Author: Akumaa GhanaMPs

Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has condemned the recent violent clashes between the police and youth in Bawku, which resulted in fatalities, injuries, and an attack on his private residence. In a statement issued while abroad on official duties, the MP expressed his condolences to the affected families and urged calm amidst the escalating tensions surrounding the prolonged Bawku conflict.

According to him he acknowledges the frustrations of the youth, citing the slow resolution of the Bawku and Kusaug dispute and concerns over the actions of some law enforcement officers. He reassured his constituents of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government’s commitment to achieving justice and lasting peace.

He voiced strong support for the peace efforts led by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, and praised the involvement of key traditional leaders in the mediation process. Ayariga urged all parties to remain dedicated to the peace process, emphasizing that traditional authorities in the region are actively engaged.

The MP also vowed to continue working towards a resolution based on Ghana’s laws and judicial rulings.
He dismissed a smear campaign against him on social media, urging the public to ignore false claims made by political opponents seeking to exploit the situation for personal gain.

Reaffirming his stance on the chieftaincy issue, Ayariga stated his belief that the youth of Kusaug have the right to dispute another person claiming to be chief in Bawku but left the matter in the capable hands of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for a swift resolution.

Ghanamps.com

The High Court in Koforidua in the Eastern Region, under the leadership of Justice Addae, has ruled in favour of Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Member of Parliament for the Nsawam/Adoagyiri Constituency, by dismissing a petition challenging his election.

The decision came after an application filed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Director of Legal Affairs, Gary Nimako Marfo, was reviewed and upheld. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) had pledged to exhaust all legal avenues to challenge the parliamentary seat held by the MP.

According to the NDC, the declaration of the MP was not in line with electoral laws and was based on incorrect result sheets, prompting their strong opposition.

On Tuesday, February 25, the Koforidua High Court bailiff issued a substituted order requiring Annoh-Dompreh, the Electoral Commission, and the Clerk of Parliament to appear before the court in Koforidua. This order was in connection with an election petition filed by the NDC, which alleged that the Electoral Commission made an improper declaration in favor of Annoh-Dompreh.

The case, spearheaded by NDC parliamentary candidate Fummey Selorm Philibert and his legal team, contested the legitimacy of Annoh-Dompreh’s election as the MP for Nsawam Adoagyiri. But the court’s ruling on Thursday April 10 not only dismissed the petition but also imposed a cost of GH₵25,000 on the petitioner.

This outcome solidifies Annoh-Dompreh’s position as the elected representative for the constituency, bringing an end to the legal challenge against his election.

Ghanamps.com

I would clean up the Ministry and its Agencies; that’s the pledge the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George made to the President and the people of Ghana when he briefed the media on his first quarter performance at the Ministry.

The Minister’s pledge, he stated follows review of the Ministry’s financial position that unearthed several irregularities, thus prompting a detailed investigation into the contracts entered into through the Ministry and its agencies.

This, he said is in line with the government’s pledge to fight corruption and graft head-on.

“The Ministry is following up with the relevant parties to establish the facts and take corrective action where necessary. We are deeply concerned about the disregard for public interest reflected by the unfavorable terms in some agreements and the resistance encountered in accessing key information from certain service providers. Against this backdrop, I have referred some contracts and agreements to the Attorney-General for his study and advice”, the Minister stated.

The Minister also announced that he would not be extending the Common Monitoring Platform contract, popularly called KelniGVG, beyond its current terminal date; adding that the contract is in two parts – one paid for by the Ministry through the NCA and another component paid for by the Ministry of Finance through the GRA.

“I have instructed the NCA to begin to hold itself in preparedness to carry out the revenue assurance platform on its own. This position is backed by the fact that at the commencement of the contract in 2018, the monthly fee paid represented 28% of the revenue accruing to the State from international inbound traffic. By the end of the first 5-year term of the contract, however, the monthly fee represented about 50% of the revenue accruing to the State. As of October 2024, the fees paid to KelniGVG represent 84% of the revenue accruing to the State. This means the State is paying far more to monitor the revenue than it retains”.

Sam George also disclosed that he inherited some agreements under the National Information Technology (NITA) that he has deep concern about; and he has begun steps to either extricate the government from unreasonable ness or achieve a more favourable arrangement that is in the best interest of Ghanaians.

He said the Ministry also observed some irregularities with regards to operationalising the Digital Services and Payment Platform (DSPP) Call Centre, managed under a contract between NITA and DigitalGOV Limited, involving two companies, Sawtel Ltd and Dataceum Ltd. These irregularities include;

1. NITA is making monthly payments to the two firms despite the firms not being directly contracted by NITA. Instead, they signed contracts with DigitalGOV Limited on March 1st, 2020, for an initial four-year term ending February 29th, 2024. Despite this, NITA has made monthly payments directly to the two firms as service providers throughout the contract period, creating a misalignment in accountability and oversight.

2. Both Sawtel and Dataceum appear to deliver nearly identical project management functions for the DSPP Call Centre, with no clear delineation of roles, responsibilities, or reporting lines.

3. The contracts with both firms expired on February 29th, 2024. No formal renewals or new engagement frameworks are in place, raising questions about continued service provision and NITA’s legal or financial obligations.

The Ministry, he said, is thus in the process of assessing the necessity of continuing with either or both Sawtel and Dataceum in a bid to eliminate duplication and ensure cost-efficiency in future project management support for DSPP and to incorporate project management under the broader DSPP Governance Framework, as recommended in the DigitalGOV contract review, with clear reporting to NITA.

Ghanamps.com

Dr. Godfred Seidu Jasaw, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Wa East and Chairman of the Agric and Cocoa Affairs Committee of Parliament, is representing Ghana at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Science Week in Nairobi, Kenya.

This year’s event, scheduled from Monday, April 7 to Saturday, April 12, 2025, and launched on Monday, brings together global leaders in research, policy, and development to discuss innovative solutions for food, land, and water systems transformation.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Accra, ahead of the conference, Dr. Jasaw said it was an opportunity to strengthen research-policy linkages. “As a key figure in Ghana’s agricultural sector, I will share insights into CGIAR’s new Policy Champions Network.

“This initiative aims to bridge the gap between research and policy in agriculture and food systems, promoting evidence-informed decision-making,” he told the GNA. At the Science Week, the MP will engage with policy practitioners from over 26 countries to identify national policy research needs and enhance collaboration between science and policy.

Dr. Jasaw’s expertise in sustainable food systems will be invaluable in shaping and driving the Policy Champions Network. The Chairman of the Agric and Cocoa Affairs Commitee’s participation will help foster partnerships and inspire change for resilient food, water, and land systems. The event’s plenary program features global and regional leaders discussing ways to harness and scale science and innovation.

Some key topics to be discussed during the CGIAR Science Week will include Climate Action; strategies for mitigating climate change impacts on agriculture; Sustainable Farming; launch of the Sustainable Farming Science Program; Capacity Sharing; enhancing capacity development for agricultural research and innovation and Genebanks Accelerator Strategy; accelerating the development and deployment of improved crop varieties.

Dr. Jasaw’s participation in the CGIAR Science Week underscores Ghana’s commitment to strengthening research-policy linkages in agriculture and food systems. The MP’s contributions will help shape the future of agricultural research and policy in Ghana and beyond.

CGIAR is a global partnership that unites organizations engaged in research for a food-secure future, focusing on reducing rural poverty, increasing food security, improving human health and nutrition, and ensuring sustainable management of natural resources.
GNA

Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu has debunked allegations of drug trafficking and money laundering involving two aircraft that recently landed at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

According to him, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, was peddling falsehood in a bid to undermine the confidence the people of Ghana have in the new National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government.

According to the Minister, indeed two aircrafts landed at the Kotoka International Airport for genuine reasons.

One of the aircrafts, operated by AirMed, landed at KIA due to technical issues involving damaged tyres on its landing gear; and Engineers were flown in on a separate aircraft to repair the damage, which accounted for the three-day stay at the airport.

With the Cavok flight, he explained that security officials at KIA inspected the aircraft when it landed with its cargo content been oil drills and oil stored in jerrycans.

“Don’t let anyone lie to you and shift the goal post when pressed for evidence”, he added.

Ghanamps.com

The Minority in Parliament has raised concerns over what they say are two suspicious flights that landed in Ghana in March.

According to them, the two flights suspected to be carrying cocaine and an undisclosed amount of cash landed in Ghana between March 20 and March 25,

2025.

Addressing a press conference on April 1, 2025, the Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, said the Minority caucus intercepted an intelligence indicating that an air ambulance landed in Ghana without any referral of patients.

He said: “On the matter of AirMed flights and Cavok Air private jets transporting suspected cocaine and cash, ladies and gentlemen, on another security matter related to our airspace, the Minority Caucus calls on National Security to provide the contents of a cargo suspected to be carrying contents suspected to be cocaine and cash imported into the country by two suspicious flights, namely AirMed flight NH23AM and Cavok Air private jet Antonov AN 12 B which landed at the tarmac of Kotoka International Airport on March 2025 from Gran Canaria, an island in Spain and departed to the same Gran Canaria after the arrival.”

It added that reliable intelligence intercepted by the Minority Caucus says that on March 20,2025, AirMed flight NH23AM, which is an air ambulance designed specifically to carry patients, landed at Kotoka International Airport in Accra and remained in the country before departing at 1am on March 25, 2025, back to Gran Canarian Island.

“Our intelligence further posits that no patient was transported by the said air flight neither to or from Accra. There is no evidence of medical referral of patients or onboard the flights on either legs of the flight.

We are reliably informed that contrary to the expectation that the AirMed flight would carry patients, the purpose for which it was designed and operates, it rather, on this —. occasion, carried suspicious Cargo suspected to be cocaine and cash in various United States dollars denominations,” he added The Minority also said a private jet, Cavok Air Antonov ANN12B also landed at the Kotoka International Airport on March 12, 2025 from the same island of Spain, Gran Canaria, and remained in the country for 13 days and departed at 6:40 am on March 25, 202 to Gran Canaria the very day AirMed flight also departed to Gran Canaria.

“While it is intriguing that the two suspicious flights would depart to the same location on the same day, even more intriguing is the cargo suspiciously transported by these aircrafts to and from Gran Canaria, an island known for its notoriety in drug trafficking, money laundering, among others,” the Minority noted. They have, however, called on the National Security to make full disclosure of the content of the cargo carried by these two aircraft into the country, as well as the cargo carried out of the country by the same aircraft to Gran Canaria.

www.ghanaweb.com

On the issue of effectively dealing with waste management at the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), Minister designate for Local Government, Religious Affairs and Chieftaincy Ahmed Ibrahim believes the problem has to do with dis-alignment of Ministry.

According to him all over the World waste management is a Municipal function, and it should be the core duty of the MMDAs as waste management workers are available in every MMDA.

He further added that he has no idea on the contract signed by waste contractors and the question of their decentralization to make it effective. He believes it should fall under the Local Government Ministry and not the previous Sanitation Ministry set up by the immediate NPP administration.

The presence of the Sanitation Ministry, he noted should be properly placed at the Ministry of the Local Government; “sanitation workers are present in every district; once this is done the problem will not be about contract, it will be about supervision and monitoring.

H also affirmed that the Sanitation department of the ministry needs to be strengthened to do proper monitoring, adding that with effective work on sanitation issues the problem can be solve, as it is not an issue of contract.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

A Session of Parliament marks the period from the commencement of parliamentary activities after a general election until the dissolution of Parliament. The power to summon a new Session lies with the Speaker of Parliament, who acts in accordance with a Constitutional Instrument.

In practice, a new Session begins on the 7th of January following a general election. Throughout a typical Session, Parliament convenes for approximately 28 weeks and takes a recess for about 24 weeks. The regular sitting schedule extends from Tuesday to Friday, amounting to an average of 132 sittings per Session.

A Session of Parliament is subdivided into periods known as Meetings. Each Meeting encompasses the sittings that start when Parliament first meets after being summoned and conclude either with an adjournment sine die (without setting a date for resumption) or at the end of the Session.

Ordinarily, there are three Meetings in a Session:

1. First Meeting: January to March
2. Second Meeting: May to July
3. Third Meeting: October to December

These Meetings facilitate the structured progression of parliamentary business, ensuring that legislative duties are systematically addressed throughout the year.

Understanding the distinction between Sessions and Meetings of Parliament is fundamental for those engaged in or following parliamentary affairs. Sessions provide the overarching framework for parliamentary activity, while Meetings allow for organized intervals within that framework. This structure ensures that Parliament operates efficiently, maintaining a balance between active legislative work and necessary recess periods.

Ghanamps.com/Shang Annang Papa Nii