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Category: General

President nominates four to the Supreme Court

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
President Nana Akufo-Addo has nominated four persons to the Supreme court, they are Justice Samuel K. Marful-Sau, Justice of the Appeal Court; Justice Agnes M. A. Dordzie, Justice of the Appeal Court; Professor Nii Ashie Kotey, former Dean of the faculty of Law, University of Ghana; and Nene A. O. Amegatcher a private legal practitioner and former President of the Ghana Bar Association.

The President acted in accordance with Article 144(2) of the constitution, the Judicial Council convey to him its advice on the appointment.

He forwarded the curricular vita of the nominated Supreme Court Justice to the Speaker which had been referred to the Appointment Committee of Parliament, chaired by the first Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu who was in the chair.

Mr. Speaker it is my respectful hope and expectation that the approval of the nominees will proceed expeditiously, to enable them assume office as soon as practicable,” the President submitted.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Government needs to support cashew farmers with credit —Chairman

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Chairman for the committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, Kwame Asafo-Adjei is calling on government to support cashew nut farmers with credit on concessional terms, to ensure growth of the overall national economy.

According to the chairman, the commodity needs support as a major non-traditional export crop in other to narrow the estimated trade deficit in helping bring on board foreign exchange earnings to support the local currency.

He further added that an estimated one hundred thousand farmers (100,000) are involved in cashew nut cultivation and a further (100,000) labourers are directly involved in the picking and harvesting, whiles five thousand (5,000) more are involved in drying and processing the cashew nuts.

Mr. Kwame Asafo-Adjei pointed out that in 2014 cashew nut was the highest nontraditional export earner for Ghana, as at 2017 the nation had two hundred and seventy-one million dollars foreign exchange and increase of twenty-seven percent.

The contribution of cashew to agriculture and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) without cocoa is 13.69 percent, despite this, the industry is troubled with low level of modern farming practices and poor harvesting with post-harvest practices leading to low quality of raw cashew nuts, he said.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Privileges Committee forced to adjourn sitting indefinitely over objection

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Privileges Committee of Parliament was compelled to adjourn sitting indefinitely following questions of objections raised by counsels for the Assin Central MP Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.

At the committee’s public hearing on Tuesday the 3rd of July 2018, Alexander Afenyo-Markin and Kwadwo Tahir Hammond, drew the Committee’s attention to a letter signed by three Members of the Committee who had willingly expressed their intent to disqualify themselves from the ongoing investigations involving Kennedy Agyapong over his alleged utterances against the legislature.

The three, Cynthia Morrison, MP for Agona West, Naana Eyiah, MP for Gomoa Central and Samuel Nsowa-Djan, MP for Upper Denkyira West, had argued based on Order 164(4) of the Standing Orders of Parliament that the “Respondent Contemnor is the Caucus Chairman for Central Region and all of us have a close relationship with. We are unable therefore to discharge our duties without bias”.

Order 164 (4) of the Standing Orders of Parliament,  “A Member of the Committee may disqualify himself from participating in any investigations of the conduct of a Member, officer or employee of the House upon a declaration in writing that he cannot render an impartial and unbiased decision in the case which he seeks to disqualify himself. If the Committee approves and accepts such disqualification, the Chairman shall so notify the Speaker who shall request the Leader of the same political party as the disqualifying Member to designate a Member from his party to act as a Member of the Committee in any proceedings relating to such investigation”.

Chairman of the committee, Joseph Osei Owusu, after listening to the argument advanced by the Counsels for the Assin Central lawmaker, granted their request and adjourned sittings indefinitely.

He had earlier quashed same objection together with two others on grounds that the Committee had not received a copy of the said letter signed by the three MPs.

On the insistence of the Counsels for Kennedy Agyapong that his refusal would amount to injustice on their client per the principles of natural justice and having served the Committee with a copy of the said letter, the Chairman was left with no option than to grant the request by the three MPs.

The Assin Central lawmaker was summoned to appear before the Privileges Committee for allegedly describing the legislature as “cheap” and “useless” without which it wouldn’t have elected Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu as its leader.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Help pass the Ageing bill into law – Gender Minister appeals to MPs

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Minister for Gender Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba has appealed to Members of Parliament (MPs) to put in all effort to help work on the Ageing Bill to be passed into law.

She further urged MPs to celebrate the aged in their various constituencies when she made a statement on the floor of the House, making the celebration of the senior citizens day.

Mr. Speaker, Government through my Ministry is adopting polices and strategies to deal with the needs of the aged, she said.

The Ministry is in the process of ensuring that all the ten Regions in Ghana have day recreational centers for the aged, to enable them interact with each other as well as the younger generation. This would enable them share their experience with the younger generation.

Plans are far advanced for the introduction of “Freedom Pass” for the aged, to gain priority access to social services by service providers such as, transport operators, banks, hospitals and other services the elderly might require, she stated.

The Ministry through LEAP would collaborate with the Ghana National Health Insurance Authority to register eighty-two thousand one hundred and eighty-nine (82,189) elderly persons who are sixty-five and above onto the NHI scheme across the country.

On the aging population in Ghana, the Minister noted that the elderly in the country had increased by more than seven-fold since the 1960 census, rising from 213, 477 in 1960 to one million six hundred and forty-three thousand, three hundred and eighty-one persons in 2010.

Mr. Speaker, however there seem to be more negative perceptions about older people that tend to exclude them from performing certain functions in the society.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

We will pass RTI before the second meeting ends-Majority leader

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Assurance has been given by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu that Parliament would pass the Right to Information Bill 2018, before the second meeting of the second session of the seventh Parliament of the fourth Republic ends.

Three important bills, Right to Information Bill 2018,  the Witness Protection Bill 2017, the Witness Protection Bill 2017 are all currently at the consideration stage.

According to the Leader of Government Business, the Technical Universities (Amendment) Bill at the consideration stage together with the RTI Bill had to be taken through willowing and added that he would not be in Parliament on Friday.

He was quick to point out that, 2nd of July, 2018 which is a public holiday, he would have a meeting with some MPs to get willowing done to ensure that the work load is dealt with more especially to see to the passage of the RTI Bill.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

 

Performance of Majority MPs will determine whether they would be retained-Majority Leader

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu has said performance of MPs on the Majority side of the House would determine whether they would be retained or kicked out.

According to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, the Majority caucus has held meetings on two occasions and made it clear to MPs that, attendance to duties of the House would be monitored and monthly report sent to the party.

He further indicated that Ghanaians should watch out and there would be changes in the attendance of MPs on the floor of the House.

This came to light in Parliament on Wednesday, when civil society organization,  Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), Parliamentary Africa in collaboration with Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs organised crystal ball series to examine the performance of Parliament.

On the assessment done, it came out clearly that in the first session of the seventh Parliament, attendance to duty was very impressive, and sitting lasted more than four hours, while a lot of government business was also carried out.

But in the second session of the seventh Parliament, the situation had declined with Parliament sitting for two hours, with attendance of MPs to the chamber very poor.

Mr. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu noted that he reported to cabinet on the impressive attendance and the House being able to deal with a lot of work in the first session.

“We had position all whips on the Majority side,  when any member from our  side enters and when he or she leaves the chamber we are making them, leader of the New Patriotic Party(NPP) would have his report”, he said

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Absence of Minister should not be at their pleasure-Minority Leader

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, has said Ministers should not dictate to Parliament when they would be available to come to the House to answer questions.

According to the Tamale South MP, Parliament cannot play second fiddle to the engagement of the Minister, “we would be waiting for the Minister to come to the House to answer the question in her name”.

This came to light when the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection Otiko Afisa indicated to the Majority leader Osei Kyei Mensah—Bonsu she would be late in coming to the House because she would be held up in the office due to an important assignment.

Majority leader asked permission of the Minister so that the order of Business would be varied for the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister to be in the chamber at a later time within the day to answer a question in her name.

“Far from it that the Gender, Minister does not take this House serious, it is unfortunate the Minority Leader was not at our pre-meeting sitting he would understand where I am coming from”, the Majority Leader said.

The Minority praised the Roads and Highways and the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister for being consistent in coming to the House to answer questions.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

 

Former Speaker Sekyi-Hughes registers for Ghana Card

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Former Speaker of Parliament, Ebenezer Sekyi-Hughes who presided as Speaker of the fourth Parliament of the fourth Republic on Friday morning 22nd of June, 2018 storm the House to register for his Ghana Card.

He was accompanied by his wife to the lobby to undertake the registration exercise. He arrived at  the premises at 9:30am, and by 9:55am he was through with the process and waiting for his card to be issued.

First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu arrived at the registration center to undertake the registration process as well.

He had been on an assignment outside the jurisdiction from Tuesday to Thursday and arrived in the House Friday morning.

As more visitors were taking advantage of the last day to register, the Marshal of Parliament who is in charge of security of the House demanded for ID of unfamiliar faces in the lobby where the exercise was taking, those without ID had to be turned away.

Parliament to start extended sitting from 2nd July

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Leader of Government Business and Majority leader have served notice that the House would start sitting on Mondays and have extended sitting from next month.

According to the Majority leader, with the tall order of business to be concluded before the House goes on recess next month, the House would have extended sitting whiles it sits on Mondays, starting from 2nd July 2018.

He further noted that, on Wednesday the 27th of June 2018 after adjournment the House would have a committee of the whole meeting to consider some pertinent issues to the House.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Kwabenya trotro and taxi drives lament over bad roads

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Trotro and taxi drivers who use the Kwabenya road are lamenting over the poor nature of the roads and are appealing to the Dome/Kwabenya Member of Parliament, Sarah Adwoa Safo to come to their aid.

According to the drives who spoke to ghanamps.com, their shock absorbers wear out within a short time and they have to spend a lot of money fixing their vehicles very often.

Mr. Kofi Darko Mensah, a taxi driver who has worked within the Dome/Kwabenya constituency for six years said in an interview that, the Kwabenya roads are “so so bad that the MP does not usually use the Kwabenya stretch of road to her house; “Adowa Safo would rather use the Ashognman Estate road”.

He further complained that for some time now the Dome/Kwabenya legislator does not stay in the constituency, “she had rather moved to stay at East Legon.”

“From Atomic down roundabout, my brother you would be in traffic for thirty (30) minutes before get to Kwabenya last stop instead of starting the road at where the MP has her own house, she has started from Taifa where you have her father’s building”, he lamented.

Again drivers are not willing to go to Brekuso from Kwabenya -Abomoo Junction when it is 6:00pm; the road is bad but you have a lot of people standing by the road side looking for vehicles, those who would want to go have to charge extra money, he pointed out.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com