessing the service sector, reducing deficit from 6.5 per cent to 3.9 per cent of Gross Domestic Product and targeting a dip of 11.5 per cent in inflation from the 16.9 per cent.
Accra, Dec. 8, GNA- Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, tasked the Privileges Committee to develop a manual outlining sanctions to apply to breaches of the draft Code of Conduct for the House.
Accra, Dec 10, GNA – Ghana’s Minority in Parliament dared the Executive to produce evidence on the use of the one billion Eurobond secured from the International Capital Market last September.
Accra, Dec 10, GNA – Ghana’s Parliament threw the searchlight on itself, on how it had so far dealt with corruption, with the observation that Ghana had performed much better than several other African countries.
Accra, Dec 12, GNA- Parliament approved a fiscal support agreement and security package term sheet between the Government and the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC), ENI and Vitolat at an estimated cost of $8 billion oil and gas project to start.
Accra, Dec. 15, GNA – The Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Parliament was up in arms with the Government over the GH₵ 1.5 billion financial scandal at Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Agency (GYEEDA).
Accra, Dec. 19, GNA – The Government of Ghana announced it would spend GH¢ 50 million on petroleum subsidies next year.
Accra, Dec 23, GNA- The eight-week session of Parliament came to an end with the House adjourning Sine die for the Christmas Holiday.
GNA