Author: Kwaku GhanaMPs

For the second  time since the four vacant seats saga in parliament which the Supreme Court has finally ruled on, the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has appealed to the Speaker, Alban Sumana Bagbin to recall parliament.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin urged the Speaker to exercise his mandate under Order 57(3) and 58(4) to recall the House possibly on Thursday, 28th November, 2024 and Friday, 29th November, 2024 to consider some outstanding business which he stated are high priority business for the Government.

These businesses include the following

1. Request for Tax Exemptions for designated beneficiaries under the One District, One Factory Programme

2. Ghana Financial Statbility Fund, an International Development Association facility of Two Hundred and Fifty Million United States Dollars (&250,000,000).

3. Consideration of the President’s Nominations for Appointment as Justices of the Supreme Court.

4. Ratification of the Mining Lease Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (Represented by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources) and the Ashanti Bauxite Company Limited for the Mining of Bauxite in the Nyinahini Block 2 Area in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region.

5. Ratification of the Mining Lease Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (Represented by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources) and Barari DV Ghana Limited for the Exploitation of Lithium at Ewoyaa in the Central Region.
6. Bills:

i. Environmental Protection Agency Bill, 2024

ii. Social Protection BIll, 2023

iii. Customs (Amendment) Bill, 2024

iv. Budget Bill, 2023

v. Ghana Boundary Commission Bill, 2023

vi. Intestate Succession Bill, 2022

vii. University of Mampong Bill, 2024

viii. Free Secondary Education Bill, 2024

ix. Pre-Tertiary Amendment Bill

x. Colleges of Applied Arts, Science and
Technology Bill, 2024

xi. Ghana Book Development Studies Bill, 2024

xii. University for Development Studies Bill, 2024

xiii. Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Bill, 2024

xiv. University of Health, Agriculture and Life Sciences (Kintampo) Bill, 2024

xv. J.B. Danquah University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences (Bunso) Bill, 2024

xvi. University of Sports for Development Bill, 2024

xvii. University of Engineering and Applied Sciences (Ankrodie) Bill, 2024.

He opined that reconvening Parliament at this juncture would send a powerful message of national unity and institutional stability. “It would demonstrate that, even as we approach the peak of the electoral season, Parliament remains steadfast in its constitutional duties and committed to advancing the national interest through bipartisan cooperation.

Ghanamps.com

Majority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has admonished the media especially Media General to investigate, why an independent candidate in the Effutu Constituency Louisa Buabeng was arrested instead of putting the blame on him.

Madam Louisa Buabeng, an employee of Challenging Heights, an NGO owned by the NDC parliamentary candidate for Effutu, is in the grips of the police.

“TV3 should investigate why the lady was arrested and stop misinforming the public through its respected media channel. Simply, go to the police and find out. She wasn’t arrested because she and her paymasters attempted to injunct the Effutu parliamentary elections”.

The independent parliamentary candidate in Effutu, Louisa Buabeng, filed an injunction against the conduct of the Effutu parliamentary elections in the December, 7, 2024.

But the High Court in Winneba dismissed the injunction application. Surprisingly, a lot of known NDC activists were with her. She contended that the election be postponed to December 10, 2024, to allow her time to campaign.

Ghanamps.com

Never in my more than six years coverage of the Community Parliament have I witnessed a budget session thrown into limbo, where Members of Parliament and ad hoc staffs remain uncertain over when the 2024 Second Ordinary Session of the parliament would be held.

On the calendar of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, statutorily, between November and December of every year there is a Second Ordinary Session which is normally held in Abuja Nigeria, known as the budget session.

This session is to consider and give Parliamentary opinion on the Community Budget proposal adopted by the Administration and Finance of the Commission (AFC) of ECOWAS. It is a session to examine the draft 2025 Consolidated Budget of the Community Parliament.

At the end of the third Extra Ordinary Session in Lome-Togo, the Rt. Hon Speaker,  Memounatou Ibrahima announced that the 2024 Second Ordinary Session will hold from November 18, 2024, to December 10, 2024. That date has passed few days ago and there was no session.

A week to the above date, when Members of Parliament had not received invitation letters to this effect it brought some confusion in the minds of the lawmakers who started asking questions as when the event would be held. While in Cairo Egypt attending the UN-Habitat World Urban Forum, I met with the Deputy Majority Leader of the Sierra Leone Parliament, Hon. Saa Emerson Lamina who happens to be a member of that country’s delegation to the current Community Parliament, also enquiring about the date for the session. Based on what I gathered as a journalist I told him, “the Session is in limbo; and from what I gathered it might not hold, there is no funds”, I explained.

The question that begs for answers however is, “how financially stable is the Community Parliament?”

During the consideration of the 2023 Draft Consolidated Budget of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Institutions, by the Community Parliament, the Parliamentarians, sitting in Plenary as part of its Second Ordinary Session for the year, debated among other issues, the non-payment of the Community levy by some Member States, on Wednesday, 30 November 2022, in Abuja.

The Parliamentarians frowned at the attitude of some countries that have not made any payments since the beginning of 2022. They condemned this situation, arguing that Countries that are up to date with their contribution cannot continue to pay for others.

A case in point is when Cape Verde in the 5th and 6th Legislatures were denied deputy speakership position in Niger and Nigeria respectively due to glitches in the payment of their levies which the longest serving community lawmaker and leader Dr.  Pereira Dias Orlando did not take kindly to. Back home in Cape Verde, Dr. Orlando has been crusading for his country to pay up its levies.

It is worth of note that the Community Parliament’s main source of income is the levies paid by member states. As such what becomes of it when member states fail to honour their financial obligation to the group?

Is it really the case that the ECOWAS is cash trapped?

Is it about time the Bureau of Parliament uses the mechanisms at its disposal to find a solution to the worrying situation of non-payment of levies as suggested by the Parliamentarians?

The Community levy is a 0.5% tax imposed on goods from non-ECOWAS Member States and constitutes between 70 and 90% of the ECOWAS budget.

I cannot agree more with a former member of Ghana’s delegation to the Community parliament, Hon Fredick Opare Ansah, who believe its high time the sub-regional bloc looked at alternative ways of funding the body to pave way for accelerated execution of program and policies in the sub-region.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament (MP) for Adaklu, Governs Kwame Agbodza insists that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) group in the 8th Parliament is currently the Majority in the House.

This is despite the Supreme Court’s declaration that Speaker Bagbin’s action in which he declared the four seats vacant was unconstitutional.

Mr. Agbodza made this known during a press conference in which the NDC disclosed that students at the Senior High School since 2023 have been feeding on expired repackaged rice.

When asked as to when the House will reconvene in the light of the ruling by the Supreme Court, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who addressed the conference responded that the decision is beyond him. “It’s beyond me, you can find out from the Speaker Rt. Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin”; adding that “our focus today is on the expired rice that has been repackaged for the consumption of our students in SHS”

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, has once again extended support to fishing communities within his constituency as part of his annual initiative aimed at empowering local fishmongers.

This year, a total of 897 women engaged in fish selling and processing across various communities, including Lekpoonor, Kponkpo, Ningo, Prampram, and Letsuwonor, received essential tools to enhance their trade.

The items distributed included wire meshes for smoking fish, aluminium bowls, and aprons, among others, all intended to boost productivity and improve the conditions in which these women work. This annual event complements an earlier Livelihood Support Program, where fishmongers were provided with capital to sustain and grow their businesses.

“This is something we do almost every year. We support the fishmongers and the women engaged in selling fish. Previously, we ran a livelihood support program, providing them with money and capital to buy fish. Today, we’ve distributed wire mesh, which they use to smoke the fish.”

Touching on his chances in the upcoming elections, he said “Ningo Prampram is ready for Dzata and John Mahama, and John Mahama and Dzata are ready for Ningo Prampram as well.”

“I think that the desire of the people is to see John Mahama become president and to see me return, for my 3rd term to serve them. They’ve been witnesses to the kind of representation I’ve given to them in parliament. They’ve witnessed and experienced firsthand the interventions I’ve made in their livelihood in human capital development, and they can only imagine what will happen when John Mahama becomes president.”

I mean, John Mahama himself was here about 3 weeks ago, and he made a testament to the fact that they have a worthy, representative in parliament and that, he’s excited about the potential for Ningo Prampram when he becomes president with Sam George as MP. And so, yes, I’m confident that this time, we should establish our biggest victory and our highest number of votes yet. We borderline touched 50,000 in the last election. This time, we’re looking to get as close to 70,000 as possible.”

The event was attended by leaders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) within the constituency.

Many beneficiaries expressed heartfelt gratitude for the support, describing it as essential to sustaining their livelihoods and improving their trade.

Ghanamps.com

Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Damongo Constituency has downplayed the chances of the National Democratic Congress in the 2024 elections, declaring the constituency as a “world bank” and “secured” area for the New Patriotic Party.

Addressing a teeming crowd of NPP supporters at a rally in the constituency on Thursday, November 7, 2024, Hon. Jinapor said the constituency has witnessed unprecedented transformation and development under the Akufo-Addo government and that it has now become one of the NPP strongholds.

He touted that the NPP through its various infrastructure projects has banished the NDC from the constituency and that it will dominate parliamentary and political elections in the area eternally.

He expressed utter conviction and confidence that the NPP will not only overcome the NDC in the Damongo constituency but win the 2024 elections resounding.

“I want to assure our incoming Vice President, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh that Damongo constituency is secured. It is secured for the NPP in 2024, 2028, 2032, 2036 and will continue to be a stronghold of the NPP. We are building a party to become a stronghold in the constituency,” he said amid applause from hundreds of supporters.

In his official introduction of Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh to the crowd as the Vice Presidential candidate of the NPP, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor extolled his achievements and virtues as hardworking, humble and dedicated Ghanaian who cares about the country and its people.

He outlined some of the major accomplishments of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, which includes the successful implementation of the Free SHS program, his tackling of dumsor, amongst others.

Taking his turn on the podium, Dr. Opoku Prempeh emphasized the spiritual and historical significance of the Damongo constituency to the NPP and Ghana’s elections.

He stated that a victory for the NPP in the Damongo will ultimately confirm the NPP as winners of the polls.

Aiming salvos at the John Mahama and NDC, NAPO stated that the area witnessed more progress under the Akufo-Addo Bawumia administration than Mahama who hails from the area.

The Savannah Region Minister, Hon. Saeed Muhazu Jibral listed some developmental projects executed by the government in the area and charged the constituents to reward the NPP with a resounding victory.

Ghanamps.com

The Municipal Chief Executive of Ketu South, Maxwell Koffie Lugudor has underscored the importance of taking up climate change issues seriously as gradually, all over the world everyone is experiencing it.

According to him, he sometimes questions if people really believe and understand the issues of climate change, adding that back in his home country Ghana, he noticed that professors sometimes might not take the issues of climate change serious until they see the effect.

He made this known in his remarks on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at a panel discussion of Mayors at an Indian set up pavilion in Cario, Egypt, at the ongoing 12th Session of UN-habitat World Urban Forum.

He further recounted that nowadays in his municipality; Ketu South in the Southern Part of Ghana in West Africa, salt production is being affected by climate change.

“We have two seasons, the dry season and the wet season. Previously you can easily predict and know the time it will be raining, but these days you cannot even predict, you wake up and there is flooding all over; people are now feeling the effect of climate change”.

The MCE further called for efforts in addressing the issue of climate change and he recounted taking a team from his Municipality to Germany. “And one will ask why should we go to Germany before solving climate change problem?” “We are in a global village; you might think I do not care about what is going on in another country, until the reality sets in”.

And I always give this example, I have never been to China before but when there was COVID -19 pandemic, I was ask in my village to cover my nose, but where it started from was in China.

In his contribution at the panel discussion, he revealed that as part of his trip to Germany, they have started to fight plastic waste, stating that a number of practices that endangers the environment like dropping sachet water wastes on the floor, excessive use of plastics among others are being curtailed.

With the partnership with our colleagues in Germany, I took a delegation there to study waste segregation into plastic, metals, glass among others for recycling purposes; and we have started a serious project in Ketu South it is helping people get in come.

“There are small companies ready to buy those plastic bags, so education is ongoing now, people now know that what we are calling waste is not a waste, we can make money out of it and we are spreading it across the municipality even across Togo. We can make things happen when we start something”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com/Cairo Egypt