Author: Kwaku GhanaMPs

The Deputy Minister designate for Health Alexander Akwasi Acquah said climate change has a lot to do with malaria control and dispel the notion held by many that as a developing country climate change does not relate to us.

According to him as a member of the Health Committee of Ghana’s Parliament that embarked on a visit to Chicago in America for a tropical medicine meeting, they learnt a lot and his take away from the conference was that climate change is close to the third world country than we think.

He made the disclosure at his vetting on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 when his colleague Gifty Twum Apofoh wanted to know his take away as a member of the Health Committee that visited Chicago on a conference on tropical medicine.

Again, we noticed that, “for us to control malaria very well we need to focus on climate change to make it easier for us to study the agent of malaria which is the mosquito. Climate change has a lot to do with it, since I came I have been doing a lot of reading around it”.

The nominee further pointed out that as someone who is in the private health care business he would advice his Minister when approved for government to do more to encourage the private sector to move into private health care delivery.

And pointed out that in the develop world the concentration is on tertiary health care and one requires a lot of capital to secure primary health care.

He called for more private participation and the private people coming on board more especially to ensure Community ownership.

“ Also with my experience it become easier to look at policies and advice my minister to get more people to invest in private health care, so far so good the health insurance has given ability for a lot of people to come into private health care’, he emphasized.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Majority Chief Whip Frank Annoh Dompreh has jumped to the defense of the Majority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin over claims by the Minority that he attacked womanhood with comment against Jane Nana Opoku Agyeman, the running mate to the National Democratic Congress flagbear John Dramani Mahama.

According to him perish the thinking that John Dramani Mahama wins the upcoming Presidential election in December 2024 the NDC flagbearer will only do one term as president. Reasonably, the running mate Professor Jane Nana Opoku would be too old and there is no sense of urgency.

The Majority Leader, Afenyo Markin attacked the age of Professor Nana Opoku Agyeman when he was concluding debate on the State of the Nation Address on Monday, March 11, 2024.

But the Minority side would have none of that and demanded an apology from the Majority side, resulting in some confusion on the floor of the House compelling the second deputy Speaker to suspend proceedings for one hour.

Chief whip of the Majority after the females addressed the media, said “I do not think the Majority Leaders comment is an attack, even in our standing orders if someone says something that is impugning bad motive, you have the right to rise and take the person on. What our colleagues are doing is a strategy; they should learn to be tolerant and up their sense of tolerance”.

He further pointed out that “when the Minority Leader was speaking we all listened to him; he kept making reference to our flagbearer Dr. Bawumia. But the fact would be told about the poor performance of John Mahama. We would continue to expose that one, “no one should go on a crusade that we went on attack on womanhood, that we would never do”, he stated.

Kwaku Sakyi-Dans0/Ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Ketu South Abla Dizfa Gomashie has taken a swipe at the Majority Leader, Afenyo Markin describing his comment as despicable for referring to Professor Jane Nana Opoku’s age as the running mate for the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Mahama.

The Majority Leader on Monday, March 11, 2024 during his closing remarks on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate on the floor of the House made reference to Professor Jane Nana Opoku’s age as a running mate to John Mahama intimating that she would not be able to take over after one term should the NDC win.

and was supported at a press conference on Monday, March 11, 2024 when in the closing remarks on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) when he made reference to her age as a running mate to John Mahama and would not be able to take over after one term should they win.

The statement triggered reaction from the Minority MPs who were obviously not happy and kept demanding that the Effutu MP apologizes, and kept heckling until the House became uncontrollable and the Second Deputy Speaker suspended the House for an hour.

Addressing the media Madam Dizfa Gomashie pointed out that the speech of the Majority Leader who is supposed to make his closing remarks was not relevant to SONA. “I am a daughter of a teacher who retired and sold in Madina Market, the examples I saw that brought me to be a member of parliament if you count ten people Professor Opoku Nana Agyeman, a former Minister of State at the Education Ministry and first female vice chancellor, a school where Hon Afenyo-Markin attended is one of them.”

Again, to attack Professor Jane Nana Opoku-Agyeman the way he did is totally unacceptable; I take exception to that. It’s only on the 8th of March, 2024 we celebrated International Women’s Day when we were saying we needed mentors for our young girls to become great in society. “For him to reduce this woman and talk about her as if he was talking about his classmate; she taught you a person, and a person who has been elected by the biggest party in Ghana to be former President Mahama’s running mate, “what business has this woman’s name got to do in the closing remarks of SONA?” She queried.

“I am horrified and I think that we deserve an apology from the leader for the way he has brought this woman’s name into disrepute and the Speaker should not have allowed this to go on.”

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Minority women caucus in Ghana’s Parliament has commended the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for choosing Professor Jane Nana Opoku-Agyeman as his running mate.

At a press conference addressed by leader of the Women caucus in the Minority and Member of Parliament for Ada Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe and flanked by her colleagues on Thursday, March 7, 2024, use the opportunity to congratulate Professor Jane Nana Opoku-Agyemang for her re-nomination.

This was after the National Executive of the party today formally introduced her as the running mate of John Dramani Mahama.

And further pointed out that the former Education Minister under the NDC has shown that she is a person of integrity and commitment to advance the cause of women and shows the confidence the NDC repose in her.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamp,com

The first deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Bekwai, Mr Joseph Osei Owusu said, it’s about time members of Parliament made good decisions towards their lives as MPs and live after parliament since the society does not care about them.

According to him many a time former MPs are seen in a very miserable conditions to the point that, paying for hospital bills was a problem not to talk about taking care of their families.

And further added that the society recognizes members of Parliament only when they are in emergency or in need of financial assistance, needs opportunity to get into any institution and apart from that, you the MP can go to hell.

Also, the MP for Asawase, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed added that, members of Parliament sometimes behave as if they are colleagues but in reality, that is not so, since majority of MPs do not even know where each member lives.

He calls for MPs to come together and build a solid political class in order to take care of each other even after leaving Parliament and stop being too political where people in NPP Majority or NDC minority don’t want to be nice with their opponents.

The MPs made these comments when they were contributing to a statement made in remembrance of the death of former MP for Kpandai, the late Kwadwo Tawiah.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Minister designates for Local Government and Rural Development Martin Adje-Mensah Korsah has thrown his support for the concept of electing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives.

At his vetting, on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, Mr. Korsah affirmed that it is important to ensure this happens; adding that the conflict between MPs and MMDCEs is worrying; but was quick to point out that in normal life there are bound to be conflicts, but when the conflict becomes deliberate and partisan it becomes more problematic.

According to him, if a DCE decides to frustrate an MP in accessing their common fund, “I do not thnk the punishment goes to the MP, rather members of the community who should benefit from the MP’s common fund gets denied and a second view should be taken at this problem”.

He further pointed out that all over the world with the exception of Pakistan, Malaysia, Ghana, and some parts of Canada are the only places where we do not elect MMDCEs more so on partisan lines.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com