Category: General

Member of Parliament for Domeabra/Obom, Sophia Karen Ackuaku has urged the Majority side of the House to emulate their calmness exhibited yesterday when the message of the State of the Nation Address was being delivered.

According to the Domeabra/Obom lawmaker the current Majority who would be in the Minority in the eight Parliament, should not shout and heckle to make their point in the eighth Parliament, “they should emulate us”.

“Sometimes when someone is telling you something and you are quite it does not mean, you agree with all the person is saying, so the one giving the address should ask himself what I am putting out, are they listening, are they okay and comfortable?”

She further noted in an interview “silent is golden, the quietness of the Minority should put the President thinking”.

When questioned as to what has changed and why were the Minority quite through SONA, she said, “you would know our stand in all that the President said during the debate”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Bodi and former Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, Samson Ahi has taken on President Nana Akufo-Addo for creating confusion in the Sanitation sector of Ghana.

According to the Bodi lawmaker, during the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, then candidate and now President promised making Accra the cleanest city within one hundred days (100) in office.

“Now during the State of the Nations Address (SONA) he is shifting the goal post; he says by the end of his tenure, four years; is he playing with us?”

He further pointed out that, the sanitation levy collected by this government instead of giving it to the Sanitation and Water Resources Ministry, the Finance Ministry is spending the money, a sign that there is confusion in the sector.

“Now the Sanitation Ministry is doing some aspect of sanitation, you have Local Government and Rural Development doing same, Gender Children and Social protection, then Ministry of Environment Science and Technology, they are building KVIP”

Mr. Samson Ahi noted that instead of the President synchronizing issues of sanitation, into one Ministry he has created, other Ministries are engaged in some aspect of sanitation.

“That is why we are facing sanitation challenges in the country, they should all come together for us to address sanitation problems under one umbrella”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

A sizeable number of Members of Parliament on the Minority side outside Accra have traveled to their constituencies to participate in the Presidential primaries of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The Minority side of the chamber was almost empty on Friday the 22nd of February 2019, when the House started sitting at the chamber.

As at 10:38am when the House started, there were only three members from the Minority side in the House, whiles the Majority side had thirty-five members present on the floor of the House.

Three urgent questions scheduled for the Minister of Roads and Highways could not be taken because there was a gentleman’s agreement that because most of the MPs who want to ask the questions would be in their constituency the question should be taken next week Tuesday.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for North Dayi, Joycelyn Tetteh has pledged her commitment to push for the implementation of an established support fund for victims of domestic violence.

According to the North Dayi lawmaker, the full implementation and compliance of Act 732 in which certain responsibilities must be borne by government, Parliament and the judiciary will help in the support of such victims.

Again framers of the Act recognize the importance of financial resources in operationalizing it, so they determine that the victims of domestic violence support fund should be established, she added.

“To rescue, rehabilitate and reintegrate victims, I reckon sources of funding as listed in Article 31 of Act 732 remain woefully inadequate and we should explore other workable solutions to this problem of funding which remains an existential challenge”.

The North Dayi MP was contributing to a roundtable discussion hosted by the Center for Democratic Development (CDD) on the theme, “full implementation and compliance of domestic violence Act (Act 732) Government, Parliament and Judiciary responsibilities”.

On the issue of support funding for victims, Joycelyn Tetteh noted that she does not see it as a problem, so far as we have a Gender Children and Social Protection Ministry which has a budget that is brought to Parliament.

“The Ministry must prioritize issues of domestic violence and make provision for it in the budget; definitely no committee would see such a budget and think that the money being allotted to the sector is too much”.

She further questioned “how many times have you heard the issue of domestic violence being raised on the floor of the House? It is not normally done”.

“I want to commit myself to it, I want to go back to Parliament and table a question invite the sector Minister as I table a question for her to come and answer”.

.Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minority side of the House was very calm throughout the presentation of the State of the Nation Address presented by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Unusual of the Minority side who usually heckles and show their displeasure in the previous SONA presentation of the seven Parliament of the fourth Republic, the Speaker had difficult times keeping the House clam.

Most of the Minority Members of Parliament were seen taking note with one or two interrupting, when they disagree with what the President said.

Majority side of the House were most of the time supporting the President Nana Akufo-Addo when he said something that was good in favor of the ruling government.

Meanwhile the Public and Press gallery were full to capacity to the extent that some had to sit on the floor in the press gallery with others forcing their way through despite been told the press gallery is full.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

President of the Republic Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo has in accordance with article 67 of the 1992 constitution presented to Parliament a message on the State of the Nation.

As prelude to his message, he first of all thanked all stakeholders who played diverse roles in restoring peace to Dagbon.

He commended the significant contribution of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

He expressed the hope that all will continue to support efforts aimed at ensuring lasting peace.

Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has dismissed the ideas of Ghana flexing muscles with the United States of America over their imposition of visa restrictions on some category of Ghanaians.

As a result of Ghana not complying with international obligation regarding the issuance of travel documents to Ghanaians awaiting deportation in the USA.

In an interview with members of the Parliamentary press corps, she noted that, “restriction has been placed on us, let us work together and see how we can get it off on us”.

“America is a key ally to Ghana, and Ghana is a key ally to America, we do not need all these things to hamper our relations”.

When questioned, if Ghana cannot flex muscles with the USA, she responded, “really, I do not think that is the way to go, are you dealing with arms length, there are more Ghanaians wanting to go there, than they wanting to come here”

She further pointed out that, in diplomacy there is reciprocity; you need to look at the circumstances before you take certain decisions.

As to whether the US government has been fair to Ghana, “It is a difficult question to ask, as someone who leads the Foreign Ministry, we have asked them to provide us with the list it is not faire to go ahead with the restriction slapped on us”

“We have been engaged in negotiation, for them to understand that, we have process to follow and it is not an overnight process, it takes a bit of time once they appreciate that they would understand where we are coming from”, she lamented.

According to the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, authenticating who a Ghanaian is takes a process and added that Ghana is cooperating with the US, as it has done over the years.

“I am at a lost as to what is required of us we do not have that long list of seven thousand Ghanaian awaiting deportation when we have it would be processed”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Adaklu,  Kwame Agbodza has drawn the House’s attention to a development in the premises that has security implications.

According to the Adaklu lawmaker, there is a development where unknown man comes to the offices of MPs at job 600 to sell food, going through the security check point and the reception without being questioned.

“Security would have to check him, because I do not know him either his name, but I do believe members do come across him”.

He drew the House’s attention to this development when the Business Statement for this week was being presented on the floor of the House.

In a related development, the Adaklu legislator has urged leadership of the House to give members directives as to which entrance they should use on Thursday when the President comes to the House to deliver message of the state of the nation address.

According to Mr. Governs Kwame Agbodza usually after 9:00am security personnel’s in doing their work prevent MPs from using the main entrance to the chamber.

Majority Chief Whip on his part responded that some members invite the said visitors to the House, and added that security persons at the gate and those at the reception need some orientation.

“So that they do not let just anybody in, sometimes you are in the office and someone just walk in you do not know where the person is coming from and  parade the corridor they see the names and the entre, we should be watchful of such things”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak has called on the leadership of Parliament to ensure that the official website of the House is updated, adding, currently the information on lawmakers on the site dated as far back as 2017.

According to the Builsa South lawmaker when the website is updated it helps constituents to know and appreciate work being done by their representatives on their behalf.

“Having a regular updated website belonging to members, so that constituents who do not have the opportunity to come all the way here to see what we do, can have an understanding of our workings”.

He appealed to leadership of the House and the Information Technology (IT) department to ensure that personal webpage of MPs are well designed and regularly updated.

Majority Chief Whip Kwesi Amenyaw-Cheremeh who was presenting the business statement for the week when the appeal was made urged the IT department and the Clerk of Parliament to ensure that it is updated.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com