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Parliament recalled for emergency meeting on September 3, 2024

Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has summoned parliament to an emergency meeting pursuant to article 112 (3) of the 1992 Constitution and Standing Order 53.

“I Rt. Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament hereby summon parliament to sit on Tuesday the 3rd of September 2024 at ten o’clock in the forenoon at the place to be appointed by the Speaker in due course”
This was contained in a statement signed on Wednesday, August 7, 2024 by the Rt. Hon Speaker of the House.

Ghanamps.com

PAC orders payment to school feeding caterers

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, James Klutse Avedzi, has directed the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to pay Caterers who provided meals for schools in the Volta Region during the 2019/20 academic year and are yet to receive payment.

This directive was issued during the Committee’s sitting in Parliament to review the Auditor-General’s Report on Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies as of December 31, 2023.

Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dakoa Newman acknowledged the arrears, stating that it was an abnormality and that plans are underway to resolve it. She added that, the problem is not limited to the Volta Region but is a nationwide issue.

The Auditor-General’s report highlighted double payments to some Caterers in the school feeding programme, resulting in overpayments. It recommended that the Agency’s Accountant recover the wrongly paid amounts and deposit them into the Auditor-General’s Recovery Account at the Bank of Ghana.

Dakoa Newman expressed her gratitude to the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, and all members of Parliament, past and present, including former Ministers of the Gender Ministry, for the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill 2024.

The report also cited the Labour Departments in Suhum and Takoradi for unpaid compensation to workers injured on the job.

Attendees at the Public Accounts Committee meeting included Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Welfare, and Hon. Amidu Issahaku Chinnia, Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.

Officers from various agencies, including the Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty Management Secretariat, Community Water and Sanitation Agency, School Feeding Programme, and Department of Social Welfare and Local Government Services, Head Office, Accra, were also present.

Hon. Avedzi announced that the Committee would take a one-week break and return on August 12, 2024, to examine the Auditor-General’s report on Government Boards, Corporations, and Commissions for the year ending December 31, 2023.

Ghanamps.com

Minority demands immediate abrogation of $34M ambulance spare parts deal

The Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ghana’s parliament has called on President Akufo-Addo to immediately abrogate what it described as unconscionable, sweetheart, family affair US $34 million ambulance spare parts deal awarded to Service Ghana Auto Group Limited (SGAGL).

The caucus is convinced that the contract awarded to SGAGL, a company belonging to the daughter of President Akufo-Addo through sole sourcing was inflated.

Speaking on behalf of the minority caucus at a press conference in response to a statement issued by SGAGL in parliament, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa shredded the statement by the company which he said failed to address the fundamental issues raised by his expose’.

He noted particularly the deliberate silence of the statement on the politically exposed status of a key director of the company, Stephen Okoro who he said is “not just a close business partner of the President’s daughters, Gyankroma Akufo-Addo and Edwinna Akufo-Addo” but also has “family ties with the presidential family” as father to the president’s grandchild.

Mr Ablakwa who is the Chairman of Government’s Assurances Committee of parliament disclosed that the company is also linked to the president’s daughters through a longstanding business partnership.

“A key director of Service, Ghana Auto Group Limited, is named, Stephen Okoro. We have discovered through our parliamentary oversight, diligent parliamentary oversight, that Stephen Okoro is not just any Ghanaian or Nigerian for that matter. He is an in-law to President Akufo-Addo. Stephen Okoro has given President Akufo-Addo a grandchild.”
“This is a fact, and now in the corruption literature, politically exposed persons come under greater scrutiny. That is why when we were formulating the Office of Special Prosecutor Act, we included politically exposed persons.
The other thing that makes Stephen Okoro so politically exposed is that we have discovered that he is a longstanding business partner of the Akufo-Addo daughters.”, Mr Ablakwa revealed.

Flanked by minority members on the Health committee, Mr Ablakwa who is also Member of Parliament for North Tongu urged president Akufo-Addo to hold a presidential dinner with his family and announce a stoppage to the deal immediately.

He indicated that US $10 million out of the US $34 million has already been paid to the company by then Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta for no work done with an outstanding amount of US$ 24 million which must not been denied the nation.
“Then you need to also consider the fact that between 2020 and 2023, this company, Service Ghana Auto Group Limited, has been paid 115 million Ghana cedis in addition to the $54.3 million; then the latest scandal”.

“Ken Ofori Atta on the 9th of February 2024, a few days before he left office on the 14th of February, he instructed that this $34.9 million should be approved and that his ministry would take care of $10 million and the National Health Insurance Authority should take care of the outstanding $24.9 million”.

Additionally, the Minority also demands from President Akufo-Addo to instruct the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei Opare to desist from mounting pressure on Health and Finance Ministers to make unlawful payments to SGAGL.
The NDC caucus is also urging the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to expedite investigation and prosecution into the deal, saying “Ghana is bleeding”.

Below is the full statement by the Minority

Akufo-Addo’s Ambulance Scandal — My Response to Service Ghana Auto Group Limited’s
Statement
My attention has been drawn to a preposterous and most offensive statement from the discredited Service Ghana Auto Group Limited.

Even though none of the directors of Service Ghana Auto Group Limited could muster the courage to boldly put a name to their statement, I deem it necessary in the interest of public accountability to respond as follows:

1. I strongly condemn the use of threats by Service Ghana Auto Group Limited and their disgusting attempt to gag Ghanaians, particularly Members of Parliament and the media.

2. This ill-advised strategy to use naked threats to prevent parliamentary scrutiny, media discussions and the legitimate demand of accountability from patriotic Ghanaians who have every right to know what a colossal US$108million of our taxes are being used for under this opaque ambulance transaction is a strategy bound to fail. SGAGL is well advised to desist from issuing empty and pathetic threats as nothing will stop our democratic and patriotic resolve in the spirit of transparency, probity and media freedoms – which are all guaranteed under the
1992 Constitution, to demand full accountability in this matter. We cannot be intimidated by their bogus threats.

3. Service Ghana Auto Group Limited’s statement deliberately failed to respond to the politically exposed status of a key director, Stephen Okoro who is not only a close business partner of the President’s daughters, Gyankroma Akufo-Addo and Edwina Akufo-Addo as irrefutably demonstrated with official incorporation documents of SFO Initiatives Limited, Goodbox Limited and Good Grow Limited; SGAGL was also disingenuously silent on Stephen Okoro’s familial ties with the presidential family having fathered a grandchild of the President with the President’s daughter. Politically exposed persons always come under greater scrutiny in the fight against corruption as they can unduly influence procurement processes, abuse due process and orchestrate unconscionable payment terms in their favour, as we have seen in this transaction.

4. From the statement of Service Ghana Auto Group Limited, it purportedly participated in a competitive procurement process by the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives from 15th November, 2018 as a consortium of 7 companies. Instructively, this consortium could not have existed in 2018 and 2019 as unimpeachable records at the Registrar of Companies reveal that Service Ghana Auto Group Limited was incorporated much later, specifically on April 24, 2020.

5. Claims by SGAGL that it’s a consortium which leveraged the expertise and resources of its companies in procurement of ambulances is most laughable and ridiculous. Incorporation records show that at least 5 of the 7 companies were hurriedly incorporated between April and September 2017. None of the companies had any expertise or track record in procuring and servicing ambulances. The evidence speaks for itself: BEFT engineering was incorporated on April 20, 2017 primarily to carry out construction, renovation, civil engineering works and electrical engineering works; Elok Consult was incorporated on July 25, 2017 to carry out management consultancy, civil works, roads and building construction; Prestige Era Company Limited was incorporated on April 19, 2017 with its objects being to carry out general supply, road and building construction, oil and gas products dealer, transport and haulage. None of these companies had expertise in ambulance procurement and after-sales maintenance. This must explain why the Auditor-General exposed SGAGL for using staff of the National Ambulance Service for their maintenance contract.

6. Service Ghana Auto Group Limited peddled another blatant falsehood when it claimed that companies in its so-called consortium put in a bid at US$133,000 per ambulance.

7. Incontrovertible Payment Vouchers obtained from GIFMIS show that some of its companies were paid over US$145,000.00. Others were paid as low as US$77,034.46 and US$82,066.57 for the same specs of ambulances which confirms the reckless nature of how the cost of these ambulances was unconscionably inflated. The true and accurate payments for these ambulances per GIFMIS records are duly attached to this response.

8. The official payment vouchers obtained from GIFMIS also expose another blatant fabrication – the payments these 7 companies received were for 4X4 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 316 CDI Ambulance Vehicles and not a varied inferior 4X2 as claimed in SGAGL’s statement. Another case of financial loss to Ghana.

9. It is worth highlighting, that Ghana’s Auditor-General determined at page 24 of the Performance Audit Report on Fleet Management of the National Ambulance Service that the unit cost of the ambulance in issue is US$80,000.00
10. The discredited Service Ghana Auto Group Limited should therefore be explaining to Ghanaians what accounts for their cruel and unpatriotic inflationary pricing on the procurement of the ambulances by more than US$29million.

11. Service Ghana Auto Group Limited failed to disclose that in addition to the inflated payments on procurement of the ambulances, between 2020 and 2023 the Government of Ghana has paid them over GHS115million for servicing the ambulances, albeit under shady circumstances as firmly concluded by the Auditor-General without any challenge from the management of the National Ambulance Service.

12. SGAGL claims to have entered into an after-sales service and maintenance agreement in December 2019. On the contrary, the Ministry of Health in its public statement of July 25, 2024, states that this agreement was signed on September 10, 2020. Ghanaians are beginning to lose count of the litany of contradictions and fabrications.

13. In any case, SGAGL has only confirmed the Auditor-General’s query that SGAGL was awarded the service contract long before it was incorporated. SGAGL was incorporated on April 24, 2020 and yet it claims to have been awarded a service contract in December, 2019.

14. The claims by SGAGL that they were not contacted by the auditors cannot be credible as paragraphs 76, 82 and 83 of the Auditor-General’s Performance Audit confirms extensive field inspection and interaction with staff of SGAGL by the Auditor-General.

15. SGAGL’s purported compliance with Ghana’s procurement laws is not supported by the evidence as the Auditor-General discovers violations of PPA regulations as contained in paragraph 74 of the Performance Audit.
16. The confirmation by SGAGL that it refunded amounts as instructed by the Auditor-General can only serve as an admission of the damning findings made against SGAGL by the Auditor-General.

17. SGAGL’s attempt to justify the outrageously inflated and unconscionable US$34.9 million spare parts sweetheart deal by seeking to separate mechanical and medical spare parts is most infantile and an insult to our intelligence. With the ambulance in issue’s determined market value by the Auditor-General for a new fully-equipped ambulance being US$80,000 – how can its spare parts, be it mechanical or medical, be in excess of US$113,000?

18. The ex post facto rationalization by SGAGL to seek refuge in arrears as another justification for the unconscionable US$34.9million spare parts deal is most dubious. This is because none of Ken Ofori-Atta’s letters approving the request and his further instruction to the Controller and Accountant-General refers to arrears. Indeed the 23rd February, 2024 payment as captured by GIFMIS does not make reference to arrears. This afterthought of arrears is totally unmeritorious.
It is therefore not surprising that SGAGL was unable to state any specific amount it classifies as arrears.

19. Claims that the US$10million was not a direct payment to SGAGL is another palpable falsehood. All official communication signed by Ken Ofori-Atta including the instruction to the Controller for payment was carried out in the name of Service Ghana Auto Company Limited.

Published GIFMIS payment description also confirms this fact.

20. The lack of parliamentary approval (flagrant violation of Article 178 of the 1992 Constitution) for the US$34.9million unconscionable ambulance spare parts sweetheart deal which was duly confirmed by the Health Minister at the Assurance Committee public hearings on Thursday 1st
August, 2024, further amplifies the grave illegalities and impunity associated with this transaction. 21. I shall continue to cooperate with the Office of the Special Prosecutor and lead efforts in Parliament to scuttle this sleazy transaction in the supreme national interest.

22. We shall not rest until all the masterminds and politically exposed persons involved in this grand heist are prosecuted, and our public funds fully retrieved.
Demands:

1) President Akufo-Addo should immediately stop this US$34.9million scandalous, unconscionable, sweetheart, family affair ambulance spare parts deal.

2) President Akufo-Addo should instruct his Chief of Staff, Hon. Frema Opare, to desist from mounting pressure on the Ministers of Health and Finance to make unlawful payments to SGAGL.

3) We also urge the OSP to expedite investigations and prosecutions into this putrefying scandal.
For God and Country.

Ghana First
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Bawku Central MP apologizes to agitating youth of Natinga

Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga said he has seen a video of some supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Natinga angrily burning NDC paraphernalia.

According to him, the anger of the youth stems from his inability to ensure that the flag-bearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama stopped at grandfather Gumah’s residence in Natinga as part of his campaign in the Bawku Central Constituency”.

“I appreciate the legitimate concerns of the youth and would like to apologize to them for this unfortunate incident which was occasioned by time constraints.

We had done four stops even though we were allocated two and had far exceeded the time allotted to Bawku.
We appreciate the love for the party and desire to host the flag-bearer”.

He, however, allayed the fear of the youth and assured them that Mr. John Mahama would surely visit them in due course.

“I wish to assure them that this is just the beginning of the campaign. The flag-bearer, H.E. John Dramani Mahama will surely visit Natinga in due course”

Ghanamps.com

Security Minister takes six million monthly in the name of the Bawku conflict — Ayariga discloses

The Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga has revealed that the National Security Minister Takes Six Million Ghana Cedis (GHC6, 000,000.00) every month in the name of the Bawku Conflict.

According to him the National Security Minister, Kan Dapaah takes Eighteen Million Ghana Cedis (Ghc18, 000,000.00) every quarter to deal with the Bawku conflict.

He made this revelation on Waezor TV on Sunday, August 4, 2024 and described this as outrageous.

He accused the NPP government and especially the National Security Ministry of cashing in on the suffering of the people of Bawku.

The MP also insisted that after mismanaging the situation in Bawku, the NPP government has turned it to their advantage financially.

Ghanamps.com

ECOWAS: Delocalized meeting on plastic waste management ends in Winneba, Ghana

A Delocalized Joint Meeting of the Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources; the Committee on Mines and Energy; and the Committee on Infrastructure of the ECOWAS Parliament has ended in Winneba, Ghana on Friday, August 3, 2024.

The five days meeting under the theme; “Plastic Waste Management: Challenges and Prospects in the Implementation of Community Activities” was aimed among other things to inform members and raise awareness on the strategies and mechanisms developed by ECOWAS for the environmentally sound management of plastic waste in the West African region.

The Joint Committees at the end of their deliberations proffer the following recommendations for consideration by plenary.

 RECOMMENDATIONS:

 For ECOWAS Member States

  • Invite Member States to adopt provisions aimed at the effective implementation of Regulation C/REG.17/12/23 on the harmonization of the regulation of plastic products and the environmentally sound management of plastic waste in ECOWAS Member States;
  • Encourages States to build the capacities of the populations and civil society organizations in the fight against plastic waste;
  • Urges Member States to harmonize their regulations on the treatment and management of plastic waste;
  • Calls on Member States to define a policy to raise awareness among populations on the dangers of plastic waste.

 For the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of States and Government 

  • Urges the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of States and Government to instruct governments to create funds dedicated to the organization of a circular economy in the treatment of plastic waste.

For the ECOWAS Commission

  • Request the ECOWAS Commission to set up a joint committee of the ECOWAS Parliament and the ECOWAS Commission to further explore the harmonization on the fight against plastic waste;
  • Invites the ECOWAS Commission to contribute to building the capacities of national institutions or agencies responsible for environmental protection;
  • On the issue of transferring plastic waste to Europe for processing, the joint Committee recommends setting up a special fund to finance new non-polluting technologies, including the entire value chain of the circular economy in plastic waste management. 

For the ECOWAS Parliament

  • Requests the ECOWAS Parliament to organize advocacy missions to Member States for the implementation of Regulation C/REG.17/12/23 on the harmonization of the regulation of plastic products and the environmentally sound management of plastic waste within ECOWAS Member States;
  • Invites the ECOWAS Parliament to develop mechanisms for regular monitoring of the implementation of policies relating to the fight against plastic waste within the Community. 

Some Notable Engagements by the Joint Committee

 During the five days meeting, the joint committee as part of efforts to acquaint themselves with cycling of liquid and solid waste visited the Accra  Compost and Recycling Plant at Adjen Kotoku in the Accra, a move that gave them insight about some best practices of sustainable waste management in Ghana.

 The Accra Compost and Recycling Plant is a 600 metric tons per day capacity processing plant that takes care of most of the urban wastes, treat and process them into reusable end products like plastic pellets, recyclable products such as papers, metal scraps as well as such as organic manure.

The Committee also had the opportunity to engage and interact with stakeholders at a town hall meeting in Winneba where they shared experiences with the people and also advised the people on the need to adopt some best practices with regards to waste management particularly the culture of waste segregation.

Ghanamps.com

 

 

Afenyo cautions against politicization of the judiciary

Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo Markin has cautioned politicians, especially the National Democratic Congress, (NDC) members of parliament not to politicize the judiciary on their judgments whether it favours or goes against them.

He said there can’t be any hand from the executive to manipulate the work of the judiciary and whatever being the outcome must be respected rather than chastising the judiciary whenever a ruling goes against politicians.

Mr Afenyo-Markin made these comments when he was responding to comments made by the MP for Tamale South, Mr Haruna Iddrisu accusing the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame on how he wrongfully handled the Ambulance trial case against the Minority leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.

The leader finally expressed joy that the Minority leader through the appeals court decision has been acquitted and discharged in the ambulance trial.

Ghanamps.com

Delocalized Joint Meeting: Speaker Bagbin calls for collective action against plastic waste menace

The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin has advocated for collective action the threat of plastic wastes in the sub-region.

He said the scourge of plastic waste poses significant challenges to our people, the economy as well as the coastal and marine environment, hence the need to urgently find solution to the problem.

The Speaker made the call when he addressed the opening of the Delocalized Joint Meeting of the Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources; the Committee on Mines and Energy; and the Committee on Infrastructure of the ECOWAS Parliament currently underway in Winneba, Ghana on the theme: “Plastic Waste Management: Challenges and Prospects in the Implementation of Community Activities”,

Mr. Bagbin said plastic waste has, undoubtedly, become one of the nagging environmental problems confronting the world, particularly the ECOWAS Sub-region, where the generation of plastic waste has been fueled, in recent times, by rapid urbanization and population growth, coupled with increased consumption patterns and packaging.

“Indeed, the ECOWAS sub-region, with its rich natural resources and diverse ecosystems, is particularly vulnerable to the impact of plastic waste. From the plastic-choked waterways of our cities to the dumping of microplastics in our seas. The evidence of plastic waste explosion is clear, and we must act now to avert this potential disaster”.

According to him, in 2020, plastic consumption across the West African coastal countries was estimated at 7.9 million tons, and this is projected to rise to 12 million tons by 2026. Sadly, only 20% o of plastic waste is recycled or well managed in coastal West Africa, leaving the chunk of 80% to our guess.

In discussing solutions to the threat, the Speaker urged participants not to be oblivious of the challenges that undermine our capacity to effectively deal with the menace of plastic waste which we need to overcome if we are to effectively combat the menace of the plastic waste.
These include;

• limited infrastructure for waste management

• poor public awareness on sustainable waste management practices,

• weak policy implementation, coupled with weak legal regimes enforcement together with general economic constraints.

These challenges notwithstanding, he asserts that opportunity abounds to collaborate and champion the adoption of common regional standards for the effective management of plastic. “We also have the opportunity to constantly engage with our local communities and educate them on the threats that plastic waste pose not only to our environment but also our livelihood, particularly the blue economy”.

Rt. Ho. Bagbin thus urged various governments to leverage on public-private partnership initiatives to build the infrastructure required to effectively deal with the plastic waste menace and possibly turn plastic waste into useful economic resource that can create employment opportunities for the many unemployed youth in the sub-region.

Ghanamps.com

GSA hails passage of Ghana Shippers’ Authority Bill, 2024

Parliament on Monday, July 29, 2024 passed the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Bill, 2024, to make the authority a regulatory body; that is the Ghana Shippers’ Authority.
This is hoped to among other things;

• ensure the balance of interests between shippers and service providers in the international carriage of goods and related logistics activities in a manner that translates into efficiency and competitiveness in international trade;

• bring transparency in the determination of port fees and charges, and will by that, ensure that there is better accountability in the legal movement of international trade cargo across all of borders of Ghana;

• make Ghana a preferred transit trade route for her landlocked neighbours, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, and overall, enhance the sector’s revenue contribution to the national purse.

Mr. Emmanuel Kofi Arku, Director responsible for Business Development and Commercial Service at GSA, addressing the press in parliament after the passage said the new law is an enabler, in the sense that, it will empower Ghana Shippers’ Authority to better adapt to emerging trends and complexities within the shipping and logistics industry. In this capacity, GSA can better protect the interests of shippers and shipping service providers, and improve its regulatory oversight of the entire industry.

“One of the fundamental reasons for the passing of this law is the need for effective regulation of the shipping and logistics sector to guarantee fair pricing and charges for all stakeholders, especially importers and exporters”, he added.

On her part, Director of Operations at the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Sylvia Asana Dauda Owu asserts that the new law will to enhance transparency, and accountability, and invariably drive improved revenue generation and collection for national socio-economic growth.

ESTABLISHMENT
The Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) was established 50 years ago by NRCD 254 (1974) to regulate the commercial activities of shippers and shipping service providers in the shipment, storage, and delivery of international trade cargo by sea, air, and land.

Over the last five (5) decades, GSA has driven compliance with established standards and guidelines in the commercial shipping sector in Ghana, and through Ghana to Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.

Ghanamps.com

Parliament finally passes Affirmative Action Bill, 2024

The long awaited Affirmative Action Bill has finally been passed by parliament.

The House on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 passed the much anticipated law aimed at giving more opportunities to women at the national level, with a target to increase their participation in governance and decision-making process to a minimum of 30% by 2030 under the requirements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Affirmative Action Bill was presented to the House on Friday, June 14, 2024, by the Minister for Education on behalf of the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection and later referred to the Committee on Gender, Children and Social Welfare for consideration and report in accordance with Articles 103(3) and 106(4) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 237 of the Standing Orders of Parliament.

The Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Bill 2024, passed by the Ghanaian MPs brings finality to the advocacy started almost three decades ago for a more equitable society through laid down processes to address the socio-cultural, political, economic, and educational imbalances in private and public sectors in accordance with clause 4 of Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin after the passage called for swift implementation of the requirements of the law, inspired by the 1992 Constitution which says the state must take steps to ensure gender equality and equity.

“Don’t just celebrate and don’t really put in place the vision that we have created for the country. But more importantly, I hope that members will commit themselves to the constitutional reforms. We need to do more there to be able to create this free and just society we are looking for to liberate more of our women to be able to support us to be able to develop mother Ghana,” Speaker Bagbin said.

The country now looks forward to the president of the republic to assent to the Bill into law to take effect.

Ghanamps.com