Author: Akumaa GhanaMPs

The Member of Parliament for Keta, Richard Quashigah has expressed some misgivings about the Economic Partnership Agreement that has been deferred for the next two to three months.

Mr. Quashigah said he is personally skeptical about the EPA considering the fact that Ghana and the rest of the African countries have a lot of work to do to be able to compete effectively with goods from Europe, America and even Asian countries.

The Keta MP also indicated that Ghana and the rest of Africa are better off creating enabling environment to improve trade among member countries to increase industrial activities, adding that the EPA will only worsen the already difficult economic situations most African countries are faced with.

Mr. Quashigah who was contributing on AM: Talk show on Multi TV Tuesday morning said the volume of trade among African countries is not yet at any appreciable level and subjecting themselves to the EPA will forever make Africa importers and not exporters.

His submission was supported by Mr. Frederick Opare Ansah, Member of Parliament for Suhum and a member of the ECOWAS Parliament who was also on the show when he called for review of issues raised by some African countries about some sections of the EPA document.

Commenting on the election of President Dramani Mahama as the ECOWAS Chairman, Mr. Quashigah was confident the President will be able to perform well in that position.

He also downplayed suggestions that because Ghana is faced with some domestic challenges the president’s new position will not allow him to focus on the peculiar needs of the country. According to him, the president is surrounded by competent people who will help him deliver on the tasks ahead both domestically and internationally.

He said it a plus for Ghana to be given the lead role as ECOWAS Chairman and called for support for the president to deliver.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for Suhum constituency, Mr Frederick Opare Ansah says President Mahama has to shape up his economy back home first to enable his position attractive as the ECOWAS chairman.

He said even though the Ghanaian leader’s appointment sends signals of respect for the nation amongst the member states, for the same reason he should endeavour to resolve the local challenges confronting the nation, especially in the economic front.

For him, one is not there (ECOWAS parliament) strictly on political grounds, but to ostensibly compete with neighbours in the sub-region for the same investment opportunities and economic benefits, however criticizing the President to ‘repair the economy’ in his country is a cogent argument in tandem with his late election as the ECOWAS chair, to be able to attract the needed glory in his appointment amongst his peers.

The Ghana president was elected during the 44th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast.

The law maker who is also a member of the Ecowas Parliament made these points when he appeared on the AM talk show today on Multi TV.

Mr. Opare Ansah maintained that clearly things are not well internally as he made specific reference to the continuous decline of the cedi against the dollar, adding that it was very laudable for the Finance Minister to appear later this morning before parliament to give information on the true state of the economy and how government intends to arrest the cedi from further decline.

Also commenting on the boiling debates on the controversial signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the ECOWAS and EU, he noted that it was as if all is not well in that agreement, as a matter of fact the former had to pause and peruse the move carefully before it starts swinging in action on the partnership agreement.

Meanwhile the West African Leaders at a meeting in Ivory Coast over the weekend pushed to May ending before finally signing the full pact of the EPA.

Jonathan Jeffrey Adjei/Ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for Binduri constituency, Noah Ben Azure is currently fronting consultations to assist capture and absorb Kusaagu Community Senior High School(SHS) at Binduri as one of government’s assisted second cycle institution’s in the Upper East region.

Following this, the MP is earnestly liaising with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to push this agenda for the school in the area, noting that he will leave no stone unturned regarding this move.

Speaking to Ghanamps.gov.gh, the MP contended that the school is typically a rural community SHS and required some level of attention and assistance to enable it improve its status and recognition in the area.

Meanwhile, the MP has managed to commit some funds from the GETfund for the rehabilitation of structures in certain basic schools in the district.

They include a three unit classroom block at both Bansi and Barabogo communities which have duly been renovated to help enhance teaching and learning activities.

The MP also revealed the cladding of three unit classroom block project completed recently at Aniisi within the district. The project ostensibly involved cladding of the pavilion, flooring and fixing of blackboards to aid lessons in the beneficiary school.

Jonathan Jeffrey Adjei/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Our Lady of Apostles Senior High School popularly known as Ola Girls School in the Volta Region has over the years trained girls within the region and its environs with moral upbringing and high academic standards.

Those were the words of the Member of Parliament for Agortime-Ziope Constituency, Hon. Juliana Azumah Mensah when making a statement on the Floor of Parliament to congratulate the Ola Girls Senior High School which will celebrate its 60th anniversary this Saturday.

According to the MP, the school which was established in 1954 with name Queen of Apostles Senior School under the Catholic Mission but was later changed to its current name.

The previous name was however changed to its current name and was captured under the government assisted schools but still under the supervision of the Catholic mission.

She revealed that the school usually scores hundred percent (100%) in the SSSCE and WASSCE examinations.

Hon. Mensah recounted the situation where girls in the Volta Region who wished to further their education had to travel over 200 miles to Cape Coast which has a sister institution for girls but due to the establishment of the Ola Girls schools in the region the situation has been solved.

She however congratulated the school for emerging 60 years.

Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/GhanaMps.gov.gh

Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia South, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as Napo, has asked President John Dramani Mahama to sack the governor of Bank of Ghana (BoG), Henry Kofi Wampah.

According to the Manhyia lawmaker, it is long overdue for him (Henry) to be fired because instead of finding ways to stabilize the cedi, he rather waits for things to get worse before deciding to do something about it.

The governor of BoG announced that $20 million has been injected into critical areas of the economy as part of efforts to shoot up the cedi.

Since the beginning of the year, the cedi has suffered more than three per cent depreciation against other currencies, as demand for the dollar by local firms importing goods to drive the growing economy heavily outstripped the supply, thereby worsening the country\’s inflation outlook.

“We are aware of the slight depreciation of the cedi. This decline is seasonal due to firms buying dollars to pay for goods bought during Christmas and it will soon subside. I believe this new set of measures and others to follow soon are transformational and will help revamp our interbank market and stabilise the local currency,” he said.

But speaking to Kwami Sefa Kayi on Friday’s edition of ‘Kokrokoo’ Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh said “it is about time governor of the Bank of Ghana gets fired. It is long overdue. BoG is in charge of regulating micro finance, savings and loans, banks and so what has been his work and achievement so far. If he says it is difficult to manage depreciation and inflation, where are we heading as a country? I just don’t get it. I heard the governor of BoG saying he was going to fight inflation and depreciation; so what have you been doing since you became a governor”

To get the economy back in shape, the Hon MP advised President Mahama to ‘call upon stakeholders who can help him in managing the economy’.

“Sometimes you just don’t know what to say for the President to urgently do something about the economy…It is about time the President sits up; call upon stakeholders who can help…if the economy will improve, it will not occur by experimentation. We have had enough of it. The managers of our economy either are so much incompetent or they don’t know what they’re doing. If you don’t know you create a situation where all hands can be on deck” he indicated.

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As a Member of Parliament who has the welfare of its constituents at heart, Adwoa Safo, MP for Dome-Kwabenya is appealing to the Ministry of Education and Government to establish a Senior High School (SHS) in her constituency.

According to her, students within her constituency in their quest to access such facilities travel to other communities far and near whilst those who could not afford the high cost of financing the daily routine to and from school as well as fees are deprived of secondary education.

A situation the Dome-Kwabenya MP said does not auger well for the constituency which happens to be one of the most popular towns in Ghana.

“Dome-Kwabenya is a very large constituency and as we speak now there is no such secondary school in the constituency. We are told by the Ministry of Education that there is a project that is in line, where government has in line establishing a secondary in my constituency. We are therefore pleading that this project is very welcoming,” She added.

Although Hon. Safo revealed that her constituency could boast of three tertiary institutions, the least said about secondary education the better.

Hon. Safo made the appeal whilst contributing to a statement on the Floor of Parliament today by the MP for Agortime-Ziope, Hon. Juliana Azumah Mensah when she was congratulating the Olla Girls Senior High school for emerging 60 years.

The Presbyterian Senior High school and West African Senior Secondary School were formally under the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency but in recent times can be located in other constituencies due to further demarcation of districts and municipalities.

Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/GhanaMps.gov.gh

The Minority Leader, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu has cautioned MP against the use of inferior tactics such as shouting and noise making in Parliament whiles an MP is making a statement or contributing to statements on the Floor of Parliament.

The Minority Leader, also MP for Suam who was saddened by this issue urged his colleague MPs to refrain from using such tactics.

“Filibustering is a known and accepted strategy in every Parliament. Heckling is also a known strategy but shouting across the aisle and using indecent language while gesticulations and so on are not tools known and accepted in any parliament,” the Minority Leader fumed.

Hon. Osei-Kyei Mensah Bonsu who made the call in Parliament today described such situation as irritating and offensive.

“We have begun a new year, let us talk to ourselves. I will urge that we begin on a new clean slate and give ourselves a new beginning,” he added.

Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/GhanaMps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for Okaikoi Central, Patrick Boamah has threatened to lead a demonstration against government over the increasing rate of accidents and deaths on the 14 kilometer N1 Highway.

His threat comes a day after a speeding car crashed another road user to death on the George Bush motorway.

The protest march will last for about four hours on the N1 Highway.

According to Patrick Boamah, over 70 lives have lost their lives since the opening of the N1 hence the need for the demonstration.

“We are planning a massive demonstration on the NI to drive home this issue to the government.If government has forgotten about that issue, then I think this is one of the ways with which we can send a clear message to the government that we are not happy with the way we are being treated in our
constituency,” the MP said

According to him, although government has been informed about the problem, “it has not taken any step to control the situation till date.”