Ballot boxes and Electoral offices were set for the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election as early as 5:30am to 6:30am with most of the polling centers visited at Abelenkpe and Dorwulu polling centers visited by Ghanamp.com on the voting day.

Absent from the poling centers visited were long queues that usually characterize main election during the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary.

Officials from the Electoral Commission were seen busily putting together electoral registers tables to get ready for the process to start, police immigration and national security were seen around as the set up was going on.

Asphalting of most of the roads could be seen, whiles preparation to asphalt most of the road within this two locations are also taking place.

Police vehicles could be seen around patrolling whiles the posters of Lydia Seyram Alhasan and Dela Kwesi Brempong awash walls and other vantage places.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

In what started as a rumor that Parliament would stop carrying its staff members homes with its buses has come to pass.

The bus services provided for staff members had been halted at the beginning of the first meeting of the third session of the seventh Parliament of the fourth Republic.

In the third meeting of the second session of this Parliament there were indications that the Parliamentary service board would ensure that the bus service is stopped as it is putting a lot of drain on the funds of Parliament.

There were protests from staff that saw the bus services coming back after some national service personnel raised issues concerning it.

Investigation carried out by Ghanamps.com indicates that authorities at Parliament House has provided car loans to most staff members and provided allowance to staff members hence the need to stop the service which is a drain on the institution.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

As Parliament resumes today for its first meeting of the third session in its first meeting, twenty five (25) instruments are expected to be presented to be laid before the House with two instruments already at the committee level and forty-one papers to be presented.

Five motions will also be tabled for debate and eighty other referrals at the committee levels.

In the course of the meeting President Nana Akuffo-Addo is expected to present the state of the nation address to the House.

There are two bills before the House at the consideration stage, they are company Bill 2018 and Chartered Institute of Bankers Bill 2018.

At the consideration stage there are Payment System and Service Bill 2018 and Right to Information Bill 2018.

There are nine bills before some selected committees including; Lands Bill 2018, Public Holidays Bill 2018, Library Service Bill 2018, Technical Universities (Amendment) Bill 2017, Ghana Book Development Agency Bill 2018, among others.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minister for Roads and Highways Kwesi Amoako Atta is expected to take five questions on the floor of the House this week as it starts its first meeting of the third session of the seventh Parliament of the fourth Republic.

Attorney General and Justice Minister Gloria Akufo would answer two questions in her name.

There would be one urgent question with six oral questions, Speaker Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye would permit statement on the floor of the House under order 70(2).

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The Right to Information Bill (RTI) that had received media attention for its passage, is item number five on the order paper as Parliament resume for the first meeting of the third session of the seventh Parliament for the fourth Republic, on the 29th of January 2019.

The Bill which is at its consideration stage has thirty-three clauses to be dealt with before it can be passed into law.

Minister of Transport presented eight papers before the House prominent among them were, Nairobi International Convention on the removal of wrecks, 2007 and convention on the international hydrographic organization as amended by the protocol of 2005.

Minister of Finance Ken Ofori Atta would lay two agreements whiles the chairman of the Finance committee would lay a report on the annual report of the Public Interest and Accountability Revenues for the year 2017.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Daapah has said everyday should be seen as a sanitation day instead of monthly clean up.

According to the sector Minister the monthly exercise has not been stopped but rather being re-branded making sanitation everyday affair.

“The President’s dream of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa is a collective responsibility and each and everyone has a role to play. Government would play its part, but the media should be at the front runner in this campaign”.

She urged the media to find space to educate Ghanaians about their responsibilities and soon the Ministry will engage in active media campaign.

And further commended the media in an interview for bringing issues of sanitation to the fore and to enrich national discussion on the matter, as President Nana Akufo-Addo has said he wants to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The leadership of Parliament, both  Majority and Minority Leaders of Parliament, at the start of the first meeting of the third session of the seven Parliament of the fourth Republic would hold a media encounter with journalists in Parliament on Monday the 28th of January, 2019.

Members of the Parliamentary Press Corps would be offered the opportunity to ask questions in order to clear their minds on issues that they find difficult getting leadership to respond to.

The media encounter would also afford journalists the opportunity to get themselves abreast of what is going to happen in this first meeting of the third session, bills already before the House and news bills to the introduce.

Public affairs directorate of Parliament House made this know in a memo to members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) in a memo.

Acting director of Public affairs Kate Addo, encourage members of the Parliamentary Press Corps to make it point to come in their numbers and take advantage of this opportunity offered them.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The Ambassador of France to Ghana, Anne Sophie Ave has assured of her country’s commitment to assist Ghana in enhancing the teaching and learning of the French language at various level of its education especially at the basic level.

“We have to work on tools and develop it, to improve the way of teaching of French, you all know Alliance Francaise but we can do more” she said when she paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament in Accra.

According to her, the reason young people speak very well English in countries such as Denmark, is because they watch films and cartoons even when they cannot read and is vital to inculcate that culture at a tender age.

On the friendship group between Ghana and France’s Parliament, the French Ambassador stated “There are things we can also learn from a brand new parliament, twenty five years is still very young, but it has not come from nowhere, you have looked around did not come from nowhere, you have inspired your constitution [you have looked at the Americas, Brits and eventually you have found your own way].

We will be very happy to share with you our ups and downs” she added.

The French envoy assured of her willingness to ensure that more French legislators come to Ghana to learn and share experiences.

On his part, Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye expressed appreciation about France’s willingness to assist Ghana.

He disclosed that he has approved a visit of the minority leader to France to interact with leadership of the French parliament and seek ways of collaborating with Ghana’s.

Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Ghana’s lawmakers have been recalled for the commencement of the third session of Parliament on 29th January, 2019, according to a release signed by the Speaker, Prof Aaron Michael Oquaye.

The meeting is expected to start at ten o’clock in the forenoon the release noted.
Among the high point of the third session is the State of Nation address to be delivered by President Nana AddoDankwaAkufo-Addo.

Bills expected to receive much attention during the Meeting are the Right to Information, Public Holiday Amendment Bill, Code of Conduct of Public Office Holders and Company Bill among others.

The second Session of the 7th Parliament came to an end when the House went on recess on Dec. 23 last year for over a month for the Christmas and New Year festivities.

Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

The Working Group set up by the Rt Hon Speaker of Parliament, Prof Aaron Michael Oquaye to gather views for the possible establishment of a new Parliamentary Assurances Committee has held a consultative meeting with some key stakeholders Thursday in Accra.

The meeting solicited ideas from participants on what can be done in order to enhance the image of parliament in the public eye.

Stakeholders who appeared before the Working Group with various presentations including the Ghana Bar Association, the Ghana Journalists Association and the Parliamentary Press Corps all agreed with the proposed establishment of the Parliamentary Assurances Committee which is expected to pursue all assurances within Parliament.

These include directives of the Speaker, referrals to committees, assurances of Members of Parliament among others which may be determined.

Chairman of the Working Group, Kwasi Ameyaw-Kyeremeh expressed satisfaction about all the suggestions from the stakeholders who lauded the spirit behind the establishment of the committee.

According to him, the perceptions presented are crucial towards setting up the new committee which expected to chart a new path for the way forward for Parliament.

President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Dr Roland Affail Monney urged Parliament to watch basic issues such as lateness and absenteeism of the lawmakers to help improve its image.

He observed the Government Assurances Committee has not lived up to expectation whiles describing the Public Accounts Committee as “the purest gem of Parliament” in the conduct of its duty.

President of the Ghana Bar Association, Tony Forson urged Parliament to take advantage of provisions of Article 103 of the 1992 constitution in the discharge of its function to become more relevant to the public,

He called for more partnership and assured of the BAR’s support to the legislature at all times.

Dean of the Parliamentary Press Corps, Nana Agyeman-Birikorang in a presentation advocate Parliament to institute a yearly award scheme dubbed “the Speaker’s Award” to award outstanding lawmakers yearly in order to enhance the work input of MPs.

The Press in Parliament also urged the need the Hansards to be distributed to all relevant institutions frequently especially university libraries for the public to abreast with the work of Parliament.

The Dean also suggested the need for chairpersons of the various Committees of Parliament to constantly brief the media about their works.

The stakeholder meeting was supported by Star Ghana Foundation.

Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com