Category: General

Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has told Parliament that feasibility study and preliminary design phase of the Sogakope-Lome trans-boundary water supply project is expected to commence as soon as funds are secured.

According to the Minister, the project is being funded by the African Development Bank under its African Water Facility (AWF), the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) and the Government of Ghana and Togo.

She revealed to the House that the draft final report is ready and tenders are being prepared for either BOT or EPC.

Under the project, funding is being arranged with AfDB as the lead financier in addition to other potential investors, she said to the House.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

President of the Centre for Employment of Person with Disability, Alex Tetteh who was prevented from sitting in the Public gallery of Parliament on Friday by security personnel in plain cloth said he felt discriminated against.

Mr. Alex Tetteh was part of the media coalition that stormed Parliament on Friday November, 30, to observe proceedings and draw attention to Members of Parliament to pass the Right to Information Bill (RTI).

According to Alex Tetteh, the security personnel in Parliament had issues with one of his colleagues on Thursday the 29th of November, 2018, because he could not stand when the Speaker was entering or leaving the chamber.

He said in an interview with journalists that the security persons said, “we have been ask not to allow any person with disability to enter the chamber”, he lamented.

He called on the Speaker and Leadership of Parliament to seriously address this issue, “does it mean if I am a disable person I cannot become a Member of Parliament”?

“If I can’t stand when the Speaker is entering or leaving, it does not mean I do not respect the authority of the Speaker or any law”, he emphasised in disappointed.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

In a quest to enhance responsiveness towards its oversight functions, Ghana’s Parliament is in the process to establish a new committee to be known as “Parliamentary Assurances Committee.

A seven member technical working group established by the Speaker of Parliament is recommending the establishment of the new “Parliamentary Assurances Committee” with an objective to serve as a self-regulatory measure to help the legislature in the conduct of its own internal functions.

The proposed Assurances committee will be expected to track all promises, plans, and directives by the Speaker to committees among other responsibilities.

The 7 member technical working group is made up of three (3) members of Parliament namely Kwasi Ameyaw Cheremeh, Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Sunyani East, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, Member of Parliament for Adentan and Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, Member of Parliament for Asawase and four (4) others who are non- members of Parliament.

The working group is currently seeking inputs from stakeholders and the general public to effectively streamline the mandate of Parliament through the proposed committee which would operate in a similar fashion as the Government Assurances Committee but focus on the legislature by tracking assurances given on the floor of Parliament by the lawmakers and Committees and ensure their effective implementation.

Majority Chief Whip, Ameyaw Cheremeh who is the chairman of the technical working committee said this new committee explained that the proposed committee is different from Government Assurances Committee in many ways.

The working group’s mandate he said is to explore the possibility of setting up the committee and advice the Speaker and Parliament accordingly as part of general reforms by Parliament.

“The parliament of Ghana under the leadership of the Speaker … is instituting a number of reforms to restore public confidence and enhance the image and dignity of parliament.

“Currently, you may be aware that parliament is reviewing its Standing Orders and strategic plans to meet the challenges of the changing times and also to perform these cardinal functions more effectively.

“As part of the reforms, there is also the need for self-regulatory mechanisms to ensure that parliament does things in the right way to improve service delivery, accountability, and responsiveness to citizens.

When eventually established, the committee is expected to help restore the image of parliament and make members effective in their legislative duties.

“In this regard, its being proposed that a Parliamentary Assurances Committee be established. To take this forward, a working group has been put in place to solicit views from key stakeholders on how parliament can work more effectively and work towards ensuring that the image and dignity of parliament are protected and maintained” Mr Kyremeh stated.

The stakeholder engagement process is supported by Star Ghana Foundation.

By Christian/ghanamps.com

Media practitioners who are members of the Media Coalition on the passage to the Right to Information Bill 2018 (RTI) would storm Parliament today Tuesday 30th of October 2018 to draw attention of Parliament on the need to pass the RTI Bill.

Media practitioners would pack themselves in their numbers in the Public gallery in their numbers on the need to pass the RTI Bill which they believe is long overdue.

The coalition on Monday, the 29th October 2018 at the press conference lamented that for about two decades, successive governments had failed to ensure the passage of the Right to Information bill into law.

The Media coalition has promised to work closely with Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) to exert pressure on Members of Parliament (MPs) and also find out how much attention be given to the RTI as the house resumes today.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Parliament would end debate on the Financial Policy of the Government of Ghana for the year ending 31st December 2019.

Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu is expected to start  winding up the debate for the Minority side of the House, while the Majority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu is also expected to wind up for the Majority side.

Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta moved on Thursday 15th November, 2018 and was seconded on Tuesday 20th November, 2018 by Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Members of Parliament (MPs) observed one week of the passing of the late, MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko on Wednesday the 28th of November, 2018.

Former MPs, Ministers and current MPs from both sides of the House were present alongside party supporters and friends.

Speaker Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu were present at the one week service of their former colleague, Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr. Bawumia Chief of Staff, Senior Minister and other government officials were at West Lands Presby Church to observe the day.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The Minority in Parliament is demanding the scraping of the Ministry of Special Development Initiative on grounds that the role of the Ministry created by President Nana Akufo-Addo conflicts with that of the Local Assemblies.

The Minority have indicated that they would not approve the GHC1.5 billion cedis allocated to the Ministry.

“We on this side of the House would not support any statutory allocation or appropriation to that Ministry and we will not because the creation of that Ministry is creating conflict with the established development authorities of the President” he lamented.

He made this remarks whiles concluding debate on the 2019 budget and further added that the one million dollars per constituency is something that must not be expended by a Minister sitting at the flagstaff House in the name of a Ministry of Special Initiative.

In addition there should be merger of the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation with Special Development Initiative, otherwise we would not approve of any allocation to the Special Initiative, he noted.

“You can use your numbers as Majority government to do so, we want the President’s development authorities to function and function effectively”, he said.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Second Deputy whip of the Majority side of Parliament, Mathew Nyindam has cautioned Members of Parliament (MPs) who fill questions to Ministers to make it a point as much as possible to be on the floor of the House to ask their questions.

According to second Deputy Whip, it is not right to demand that Ministers come to the floor to do business whiles those who have question in their name do not appear on the floor of the House to ask the question.

He made this remarks when an urgent question in the name of the former Minister of Energy Emmanuel Kofi Armah Buah who was not himself on the floor and had delegated the Adaklu MP Kwame Agbodza to ask the question on his behalf.

“Mr. Speaker I do not think it is fare when the Minister is here and the MP who has fill the question himself is not here”, he lamented.

First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu who was in the chair indicated that he is happy the Deputy Whip is not objecting to someone asking the question on behalf of the one who ask the question.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Wa Central Dr. Rashid Pelpuo has taken a swipe at the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts. Catherine Ablema Afeku.

According to the Wa Central lawmaker, the Tourism Arts and Culture Minister was telling lies and took him out of contest when she quoted him as saying “if they youths are not getting jobs they should go and cut grass and sale”.

“When the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are falling they want to hold on to any straw, and stand that is what is happening, I was speaking on a private radio station base in Accra and I was asked how people can get job in the private sector”.

He pointed out that he said if you are a youth and youth who want employment and there is a need for your environment you can take advantage of the need in your environment.

“Because I did not say if there is a car rental in your area you should go and take it rent and you would get money, because I use the basics of examples of sealing of stones anyone who is not intelligent would buy into those things”.

As to whether his words were not harsh, he responded in an interview that it is not because he said where you are the raw material around you take advantage of it and create job for yourself.

Again I gave an example that if in the city you need to fly, you can set up an aircraft industry, you can fly people to and from, you can go to the high level and low level of those not having that high capital level.

“I gave a wide range of examples, but I do not understand why people are only catching in on the fact that I said people should go and carry stone and sell grass” he lamented.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minister of Energy John Peter Amewu has told Parliament, due to the sensitivity surrounding the very important matter of threats by some youth to blow up oil facilities in the Western Region, National Security had been involve in the issue.

According to the Energy Minister as part of its strategy for remedial actions it is liaising with National Security secretarial to coordinate efforts to deal with the matter effectively and efficiently.

He further added that he would revert to the House with full briefing on the matter once investigation is concluded on the matter.

“We have officially written to the National Security to investigate the issue on our behalf, we have lives and properties secured”, he told the House.

As to when he would come back to brief the House, he responded and said, immediately he has repot from the National Security on investigation carried out on the matter.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com