Author: Akumaa GhanaMPs

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu Ekuful has asked President John Mahama to ‘call his people to order’.

The NPP MP was speaking to the recently held ‘One Ghana’ demonstration organized by the Coalition for the Defence of Equal Citizenship (CODEC) in Accra on Wednesday.

Although the march was meant to protest against the rising ethnocentric tendencies creeping into partisan politics in the country, some elements of the NPP who joined the march were allegedly prevented from taking part.

According to reports, some of the demonstrators who were allegedly wearing NDC T’shirts went further to destroy the placards being held by the NPP activists.

Reports indicate that the NDC group did not understand why the NPP will join the march when one of their own; Osafo Marfo has contributed to the ethnocentric comments in the country.

Giving her side of the story, Ursula Owusu said she ‘thought’ the march “was for all well-meaning Ghanaians: “I didn’t know it was an NDC tagged demonstration that will be aimed at attacking the NPP”.

Ursula who was carrying a placard with the inscription “Don’t Repeat What Happened in Odododiodio” asked President Mahama to stop the NDC members from politicizing tribal comments because it can break the foundation of the country.

“President Mahama, we voted for you to leave a legacy of a united country behind, your campaign (tribal) will bring division to the country. Ghana does not need this; Ghana does not deserve this,” she said.

Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Member of Parliament for Manhyia South has indicated profoundly his desire to bridge the gap between privileged kids and brilliant but needy pupils and students within his constituency.

To this end, the MP has presented 100 pieces of electronic tablets as well as various books worth over five thousand cedis to fifteen schools in his constituency.

The schools included K.O Methodist JHS A & B, St. Louis Demo JHS, Afia Kobi M/A JHS, New Tafo Dichemso M/A JHS among several others.

The Member of `parliament who is known for putting smiles on the faces of his constituents promised to donate more of the tablets and other educational materials to promote education in the area.

Also present at the donation ceremony to demonstrate the appropriate use of the devices were executives of TAP2educate, the Ghanaian company that produces the tablets.

Communications Head of the Company, Ms. Precious Bonsu expressed the vision of the company to provide every child in Ghana the best of technological education and called on stakeholders in education to ensure that education keeps up with modern technology.

“We should not be afraid to take a leap into the future”, she said.

The company has partnered several local publishing companies to provide electronic versions of textbooks, Past questions and supplementary reading materials which are pre-loaded and available for download to aid pupils in their studies.

Hon. Collins Owusu Amankwah, the Member of Parliament for the Manhyia North in the Ashanti Region has blamed the disturbances in the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region, on the party’s Chief Scribe.

According to him, Johnson Asideu Nketia is the cause of the endless violence that has characterized the NDC and it is because of the way and manner he incited the youth of the party to violence before the declaration of the 2008 elections.

“…we must blame Asiedu Nketia for the disturbances in the NDC. It is due to how he instigated the youth of the party to violence in the past that is the reason for which they take to violence anytime they feel discontent.

“It is worrying that they go about these wielding cutlasses and guns. If you can remember, in 2008, Asiedu Nketia called out all NDC youth to come out with anything weapon they could get their hands on and match the Electoral Commission (EC). He (Asiedu Nketia) wore a traditional war gear (batakari) to lead them that time and ever since he made that declaration, violence has not seized in the NDC,” The Mahyia Law Maker said in an interview with Peacefmonline.com.

This assertion comes on the heels of a siege at the NDC regional Headquarters in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi.

An NDC youth group calling itself the Coalition of NDC Foot-Soldiers stormed the Regional office of the party to forcefully lock up the premises as a way of registering their displeasure with some actions of the Chairman, Yaw Owusu Obimpeh.

To them, Mr. Obimpeh is running a one-man-show which would go a long way to affect the party’s electoral fortunes and must therefore be forced to resign from his post.

The men, numbering about fifty (50) then took it upon themselves to lock out the Ashanti Regional Chairman which resulted in a fracas with supporters of Mr. Obimpeh.

These disturbances have lead to the sacking of the Ashanti Regional Minister, Samuel Sarpong and his Deputy, Joseph Yamin who are believed to be using the youth to fight a proxy against each other.

Nonetheless, Hon. Collins Owusu Amankwah believes is the creation of the General Secretary of the NDC because of the bad precedence he set in 2008.

Peacefmonline.com

Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko has criticized the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) for consistently tagging professionals who demand their due from government as sympathizers of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He said such unfortunate acts by assigns of the NDC is intended to cow professionals who are bothered by such name calling to back down on their demands.

Doctors in public hospitals across the country on Thursday proceeded on a strike action after talks with government over their conditions of service reached a deadlock.

Some NDC commentators have accused the Doctors of being sympathetic to the opposition NPP and have resorted to taking the industrial action to make the government unpopular.

However contributing to a discussion on Peace FM’s Krokrokoo show Monday, Mr Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko stated he found it difficult to understand why the NDC always looks for an easy exit route whenever it is confronted with such industrial action by professional bodies.

“NDC are always quick to tag professional as NPP members. If Lawyers at the Attorney General’s department proceeds on strike action they are labeled NPP, Pharmacist and Teachers as well, but in the end we saw Kwame Alovi who was the former National President of National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) vying for the North Tongu constituency seat of the NDC” he noted.

Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko urged government to conclude negotiation with the doctors as soon as possible to prevent the loss of lives that could result as a result of the absence of the doctors.

GhanaMPs.gov.gh

Mrs Freda Prempeh, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano North in Brong-Ahafo Region has presented medical equipment worth GH¢30,000.00 to the Subonpan Community Health Planning Services (CHPS) compound in the Constituency.

The items comprise a dressing set, delivery set, suturing tray, drums, home visiting bags, bathroom scale, BP apparatus, baby scale, veronica buckets, digital thermometers, autoclave sterilisers, oxygen cylinder, drip stands, kidney bowls, Gallipots, Foetoscope manual, Sonicald, Screen, beds and mattresses.

The others are bed sheets, examination couches, sterilizing boilers, dressing trolleys, wheelchairs, stretchers, stethoscopes, tables, chairs, computers and dustbins.

Mrs Prempeh also presented two packets of roofing sheets to the Campso Community, also in the area, to roof a lorry station shelter project.

Due to lack of medical equipment, the CHPS compound, built in 2008, had remained a white elephant, but Mrs Prempeh explained that the presentation was in fulfillment of a promise to the people in that Community.

She announced her intention this year to use a greater percentage of her health fund towards the construction of CHPS compounds in under-served communities.

Mrs Prempeh entreated the pregnant women to access antenatal service by visiting the facility regularly and advised the community and staff of the facility to adopt the culture of maintenance by taking proper care of the items for their own good.

Dr Yakubu Bayayinah, the Tano North District Director of Health Services, thanked the MP for her gesture, noting that, the items would facilitate the provision of efficient healthcare delivery to the people.

He commended the MP for renovating the CHPS compound at Subriso, also in the Constituency and stressed that Out-Patient Department cases at the Bomaa Health Centre increased after the MP presented similar items to the facility.

Dr Bayayinah expressed concern about the alarming rate of teenage pregnancy in the District, and therefore, advised especially girls to be serious with their education and avoid pre-marital sex.

GNA

Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo Markin has described the Electoral Commission (EC) as a stubborn client who will make the job of any lawyer very difficult.

According to him, the EC’s intransigent posture and failure to adhere to laws that govern its activities makes it an ardous task for a lawyer to defend the institution in the court of law.

The MP who is a lawyer by profession and counsel for the aspiring assembly man whose suit against the Electoral Commission resulted in the cancellation of the District Assembly elections which was scheduled March 3, 2015, said this while speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem programme on Monday 2nd March 2015.

He disagreed with suggestions by a section of the public that counsel for the EC, Lawyer Quashie Idun did not do much to ensure the EC’s victory in court to avoid the postponement of the elections just four days to the day it was set to be held.

Lawyer Afenyo Markin stated that the EC must end its impunity and rather sit up and ensure that it is conversant with the laws with which it operates, adding that “if one has a bad case, it is difficult to defend it, even a good lawyer can put up a spirited defence but the law will not be on his/her side” he said.

The Supreme Court by a 7: 0 majority decision ruled that the election cannot go ahead.

The entire Supreme Court panel agreed with the plaintiff in the case that the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to open and close nominations when the CI 85 had not been passed is unlawful.

The plaintiff, Benjamin Eyi Mensah, a disqualified aspirant for the position of assemblyman in the Eyipeh Electoral Area in the Central Region, dragged the Electoral Commission to Court for failing to include him in the upcoming election.

His Counsel, Alex Afenyo Markins argued that, his client was prevented from filing his nomination even though the constitutional instrument governing the elections had not been passed.

The cancellation of the elections just four days to the D- day has brought a lot of inconvenience to the aspiring assembly members, as it has disorganized their programmes and their budget.

Hon. Alex Afenyo Markin, urged the Attorney General to charge the EC with causing financial loss to the considering the fact that the state will have to marshal funds to reprint ballot papers.

Ghanamps.gov.gh/Kwadwo Anim

Third year students in two communities in the Keta Municipality have been spared the trouble of the current energy crises having been provided with solar lamps.

A total of 45 solar lamps were distributed to students from the two schools including Agorvinu and Lawoshieme Junior High Schools.

These two communities are among the island communities in the municipality and have difficulties with social amenities that authorities are doing everything possible to address.

Not too long ago, through the hard work of the Member of Parliament for Keta, Mr. Richard Quashigah, the communities were installed with solar panels that gave them light.

A follow up on that project by Mr. Richard Hosier, Senior Energy Specialist at the World Bank- Washington DC to assess the impact of the project on the people again resulted in individual students receiving the solar lamps which he donated.

Speaking to Ghanamps.gov.gh, Mr. Quashigah who took Mr. Hosier round the project sites said the solar lamps were presented to third year students to aid their studies and preparation towards examination.

He said these children have to be motivated by any means possible to take their studies seriously including provision of logistics in order to come out with good results that can propel them further in their academic pursuits.

The MP said he is very determined to see Keta regain its academic pride, as such he will continue to use his influence to get resources to support education in the municipality.

He urged the students to make good use of the lamps by devoting their time and energy on their studies.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.gov.gh