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Kumbungu MP arrives in Parliament 9:00am with his bicycle

Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak kept to his words and arrived in Parliament on his old bicycle as he promised.

On his arrival there were five media houses who were in Parliament awaiting his arrival and during an interaction with the media he pointed out that he did this in a way of showing that he stands with the working class and the masses.

He further pointed out that he enjoyed the ride to Parliament because he feels energized.

When questioned why he embarked on such a move if it is not aimed at scoring cheap popularity as an MP with four wheel V8 car, “I tell you what my tank is full, the fact that God has blessed me does not mean I should not come out to defend the poor people; if I cannot defend the poor people then I do not have business being in politics”.

Mr. Ras Mubarak further lamented and questioned, “are they saying people have not been sacked from work, people like journalists are not losing their work, people are home and do not have food to eat?”

The rich people and the upper class are full, and poor people hungry; our taxes are being used to buy fuel for the rich people, he noted.

He further pointed out that if a lot of people decide to ride bicycle to work it would decongest our roads and keep the population healthy, adding he want to do more.

As to how long he would be doing this he said it could be twice a week and he promised to ride back home after adjournment of Parliament.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Rising road accidents: Parliament summons Transport Minister

Roads and Transport Minister, Kwaku Asiamah has been summoned by Parliament over the rising road accidents in Ghana.

First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu who was in the chair on Tuesday gave the Minister two weeks to appear before the House and brief it on measures being taken to reduce carnage on the roads.

This follows a statement made on the floor of the House by Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye on avoidable road traffic accidents.

He called for aggressive prosecution of careless drivers, and related to recent accidents including that of colleague MP for Awutu Senya West and Deputy Communications Minister George Andah, who was airlifted to 37 Military Hospital for emergency care, following an accident in the Central region.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minority on $2bn Chinese loan: Ghana’s sovereignty should not be compromised

Member of Parliament (MP) for Wa Central Dr. Rashid Pelpuo has said government should learn from their Zambian counterparts where report suggests that the Chinese government has taken over sections of their economy for failing to pay debt owe it.

The Minority in Parliament has cautioned government not to compromise Ghana’s sovereignty to the Chinese government in an attempt to secure loans for infrastructure development.

Caution by the Minority follows the recent agreement signed by President Nana Akufo-Addo and the Chinese government for a $2 billion barter agreement for projects.

“Recounting all the benefits we have had from China and the fact that we are considering the request that we continue to enhance that relation and strengthen it saddens my heart”, the Wa Central MP said.

He was contributing to a statement made by the chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee, Frank Annor Dompreh on the bilateral relations between Ghana and China.

“Mr. Speaker, it shows that one sided relationship in which Ghana seems to the beneficiary all the time, the loans we have taken, the grants and every other time shows that it is not a relation we should continue in the direction we are going”.

“In Zambia were telecommunications and other benefits that are in the country cannot be decided by the country alone without China not coming in to support”, he lamented.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

“NDC is reorganizing, I see determination in your eyes —Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has said he is confident the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is coming back to power in 2020.

According to the flagbearer hopeful of the NDC, the party is reorganizing and he sees determination in the “eyes” of party supporters on his rounds, people are bold to put on NDC T-Shirts and use stickers on their cars than when the party was in power.

He further called on the party supports to do everything to ensure that the party becomes a modern political party, by getting a computer that has a data base of all supporters of the Party in all the constituencies.

“With a click of a button, we should be able to tell how many NDC supporters we have in Dome/Kwabenya, again we should get lands and get small offices than going to rent offices where we get kicked out by landlords”.

He made this remarks when he took his campaign in the Greater Accra Region to Dome/Kwabenya constituency to solicit for their support to lead the party in 2020, when the party elects its flagbearer in December.

“We have many ideas for the party,  man is not perfect we make mistakes  2016 was a wakeup call for us even in  an adversity we can make it to an opportunity that is of we learn from our mistakes in 2016”, he said to party supporters.

He ended campaign by saying he has come to show himself  and beg for their vote, “we want a tried and tested leader the last time some came and said try me and see, where has Ghana gotten to now, it is not try me and see NDC we are not new to the job we have done it before”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

We need bicycle lanes in Accra but risky for MPs to ride to Parliament—Garu MP

Member of Parliament (MP) for Garu, Albert Alalzuuga Akuka has said there is the need to have bicycle lanes in the capital Accra.

According to the Garu lawmaker in developed countries like the United Kingdom, United States of America and the Netherlands provisions had been made for bicycle riders but that cannot be said of Ghana in Accra.

“We do not have CCTV camera’s on the streets as we have in the advance countries, which would capture everything in case you are knocked down there could be investigations to it”, he lamented.

In an interview he further pointed out it would be quite a risky venture for MPs to attempt to ride bicycle to Parliament as he would not make such an attempt.

He further pointed out that with the way and manner MPs are staying apart unlike previously where all MPs were staying at one location at Sakumonor, this would be difficult.

“If we were at Sakumonor we could all be in one bus and driven to Parliament House, but for our constituencies we need a four wheel drive there”, he said in an interview.

His remarks come in the wake of his colleague MP for Kumbungu riding a bicycle to Parliament on Tuesday to express hard times in the Ghanaians economy and how ordinary Ghanaian workers cannot pay for the rampant fuel price increase.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minority demand making public justice Brobbey commission report

The Minority in Parliament are demanding that recommendations made in the Justice Brobbey commission be made public to Ghanaians.

According to the Minority Leader Haruna who address the media, they are not against creation of new regions since their party manifesto in 2016 supported the creation.

He pointed out that it has been five months since the commission submitted its report to government, on creation of new regions, it has been “shrouded in so much secrecy that Parliament has been denied access”, he lamented.

Mr. Haruna Iddrisu noted that the constitutional instrument for the conduct of the referendum leading to the creation of the new regions has been laid to mature in twenty-one sitting days.

Again President Nana Akufo-Addo under Article 5(4) of the constitution provides that where there the commission inquiry finds that there is a need and demand for merger or alteration, it shall recommend to the President. A referendum would be held specifying issues to be determine where the referendum would be held.

The Minority Leader demanded and urged President Akufo-Addo to keep faith with his promise of transparent and accountable governance.

“We demand full disclosure in the interest of the public and the report should not be the exclusive of few, It should be open to Ghanaians for us to gain insight into the thinking of the commission and the constitutionality of the recommendations”, he said in his media address.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

There are mechanism to address environmental impact in 1D1F—Minister

Minister for Trade and Industry, Kojo Alan Kyeremanten has told Parliament that his Ministry has incorporated mechanism to address environmental impact under the one district one factory as stipulated by law.

According to the Minister there is a technical support group, made up of experience consultant working with business promoters to conduct environmental impact assessment (EIA) to identify the potential impact of 1D1F projects.

He further pointed out that participating financial institutions that support 1D1F companies also requires as a matter of procedure, for the companies to prepare EIA reports.

“We have set up district implementation support team (DIST) in the entire district to support business promoters in meeting all statutory requirements when setting up factories”, he said.

Mr. Kyeremanten indicated to the House that there are robust monitoring and evaluation mechanism developed to assess the implementation of the 1D1F programme, the relevant regulatory institutions will conduct periodic checks and review the operations of the factories to ensure that they abide by all the required regulatory requirements.

This came to light when MP for Buem Daniel Kwesi Ashiamah wanted to know if the Ministry would consider the environmental impact of 1D1F initiative and how the Ministry would want to deal with such impact.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Research assistants would enhance our work—Ashiaman MP

Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashiaman  Ernest Henry  Norgbey has said Parliament getting them research assistants is in order and would enhance their work both at the constituency and on the floor of Parliament.

According to the Ashiaman lawmaker this are signs of good things to come and added that the fact remains that most MPs are occupied with Parliamentary and constituency works.

“We need someone who would be doing our daily activities for us and research for us, in this would help us contribute meaningfully on the floor of the House it is good for us”, he said in an interview.

On the issue of research assistants being either masters holder or first degree either a first class or a second class upper he said there was nothing wrong with that.

He further added when it comes to qualifications most of the MPs are not there yet, “we need someone who has the expertise to research, “for us to have effective contributions on the floor, personally I have above the qualification they are demanding from the research assistants”, he pointed out.

“It is good for all MPs to have research assistants; this would go a long way to help us in performing our work”.

By: Kwaku Saki-Danso/ghanamps.com

Nyantakyi scandal: Investigation of Akufo-Addo would be waste of time—Norgbey

In the wake of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) banning the former President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Kwesi Nyantakyi, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashiaman, Henry Ernest Norgbey has said in an interview that those calling for President Nana Akufo-Addo to be investigated because his name was mentioned by the former GFA boss were wasting their time.

“Sometimes I do not want us to waste our time on things that may not happen; for any institution to investigate the President may never happen, it is a waste of time to make such allusion. The fact that Nyantakyi mentioned his name does not mean it is enough for the President to be investigated”.

He further pointed out that, “you and I know how our system works here”, it would be feverous to say you want to investigate the President, again what is most appropriate is the sanction of Nyantakyi, despite the fact that it is a dent on Ghanaians.

What has happened to Kwesi is not only him as a person, but affects Ghana. He mention a lot of people in his exposé that is not to mean he has given them anything, rather he was using those people as a conduct on what he wanted, he added.

He indicated that the football fraternity has been disgraced; “some of us we are happy it has happened. We have been following football since 2015, when Kwesi Nyantakyi became the President of GFA every attention was on the black stars and judging from how selections were made into the Black Star, there is so much corruption in Ghana football, the fine and ban handed to Kwesi Nyantakyi is good for our country”, he pointed out.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Parliament would not be stampeded in passing RTI—K. T Hammond

Ardent opponent to the passage of the Right to Information Bill, has said Parliament would not be rushed in passing the (RTI) bill.

According to K. T. Hammond, Ghanaian lawmakers are trying their best to pass the best of law; “we are not dragging the bill, all we are doing is to put the appropriate amendments, so that at the end of the day what comes out is good”.

In an interview with journalists as to why the bill has kept long in the House, he responded that it is not a straight forward bill, he recounted that under Tony Blair it was passed in the UK, he said to himself.

“Was I crazy to allow the RTI to become law, it is one of the hopeless legislation pass in the UK, it has a lot of implications and potentially dangerous; someone is going to ask me tomorrow morning, someone is going to ask you what did  you take for breakfast”, he lamented.

He further added that, there is the need to be careful about the bill and those journalists who came charging on the gates of Parliament, the media collation for the passage of RTI, they did it in the six Parliament of the fourth Republic, it did not happen.

Again it took America and the United Kingdom who are advanced in democracy longer years to pass it. United Kingdom after it passed it suspended it for five (5) years and pointed out that the clause 17 is the most dangerous of all of them.

“Nobody is going to rush us in passing this bill, we would do our best to pass this bill but no rush”, he lamented.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com