Category: General

Minority in Parliament is calling for the resignation of the Minister for Education, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh and the Minister of state in charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah in view of the recent disturbances and impasse at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

At a press conference on Monday, addressed by the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, he said, “this whole impasse, which has now spiraled out of control, is a failure of leadership by the government and a reflection of the super incompetence that has characterized the Akufo-Addo administration”.

“It must be emphasised that the Minority would not accept the erosion of the rule of law and the deliberate undermining of the sacrosanct principles of academic freedom and the independence of higher institutions of learning as enshrined in Articles 21 and 70 of the Constitution of Ghana and the National Council for Tertiary Education Act, 1993, Act 454”

He further indicated that the  Minority in Parliament unreservedly and absolutely denounces the government’s unlawful conduct in dissolving the Council of the University;   “we demand the immediate reversal of the illegal act”, he said.

In the view of the Minority, a proactive and consultative leadership would have better managed the government’s unpopular policy of the conversion of single-sex halls of residence at the KNUST. In any case, “we do not believe that of all the issues confronting higher education in Ghana, the conversion of single-sex halls should even feature as a priority at this crucial time”.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if Prof. Kwasi Obiri-Danso must be removed because of this policy and its implementation, then it stands to reason that the two Ministers of Education, namely Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Prof. Kwesi Yankah, who publicly endorsed the policy, supervised, championed and praised its implementation, should resign or be fired with immediate effect. The Minority hereby demands that the two ministers must be treated equally just as Prof. Obiri-Danso”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Committee chairs are adhering to directives given by the Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye during the emergency sitting to speed up referrals at the committee level.

According to the Speaker the third meeting of the second session of the seventh Parliament of the fourth Republic would be a budget meeting and there are a lot to be done hence his advice.

Despite the House being on recess, committee meetings are being held in Parliament. On Wednesday the 10th of October 2018, the committee on Youth Sports and Culture held a meeting to deliberate on some matters before it, likewise the committee on Works, Housing, Sanitation and Water Resources.

The Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs had a stakeholders meeting to deliberate on companies bill whiles the committee on Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs would be also engaging on a field trip.

In an interview chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Dr. James Klutse Avedzi had also indicated that PAC would be meeting during the recess and when the House returns from recess 30th of October, each week there would be hearing to dispose of the backlog of referrals.

Chairman of the Government Assurance Committee Yaw Frimpong Addo has also pointed out that his committee has gotten the green light for funds and would start within the recess.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Building extension works to provide offices for some Members of Parliament (MP) who do not have offices in the Job 600 building is progressing at a faster pace.

China State Construction that under took rehabilitation of job 600 is currently undertaking the extension works.

Speaker of Parliament during the emergency recall indicated to MPs that there is an extension works going on at the premises of the House and MPs should adhere to health and safety as there heavy equipment moving around.

Members of the Parliamentary service board had planned on two occasions to go round with members of the Parliamentary Press Corps to inspect progress of work this week but had not been successful.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has said Ghana has a lot to do in getting clean water and sanitation in achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) six (6).

According to the Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, government under President Akufo-Addo has made it a policy to provide safe water and lot is being done to cover urban and community water.

She further pointed out that in the area of sanitation she is so glad that there has been provision of house hold toilets.

And added that until people have household toilets, community toilets would be provided. She was however quick to add that, “providing toilet in households gives individuals dignity, privacy and addresses issue of quality of life and helps improve them.

She made this remarks when the WHO country representative Dr. Owen Laws Kaluwa paid a courtesy call on her and invited her for a high level WHO meeting to be hosted by Ghana next week.

Minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah, indicated that she would be at the high level conference with the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman and was happy that Ethiopia and Uganda would also be participating in this high level meeting.

She advised that, “we should all avoid bad conducts like polluting the air and water, with polluted water we would have water born diseases and with air we would also have air born diseases”, she lamented.

“Coincidentally we visited some part of Accra to ascertain the sanitation condition, we would need a lot of funding to ensure that we have good sanitation, President Akufo-Addo has tackle the issue of illegal mining galamsey. We are tackling garbage especially plastics, I would say Ghana Water Company produces one of the best waters under WHO standard”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The newly appointed Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Shi Ting Wang has promised to facilitate all necessary arrangement between his country and Ghana’s legislature to put up a new chamber block.

According to the Chinese Ambassador his country is looking forward to assist Ghana’s legislature in the building of its new Parliament block and support in the expansion working on going currently on the premises of Parliament House.

Mr. Shi Ting Wang urged the Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye to ensure that every agreement goes through the Ministry of Finance and forwarded to his office, he made this remarks when he called on the Speaker.

Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye sought the assistant of China with the ongoing expansion work where additional office space is being built for Members of Parliament who do not have office space and in addition indicated that Parliament intends building a new block to have a Parliamentary enclave.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye has sought assistant from the newly appointed Chinese Ambassador Shi Ting Wang, as the Parliamentary Service Board seeks to develop a Parliamentary enclave.

According to the Speaker because of the good work of the China State Construction they had been reengaged to continue with expansion work currently ongoing in Parliament House to provide additional offices for Members of Parliament who do not have offices.

Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye pointed out that when Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo visited China for the African forum conference, at the instance of Parliament they ask him to negotiate for a soft facility for the House with the Global President of the China State Construction.

He further added that government of the Republic of Ghana had already committed funds to the development of expansion works going on within the premises of Parliament House.

Speaker of Parliament made these remarks when the newly appointed Chinese Ambassador called on him at the Speakers conference room.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Kpone land fill sit in the Tema Metropolis in the Greater Accra Region is to undergo rehabilitation to make way for additional cells to cope with the large volumes of refuse it receives daily.

This came to light when the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah and his two Deputies Michael Y. Gyato and Patrick Yaw Boamah paid a working visit to the site.

Minister embark on the visit to acquaint herself with the operations at the site as she was met with his two Deputies at the site by the supervisor of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly Ernest Kwabena Nlasonljawan.

This follows a lot of complains by people within the Kpone Katamanso Municipal Assembly and Kokompe community about the inconveniences caused by unbearable stench from the site during the raining season.

It came to light during the visit that the site had not been fumigated by the Assembly for the past three months to control pest in addition it was noted that the weighing bridge had broken down since February this year.

The Minister was briefed that inadequate landfill equipment at the site is hampering effective and efficient operations of the facility and managed by a private service provider with Tema Metropolitan Assembly which operate it twenty-four hours from Monday to Saturday.

Minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah was not happy with the foul stench emanating from the sit and called on the operators to step-up their performance to avoid any outbreak of an epidemic in the community.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

The Chairman of council of Elders of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) Dr  Crystal Djirasah has said dialogue is the way forward to get things done right in the issues between Ministry of Communications concerning the migration from analogue to digital terrestrial television(DTT).

“We also believe from the interactions, that the Minister is not taking any position against ourselves, we need to work together. The whole thing was so technically so we have agreed to meet the Minister, we are believing that working together, we will all do what is right for this country”,  he said.

According to him, the committee cooperated and supports them to the extent that they could commend them.

Dr. Crystal Djirasah said, they never thought that this was Parliament so there is the need for engagement always and they will all do what is right for the country.

For me, this thing is technical, they needed extensive discussion for the public to understand.

Also, he admitted that the members of the committee gave them attention and cooperation, unbiased, straight to the points answers, and asked what they don’t understand and said what they think has not been done well.

“The conclusion is that we will work together in the interest of Ghana, and if there are mistakes somewhere we will come back and pick it  and make sure that Ghana is the winner” he noted.

Besides, he disclosed that they are not in GIBA doing anything bad as been said in social media.

We believe that the minister will not do anything to hurt our people because she herself had said that she is not a technical person.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Parliament at the end of its emergency recall on Friday the 28th of September 2018 passed the Minerals Income Funds Bill 2018.

The Bill sought to establish an Act to manage the fund of the equity interest of the Republic from mining companies to receive minerals royalty and other related income from mining operations to provide for the management of the fund and related matters.

First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei Owusu had to complain of waist pain when the House had to have extended sitting on Wednesday and Thursday closing beyond 6:00pm just to pass the Bill.

Minority Leader noted that Members of Parliament (MPs) can commend themselves because there were a lot of them who were back in their constituency when they were recalled for the emergency sitting.

“All of us had stayed very late to see to it that the business of government moves, I trust that we would all appreciated”, he said.

The Minerals Income Investment Bill 2018 is a very important Bill, that is going to present us with a new paradigm with respect to revenue that would accrue to the nation from minerals, the Majority Leader said.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com