Author: Kwaku GhanaMPs

Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, ECOWAS Member of Parliament from Ghana, said there is an urgent need for Parliamentary diplomacy to help keep the three Sahel Countries in the fold of the West African bloc.

According to him the Community Parliament should activate contact channel with former colleagues of the Parliament before the coup occurred.

Reacting to the issue of Burkina Faso introducing a new biometric passport without the logo of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),he said that singular action further solidifies that the country’s break from the regional bloc.

“We should move quickly and fast track dialogue, hence the reason why a committee was formed. I do not believe the solution to this problem is with those who had the opportunity to turn things round and they were unable to do so”, he pointed out.

The Deputy Minority Leader of Ghana’s Parliament further pointed out that it is very refreshing that the President of Senegal, H. E Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye is leading in the crusade to see the three Sahel Countries return to the fold of the sub-regional bloc and he needs a lot of support in this direction.

And further appealed to Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, that where the sub-regional bloc has gotten to, they cannot fight individually; there has been issues, but this is the time to come together, and they should open the door for diplomacy.

Again, let us work more together, the only way of lifting the sub-regional citizens out of poverty, is not to go in our separate ways with cup in hand but collectively as a people; we need to work together.

As to whether there is light at the end of the tunnel in the scheme of things, he said “there is hope but we should do away with the face of the old guards who are mediating; they have lost credibility unfortunately including the Ghanaian president”, he lamented.

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Majority Leader, Alexander Kwamen Afenyo-Markin has urged his colleagues from both sides of the House to campaign on issues ahead of the December 7, 2024, Presidential and Parliamentary elections as they get back to the constituency after their two days emergency recall.

According to him they should get the beauty out of politics they have all worked so hard for. “I pray that all of us come back to the 9th parliament; as we are going back to our constituencies we should draw the attention of the people to the work we have done”.

Again, he admonished colleagues to have their constituents at heart and identify the national issues to rally around.
“If, we as a political class we lose our relevance, when that day comes we will all be wiped ou;t we should take this on board as we go home if we do not work hard the people will lose confidence in democracy”.

Let us limit the way we attack each other and brand each other, we should be mindful of same, and raise the very critical issues such as unemployment and we should come out with issues that will turn the Country around and let our people know the value of patriotism; there are real issues affecting us as a people, he stated.

Additionally, we have a role to play in ensuring that the citizens of Ghana live up to expectation and we should start it as MPs, if we do they will follow us, the Majority Leader concluded.

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The Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi Asokwa Tahir Kobina Hammond has appealed to indigenes of Sege and Ada as well as their respective lawmakers to allow Electrochem Ghana Limited to develop the massive salt deposit at the Songor Lagoon.

“In the name of the Almighty God, let Electrochem develop this massive potential”, he said.

“In the name of the Almighty God to for ones allow ElectroChem Ghana Limited to mini the massive salt deposit in at the Songor Lagoon.

According to him it has a potential to benefit the people of Ada and where the mineral deposit is located and the whole nation.

And recounted that he knows the story of the salt deposit and the brouhaha that had surrounded even in his days back a student of the University of Ghana where Rt. Hon Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin was his senior.

He made these remarks on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, when the House was in the process of adopting the report of the joint Committee on Mines, Energy, Lands and Forestry, whiles MPs within the enclave of the salt mine express serious reservations of ElectroChem’s operation.

According to him, various governments set up committees to investigate the brouhaha that had surrounded the mining of the salt, but it became impossible to develop the area. “We are hearing issues about the gods in the area are not feeling comfortable; we have the respect of traditional believes”.

“Mr. Speaker, the Songor Lagoon area has to be developed, the intransigence of some of the inhabitants has caused this country so much, the salt is next to the black gold and the area has numerous deposits of national resources.

Again, the whole world needs the resources from Ghana; what people do not appreciate is that the Songor area is about the only area in the whole of West Africa that is massively endowed with massive salt natural resources.”

“The whole of Africa is looking up to Ghana to develop the salt my information is that we have millions of dollars of salt deposit.”

The Trade and Industry Minister who spoke passionately further revealed that Ghana’s salt can be exported to Nigeria who has to go all the way to Brazil to get salt for the petroleum industry.

Salt, he said is so crucial in the petrochemical industry and to the world that Ghana is in the position to contribute massively. And further added that he hopes his colleagues on the Minority side will accept that it’s such a potential for employment and income, adding that through the company (ElectroChem) “we, are going to obtain billions on this particular investment.”

“We will not be doing ourselves good as a Country, I pray the people of Ada and Sege, allow the company to work to the glory of Ghana. We need the salt from the area; help us, we should not allow the gods to impede the salt development. If there is anything we need to sit down and settle it and take the gods out of this”, he said.

This came up on the floor of the House when Member of Parliament for Ada Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe indicated that ElectroChem has to hold their peace so that they can save their shrines, cemetery and some of the villages, so that there will be clear definition of what should be done so that no one is inconvenient.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Krachi West, Helen Adjoa Ntoso has described as unfortunate the emergency recall of the House at the behest of the Majority side three months into Ghana’s general elections when the House is on recess.

According to her Members of Parliament should be in their constituencies and they have been recalled back, but was quick to point out that if Parliamentary duty calls, they are compelled to come back to the House to do Business.

Speaking in an interview, she lamented that their allowance which they were entitled to had not been given to them but they have been called back and had to adjust to the dome meeting.

“Initially, we were communicated to that it will be a day’s meeting only for us to come and notice it is two days; we are not happy about it but we have to adapt to change when the need be”

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The Member of Parliament for La Dadekotopon Rita Naa Odoley Sowah has expressed worry over the absence of dredging of the Kpeshie Lagoon for the past four years pointing out that it’s the cause of flooding that they experience.

In an interview she pointed out that she posed question to the then Minister for Works and Housing in June 2021 and currently in 2024 but nothing has happened.

Hence as a member of the Government Assurance Committee she asked a question on it when the sector minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah appeared before the Committee.

“We experience flooding when it rains and as we speak there has been a lot of encroachment along the Lagoon which will make working very difficult for them. Three years down the line entering the fourth year, where I had to bring up some concerns of my constituents, there are some projects they fast tracked; they go through the procurement system hurriedly”.

And I do not agree with the Minister and the ministry at the pace at which they are working. They talked about a committee doing this, they are very slow on it, they might not get access to the Lagoon to dredge as we have encroachment ongoing; they should speed up, she added.

She noted that, “in 2021, then Minister when I ask the question said they are looking forward for the bridge to be constructed before they carry out the dredging, but it has taken forever and the bridge has not been completed and the Ministry of Roads should also fast truck the road construction which we are told is delaying”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has made some donations to Winneba model health Center.

On Wednesday, August 28, 2924, the MP made the donation to the center located near the UEW’s South Campus.

The donated items include drugs, non-drugs (weighing scale, HB strips, etc), a generator, a deep freezer, 3 refrigerators, 6 foldable tables, 30 plastic chairs, dustbins, mobs, and laminator and toners.

The ceiling of the center has also been repaired.

There is also an ongoing construction of washrooms and other facilities at the centre.

Ghanamps.com