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Parliament recall from recess to sit for five days

Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye has revealed that the Parliamentary Service Board is working towards getting drafters for the legislative arm of government.

According to the Speaker the other thing that is being worked on is to build the capacity of Members of Parliament (MPs) to introduce private members bill.

If an MP feels there is an issue happening in his or her constituency and there is the need for a law why not.

“We identify, the late Justice V.C.R.C Crab, had what it takes, when it comes to drafting bills, for members to be able to initiate private members bill that would seek to move this country forward”.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

MPs would belong to just one committee under new standing order—Speaker

Speaker of Parliament Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye has the new revised Standing Orders being worked on when it comes to force would ensure that each Member of Parliament belongs to one committee and not the current practice were an MP belong to three to four committees.

According to the Speaker an MP should specialized and belong to just one committee, he made this remark when three member delegation from the World Bank called on him.

The World Bank delegations are in the country to ascertain the extent to which funds provided for over sight work had been used.

Speaker Professor Oquaye in his remarks questioned, “how strong is the watch man and who would watch the watchman, it is very important that Parliament is better equipped to function” he said.

He further pointed out that certain reasonable expertise for MPs to serve in committees is important, for MPs to superintend over financial matters no matter how it is and that is the stage we are moving towards.

Again, we need serious exposure by way of further formal training, by way of exposure to the best practice, very often we do not have the opportunity to travel and use some of the vacation periods in visiting and seeing what is best practice for our MPs he said.

The Speaker appealed for sponsorship package to upgrade MPs in the various committees to sharpen their skills which is very much needed.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

NDC Deputy Gen. Secretary race: Nii Tan Sackey promises to develop skilled data base for the party

A deputy General Secretary hopeful of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ephraim Nii Tan Sackey has promised to provide a comprehensive skilled data base of all members of the party when given the node.

According to him, even though the party has a list of registered members at all branches across the country, the names are not compiled as an identifiable and workable document for the benefit of party members.

He stated that it is important for the party to know who its actual members are in its reoganisation agenda for victory in the 2020 general elections.

A comprehensive data base for the party at every level he said will help eliminate the challenge of identifying who the actual members of the party are in creating opportunities for them when the party comes to power.

Mr Nii Tan Sackey has therefore assured to ensure a compilation of a comprehensive skilled data of all members from the grassroots in the lead up to the polls so that true members can benefit from any opportunity that might arise.

As the immediate chairman of the Greater Accra elections Committee, Nii Tan Sackey said he helped developed a picture album for the party that ensured a peaceful conduct of the elections.

He gave the promise after submitting his nomination forms to contest for the General Secretaryship at the party’s headquarters in Accra.

Positions held by Mr Ephraim Nii Tan Sackey who has risen through the ranks of the party before seeking to become the NDC’s deputy scribe include; the Greater Accra Regional Election Committee Secretary, the Ablekuma District Committee Secretary,  Ablekuma South Constituency Secretary, Chairman, Ablekuma South Election Committee, Deputy Ablekuma South Constituency Secretary and the Ablekuma South Constituency Election Director.

“I have worked from the grassroot level as a ward secretary, branch secretary, deputy constituency, constituency secretary, a District elections Committee secretary and at various levels at the region; this is the time for me to move to the national level and take up the deputy General secretary position to serve the party” he said.

The NDC Deputy Secretary aspirant who is currently pursuing Law- LLB at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) had his Masters Degree in Development Management from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and first Degree (Bachelor of Arts) in Management and Psychology from the University of Ghana, Legon.

He also attended the Graduate School of MAMSA in the United Kingdom (UK), where had an Advanced Diploma and Higher Diploma in Sales Management and Marketing and the College of Selling Management also in the UK, where he obtained Salesmanship and Standard Diploma.

Nii Tan Sackey who had his secondary education at the Bueman Secondary School where he pursued General Arts also possessed certificates in Monitoring and Evaluation Programme from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and a Certificate in Oil and Gas Project Management from the Management Development & Productivity Institute.

The potential NDC General Secretary said his brings on board values such as sensitivity to confidential information, creativity, intrinsic motivation, openness to new ideas, good leadership and communication skills and a team player.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Speaker receives World Bank review team

Speaker of Parliament Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye on Wednesday the 12th of September 2018 received a three member delegation from the World Bank who are conducting a survey on the statues of donor support given to the government of Ghana and Parliament for oversight responsibility.

Leader of the delegation was Donald N. Mdaande, Daniel Nogueira-Budany and MacDonald Nyazvigo.
According to the Speaker the World Bank had collaborated in democratization of the countries in the sub-Saharan African, especially in the 1988 when the wind of change blew towards Africa.

He further added that despite the House was on break in view of the importance of the visit they quickly had to arrange for the visit considering the role played by the World Bank.

Leader of the delegation Donald N. Mdaande indicated that the team had received up to date report on the donor funding for oversight and appreciate that there had been a lot of progress made.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Relocate remains of late President Mills —Akua Sena Dansua

Former Minister of Youth and Sports under late President John Atta Mills, Akua Sena Dansua is lamenting over the current environment where the former President is buried, the Asomdwee Park.

According to the former Youth and Sports Minister the burial place of John Atta Mills is in shambles and does not think one deserve to be in that kind of environment.

She further noted that if she had her own way she would relocate the remains of the late former President Mills in consultation with the family to the military cemetery at the Burma camp.

“Because I really feel it, I feel the terrible nature in which our late President is laying”, she lamented.
Mrs. Akua Sena Dansua made this remarks when she paid her last respect to the late former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan.

The former North Dayi legislator in an interview debunked assertion that the late former UN boss did not do anything to the benefit of Ghana whiles serving the UN. “He did a lot to affect global peace and development”, she said.

He is a Ghanaian by birth so whatever the state is doing to get him a state burial is in order, but later the government and other stakeholders can think through and see what to do to give him a fitting memorial burial.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Deputy defense Minister backs call to relocate remains of late Mills

Deputy Minister of Defense, Rt. Major Derrick Oduro is backing calls by her former colleague Member of Parliament for North Dayi Akua Sena Dansua that the remains of the former President should be relocated from the Asomdwee Park to the military cemetery.

He however pointed out that at the time of the death of the former President the place was befitting because it was close to the seat of government, the place was decorated to the best of their ability by state protocol.

Now the seat of government is no more there and the current President Nana Akufo-Addo Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces has authorized that VVIPs now be buried there, former Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur has been buried there.

Major Derrick Oduro said in an interview that he supports the exhumation of the late former President John Mills because where his remains is now is isolated as the place is no longer the seat of government sooner the place would be forgotten.

He added that the call is in the right direction as a former late President it would be a step well taken when that is done.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Late Dr. Nkrumah’s remains should not be relocated—Deputy Defense

Deputy Defense Minister Rt Major Derrick Oduro has said the remains of Ghana’s first President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah should not be relocated to the military cemetery.

According to the Deputy Defense Minister the current location of the remains of Ghana’s first President is befitting, “he has a park attach to it”.

He pointed out in an interview with ghanamps.com that when the remains of Ghana’s first President was moved from the Western Region to the capital he was by then a military officer and was part of the contingent that relocated the remains of the late former President.

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is one important person who ensure that we attain independence, a whole memorial park has been created for him, his statue pointing to the former Parliament House  is very significant and where his remains is now is the best for him, he said.

By:  Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Parliament to meet BoG over severance packages

The Finance Committee of Parliament is expected to engage official of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) over the determination of when exit packages for about 3,000 affected workers of the seven collapsed indigenous would be paid.

Chairman of the Committee, Dr.Mark Assibey-Yeboah who stated this to the media after the Committee’s in-camera meeting with some stakeholders on the Bank collapse emphasized the need for the Bank of Ghana to expedite the processes of severance packages.

“If you go into the law, it will take some more time before these severance packages will be paid, but we have an opportunity to engage Bank of Ghana and some of these will be fast-tracked.

It has been a year since some of these workers were laid off and I think it is about time those severance packages are given them” Dr. Assibey-Yeboah said.

PwC are the joint receivers for UT and Capital Bank, whiles KPMG are receivers for the five banks comprising Biege, Unibank, Construction, Royal, and Sovereign.

By the law, Act 930 of the Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions Act, the receivers are accountable to the Bank of Ghana in its functions, Dr.Assibey-Yeboah noted.

“They don’t report to us, but because matters like employee severance, those who work with these banks, is involved here, we wanted to know when former workers of UT and Capital Bank will get their severance package, as a matter of fact, they give us the details, how they have arrived at the packages they are going to pay them” Dr explained.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Assure collapsed bank workers- Minority leader to Govt

The Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu has challenged government to provide a firm assurance to the Nation that the interest of Ghanaian workers affected by the collapse of seven local Banks would be protected.

The Tamale South Member of Parliament expressed concern about the loss of jobs and whether these collapsed banks have capacity to pay severance awards to affected persons and wondered why the state could not intervene to save the Banks as it is done elsewhere.

“what happens to the children and wards of affected persons as school reopens, what is it that the government of Ghana can do to find new life to those institutions as possible, don’t forget that the US did it when they had the financial crisis, the state came in, let’s see when the state of Ghana will come in, I generally do not think that we have handled this matter properly” he added.

The Finance Committee of Parliament ended a three-day in-camera hearing into the banking crisis where it met with the Bank of Ghana, Ministry of Finance, KPMG, PwC and Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited, the National Insurance Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

According to Chairman of the Committee, a comprehensive report on the facts gathered would be presented to plenary.

The Committee is likely to invite other stakeholders especially the founders, board of Directors and shareholders of the defunct Banks for their version of the facts.

The BoG On August 1st, 2018 announced the revocation of the licences of five indigenous banks including Unibank, Sovereign, Construction, Beige and Royal Banks for various offences.

It subsequently transferred all deposits, selected assets and liabilities of those banks to a newly-created entity: Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

Discipline is my secret- Clerk to Parliament

The Clerk to Ghana’s Parliament, Mr Emmanuel Anyimadu has identified discipline as the secret to his success in life.

According to him, it is because of his disciplined nature that is why he is able to plan his life and work schedules giving priority to the things that matter and working by laid down procedure.

Mr Anyimadu has therefore urged Ghanaian workers to exercise a great zeal of discipline to enable them manage their time effectively in order to overcome the negative effects of stress for greater productivity at the workplace.

Addressing participants made up of heads of departments and agencies drawn from selected public institutions at the end of a four day training session on effective time and stress management by the Parliamentary Training Institute in Parliament House, Accra, Mr Animadu said a well disciplined staff at various places of work especially the public sector are necessary assets for the development of the country.

“If you are discipline, you will concentrate on your work and finish on time, if you are discipline, you be able to overcome stress. Be discipline in what you eat and drink. Discipline is the secret of my life” he said.

Sharing his personal experience on how he effectively manage his time and the stress associated with the conduct of his work in a political environment, the Clerk emphasis the need for managers at all levels to follow laid down rules and regulations.

He also charged heads of institutions to develop administrative structures where they are lacking to help manage stress and time in the conduct of their work.

This he said will help them overcome the challenge of cutting corners that may end up piling up unnecessary stress on them.

“Obedience to rules helps a lot, If you want to be successful, obey rules” he stated.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com