Category: General

The Public Account Committee of Parliament has directed that three Districts Assemblies from the Volta Region who failed to show up on Thursday January 16, 2020 appear before it today Friday the 17th of January 2020.

Chairman of PAC, Dr. James Klutse Averdzi gave this directive at the end of the Committee sitting on Thursday.

The three Assemblies are North Tongu, Ketu North and South Dayi, as the Committee considered the 2015 and 2016 report of the Auditor-General on Assemblies from the Volta Region, on the utilization of the Common Fund.

Meanwhile, the Committee would today consider the Auditor-General’s report on District Assemblies from the West North and Western Regions.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Chairman of the Public Account Committee, Dr. James Klutse Averdzi has demanded that the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Waija-Gabwe, Patrick Kwesi Barko Kumor appear before the Committee which entered its second day of public hearing on Tuesday, the 14th of January 2020.

Coordinating Director of the Waija-Gabwe Municipal Assembly, Mercy Quansah told the Committee his MCE is absent because he indicated to her that she would be at the Results Fair which opened at the Accra International Conference hall on Tuesday.

According to the PAC chair, the MCE cannot dodge the Committee because he knew he would be live on television so he dashed down to the Results Fair at the Accra International Conference.

The Chairman asked that the Coordinating Director of the Assembly leave the Committee and ensure that the MCE is before the Committee.

“Result Fair, this PAC work is part of the result fair, we have given you money, tell us how you spent the money before you got the result which you want to showcase, if we have issues with the way you spent; call him and tell him we want him here”.

The Coordinating Director explained to the Committee that his MCE is a member of the Sanitation Committee that has to be represented at the Results Fair hence his absence.

Her response followed a request from the PAC Chairman demanding a letter indicating that the MCE was invited and actually has a role to play at the event. Meanwhile, no such letter was provided to the committee.

After Ningo-Prampram was through with its public hearing, Waija-Gabwe was recalled back, but the MCE was nowhere to be found after thirty minutes. It finally emerged that the MCE was not at the Fair but rather at the office.

The MCE Patrick Kwesi Barko Kumor however showed up after the Committee meeting had been adjourned for the day, but refused to comment on the issue.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

At the ongoing public hearing of the Public Account Committee (PAC) three Assemblies Ningo-Prampram, Waija-Gabwe and Ga Central are supposed to reappear before the Committee next week Tuesday 21st of January 2020.

It came out  that the Committee was not satisfied with answers provided when the three Assemblies from the Greater Accra Region showed up on Tuesday, to be examined on the utilization of the Common Fund and other statutory funds.

Whiles some Assemblies gave unsatisfactory answers to the committee, others were not current on the 2015 report of the Auditor-General and were asked to go and prepare adequately and come back to face the Committee.

Meanwhile, the following Assemblies who had questions to answer did not show up at the public hearing of PAC; La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Assembly, Adentan Municipal Assembly, Shai Osudoku District Assembly, La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly, Ada West District Assembly, Ada East District Assembly, Accra Metropolitan Assembly and Ga East Municipal Assembly.

Chairman of the Committee revealed that letters were sent to the Coordinating Councils for onwards transmission to the affected Assemblies.

“We do not see the reasons why they should not be here; we are issuing warning for them to appear before the Committee today”.

Checks conducted by Ghanamps.com revealed that as at the time the committee adjourned its meeting, the MCE of Adenta Municipality had showed up at the Committee sitting.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanadistricts.co

The New Jejeti Zongo chief in the Atiwa East Constituency, Alhaji Salifu Musah has admonished children to take their education seriously in order to become prominent and responsible people in the future.

According to him, if the children want to become like the Member of Parliament (MP) Abena Osei-Asare, they need to take their education seriously.

He made this remarks when the MP and Deputy Minister of Finance threw a party for children in New Jejeti, an annual event she normally organizes during Christmas where she selects three or four communities and throws party for the children during Christmas festivity.

Alhaji Salifu thanked the MP for her benevolence and added that he had never witnessed such a thing before in the community, stating that such events where children are organised during Christmas, fed and given books and allow to play with facilities are only seen in the big cities.

“We ask for long life for the MP so that years like this we will get more than what we have witness now”.

He charged parents to take education of their wards seriously and added that the children should obey their parents, in other to become responsible leaders in the community.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Former Speaker of the Liberian Parliament and Leader of the delegation to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Rt. Honorable Edwin Melvin Snowe Junior has joined the crusade to push for the election of lawmakers to the Community Parliament.

According to the former speaker and leader of the Liberian delegation, when this is achieved it would be like the European Parliament (EU) where they have dedicated lawmakers as part of the ECOWAS supplementary Act.

He further pointed out in an interview that the move would need budgetary allocation and once that can be done it would boost Committee work.

“We should start electing our MPS like is done in the EU a lot should be done, again we should start to legislate like is done in the EU Parliament I think a lot would be achieve as it is now a lot needs to be done”.

Another issue of importance was attendance of lawmakers to the Community Parliament work that saw the Speaker of the fourth Legislature lash out at absentee lawmakers and put in measures to block their allowance for work not done.

Mr. Snowe noted that he would want to see high attendance in the fifth legislature, as he had, had reason to complain of absenteeism of lawmakers at Ordinary Sessions especially his colleagues from Nigeria.

“MPs come sign and leave the next day and come again”, but was quick to point out that the current First Deputy Speaker from Nigeria seems to be very interested in the work that goes on in the Community Parliament. “And with Nigeria having the highest delegation we hope they take attendance seriously, once Nigeria leads others would follow”.

He emphasized that the Parliament represents the people of the West African sub-region; “until we get the full commitment to the workings of the Parliament it would not succeed”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com/Abuja