Author: Kwaku GhanaMPs

Chairman of the national Open Government Steering Committee, Yaw Osafo Maafo has expressed delight that his Member of Parliament for Akim Oda Alexander Akwasi Aquah is part of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) caucus in Parliament which was launched on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 by the Speaker at the Speaker’s conference Hall in Parliament.

According to him this would ensure that he is re-elected to come back to the next Parliament of the Republic of Ghana.

He further pointed out that he is happy the Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon Kingsford Sumana Bagbin is committed to getting the OGP work, and it is in the interest of Ghana to promote transparency adding that when Parliament takes the OGP seriously it would help the whole Country.

“We joined the OGP in 2011; we have developed four points action plan; we are in the process of developing the fifth one which should be outdoored by December this year”, he said.

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a global effort to make governments better. it helps governments work with civil society to create action plans with concrete reforms. This model helps ensure citizens play a role in shaping and overseeing government.

The steering Committee chairman who was speaking a the launch further disclosed that  OGP has a global membership of 77 with Africa having ten including Ghana. And in Ghana there are six metropolitan, municipal and district Assemblies who are members including Secondi Takoradi Metropolitan, Shama East, Ketu South, Anloga among others.

Again, Ghana’s OGP is governed by a twenty-member national steering committee, with membership drawn from relevant ministries, departments, agencies, civil society organizations and parliament with MPs who are party – Hon Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah and Ama Pomah Boateng.

The steering Committee which was commissioned in August 2012 is currently chaired by Mr. Yaw Osafo Maafo and co-chaired by CSO representatives Ghana Integrity Initiative, and they meet quarterly to look at how they can improve transparency in many things, hence the launch of the caucus is an accomplishment which should be applauded by all.

Mr. Osafo Maafo disclosed that Ghana has been selected among seven countries in Africa to benefit from European support in the promotion of the OGP, and “this would earn us a little bit inflows to support our own activities, which we need badly”.

He assured that the establishment of the OGP caucus in Parliament would create space for political dialogue and open governance to better place parliament to play its oversight role.

“The National OGP Committee and the oversight role of Parliament is important for this Country; somebody should be overlooking the system and it is parliament that the constitution charges to do that; we are comfortable when you get involved, he added.

Meanwhile, the 10-member caucus includes;
1. Chairman Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah

2. Vice Chair Ama pomaa Boateng

3. Naa Momo Agnes Lartey –Member

4. Naa Odoley Rita Sowah—Member

5. Newman Dako –Member

6. Etse Kwame Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor -Member

7. Dr. Kingsley Nyarko-Member

8. Alexander Akwasi Acquah —Member

9. Professor Hamza Adam –Member

10. Adamu Suleman Sanid–Member

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Ghana’s Parliament, Peter Nortsu Kotoe has revealed that the Ministry of Education has distributed about five thousand metric tons of maggot infested rice to Senior High Schools across the country to feed students.

According to the Akatsi North lawmaker, a rice by name LAMENS from India which was imported to Ghana in 2021 as the importer failed to pay the duty was stored in a warehouse and in a process, it has been secretly removed and distributed to these schools.

The MP made this known when he took his turn to debate the 2024 budget statement presented on the floor of the House by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta.

And further revealed that lands that belongs to schools most especially senior high schools are being sold; an example is the West African Secondary School. The worst of all he said government had land for UNESCO Ghana, yet the land has been sold and that is the only place for them to have their office situated. “We demand to know who sold the land and who benefited?”

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry Dr. Stephen Amoah has taken a swipe at the Minority for the cancellation of allowances for poor teachers and nursing trainees even though they are social democrats.

The lawmaker noted that the NDC always deceive Ghanaians by saying that the NPP has borrowed so much yet they borrowed one billion dollars quietly under former President John Dramani Mahama; and “with the agreement that they were not paying until 2028/2029 which means that the current debt of Ghana is included in that one billion dollars the NDC left”.

Again, how many of the Minority MPs would want their children to ride commercial motorbike after school and it is their flagship program for Ghanaians; “yes we know there is hardship but it’s global.”

Mr Stephen when he took his turn to debate the 2024 budget also noted that anywhere in the world budget statements focus on fiscal space and it was after 2022 that we saw the impact of post COVID-19 growth to GDP was around 258 percent but he stands to be corrected.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources Dr. Freda Akosua Prempeh has urged colleagues in the House to support the 2024 Economic Policy of the Nana Akufo-Addo government for her ministry to continue addressing very important and basic needs of Ghanaians.

According to her government has provided fifty thousand house hold toilets in low income communities in the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi.

In an interview with members of the parliamentary press corps just after she took her turn to debate the budget on the floor on Thursday, November 23, 2023 she further noted that she was in Kumasi recently to commission thirty-eight toilets at various basic schools and Junior High Schools (JHS) and the ministry would continue.

She was positive on the fight to end open defecation with support from government and the World Bank.

Dr. Akosua Prempeh further explained that government has provided water facilities in some communities in the Country.

And other issue of concern to her that she put across was the illegal mining and sand wining in the country that is destroying the water bodies, saying “water security and safety is very important, and we need to work so hard to stop the illegal mining and sand wining, and this should be a thing of the past”.

The Sanitation and Water Resources Minister again, pointed out that the issue of WASH cannot be talked about without its health implications; “we want to take the WASH project from the health implication point of view if you do not have access to good drinking water.

If your hygiene facilities are not good you are prone to all kinds of diseases cholera and all that, we were in this country when in 2016 some people lost their lives because of cholera but this days you do not hear of it because we have put certain measures in place in terms of the provision of the wash facilities.

“I want the House to support the budget for government to support the ministry support from the World Bank the GAMA project for us to be able to support more institutional facilities to provide more water delivery in our various communities across the country.”

According to her, all that is being talked about are already in motion; we have started a program, with the World Bank in 2022, we are rolling them in faces, we have done phase one and two we are about rolling out the third phase, he said.

The Asafo sewage is part, we would not only rely on the budget but our donor partners and World Bank, I urge my colleagues to support because at the end of the day water is essential life and it’s what our life revolves around, she emphasised.

“I believe today we have all visited the washroom; you cannot keep fecal in your stomach. Water cuts across all the sectors of this country, health and agriculture is water, we are supporting educational facilities with water”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson has expressed worry over the intention of government to introduce export and import (restrictions on Importation of selected strategic products) regulations, 2023 bill.

According to him the introduction of this Bill would create injustice against importers who are not on the side of government by denying them the license to import, especially where a committee is to be set up by the Minister at the Trade and Industry Ministry to interview and grant permits.

Dr. Ato used the opportunity to call on government to reconsider its decision on the new L.I since it wouldn’t serve any better purpose to Ghanaians at a media briefing with members of the parliamentary press Corps (PPC).

He hinted that the Minority would not do anything to stop government from introducing the bill since the constitution mandates it.

Again if this Legislative Instrument goes through, Ghanaians should blame the president and vice president directly and it is not a parliament matter. If you look at the constitution it’s the president who can withdraw it, he said.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor has set the record straight on the brouhaha on sales of State lands particularly the residence of the Clark of Parliament.

He said the claim by the NDC Minority that the residence of Clark of Parliament was sold in 2019 was not true.

Mr. Abdulai Jinapor made it known that, the said residence was sold in 2015 under the administration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) under former President John Dramani Mahama by the Minister for Works and Housing to a Private developer.

Also, the minister further gave a clarity to the issues on the sale of UNESCO land situated close to Ghana Police headquarters which he said the land belonging to UNESCO has not been sold as Minority are trying to put out there and that, the organization is still occupying their residence as at today.

He made this known when it got to his turn to debate the 2024 Economic Policy of the Nana Akufo-Addo led government, on Thursday, November 24, 2023.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Leader of Government Business in the Parliament of Ghana, Osei-Kyei Mensah Bonsu has admonished his colleagues from the Minority side to refrain from linking him to campaigning for the running mate position in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

According to him anytime his colleagues from the opposite side of the House get up to debate the 2024 budget they want to link him to competing for the running mate slot of the NPP.

He drew the attention of the Speaker to the former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu linking him up to this when he had the opportunity to address an issue on the floor of the House on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.

And the Minority whip Governs Kwame Agbodza repeated same on Thursday, November 23, 2024 when it got to his turn to debate the 2024 budget statement on the floor of the House.

“Let me make it emphatically clear, I am not involved in campaigning for running mate position, and it should be loud and clear; my colleague should not involve himself in conjectures he said. I probably voted for the vice president in my constituency and it has nothing to do with the budget”.

And further backed his point with order 93 clause 3 by saying relevance and conduct of the Member of Parliament, his colleague should stay away from that comment.

“I know you are capable in debating do not involve yourself in extraneous matters not related to the budget” and the speaker confirmed that the Majority Leader is right his name was mention and he is not in contest and the issue of relevance is important.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central Sampson Tangombu Chiragia has noted that through the proactive nature of the Chairman of the Public Account Committee (PAC) Dr. James Klutse Avedzi and his Ranking Kofi Okyere Agyekum, the eighth (8th) Parliament has been able to address years of arrears of audited reports from the Auditor General.

According to him what has worked in their favor has been the resolve by the Chairman and his Ranking to tackle two years report within a year and they had to zone the whole country into four and try to catch up with the gap which dates back to 2016.

In the Northern sector, the Committee moved to have its public hearings there, then for the Central zone which comprises Ashanti and Brong Regions, then the Western zone. “We have the Central and Western Region then Greater Accra, Eastern and Ho also had their public hearings which add up to four zones”, he said.

The Navrongo Central lawmaker who is a member of the Committee pointed out in an interview that in the year 2021, the PAC try to catch up because the backlog was too much, “so as we speak we have covered a lot; we have done it up to 2022”.

By June next year he noted that PAC will tackle the 2023 report of the Auditor General whiles in September 2023 he is hopeful the 2024 Audited Account should be dealt with and expecting that by 2025 they should be full up to date.

And further revealed that previously he believes PAC was using a year to address Auditor General’s report and further explained that it has not been easy for the Committee members during recess. “When we have to be with our constituents, we have to move around, we have been busy for the past two years, we have not had time at all to stay at our constituencies.”

On issues of infractions as whether there has been improvement, he noted that when they had their public hearing in September this year, they noticed there has been some level of improvement when it comes to procurement issues.
The Financial Management Act was passed in 2016 and if you could not find receipt at the time of audit and there is infractions you are supposed to pay; salary and vacation of post, we use to face challenges on that all but those things have reduced drastically, he said.

Again, on procurement since we started referring people to the Attorney General for prosecution people are doing the right thing and the procurement issues have reduced drastically.

According to him, the only issue they are facing now is with Zoomlion, stating that when it comes to sanitation, monies are paid in advance towards addressing sanitation issues, but assured that the committee is dealing with it. “We have warned all the Assemblies not to pay money in advance before contracts are done”, he stated.

Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo Markin has stated that the Minority in Parliament has no alternative solutions to Ghana’s economy else, they would have come up with an alternative to the budget that was presented by the finance minister last week while contributing to debate on the floor of the House.

According to him the President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government has done what the NDC could not do with respect to the implementation of free SHS. The NDC failed to increase the number of students on school feeding program which they took over from.

Again former President John Dramani Mahama’s government, cancelled nursing and teacher trainees allowances.
He further argued that, the NDC minority has failed for targeting the Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia by denting his image.

The Mahama, Atto Forson and Seth Terkper economy that failed to achieve the IMF conditionalities failed the people of Ghana, run to the IMF with home grown policies, handed power to the current administration, the IMF had no trust in them all disbursement that were supposed to make were not made but today you say you want to come back to power, he stated.

When the Minority Leader Dr Atto Forson challenged him through an intervention to prove his points, he said these are 2016 records, “incompetent record and a record of lack of understanding of the economy. And a record they themselves could not defend; stating that there was a one percent special levy the NPP inherited, seventy percent on imported levy on medicines, and domestic airlines attracted 17 percent VAT, but in the 2017 budget under NPP all the taxes were removed.”

Again when it comes to energy, the NPP government has kept the lights on indicating that when the NPP took over there were killer ‘take and pay’ agreements signed during the time of ‘dumsor’.

“You are the same crop of politicians trying to deceive Ghanaians that you can do better, what did you do better during your time in office, the Mahama, Terkper and Atto Forson economy but today the liberties of opposition is making you believe you have changed; what have you done? Nothing”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Tamale South Haruna Iddrisu raised serious concerns over the absence of any representative from the Ministry of Finance on the floor of the House during the second day of debate on the 2024 economic policy of the Akufo-Addo led government.

According to him he is aware the Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta is outside the country to deal with Ghana’s multilaterals on the country’s debt restructuring, but there are two deputies on at the Ministry of Finance and a Minister of State.

He was however quick to point out to the House that Abena Osei Asare is usually on the floor of the House to do business on behalf of the Ministry.

He further pointed out to the speaker that the second day of debate should not start if none of the representatives of the Ministry is on the floor of the House. He also urged the Majority Leader to ensure that there is focus on government business on the floor of the House.

“I am aware one of the deputy ministers of finance is competing with him but the Majority Leader would get what he is competing for. He would get there; we would help you with prayers, but focus on parliament”. (He side in the wake of the name of John Kumah pupping out as a possible running mate to Dr. Bawumia).

Mr. Iddrisu further noted that Parliament’s work as oversight on the budget is a very important function, and Ghanaians want Parliament to control the public purse and supervise it well for their good.

Mr. Iddrisu added that in the days of late Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, he never missed the opportunity to be in Parliament, same with Seth Terkper who did well to be showing up sometimes on the floor.

He affirmed that the points they raise on the floor are not raised just for nothing, “we want improvement on economic governance and management.

Minority Leader Dr Ato Forson made an appeal for the debate of the budget to be carried on because there were visitors in the public gallery who wanted to listen to the major issue like the 2024 budget.

He added that it cannot be said that there is not representative from the finance ministry so the debate cannot continue and rather arrangements should be made to get any of the deputies to the floor for business to start.

Rt. Hon Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin had to allow a statement to be made on the floor of the House, while the House awaits the appearance of any of the deputy Ministers of Finance or the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry for the debate to start.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com