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Author: Fred GhanaMPs

There is an under pinning issue on Domelevo’s “Go on Leave” directive —Edward Dery

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Vice Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Edward Kaale-Ewola Dery is of the view that there is an under pinning issue to President Nana Akufo-Addo’s directive to the Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo to take is accumulated leave.

According to him, he was not shocked when he saw the directives from the President because it is normal for civil servants to go on leave including the President himself, but his worry has to do with the timing.

“Under the circumstances and what is happening in the country, he Domelevo is on the neck of government officials. It is possible they would not want him back, someone who is fighting corruption. The President should, rather encourage him if he is serious about fighting corruption and not be hiding under accumulated leave”.

Mr. Dery further argued in an interview that Ghanaians are aware of what is happening, and with the COVID-19 funds that was approved by parliament and contribution of private and public institutions little can be accounted for it.

“Can you tell how much has been mobilized and how much has been spent of COVID-19 fight in the country? We were here when they were supplying food, how many days did they supply food to the needy. How much was allocated to this exercise and Domelevo has been asked to go on leave so that someone can do whatever they want to do?”

Again, today corruption is monumental, people do not see anything wrong with what is happening.
If the Auditor-General does not speak for Ghanaians who would speak for Ghanaians?

As someone who has worked with the Audit Service he noted that the deputies can do a good job in the  absence of Domelevo, “in the eyes of Ghanaians we think there is something that government is hiding”.

“When he is tackling issues with the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo and told him he would cough out money, and when we talked about accountability in Ghana is that the path to go and people cannot have free mind to do their work?”

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

“I have problem with people reading meaning into Domelevo’s leave”—Nyindam

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Second Deputy Majority Whip, Mathew Nyindam has said he has problem with his colleagues in the Minority and some Ghanaians who are reading meaning into the President’s action, that Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo should take is accumulated leave.

According to him he does not think the President Nana Akufo-Addo has offended any part of the 1992 Republican Constitution of the land, “what is wrong with the action of the President, didn’t late President Mills take a similar action?”

He further pointed out in an interview that it is factually inaccurate to say the Auditor-General was asked to take his accumulated leave because he is seeking accountability on the COVID-19 funds and breathing on the neck of government officials.

Again, he questioned if Domelevo is the first Auditor-General in the country to be told to take his leave. “If you misuse and misappropriate funds and you are corrupt, the system would catch up with you and the institution is not made up of an individual”, he stated.

In addition, he noted that  the fact that he is going on leave does not mean he is going away, and added that no one should be “fooled” into thinking that someone wants to prevent Domelevo from fighting corruption.

Mr. Nyindam cautioned that as a nation we should not throw the ball out there into the political arena for it to be kicked anyhow. There is a system in place if the AG is not there, the system would work and whoever is corrupt the system would catch up with the person.

“We should not allow this issue to destroy the good works done by the institution, the President has acted well and I have no problem with it”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Political promises derail planed state development projects – Former Government Statistician

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Former Government Statistician, Grace Afua Bediako has bemoaned the practice in the country where political promises derail already marked down plans by the state.

According to her some of the promises made are off the roof and excessive despite the fact that the state takes pain to put in place plans.

“Most of the objectives and gargets we plan are set-aside and priorities given to political promises which change our plans despite the fact that we have policy framework in place”.

She further pointed out that the practice throws away the framework for national development and as a nation we need to take a critical look at it if we want a sustainable development.

Mrs. Bediako made this remarks when she  participated in a forum organised by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs that brought together Independent Governance Institutions in Accra on the theme, “Independent Governance Institutions and the 2020 elections in Ghana some reflections”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Minority Leader canvas for support of NCCE

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu has made a case for the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) that they need adequate funding to function properly.
According to him Commission should have been part of the education against the spread of COVID-19,   but they came in as an afterthought, while they should have been leading public education on the pandemic.

Again, they do not have budget to embark on public education against spoilt ballot papers and the Majority Leader has made a case for them in allocating resources to them.

“The chairperson of the NCCE, how she got to the forum, the vehicle in which she came in, she cannot be proud of it. They were given a vehicle but that was done a few months ago. For the Commissioners at the national and regional level it is nothing we can be proud of”.

On accommodation, he noted the Majority Leader and himself had to engage the higher authority to consider some accommodation, which has been addressed.

He made this remarks at a forum organised by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs in Accra that brought together Independent Governance Institutions ahead of this year’s Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

Touching on the Commission for Human Right and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), he noted that for almost two to three years the required Deputies for the Commission were vacant until recently when they were filled.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Gambia Extraordinary Session highest turn out —Barrow

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Leader of the Gambia delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, Kebba K.  Barrow has revealed that the last Extraordinary Session of the fourth legislature which ends today is the meeting with the highest attendance in the last twenty years.

According to Barrow, he has been in the Parliament since May 2018 and can confirm that this is the highest turnout as the deliberations were also on point.

He pointed out tin an interview that he was happy his country was given the opportunity to host the meeting as the commitment was very good and much focus paid on the work.

“We would see how the evaluation, which is the first of its kind in the last twenty years lifespan of the ECOWAS Parliament goes. I expect this large turn out to meetings in the fifth legislature and more focus on work”.

He called for a second look at the Supplementary Act which enhances their power and noted as said by President of the Gambia and the Speaker of ECOWAS that MPs represent the grass root people and it is important that they focus on their work.

“We would continue to advocate for the active participation of MPs to our meetings to ensure we represent our people effectively”, he said.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com/Banjul

ECOWAS Parliament mediates in Gambia emerging crisis

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Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Rt. Hon. Mustapha Cisse Lo on Wednesday led a twelve (12) member delegation to the Gambian Presidency to pay a courtesy call on His Excellency President Adama Barrow.

The visit was primarily to thank him for hosting  the last extraordinary meeting of the Community Parliament,  and attending the opening ceremony. it was however,  an opportunity to brief  him on the activities of the Parliament in the Gambia.

Briefing journalists after more than an hour meeting at the Presidency, the Speaker Cisse Lo noted that they reported to the President on issues pertaining in the Parliament.

According to the Speaker, he briefed the President on his meeting with the opposition leader as there is emerging political tension in the country, but pointed out that there is the need for Gambia to have stability.

“President Adama Barrow gave us listening ear and took good note of the issues we brought to his attention; and it is my view that we undertake such visits and discuss with all parties, a country cannot develop without stability”.

He again pointed out that he has had discussions with the opposition leader on the emerging political situation in the Gambia.

Over the weekend there was demonstration by the opposition to call on President Barrow to step down based on a three year agreement despite the constitution giving him a five year mandate. Others also demonstrated calling for the return of Yahya Jammeh.

As to whether discussions with the opposition came up in their discussions, he responded in the affirmative, but was quick to point out that their discussion cannot be shared with the media.

“Again, we ask the leaders to comply with the country’s constitution and rules; we would meet with the party leader of former President Yahya Jammeh, the meeting was divided into two the President met the whole delegation and we both moved into in-camera”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com/Banjul

Speaker clashes with section of MPs

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Moustapha Cisse Lo has asked Members of Parliament who wish to go home from the Gambia, venue of the ongoing Extraordinary Session, to do so.

The Speaker made this declaration after most members of parliament learnt their voices to a motion by the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase which resulted in commotion.

Hon. Wase had insisted that the Session should be brought to an abrupt end on Wednesday, saying that the evaluation of the activities of the outgoing 4th Legislature, which according to him, formed the basis for the Extraordinary Session had already been concluded.

This resulted into a heated debate as other members sided with the Speaker, pointing out that some items in the program of event, were yet to be carried out.

They urged the parliamentarians to stick with the initial agenda set for the session rather than altering them.

At this point, the originator of the motion and Deputy Speaker of the Nigeria’s Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Wase, flared up, accusing Speaker Cisse Lo of going against what had been agreed upon at the Bureau level the previous night.

“Mr Speaker, we need to respect ourselves on the manner with which we go about this. You are talking as if we are dragging this because we want to just leave. Let’s go through the agenda. My country’s resources and other country’s resources are being used for this program. I believe at the bureau, we had the opportunity to sit down and analyze and take a decision before coming to plenary. I am a deputy speaker of my own country’s Parliament, I know how things are done”.

“When I met you with this suggestion yesterday, all of you agreed we should bring it up here today; only for you to come now and talk as if there was no agreement. Is that the way things are done? You don’t run parliament on this manner.  All those who are now supporting you were part of those who agreed to this position yesterday. Is it because we want to take money that we designed the program? This is public funds! You must design things in such a way that you justify public funding”.

During the back and forth for almost an hour, Speaker Cissé-Lo moved that Parliament go into a closed door session and resolve the issue.

Emerging from the closed door, the Speaker urged members with contentions about going through with all the activities initially lined up for the 7day period slated for the Extraordinary  Session, to go home if they so desire.

He, thereafter, beckoned on the Secretary General, John Azumah, who read out the outlined program of event to the parliamentarians.

The Extraordinary Session comes to an end on Thursday, the 30th of January, 2020 after an in-camera meeting that got the meeting back after a brief suspension.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com/Banjul

Gambia is championing the course of women—Majority Leader

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Majority Leader of the Gambian National Assembly, Kebba K. Barrow has said the country is doing its best to empower women and champion their cause.

According to the Majority Leader, there are three elected females in the National Assembly out of the fifty-three membership of the House.

Out of the five representation to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament in Abuja Nigeria, Fatoumatta Njai is the only female among the delegation in the fourth legislature, whiles the delegation has only one female in the yet to be sworn in fifth legislature.

He noted in an interview that the case of Gambia is a special case in the West African sub-region considering that there are only three elected females in the National Assembly and two appointed by government.

“What we are trying to do in the next legislature is for the political parties to come out with a policy that would ensure that at least thirty percent of their contestants are females. With that they secure the country to increase the number of female Parliamentarians in the National Assembly”.

Mr. Barrow revealed that out of the two remaining elected female MPs, one is represented at the Pan-African Parliament, whiles the remaining one with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

“We have given room to get more female Parliamentarians in our National Assembly, we are working on it, we would get there”, he said.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com/Banjul

Poor leadership resulted in lack of visibility of Parliament — Ayariga

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A member of the Ghanaian delegation to the sub-regional Community Parliament, Mahama Ayariga has said poor leadership style of the outgoing Speaker Mustapha Cisse Lo resulted in lack of visibility of the fourth legislature.

He noted that the evaluation of a Parliament should include a Speaker and MPs and added that he joined the fourth legislature later by the time the Ghanaian elections were held for a delegation to be constituted; the Community Parliament was already running.

According to Ayariga he is disappointed in the function of the legislature and it is as a result of the fact that the Community Parliament has not been given the needed visibility despite the fact that it has a Supplementary Act that empowers it.

He further argued out in an interview on his assessment of the fourth legislature that ends next month that, debate was never encouraged in the fourth legislature on important sub-regional issues.

“Everything has always been about the Speaker, if we had a hanzard and you go through I am sure about ninety percent of the focus and the voice, would have been about the Speaker and not the MPs. It is quite unfortunate his tenure has ended”.

Mr. Mahama Ayariga was quick to point out that the fifth legislature should run properly and make good impression on ECOWAS citizens in terms of its debate concerning citizens of the sub-region and also holding Heads of States accountable.

In addition, hold the bodies and agencies with ECOWAS responsible, and up to their task, “I expect a better Parliament come February 2020 when we would be inaugurated”

“I expect the style of Parliamentary democracy from the Anglophone countries to have a positive impact on running of the legislature, as the fourth legislature might be influence by the Francophone way of running the legislature”.

He further pointed out that since the Anglophone derived their democracy from the United Kingdom, with the Speaker of the fifth legislature coming from Sierra Leon, he expect a more robust House.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com/Banjul

Speaker’s view should be respected if not the view of Parliament—Mahama

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

A member of the fourth legislature of the Economic Community of West African states (ECOWAS), Mahama Ayariga has said outgoing Speaker Cisse Lo’s view on tenure of Heads of States within the sub-region should be respected.

According to the Ghanaian lawmaker who serves in the Community Parliament, as far as those views do not reflect the views of the lawmakers of the fourth legislature, he should be free to express those views.

His submission follows the Speaker’s comment at the ongoing extraordinary meeting in the Gambia where lawmakers disagreed with the view of the Speaker on two term limit for lawmakers in the sub-region.

“I have no problem with very stable political system to ensure that people who run political office stay in office for long, it has its own advantages and disadvantages”.

He noted that in a full functional Parliamentary system like the United Kingdom, some serve as Prime Minister for ten to twenty years depending on how hard the party works.

When people chose to adopt Republican constitutions, the Executive President is vested with too much power in one person and it become important for us to impose limits on those individuals as check and balance, he argued.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com/Banjul