Category: General

Parliament would start debating the 2019 budget on Tuesday, the 20th of November 2018 with the Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta presenting next year’s budget on Thursday the 15th of November 2018.

According to the Majority chief whip, MPs are supposed to have post budget workshop in Koforidua from Friday the 16th of this month to Sunday the 18th.

He further pointed out that clerks to committees would be part of the post budget workshop in the Eastern Region.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minister for Interior Ambrose Dery has told Parliament Ghana Police Service has dispatched a three member team to South Sudan to investigate an allegation of sexual abuse.

According to the Minister, on 23rd of February this year the Police Service received reports of sexual exploitation and abuse case against some personnel of the Ghana Formed Police Unit (FPU) 1 detachment at Wau Protection of Civilian (POC) Camp South Sudan permanent Mission of Ghana to the United Nations.

He further pointed out with the UN practice; detachment of forty-six personnel was immediately withdrawn to Juba.

The office of the Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), a UN independent body was commissioned to investigate the allegation.

Member of Parliament from Adaklu, Governor Kwame Agbodza wanted to know the circumstances leading to the recall of the Ghana Police Unit on UN mission in South Sudan on sexual abuse.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minister for Interior Ambrose Dery has told Parliament there are steps underway to implement Arms Trade Treaty as his Ministry is working on a cabinet memo on the matter for submission to cabinet for approval.

Member of Parliament for Builsa North James Agalga wanted to know plans to implement the Arm Trade Treaty Ghana acceded to and ratified by Parliament in 2015.

According to the Minister the implementation requires Ghana to put in place certain measures, designation of a Competent National Authority, a National Focal Point and strategies to prevent and address the diversion of conventional arms to unauthorized end-users among others.

He noted that, although there are some laws on arms ammunitions, we need to review our legislation to the United Nations standard.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Interior Minister Ambrose Dery has said the Ghana Police Service would consider deploying a District Police Commander to the Builsa South District when adequate facilities are available for the police to use as a Police District Headquarters.

According to the Interior Minister the District has only one police station located at Fumbisi which is the District Capital.

He further pointed out that there is no office accommodation at any of the communities within the Builsa South District ostensibly for the police to use as a Police District or Divisional Headquarters.

“Mr. Speaker, security in general within the Builsa South District is calm apart from petty crime such as stealing of livestock. No robbery has been recorded in the District this year”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament (MP) for Buem, Daniel Kwesi Ashiamah has appealed to opinion leaders and chiefs from Southern Volta with dissenting views in the creation of Oti Region.

In an interview he posed two fundamental questions, “do you know the number of benefits that would come to pass with the creation of the Region so that our sisters, brothers who are married to people in Northern Volta would have a happy life and benefit from natural resources?

Again do you know the number of years we would live on this earth, when the region is created are we all not the same people?”

He further pointed out that resources meant for the Region is not touching all parts of the Region, the most “disadvantage part is the Northern Volta”, if you understand this basic principles nobody would argue over this because life is short.

“If I living my life getting to fifty years and my environment is not changing much and I have gone to school to study that an aspect of opportunity that can also help to develop my area is for government to redistribute the national cake. I know from the onset that if this national cake is re-divided and a portion is given to those of us in Northern Volta, we would also feel part of this nation”.

Mr. Daniel Kwesi Ashiamah said he supports creation of Oti Region hundred percent. Whiles growing my forefathers  fought for the creation of the Region, it did not happened, until both the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2016 elections put in their manifesto they would create a Region, he noted.

“My party the NDC is not against the creation of the Region all they are asking for is making the commission of inquiry report public”

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak kept to his words and arrived in Parliament on his old bicycle as he promised.

On his arrival there were five media houses who were in Parliament awaiting his arrival and during an interaction with the media he pointed out that he did this in a way of showing that he stands with the working class and the masses.

He further pointed out that he enjoyed the ride to Parliament because he feels energized.

When questioned why he embarked on such a move if it is not aimed at scoring cheap popularity as an MP with four wheel V8 car, “I tell you what my tank is full, the fact that God has blessed me does not mean I should not come out to defend the poor people; if I cannot defend the poor people then I do not have business being in politics”.

Mr. Ras Mubarak further lamented and questioned, “are they saying people have not been sacked from work, people like journalists are not losing their work, people are home and do not have food to eat?”

The rich people and the upper class are full, and poor people hungry; our taxes are being used to buy fuel for the rich people, he noted.

He further pointed out that if a lot of people decide to ride bicycle to work it would decongest our roads and keep the population healthy, adding he want to do more.

As to how long he would be doing this he said it could be twice a week and he promised to ride back home after adjournment of Parliament.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Roads and Transport Minister, Kwaku Asiamah has been summoned by Parliament over the rising road accidents in Ghana.

First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu who was in the chair on Tuesday gave the Minister two weeks to appear before the House and brief it on measures being taken to reduce carnage on the roads.

This follows a statement made on the floor of the House by Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye on avoidable road traffic accidents.

He called for aggressive prosecution of careless drivers, and related to recent accidents including that of colleague MP for Awutu Senya West and Deputy Communications Minister George Andah, who was airlifted to 37 Military Hospital for emergency care, following an accident in the Central region.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament (MP) for Wa Central Dr. Rashid Pelpuo has said government should learn from their Zambian counterparts where report suggests that the Chinese government has taken over sections of their economy for failing to pay debt owe it.

The Minority in Parliament has cautioned government not to compromise Ghana’s sovereignty to the Chinese government in an attempt to secure loans for infrastructure development.

Caution by the Minority follows the recent agreement signed by President Nana Akufo-Addo and the Chinese government for a $2 billion barter agreement for projects.

“Recounting all the benefits we have had from China and the fact that we are considering the request that we continue to enhance that relation and strengthen it saddens my heart”, the Wa Central MP said.

He was contributing to a statement made by the chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee, Frank Annor Dompreh on the bilateral relations between Ghana and China.

“Mr. Speaker, it shows that one sided relationship in which Ghana seems to the beneficiary all the time, the loans we have taken, the grants and every other time shows that it is not a relation we should continue in the direction we are going”.

“In Zambia were telecommunications and other benefits that are in the country cannot be decided by the country alone without China not coming in to support”, he lamented.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Former President John Dramani Mahama has said he is confident the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is coming back to power in 2020.

According to the flagbearer hopeful of the NDC, the party is reorganizing and he sees determination in the “eyes” of party supporters on his rounds, people are bold to put on NDC T-Shirts and use stickers on their cars than when the party was in power.

He further called on the party supports to do everything to ensure that the party becomes a modern political party, by getting a computer that has a data base of all supporters of the Party in all the constituencies.

“With a click of a button, we should be able to tell how many NDC supporters we have in Dome/Kwabenya, again we should get lands and get small offices than going to rent offices where we get kicked out by landlords”.

He made this remarks when he took his campaign in the Greater Accra Region to Dome/Kwabenya constituency to solicit for their support to lead the party in 2020, when the party elects its flagbearer in December.

“We have many ideas for the party,  man is not perfect we make mistakes  2016 was a wakeup call for us even in  an adversity we can make it to an opportunity that is of we learn from our mistakes in 2016”, he said to party supporters.

He ended campaign by saying he has come to show himself  and beg for their vote, “we want a tried and tested leader the last time some came and said try me and see, where has Ghana gotten to now, it is not try me and see NDC we are not new to the job we have done it before”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com