Deputy Director for Environmental Health at the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Kwaku Quansah has said, the Ministry has advanced in its steps to provide water for rural communities.

According to the Deputy Director of Environmental Health, in terms of coverage Ghanaians in the three regions of the north are getting closer to eighty percent in access to water and are doing better than most regions in the south.

“We are in the right direction to meet the water demands of our people in the rural areas”, he said.

He further pointed out that the Ministry is facilitating steps for the various, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to have the core mandate to provide this facilities.

“We are ensuring that the gap in terms of those who have and does who do not have, in the case of water provision would be closed.”

And called for consistent funding in the water sector, but was quick to point out that the various Assemblies should priorities issue of sanitation and water provision.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Officials of the National Identification Authority (NIA) failed to turn up in Parliament on Monday 11th June 2018, to carry out the registration exercise for Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary staff.

On Friday the 8th of June 2018, officials from the NIA were in Parliament to conduct a pilot test of the registration processes ahead of Monday.

The Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu in a statement indicated that the Minority have some reservations about the whole exercise and until their issues are addressed they would not participate in the exercise.

Staff of Parliament as early as 8:00am were ready to receive officials from the NIA but waited until midday and release that, officials from the NIA would not turn up on Monday the 11th of June 2018.

Journalists who turned up to cover the registration exercise waited for more than three hours and upon further enquires they picked hint that the NIA officials would turn up on Tuesday for the exercise.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

In its quest to deepen parliamentary democracy, Parliament has opened up it Committee on the Whole meeting with officials of the National Identification Authority (NIA) as against provisions of Order 199 of the Standing Orders of Parliament.

Order 199 provides that ” No stranger shall be admitted to any meeting of a Committee without the consent of the Chairman, unless the Committee decides that such meeting shall be held in the public: Provided that the Chairman of a  Committee may, wherever he thinks fit, order the withdraw of strangers from any meeting which is being held in public “.

The meeting supposed to provide opportunity for officials of the NIA to brief Parliament on the roll out plan for the nationwide national Identity Cards.

The Minority NDC lawmakers boycotted the ongoing registration exercise in Parliament until the meeting with the NIA which is expected to provide answers to their concerns.

The Minority indicated that it will continue with its boycott if the answers provided are not satisfactory.

Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

Deputy Minister of Energy has assured members of Parliament that Ghana will not experience any shortage in the supply of petroleum products, be it petrol, diesel and other petroleum products.

He made this remarks when former Deputy Minister of Energy John Jinapoh touched on the strategic oil reserve left in the country in a debate on the floor of the House.

According to Dr. Anim Adam currently Ghana has about two hundred and forty-seven million of petrol, which can last the country for five weeks (five weeks) and two hundred fifteen point two million liters of diesel which can also last the country for eight weeks.

“For liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) we have a reserved stock that can last us for one week, for aviation fuel we have stock that can last us for six weeks. It cannot be true that if there is a problem today we cannot supply petroleum products”.

He further  added that strategic reserves are not to stabilize price of petroleum if that was done in 2016 it is bad economics, at that time we were in a low price era.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

 The Speaker of Parliament, Prof Aaron Michael Oquaye has underscored the fact that Parliament has the power to regulate activities of any organization in the country through its special committees.

Parliament he said should be the most authority interested in all happenings in the country since it constitutes the representation of all citizens.

The Speakers pronouncement comes in the wake of an expose by undercover Investigative Journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas where officials of the Ghana Football Association, referees among other sports officials were caught on tap allegedly receiving bribes.

Member of Parliament for Bodi, Sampson Ahi who raised the issue on the floor of Parliament urged the House to conduct an independent investigation into the matter and compel the GFA President to resign.

The Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka corroborated the call saying it important that Parliament as a neutral arbiter intervenes.

He subsequently moved a motion for the House to investigate the matter whiles proposing a seven Member Committee.

However, Parliament is yet to constitute the proposed committee to investigate the claim.

By Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com.

Minister of Health Kwaku Agyeman Manu has given indications on the floor of Parliament that work would start on the Nkwanta North District Hospital as soon as the Finance Ministry gives the green light.

According to the Minster he is liaising with the Finance Ministry on some funding proposal that had been submitted for review and advice.

He further noted that as soon as the funding conditions are confirmed, planning and procuring process would start towards implementation of the District Hospital at Kpassa.

“Mr. Speaker the Ministry is aware of the population of Kpassa and its environs had been growing and had been ranked second for the provision of a District Hospital, in the Volta Region”.

Member of Parliament for Nkwanta North, John Kwabena Bless Oti wanted to know when work would commence on the Nkwanta North District Hospital.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Parliament has observed world environment day by calling for serious measures to deal with the plastic menace in Ghana that had been a challenge for years.

Chairman of the Committee on Environment, Science and Technology, Kyeremanten Agyarko in a statement on the floor of the House noted that 1.7 million tons of plastic is produced in Ghana each year.

According to the chairman, only two percent of the plastic waste is recycled leaving majority of the plastic waste on our environment causing a lot of disease and other environmental hazards.

He further called on authorities to regulate and check this plastic waste menace by regulating and control the use of plastic.

“Each year 8 million tons of plastic waste end up in the oceans, we buy one million plastic bottles every minute”.

And added that the flooding being experienced is largely attributed to the plastic waste we have in the country, “Mr. Speaker past efforts to deal with plastic menace has not achieve any results, we should find new and innovative ways in dealing with it”, he said.

Plastic must be considered as a resources rather than a pollutant and called for intensification of education to change attitude in the use of plastic and manufactures should be task to produce biodegradable plastics, he remarked.

Again the use of plastic to boost production of energy should be given a second look and urged all MPs to join in the advocacy for attitudinal change.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Afisa Otiko Djaba has assured Parliament that the West African Examination Council (WAEC) centers would comply with accessibility to person with disabilities.

According to the Minister, WAEC would be provided with a copy of the Ghana Accessibility Standard to guide the redesign of existing buildings and new one under construction.

This came to light when Member of Parliament for Asawase, wanted to know steps being taken to ensure that the WAEC building in Kumasi is disability friendly.

“Mr. Speaker, officials of WAEC have indicated that the location for the examination hall and the offices of the controller on the ground floor had been made easy access for persons with disability”.

She noted that as at the time the WAEC center in Kumasi was commissioned in July, 1993 disability issues were not on the front burner.

The Ministry launched the Ghana Accessibility Standard for the built environment in 2015 to ensure universal accessibility to all relevant institutions.

Ministry of Works and Housing, Roads and Highways and spatial planning authority are being engaged to enforce the inclusion provision in Ghana’s building regulations so that they become requirements in construction.

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection further revealed that, the National Council on persons with Disability under her direction held meetings with officials of WAEC at their headquarters on the need to make their facilities accessible to persons with disability.

Also we are collaborating with key institutions to ensure that provisions in the standard are implemented, she said.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com