Author: Akumaa GhanaMPs

Second Deputy whip of the Majority side of Parliament, Mathew Nyindam has cautioned Members of Parliament (MPs) who fill questions to Ministers to make it a point as much as possible to be on the floor of the House to ask their questions.

According to second Deputy Whip, it is not right to demand that Ministers come to the floor to do business whiles those who have question in their name do not appear on the floor of the House to ask the question.

He made this remarks when an urgent question in the name of the former Minister of Energy Emmanuel Kofi Armah Buah who was not himself on the floor and had delegated the Adaklu MP Kwame Agbodza to ask the question on his behalf.

“Mr. Speaker I do not think it is fare when the Minister is here and the MP who has fill the question himself is not here”, he lamented.

First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu who was in the chair indicated that he is happy the Deputy Whip is not objecting to someone asking the question on behalf of the one who ask the question.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Wa Central Dr. Rashid Pelpuo has taken a swipe at the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts. Catherine Ablema Afeku.

According to the Wa Central lawmaker, the Tourism Arts and Culture Minister was telling lies and took him out of contest when she quoted him as saying “if they youths are not getting jobs they should go and cut grass and sale”.

“When the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are falling they want to hold on to any straw, and stand that is what is happening, I was speaking on a private radio station base in Accra and I was asked how people can get job in the private sector”.

He pointed out that he said if you are a youth and youth who want employment and there is a need for your environment you can take advantage of the need in your environment.

“Because I did not say if there is a car rental in your area you should go and take it rent and you would get money, because I use the basics of examples of sealing of stones anyone who is not intelligent would buy into those things”.

As to whether his words were not harsh, he responded in an interview that it is not because he said where you are the raw material around you take advantage of it and create job for yourself.

Again I gave an example that if in the city you need to fly, you can set up an aircraft industry, you can fly people to and from, you can go to the high level and low level of those not having that high capital level.

“I gave a wide range of examples, but I do not understand why people are only catching in on the fact that I said people should go and carry stone and sell grass” he lamented.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minister of Energy John Peter Amewu has told Parliament, due to the sensitivity surrounding the very important matter of threats by some youth to blow up oil facilities in the Western Region, National Security had been involve in the issue.

According to the Energy Minister as part of its strategy for remedial actions it is liaising with National Security secretarial to coordinate efforts to deal with the matter effectively and efficiently.

He further added that he would revert to the House with full briefing on the matter once investigation is concluded on the matter.

“We have officially written to the National Security to investigate the issue on our behalf, we have lives and properties secured”, he told the House.

As to when he would come back to brief the House, he responded and said, immediately he has repot from the National Security on investigation carried out on the matter.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Deputy Minister of Finance Kwaku Kwarteng has said if the Minority goes ahead with their threat not to support any financial allocation that would go to the Special Initiative Ministry, they would be neglecting the powers to do proper monitoring to ensure funds are put to proper use.

Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu in his closing remarks to conclude debate on the 2019 budget raised objection to funds being allocated to the Special Initiative Ministry and advocated that funds should rather go to the districts directly for development.

According to the Deputy Finance Minister, the Minority would do a good job if they monitor and trace the path of money to the Special Initiative Ministry and the purpose for which it was use.

“Simply because they disagree with the exercise of the President’s powers, I think they are neglecting their responsibilities”.

In an interview when it was pointed out to the Deputy Finance Minister that people are complaining that they do not see development, he responded by saying that if the Minority goes ahead with their threat it would become worse.

Again funds are not disbursed from the Minority’s office, to say you would not monitor it is free for all, government should go ahead and do anything, “I am appealing to them to rethink their decision.

“Government has the power to create a Ministry that would deploy its policies, people should feel free to comment on what the President’s decision is, so that the President himself in making future decisions would be minded.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye has assured persons with disability that Parliament is very much concerned with their plight and would look into the Disability Act 2006 to make it more achievable.

According to the Speaker, Parliament as an institution has a duty to look into matters affecting persons with disability as part of its steps to tackle issues affecting them and the leadership of the House had agreed that the new Parliament to be built would be friendly to persons with disability.

The Speakers who was addressing the Speakers’ breakfast meeting further added that this would enable persons with disability to be able to access the chamber. “Parliament has also included sign language in its effort to help people with hearing disability be involved with proceedings in the chamber”.

Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye indicated to persons with disability that they have been invited for a good reason; “Making the law is one thing, what are the gaps, what are the issues inherent in their implementation thereof”.

The Executive arm of government, Parliament and relevant bodies and persons must be advised from time to time to see if it is really fulfilling the intentions for the law that was enacted.

“To be a person with disability is nothing strange at all, we are told statically speaking 15 percent of the world’s populations are person with disability. But, it is how far it is allowed to go unchecked, you never know tomorrow”, the Speaker noted.

He further added that, there should be a close look at a framework for the inclusion of the disabled for the United Nations Convention of the Right of persons with disability (UNCRPD) and look at what is happening.

Persons who came for their service in Parliament, the institution has decided to recruit her on a temporally bases, “I love for us to open our does to others to get an understanding what they feel to shape policy”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Only 16 out of a total number of 1,080 Zongo Communities in the country are currently benefiting from development initiatives under the Zongo Development Fund established as a result of the creation of the Inner-City and Zongo Development Ministry.

Minister of Inner-City and Zongo Development, Dr Mustapha Hamid disclosed this when he appeared before Parliament Tuesday morning to respond to a question filled by Member of Parliament for Garu, Albert Akuka Alazuuga on what programme the Ministry has put in place to improve livelihood in Zongo Communities in the country.

According to the Minister, the  Ministry has initiated a number of socio-economic programmes that are aimed at developing the human capacities of the people in Zongo communities, empowering them to be economically productive and supporting the promotion of their indigenous businesses in order to improve household incomes.

He stated that the Ministry is working with the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to train selected women across zongo communities who have businesses in especially Zongo cuisine like “waakye,” “sobolo,” “tubaani,” “kooko,” “wasawasa” and the rest, first of all, to improve the development and packaging of these foods in order to add value and increase incomes associated with these businesses.

The NBSSI also aims to accredit some of these women who shall become ready sources of provision of these foods to conferences, meetings and hotels.

He said, there is also the Zongo Coders Programme, which is to train, improve and redirect the ICT skills of the youth in Zongo communities into productive ventures.

Dr Hamid indicated that, in collaboration with the Ministry of Business Development and Access Bank, the Ministry is in the final stages of a collaboration that will allow Access Bank to provide capital to businesses in Zongo communities. This programme should be rolled out in the first quarter of 2019.

This he said President Akufo Addo believes the country as a whole must develop its human resource.

By Christian Kpesese/ghanamps.com.

Local Zongo cuisines such as Waakye, kubaani, wasawasa, sobolalo, kooko among others will soon become the number one choice of dishes at conferences and hotels as they Ministry for Inner-City and Zongo Development ensures their branding through excellent packaging.

He disclosed that, the Ministry is working with the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) to train selected women across zongo communities who have businesses in especially Zongo cuisine like “waakye,” “sobolo,” “tubaani,” “kooko,” “wasawasa” and the rest, first of all, to improve the development and packaging of these foods in order to add value and increase incomes associated with these businesses.

The Board he said is also aimed at accrediting some of these women to become ready sources of provision of these foods to conferences, meetings and hotels across the country.

The Minister, Dr Mustapha Hamid told parliament that it is President Akufo Addo’s vision for Zongo communities as encapsulated in the Coordinated Programme for Economic and Social Development Policies (2017-2024) to support the provision of critical infrastructure in education and training, health and sanitation, local businesses and centres of culture, as well as improve security.

He was responding to Parliamentary question field by the Member of Parliament for Garu, Albert Akuka Alalzuuga seeking to know what programmes the ministry has put in place to improve livelihood in Zongo communities in the country.

He said, there is also the Zongo Coders Programme, which is to train, improve and redirect the ICT skills of the youth in Zongo communities into productive ventures.

Dr Hamid indicated that in collaboration with the Ministry of Business Development and Access Bank, the Bank will provide capital to businesses in Zongo communities by the first quarter of 2019.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

Former Volta Regional Minister during the erstwhile President John Dramani Mahama administration has stated that the time has come for the men and women of the Ghana Immigration Service to be armed.

According to her if the country is serious about protecting its boarders, then the Immigration Officers especially the border patrol team to be armed with the adequate resources in the conduct of their lawful duties.

Madam Adjoa Ntoso who is the Member of Parliament for the Krachi West constituency in the Volta region explained that section 24 of the Ghana Immigration Act (2006), Act 908 provides for the arming of officers in the performance of the duties.

Debating the 2019 Budget statement on the floor of Parliament, the MP argued that the Officers who patrol Ghana’s boarders face difficult challenges in fighting crime without arms hence the urgent need to ensure that they are armed in order to carry out their duties in the general interest of the country.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.