Author: Kwaku GhanaMPs

For many people, government’s declaration of year of roads may mean one of those empty rhetoric to get the public excited, especially because of their experiences with poor road network in their localities. But for people who have evidence of road construction in their areas, that declaration means a lot to them.

Such is the people living in and around Dome through Kwabenya to Kitase where work is progressing on the Dome-Kitase road. The Dome-Kitase Road has been at the heart of residents around Dome-Kwabenya and others who ply the Accra Koforidua route for the simple reason that it offers a shorter link from Dome-Atomic Down to the Akuapem enclave, thereby cutting off the traffic at Haatso-Madina and Adentan.

It was therefore not surprising the jubilation that greeted the sod-cutting by the president, Nana Akufo-Addo on July 29, 2022. The GHC 195million road Project, expected to be completed within 24 months is being executed by Messrs. First Sky Construction Limited, a road construction company in the country.

Work scope include 16.3km single carriageway with asphaltic concrete surfacing; a 2.85km dual carriageway, a one-kilometre two-lane single carriageway for Ashesi University, the provision of 1.45km three-lane single carriageway with auxiliary lanes for drop off/pick up on both sides, and a 1.9km two-lane carriageway link.

Some residents expressed their delight about the project and hope it would not be a one-day wonder like previous ones, instead this time the contractor would stay until the completion of the road.

Ghanamps.com

Following delays in some member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in transmitting the zero point five (0.5) levy they collect on goods imported into the West African sub-region that produce in the region, leader of the Ghanaian delegation to the Community Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin is advocating for a system to be put in place in this age of technology advancement, to ensure that levies collected from the various member states are transmitted straight to the West Africa sub-region block.

According to him there is the need for a political will from the ECOWAS Commission, Authority of Heads of States and Government or those responsible for coordinating to ensure that when the levies are collected, they are transmitted on time. “We should not allow bureaucracy in collecting the levies; there should be a network in place which ECOWAS would automatically receive funds ones payment is made.

A lot of our member states in their various ports charges go to respective institutions directly”. In an interview, as to how the delay of the payment of the Community levy can be resolved, he noted that the system he is advocating for when put in place is one way of resolving the problem to avoid excuse from member states who collect levies but delay in making sure funds are sent to the sub-regional body,

“it’s these levies that are used for capacity building and all activities for stability and work to progress, salaries for workers in all the community institutions depend on this levy; that is our only sources of income for funding to operationalize our activities in the sub-region and is the key thing that must be considered”. Mr. Afenyo-Markin further noted that the recent down turn in business is as a result of the economic crises leading to low import, more especially in the wake of the Russian Ukraine war, which set in just after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Leader of the Ghanaian delegation to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has said the second extraordinary session ongoing in Lome-Togo has started on a good note.

According to him it has been fireworks in a positive sense; and a parliament where members are free to express their views and concerns is a good one since it’s the citizens of ECOWAS who brought them to the Parliament. In an interview, he noted that to him a Parliament that is all assertive is very positive despite the fact that the current Community Parliament does not have the enforcement powers, so the laws that are made there are not laws that they enforce.
“We are a deliberative chamber but as we assert ourselves and make ourselves heard, our superiors, being Head of States and Governments’ would see the seriousness in our effort; and they say the voice of the people is the voice of God and the voice of God manifest in the people”.

Also if as elected representatives they are able to assert themselves and bring out concerns of the people to the floor and express same and the community hear of it or the political leadership, Heads of government know that this is what parliament is saying and it is reflective of the views of the people. “Trust me there would be tremendous change, it would lead in a new policy direction and would be a guiding principle for our various Governments; so far so good, I want MPs to continue in that direction”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Deputy Majority Leader in the Ghanaian Parliament and Leader to the Ghanaian delegation to the Community Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has noted that the idea of Free Movement of Goods and Services in the West Africa sub-region should be welcomed and embraced by all member states. According to him this is to create an atmosphere where ECOWAS citizens would not be limited by borders; but was quick to point out that member stats do have their challenges in the wake of security and political instability.

Hence member states are trying to control Free Movement of People in a manner that they can manage to know who is coming in and going out and citizens in member states are supposed to meet certain conditions as they trade in the sub-region. In an interview on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, he noted that MPs should create the awareness for citizens to know the community protocols if they want to move from their home country to another.

“We should be able to interact and explain more to our people at the same time we should let our citizen appreciate the security challenges. My country Ghana for instance is much concerned about its Northern border with Burkina Faso, the instability in Mali and Burkina Faso is of great concern to Ghana. If we do not control the influx, it would undermine our own security in this case it cannot be that in controlling you put in measures to prevent an influx, you are breaching community protocol, there is an essential need to ensure there is security in your country”.

This , he said is important to ensure that people would not come into your Country under the pretext of ECOWAS citizen to distablise your country, and need to look at it in that contest of what is being done on the whole citizen in the sub-region to allow free movement to Togo, Ivory Coast, Benin and Nigeria. Also, traders move in and out generally, but he does not think citizens have been denied that opportunity that much, but there is the need to put in measures to ensure that extremist do not take advantage of free movement to “distablilise our sub- region”.

Again, there is a military, government in Guinea Conakry, Burkina Faso, it does serve the good of the sub- region in terms of democracy. “We need democracy. As a key imperative for economic growth you need democracy for stability, if there is no democracy and we allow adventurist to come in as and when they wish to influence by external and internal forces at the end of the day the whole idea and objective of the sub- region to ensure democracy and stability would get compromised”.

Furthermore, he noted, “we cannot say the sub-region should unduly interfere in the affairs of member states, but we should be mindful of the principle of responsibility to protect. It happened in the Gambia, where the sub-region was proactive and there was stability in the Gambia; Liberia, it got to a point the sub -region took control that led to stability in Liberia. And there are instances Ivory Coast for instance a situation even as the AU at the time has to come in, the sub- region was very proactive at the end of the day it led to the stability that we have in Ivory Coast.

“The sub- regional political leadership has the responsibility to protect, invoke some powers which if implemented in a united form will send a strong signal to those adventures who are thinking that ‘let us organise our self and organise a coup’, it would deter people who think I can always stage a coup and find an excuse to say there is going to be transition and the sub-region body cannot bit and can generally talk and all that. I think one must be looked at critically and urgently”, he noted.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

There were cheers and tones of applause when the Member of Parliament for Akyem Oda, Hon. Alexander Akwasi Acquah announced that a contract has formally been put together to finish the repair works of the Attafuah Secondary school and Oda Senior High School.

This was during the inauguration of the newly constituted Board of Governors of Attafuah SHS today in the school. The audience couldn’t help but to cheer on the MP when he also announced that prior to the arrangements of the contracts, he found it necessary to facilitate the repair works from his own resources.

He said he was proud to announce that all the repair works in the various basic schools and the ones at Attafuah SHS had been borne by him. Hon. Akwasi Acquah said he couldn’t bear watching the school kids being put together in a crowded classroom blocks when covid was in its critical stage..

Mr. Akwasi Acquah congratulated the old board and commended them for their excellent performance during their term of office. He singled out the former board chairman for his leadership role especially during the disaster that struck on the 5th of April 2021. He also advised the new board to contact the old board in all their deliberations.

To forestall the ravage visited on people and properties whenever there is heavy rain and storms, the MP announced that he would soon introduce a tree planting club to the school to help in their efforts at contributing to addressing climate change. Additionally, he said the tree planting would serve “perhaps as memorial for our passing through the school”, and would obviously stop the tendency of indiscriminately writing on school walls as a memory, which has been the practice.

Ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Akim Oda, Alexander Akwesi Acquah has once again come to the aid of his constituents with his benevolent services. As part of the MP’s resolve to ensuring healthy population through easy and affordable access to quality health delivery, the office of the MP’s Health Working Committee has opened registration and renewal of National Health Insurance Cards.

The exercise which commenced on October 3 and expected to last till October 8, 2022 has designated areas for the exercise. The exercise is expected to register and renew about two thousand (2000) residents free of charge. Free registration and renewal of NHIS cards has become a regular feature in the various interventions the MP engages in to help ameliorate the sufferings of his constituents.

There was a similar intervention earlier in the year which also included free health screening exercises to help people know their health status and the necessary medical interventions provided. Mr Akwesi Acquah urged residents in the Constituency whose NHIS cards have expired for between 1-3 years to endeavour to avail themselves for the exercise.

The National Health Insurance Scheme recently reviewed and added some new medical conditions to be covered under the scheme. It is therefore prudent that people get registered to benefit when the need arise.

Ghanamps.com

There were cheers and tones of applause when the Member of Parliament for Akyem Oda, Hon. Alexander Akwasi Acquah announced that a contract has formally been put together to finish the repair works of the Attafuah Secondary school and Oda Senior High School.
This was during the inauguration of the newly constituted Board of Governors of Attafuah SHS today in the school. The audience couldn’t help but to cheer on the MP when he also announced that prior to the arrangements of the contracts, he found it necessary to facilitate the repair works from his own resources.
He said he was proud to announce that all the repair works in the various basic schools and the ones at Attafuah SHS had been borne by him.
Hon. Akwasi Acquah said he couldn’t bear watching the school kids being put together in a crowded classroom blocks when covid was in its critical stage..
Mr. Akwasi Acquah congratulated the old board and commended them for their excellent performance during their term of office. He singled out the former board chairman for his leadership role especially during the disaster that struck on the 5th of April 2021. He also advised the new board to contact the old board in all their deliberations.
To forestall the ravage visited on people and properties whenever there is heavy rain and storms, the MP announced that he would soon introduce a tree planting club to the school to help in their efforts at contributing to addressing climate change. Additionally, he said the tree planting would serve “perhaps as memorial for our passing through the school”, and would obviously stop the tendency of indiscriminately writing on school walls as a memory, which has been the practice.

Ghanamps.com

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah has commended the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa for donating high quality medical equipment to the medical teaching facility.

According to the CEO he is happy with the partnership and collaboration as the equipment is not just being dumped on them, rather it will make positive impact at neurosurgical service department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. And stated that the beaming smile of Dr. Mohammed Hadi Abdallah, in charge of the neurosurgical department tells it all when he opened and inspected the equipment.

“This goes to show the kind of passion with which he works; and the hospital has highly dedicated staffs, who are willing to provide the best of care, but they are handicapped in terms of equipment they are provided with. So sometimes they do not get the kind of outcome they want to achieve. Interventions like these are very critical to help them to bridge that gap”, he acknowledged.

Again, doctors at the tertiary facility are the best minds one can have at the west Africa sub-region, and he believes there is the need to do whatever they can to empower them so that, one do not have to travel abroad to seek basic medical assistance. And added that sometimes one goes to some of the district hospitals and there are high quality equipment needed at the tertiary level, but are gathering dust there because no one there knows what they are and how to use them .

The MP’s approach, he admitted is forward looking, pragmatic and hopes others would learn from his example and should be the way to go. He advised that where necessary, the tertiary hospitals can support the district hospitals to promote health deliver, the CEO said.

“Korle Bu is going to be 99 years this month, it is an opportunity for all of us to reflect how do we want our premier hospital to serve us; where do we want it to be? We hear a lot of people complaining there is no this, there is no that; we have to start talking solutions and the MP has taken a step in making a difference”.

He urged corporate entities to also help, and noted that there are people who even have more contacts than the MP has but if he is able to do so much, then that should send a message. “Let us contribute to the health delivery system that would be beneficial to us; you do not know when you will fall a victim”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com