Author: Kwaku GhanaMPs

Agona East Member of Parliament, Queenstar Pokuah Sawyerr made her annual visit to the Islamic communities in Agona East Constituency.

The visit began with a house-to-house outreach to the elderly, where they received special packages containing undisclosed amounts of money.

The Member of Parliament was accompanied by Samuel Oscar Mensah, the Constituency Chairman, and other party executives.

During the visit, donations were made to the communities, including bags of rice, oil, milo, and milk. A prayer was said for the MP and President John Dramani Mahama.

The Muslim community expressed gratitude to the National Democratic Congress government for reducing Hajj fees and building the Hajj village at Accra International Airport.

Hon  Queenstar Pokuah Sawyerr thanked the community for their support in the general elections and promised to represent their interests in Parliament. She also committed to developing the Zongo community and Agona East as a whole.

Ghanamps.com

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced that Government has successfully reclaimed all lands belonging to the Ministry.

“We have reclaimed all of the Ministry’s lands, and I can boldly say that the adjoining lands to the Foreign Ministry and they are now fully belonging to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the people of Ghana “.

The Minister who disclosed this in parliament on Friday affirmed that they have served notice that no ministry’s land would be up for sale .

Relatedly, Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa disclosed that they have stopped the attempted sale of diplomatic properties in Nigeria and Zambia, affirming that they have declared a zero tolerance against the sale of diplomatic assets.

He said “under President Mahama’s government, no diplomatic property would be sold, and we are leading by example, and the attempted sale in Nigeria and Zambia have been g and sanctioned”, he stated.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com

The Minister for Energy and Green Transition John Abdulai Jinapor has vowed to ensure he secures all the missing containers belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana, (ECG).

“As the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, currently my vision is simple, I want all the 1346 containers accounted for; 1346 containers, whatever it takes I would bring these containers to where they ought to be”.

Setting the record straight on the controversies with regards to the numbers being churned out since news about the missing ECG containers broke out, Mr Jinapor on the floor of Parliament said, “there’s not been any inconsistency; at the Transition Committee, Hon. Ayariga was there, they gave us a figure of 3000, then they told us it had incurred a demurrage of 1.5 billion; I was sworn into office on the 17th, on the 24th, I visited the harbour. At the harbour, I was told the containers were 2500; that is what aroused my suspicion. I didn’t say at the harbor that the containers are 2500; I couldn’t have counted 2500 containers instantaneously”

He continued that he briefed the president on the 27th “and by 31I had established this committee”.

He disclosed that the auditing was done by Professor Senyo, a Chartered Procurement expert and it was during the presentation of the report that he was told that contrary to the figures given out, over 1300 containers cannot be accounted for. “These are the facts and nothing but the facts”, he added.

The Minister, however, assured that he would not be deterred by publications on social media about the development, and would do all it takes to secure the containers and bring the perpetrator to justice.

He disclosed that he and the National Security operatives visited four warehouses at Kpone on Friday; two of which are factories, “and what they’ve been doing over the years is that they buy these containers with brand new aluminum cables and then melt them into aluminum rods and export them”.

He also affirmed the president’s commitment to getting to the root of the problem, stating that “yesterday when the President Mahama called me, his message was simple, Jinapor you have my full backing, go the full trotting”.

He assured that they are working to achieve the president’s wish thus some Chinese Nationals have been arrested and they are on the trail of some Indian Nationals who have bolted.

According to him, he has received a lot of briefing; and he is getting to know the people behind it”, stating that these unfortunate actions have been going on for years but he will stop it.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com

Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh has taken a swipe at the Majority side of the House in their delay in presenting the 2025 budget estimates and lists of re-composed delegation to the Pan African Parliament when the House met on Monday, March 24, 2025.

He states, “the 2025 budget estimate no show, lists of re-compose delegation to the Pan African Parliament no show, and a member to the Pan African Parliament in the eighth Parliament Collins Dawuda, who is in the chamber and want to represent Ghana at the continental Parliament looks sad”.

But the Minority Chief Whip’s comment did not go down well with the Asutifi South MP who pointed out that, he has always been happy in the past eight years even when he was being prosecuted.

“When it comes to approval of budget estimates, what has changed? When he was Majority whip in the eighth Parliament, it was same thing we should rather appeal and not satisfy the gallery”.

Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor on his part pointed out that since they have 24-Hour Economy, Members of Parliament should be prepared to work within the twenty-four-hour economy.

Hon Matthew Nyandam on his part stressed the need for welfare of MPs to be taken seriously, stating that sitting late into the night was not good for health of MPs more especially a government which claims its resetting.

“We should not sit beyond 10:00pm; if this was being done previously that is why we had the change and said we are resting so March 28, 2025 as the House goes on recess we should not sit late into the night”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

As part of the healing process within the New Patriotic Party after their heavy defeat in the December 7, 2024, presidential and parliamentary elections, Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, Davis Opoku Ansah is of the opinion that card bearing members should be allowed to vent their displeasure; but urged that it should be done cautiously.

According to him, it is the reason the reason the Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye’s Committee was set up by the party.

In an interview with Ghanamps.com he pointed out that one or two members would not be happy with the entire process, and might want to vent their anger on radio, despite the approved platform created by the party, “however, one needs to be mindful of the terrain”, he cautioned.

He asserts that a lot of people might not have the opportunity of meeting the Prof Oquaye Committee, but it does not also mean that people should break boundaries and just talk anyhow.

In the specific case of the former Dome/Kwabenya lawmaker, he explained that she had gone through a lot including being wrongly accused of being the person who voted against Professor Oquaye in his bid to become Speaker of the 8th Parliament. “There was a lot of hullaballoo surrounding her name”.

Mr Ansah noted that drawing closer to her one would realize the truth, “I went on radio personally attacking her”.

He recalled that looking at where the NPP party was with 137 on both sides and an independent MP who caucused with them to have the majority, “we had to make some sacrifices. I had a surgery in 2024; sometimes you do a surgery today, the next day you are asked to come down to Ghana. Those are the sacrifices we went through. I know of a colleague who gave birth in the US three days, she had to leave the baby in the US come down to Ghana to participate in parliamentary work”.

Within the week the former Dome/Kwabenya MP Sarah Adwoa Safo was the focus of discussion as she hopped from one media station to the other trying to set the record straight on some of the accusations leveled against her in the 8th parliament. Her action caught the attention of the leadership of the party and was immediately referred to the party’s disciplinary committee.

The Mpraeso MP further noted that they did not know the full story of Adwoa Safo, adding that if she had opened up to any colleague, the person could have even spoken to the other side. “This is a colleague who is going through a lot; it would have saved us from those acrimonies we witnessed in the eighth parliament; that is my position”.

He furthermore added that the attacks the former Dome/Kwabenya MP received affected her in her parliamentary primaries; “if her constituents knew that she was genuinely going through a problem, people would not have judged her wrongly”.

“For such a person she has a lot of pain in her, once she starts venting them, if you are a leader approach her, be compassionate about it, listen to her side of the story and try and find remedy to whatever she is saying and that is the approach”.

He advised the party to take a second look at the decision to drag her to the disciplinary committee as it would not help.

As to whether his party would listen to him as he twitted on X, he said, “I think they have, I am told today leadership went to her house, they engaged her, she said her side of her story and I appreciate the leadership because it shows that when their members talk they listen; for me that is the way to go”.

He disclosed that just last week, former MPs who also pointed accusing fingers at the presidency for their defeat met with the Professor Oquaye Committee and put their issues across particularly on why the party lost.

“They came to my constituency and people spoke about why the depreciation in our votes. It is something I am working towards to help the party win massively in the next election.

So, people are being given the opportunity to speak. I am praying all party members would exercise restraints; we are all hurt, if I say I am going to say my story today I am not sure people would be able to listen to me”.

“It’s our party, let us allow the party to go through the process; with the Professor Oquaye Committee work, I am sure their committee report would bring reforms and get the party set for 2028 election victory”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The energy sector debt of Ghana should be addressed since energy is the life blood of every economy, Member of Parliament for Sunyani West Millicent Yeboah Amankwah pointed out during her contribution to the 2025 budget when she took her turn to debate.

According to her in 2024, the ministry of finance supported the energy sector with the payment of about one point five billion US dollars equivalent to twenty point eight billion cedis.

This amount she noted could have been used for any other project like roads and schools among others; but added that she believes in the Ministry and Minister of Roads and Highways that with the ‘Big Push’ initiative by President John Mahama infrastructure would be taken care of.

“If you look at this amount of money and we ask ourselves of the recent exercise conducted by the energy sector, the energy sector recovery programme has revealed that the energy sector financial shortfall has increased to thirty-five billion cedis in 2025”.

Mr. Speaker, where are we going as a country with this whole budget, without the energy sector we cannot work; if you look at the current state of the energy sector there is massive financial shortfall.

The independent power producers, we owe them one point seven- three billion dollars which is even more than what the former finance ministry gave as support to the energy ministry.

She said ECG owes 68 billion cedis currently which they cannot even pay, and COCOBOD also owes 32 billion cedis which is going to affect power supply and adversely affect any industry that depends on them, she added.

The Sunyani West MP further stated that the cost of power generation is very high but with President John Mahama who has promised to introduce more solar system to support our electricity generation system, “it might be costly per capital, but with the long years ahead of us it would add up three cent per kilowatt which is going to help us”.

We can say whatever we want to say in this country but if the energy sector is not catered for looking at the debt and areas we need invest in the consequences may be dire to us; she said.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Minority in parliament has once again called on the government to call the National Security operatives to order in what they described as the continuous harassment of political opponents particularly appointees of the former government.

At a press conference on Thursday, the Minority notes: “The Minority Caucus expressed its concerns about the growing lawless conduct of our National Security Operatives who the government has unleashed on opponents particularly the NPP appointees of the former President Nana Akufo-Addo. The aim of this is to intimidate and frustrate them”.

Citing the raids first on the house of the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta and now the house of the former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, the Minority Leader, Afenyo-Markin said “acts of intimidation are relics of the past, they have no place in our democracy”, and a growing democracy as ours must see things being done differently.

“We’ve heard of some raids and in some cases these so-called security operatives rob these officials when they are leaving their premises. First was the raid on the home of the former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta led by one Richard Jakpa, a known NDC activist who described himself as Director of Operations at the National Security”, stating that the Majority Leader had to apologize when the first incident occurred. However, at Dawn Yesterday, specifically at 5:00 AM, Mr Richard Jakpa was at it again. This time to the residence of Dr. Addison, the former Governor of the Central Bank”.

He said, Mr Jakpa claimed to have a warrant to conduct a search of the Roman Ridge residence of the former Governor, claiming to be looking for a vault which is purported to have some money in it.

“They forced their way, overpowered the security and entered the premises. This Rambo style approach must cease”, Afenyo-Markin emphasized.

Mr Afenyo-Markin affirmed that this was the first time any former Governor of the Central Bank has been subjected to this kind of traumatizing treatment.

He said though the security operatives could not find anything, the Governor also could not find his GHC10,000.00 that was on his bed, same with the Governor’s wife’s earrings and necklaces that could also not be traced after the search. “In other words, those operatives stole these earrings and necklaces “. Three cars, official vehicles of the Governor were also taken away only to be informed later that they’ve been parked somewhere so he should send his drivers to go and pick them around 4:30, the call came from this same Richard Jakpa”.

Ghana, he said has no room for lawlessness, and these actions undermine democracy and wind down investor confidence.

He thus warned that these actions may soon lead to some self-protection mechanisms from citizens and people whose lives and property feel threatened. “We are a nation of laws”, adding that legitimate investigations should be done in accordance with the law.

Meanwhile, the Minority affirmed their support for accountability; but said they are against the abuse of human rights of people in the exercise of law enforcement.

The Minority also registered their protest regarding the arrest of Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah who was arrested last night and later released, condemning the Rambo style in which such arrests are carried out.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com