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Category: General
11 Ministers to answer 20 questions next week
Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu in presenting the Business Statement for the nextweek pointed out that eleven Ministers of the Akufo-Addo government would be on the floor of the House to answer twenty questions.
Ministers of Health, Works and Housing would answer three (3) questions each, whiles Transport, Natural Resources and Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Ministers would address a question each.
The Ministers of Health, Trade and Industry, Communications, Finance, Gender Children and Social Protection, are also supposed to answer two questions each on behalf of their respective Ministries.
He further noted that the proposed statutory funds formula for the distribution of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DAC) for 2020 would be presented in due course, same with the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and National Health Insurance Fund, for the year 2020.
In view of this, the committee of the whole would be sitting.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com
Minority Leadership absent during conclusion of MSONA
Front line Leadership of the Minority in Parliament was not in the chamber on Tuesday 3rd March 2020 to conclude on the Message of the State of the Nation Address (MSONA) when Speaker Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye requested that they take their turn.
Second Deputy Minority Whip, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Gansah who was available in the chamber with some of his colleagues as at 11:20am when the concluding debate started told the Speaker since they did not participate in the whole debate, they are not in the position to conclude.
The action of the Minority leadership came despite earlier appeal by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu last week Friday when he presented the Business Statement urging the leadership of the Minority to participate in the conclusion of the debate of MSONA.
As the Majority Leader concluded the debate, his colleagues in the Minority who had showed up in the chamber just sat quietly and observed him.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com
Speaker inaugurates four-member advisory committee to PTI
Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye has inaugurated a four-member Advisory Committee to the Parliamentary Training Institute (PTI) to cater for the training needs of Members of Parliament and staffs of the Parliamentary Service on Friday 28th February 2020.
The Institute would also serve as a centre of legislative excellence, train newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs), and offer periodic training to continuing MPs, staffs of Parliament and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDA’s) as well as staffs of sister African Parliaments.
The Committee which was inaugurated on Friday February 28, 2020, comprised Dr. Rasheed Dramani, Director of the African Center for Parliamentary Affairs and Dr. Maame A.A. Gyekye-Jandoh, Head of Political Science Department of University of Ghana, Legon.
Others are Professor Stephen Adei, former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, the Executive Director of the Center for Democratic Governance-Ghana (CDD) complete membership of the Committee.
Their functions are similar to those of a University Council which has the ultimate power and authority in recommending standards for the achievement of the Institute’s goals as well as directing the highest academic standards of teaching, learning and research.
Speaker in his welcome address explained that the idea of establishing the Advisory Committee is to have an Advisory Board which would direct the PTI with regards to its intellectual goals, so that it can continue to be attached to academia and raise its global status and conceptualise the framework for the realisation of its objectives.
He said he expected the Committee to advice on the selection of the Director and the various positions similar to a Registrar of a University and other allied issues so that there would be a strong academic approach to all activities that the Institute is engaged in.
The Speaker stressed on research and lamented that research work in the country is not good enough and grieved that even doctoral students find it difficult to proceed on research on aspects of Parliament efficaciously due to inadequate documentation.
He said he was optimistic products of the Institute would contribute effectively to national development while the Institute will also serve as both a Resource Centre and Centre of Excellence for students and researchers from the various research institutions and the universities.
The Rt. Hon. Speaker disclosed that Ghana can boast of world class universities and think-tanks with international recognition such as University of Ghana, GIMPA, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the Institute of Economic Affairs, Ghana (IEA) and CDD-Ghana among the many reputable institutions of higher learning.
He therefore urged the Committee to help identify the appropriate affiliate university or institution among these established universities and think-tanks because, as he noted, certificates or degrees whether Diplomas, Bachelors, Masters, Postgraduate, Doctor of Philosophy without a linkage are of no use.
And gave assurance that the Institute’s doors would be opened to everybody, home and abroad, who is interested in parliamentary or legislative and governance studies, to develop his or her potential through the Institute’s rich source of political analysis and administration.
The learned University Professor promised that the Parliamentary Service Board (PSB) will work closely with the Committee and give it all the needed cooperation, and made it clear that the Board was not going to set marching orders or interfere with activities of the Advisory Board.
He expressed his regret that Parliament is the institution that ceases to exist during coup d’états and therefore gave the assurance that the PTI will offer the highest standard of educational exposure to staff of the Service in a well-resourced intellectual manner and award them accredited degrees so that when they leave Parliament, they can also take up some positions anywhere.
In a related development, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu acknowledged that research has indicated that Parliament is recognised as the weakest among the three arms of government with continuous declining of the quality of work and debate in the House over the years since 1993.
He, however, hinted that the Institute would be used as a vehicle to reposition Parliament and to build the capacity of Members and also assist in building the capacity of the MMDCEs as well as those at the lower levels of governance.
The Suame MP tasked the Committee to design programmes to build capacity of Members in their responsibility of representation including the deliberative function of Parliament, information transmission, legislation and financial control oversight, which arguably, is the greatest function of Parliament.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com
Minority leader appeals to EU to release funds to build labor market information data
Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu has appealed to the European Union to release funds meant for projects in Ghana.
He lamented over the inadequate release of resources meant for the Labor Market Information System.
According to Mr. Iddrisu, Ghana need a data system to help it know in real terms the unemployment rate in the country especially matters to do with young people looking for employment.
Mr. Iddrisu recounted that as far back as 2015 funds pledged had not been released and in one of his visits to Brussels, he saw in a newspaper seventeen EU undisbursed projects, and Ghana was listed among the countries.
“EU’s poor release, this is not helping in policy implementation in Ghana. There is the need to take a second look at this”, he told an EU Parliamentary delegation that called on the Speaker, Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye.
In a related development, the Minority Leader told the visiting EU lawmakers at the outdoor of a joint Africa-EU Summit that the strategy was to reduce donor finance relation.
“Our President Nana Akufo-Addo has articulated that in Ghana beyond aid agenda, our President does not want that relationship my view is that it seat sufficiently with paradigm shift relations with the EU, we support him in that enterprise”.
He further pointed out in his remarks that he looks forward for a stronger bond between Ghana’s Parliament and that of the EU.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com
Speaker cautions against politicizing his directives
Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye has cautioned against politicizing the directives he gave the media to concentrate on covering proceedings in the chamber when the House is sitting and avoid covering individuals when the House is sitting.
According to the Speaker, he still stands by his earlier directives that when proceedings is ongoing the media should not be outside the chamber to cover other activities.
“Going on further, the Majority or the Minority should not at any given time in the interest and dignity of the House engage the media”.
Professor Oquaye further pointed out that Ghana’s democracy is a young one and hence there is a responsibility on very one to help develop it by strengthening it.
“My directives have been commented upon, I spoke to both side of the House, I did say so categorically you are reminded that the media is most welcome as guest of this House, we would do everything to assist in the performance of their duty”.
And gave an example of a respectable chief in any part of Ghana inviting the press to cover an event in the palace, the media would not go outside the palace to cover a different event that would be disrespect to the chief hence same should be the case in Parliament.
“I have supported media freedom since 1967 when I wrote my first article to the GhanaTimes, and I have been consistent on this, again no institution is perfect we should be able to critics each other so that we develop”.
He further revealed that they are revising the standing order to make the media stronger by allowing the media to cover committee sittings.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com
Minority lament over collapsing trend in NHIS
The Minority on the Health Committee in Parliament are lamenting over the delay in the release of funds to service providers in the National Health Insurance Scheme and capping of funds.
According to the Minority on the Health Committee, government has no excuse in the delay of payment for such a long period as they are hoarding the money for reasons best known them.
Ranking member on the Committee, Mr. Kwabena Mintah AKandoh in addressing the media at a press conference noted that customers pay upfront the National Health Insurance Levy in the country.
He blamed the Ministry of Finance for the collapsing of the National Health Insurance Scheme and demanded that the Akufo-Addo led government immediately redeem its obligation under the law and release the funds to resuscitate the NHIS which is currently at the incentive care unit.
Again, the President in his SONA address in 2019 page 9 paragraph 3 said, “today our NHIS is buoyant as government has paid up to 1.2billion cedis arrears we inherited and brought the operation of NHIS back to life”.
While the President was talking of a buoyant NHIS there was a decline in active membership from 10.422 million in 2017 to 10.410 million in 2018.
The Minority noted that whiles the key stakeholders in the health insurance industry are getting financially suffocated as a result of delay in payment of the claim, the President, in the 2020 SONA at page 25 paragraph 3 line 4 describe the NHIS as operating more adequately.
“It is a demonstration of insensitivity to the plights of service providers and beneficiaries as some have decided to withdraw their services from NHIS, we share in their grievances and appeal to them for the sake of ordinary Ghanaians they should rescind their decision”.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com
Speaker’s threat is affront to media freedom and free speech—GJA
The Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) has noted that the threat by Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Oquaye to withdraw the accreditation of the media in Parliament over they covering an individual MP whiles proceedings was ongoing as unfortunate.
According to the GJA it is an affront to media freedom and free speech and added that Parliament is a House of the people.
And in the interest of the public, journalists’ access to the House cannot be deemed as a privilege but a necessity to enable them report to the people what their elected representatives are up to during official and any other activity in the House.
In a statement by the President of the Association, Mr. Affail Monney noted that whiles journalists may not have the right of presence in Parliament, their presence in the House greatly enhances promoting accountability, transparency and good governance.
“It is not for nothing that our forebears dedicated a whole chapter (Chapter 12) in the 1992 Constitution to media freedom. Article 162(4) of the 1992 Constitution was designed to insulate the media from control or interference in the performance of their duty. Article 162(5) further mandates the media to sup hold the responsibility and accountability of the Government (including the Legislature) to the people of Ghana without fear or favor”.
The GJA wishes to respectfully assure Parliament of its esteem respect for the august House and the Right Honorable Speaker in particular, however, it will not countenance any action that attempts to take away the media’s right to inform the people and the people’s right to know, the statement noted.
“We not hesitate to take any and every action, including legal recourse, to vindicate and reaffirm the freedoms and independence of the media should this unhealthy threat or admonitions resurface in future”.
The Speaker of Parliament is on record to have said “You are here as guests by my permission because of the importance this House attaches to your profession. Any such deviation would make you an unwelcome guests and your welcome would be duly withdrawn.”
This threat was in response to a decision by some members of the Parliamentary Press Corps to cover a news conference by Minority Spokesperson on Mines and Energy, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, on the state of Ghana’s power sector while proceedings were ongoing in the Chamber.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com
PPC to accompany Speaker in international travels
Members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) have been given assurance that they are going to benefit soon from accompanying the Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye and Leadership of the House when they embark on international travels.
This issue came up as a result of both the Majority and Minority Leaders of the House giving examples of best international practices on how the media conduct themselves.
A member of the PPC questioned Leadership on how they expect Journalists in Ghana’s Parliament to know of best media practice when they embark on international trips alone without taking the media along.
But the Majority Leader, Osei-Kyei recounted back in the days of late Speaker Rt. Hon Peter Ala Adeity, the then Dean Ruby Ammable was taken to Burkina Faso when the House attended Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting there.
And noted that he and his colleague, the Minority Leader on various occasions have lamented over the media not accompanying Speaker as other countries go on such programmes with their media entourage.
The Minority Leader in his part noted that he chairs a Human Resource wing of the Parliamentary Service Board of Ghana’s Parliament and there are plans to beef up the Public Affairs Department of the House.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com
EU helped Ghana reform as good democracy in Africa—Professor Oquaye
Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye has commended the European Union for helping Ghana in its democratic journey as there had been a lot of reforms which showcase Ghana as a good democratic nation in Africa.
According to the Speaker, since 1988 when Ghana craved for good governance and it became the order of the day to ensure electoral reforms, the EU assisted Ghana to acquire transparent ballot box, registration with pictures more especially during our difficult elections in 1992, “which changed our political atmosphere in Ghana and made us a good example of democracy”.
Professor Oquaye further thanked the EU for its assistance to Ghana’s Electoral Commission in its exercise to conduct elections in Ghana.
He made this remarks on Tuesday when Mr. Norbert Neuser led a Parliamentary delegation from the European Union from five different countries to pay a courtesy call on the Speaker.
He lamented over the practice over the years where there has been bilateral relations between government to government, at the neglect of relationship at the Parliamentary level and called for a shift in the relationship level from Parliament to Parliament.
“In Ghana parliament has been the most suffering institution any time there is a political upheavals. Any time there is a military takeover, and when constitutionalism is restored Parliament has to start all over again and this has affected Parliament as an institution”, he lamented.
In addition, Speaker Oquaye wished the EU well despite Britain which is Ghana’s tradition brother leaving the EU and hope the relation would continue. “Even before Britain became a member of the EU, we had strong and good relations”.
And further added that since Britain and the EU are all pursuing good governance and democracy, transparency avoidance of corruption, the good relationship would continue.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com