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Category: General

RTI Bill 2018 to be laid on the floor of Parliament next week

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
Ranking member on the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee and Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini, had said the report on the Right to Information Bill 2018 would be laid on the floor of the House next week.

According to the Tamale Central legislator the joint committee on Communications, Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee would present its work on Wednesday 30th May, 2018.

He further revealed that finishing work is being put to the committee’s work after it had collated views from civil society organisations.

The joint committee handling the RTI Bill 2018 was at Koforidua to put fining touches to its work that had gone through the first reading and would be presented to the plenary on Wednesday 30th May, 2018.

In an interview with the ranking member on the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, he noted that the Committee would not be going for further consultations.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Shortage of materials delay electrification projects in two communities

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Deputy Minister of Energy Owuraku Aidoo has said the delay in the electrification project in the Krachi West District is due to delay in shortage of some critical materials such as conductors and pole top accessories.

According to the Deputy Minister of Energy the Ministry is in the process of procuring those materials to allow for the completion of works at Nchumuru and Krachi West District under the SHEP-4 and the completion of work would be at the end of this year, 2018.

He further added that the Ministry has sent High Voltage (HV) and Low Voltage (LV) poles to some of the project sites and planted awaiting stringing.

Communities under the Krachi West District are Kaparea, Lakeside, Yikei, Wananan number 1 and 2, those from Krachi Nchumuru are Lonkotor, Gyato chanyo, Kaliako Beposo, Papaye, Bichiro and Konado.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

40 communities sidelined in electricity supply project nation wide

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Only two communities in the Central Tongu Constituency have benefited from the ongoing electrification project including Avukope and Mankalakope.

Some communities in the Volta, Western, Ashanti, Eastern and Brong Ahafo Regions are benefiting from phase 1 of the rural electrification project being undertaken by Chain’s International Water and Electric Cooperation (CWE).

Member of Parliament for Central Tongu, Alexander Roosevelt Hottordze wanted to know from the Deputy Minister of Energy Owuraku Aidoo when the remaining communities would be connected to the national electricity grid.

According to the Deputy Minister for Energy, Owuraku Aidoo installations of electricity to the remaining communities have been scheduled for completion by the end of 2018, only for the selected communities under the initial plan.

He however added that the remaining 40 communities do not form party of the ongoing project currently being executed and would be considered in future projects.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Gayism and lesbianism: We would not be misled again—Bagbin

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

As the debate of legalizations of gayism and lesbianism in Ghana ranges on, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Alan Kingsford Sumana Bagbin had indicated to the developed world Ghana would never accept the practice.

According to the Second Deputy Speaker, Ghana would not be misled by advance countries who claim they are more civilized.

The future of the world belongs to Africa, “we would not be misled again this is the strongest indication from the House and if the need be we would come out with a motion and resolve to give direction to the country”.

“This is a matter that people are trying to force on us, we are no longer the small boys and girls of any other country and so we will not take it, I commend the maker of the statement”, he said.

And if the need be through leadership we need to come to the House debate it and resolve to give a clear indication to everybody that Ghana would not compromise our stand against gayism and lesbianism, he lamented

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Defense and Interior Ministers apologies for security personnel clash

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
The Minister of Interior Ambrose Dery and Defense Minister, Dominic Nitiwul on Tuesday 22nd of May 2018, apologized to Ghanaians for the unfortunate clashes between the military and police on the 16th of this month and other occurrence within the year.

According to the Interior Minister both institutions sent a high powered delegations to Tamale and held a separate meetings and joint durbar; the two institutions agreed to implement fully existing guidelines regarding handling of personnel on disciplinary issues and breach of the law.

He made this remarks upon the Speakers directives that both Ministers come to the floor of the House to brief the House on the unfortunate situation.

Mr. Ambrose Dery told the House that currently the full operational cooperation and collaboration had been restored in Tamale and the entire Northern Region, “Ghanaians should rest assured that there is full impetus towards their security and safety.

Again the confidence of the President Nana Akufo-Addo and his security management hierarchy in the leadership and professionalism of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Police service.

However preliminary investigation has been carried out by a five member committee composed from the two institutions and the Attorney General’s Department to look into the cause of the clash and make recommendations.

The Interior Minister told Parliament both institution have agreed to hold regular joint durbar and other activities to enhance cooperation between the two institutions.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Parliament approves Cynthia Lamptey as Deputy Special prosecutor

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Deputy Special Prosecutor, Cynthia Naa Koshie Lamptey has been approved by Parliament on Tuesday.

Days before the report of the Appointment Committee would be laid on the floor of the House, chairman of the committee Joseph Osei-Owusu told Journalist the committee had unanimously recommended to the plenary of her approval.

The Chairman of the Committee Joe Osei-Owusu expressed satisfaction in the answers given to questions by members of the committee when Mrs. Lamptey appeared for vetting on Wednesday, 16 May 2018.
.Mrs. Lamptey who will be deputy to Martin Amidu after she is sworn in, sent signal during her vetting that she will resign from her post if she is sidelined.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

“I don’t have a personal beef with the Speaker”—-Muntaka

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs
The Minority Chief Whip, Mubarak Muntaka Mohamed, has said he does not have personal beef with the Speaker of Parliament and believes same is the situation with his colleagues in the Minority Leadership.

In the first meeting the Minority had issues with the Speaker Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye for not recognizing the leadership of the Minority resulting in walkouts and acrimonies on the floor of the House.

According to the Minority Chief Whip, if the Speaker would adhere to the rules in the standing order and allow the Minority to have their say then we are good to go, he said.

“It is my fervent prayer that the Speaker would give us the opportunity to accord him and the seat the needed respect, all the challenges we have had with the Speaker has had to do with him trying to ignore the rules and do things his own way”.

He further noted that the Speaker is a fatherly figure therefore they, the Minority would want to always accord him the respect, but if the rules are not adhered to, the Minority would have no option than to fight for their space.

“I am sorry the only thing we have is our say and I hate it when people keep talking to you to be patient, it is worrying because it looks like you are being the difficult one”, he remarked.

And added that the Minority would become completely useless, if they are not allowed to play their role, and that would be a waste of public funds.

I want to earn my salary but I do not want to collect my salary but rather fight to earn my salary, we would want to have a perfect peace in the House, he said.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

I am hopeful RTI will be done before the end of seven Parliament—-Muntaka

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Minority Chief Whip, Mubarak Muntaka Mohamed had indicated that he is hopeful that before the end of the life span of the seventh Parliament the Right to Information Bill 2018 (RTI) would be passed with the work done so far on it.

According to the Minority Whip, he is not clear if the joint committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and Communications committee would be touring the country apart from the stakeholders meeting in Accra and doing some work in Koforidua.

He further hinted that if the committee is done with its work and presents its report to the plenary, it is possible that within the second meeting of the second session, they would pass the RTI Bill 2018.

“If they are not through with their consultation I may have my doubt if we would be able to finish within this meeting, this meeting is not going to go beyond first week of July 2018”, he said.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Leadership in Parliament needs to talk more to reduce tension — Minority Whip

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Member of Parliament for Asawase (MP) and Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak Mohamed is calling for more dialogue among leadership of the House to reduce tension that characterized the first meeting of the second session of the seventh Parliament of the fourth Republic.

According to the Minority Chief Whip, during the recess, leadership from both sides of the House have taken time to talk with each other.

And added that, “we need to engage more so that we understand each other and indicated that he has been a former Majority Chief Whip and I am talking from experience”, he said.

In an interview with ghanamps.com as to how the relation among leadership from both the Majority and Minority are, he noted that it has been cordial since they returned back from recess considering the acrimony that manifested in the first meeting.

We do not enjoy fight for our right to have our say, but if we are not given the opportunity to have our say we would continue to fight for our right, he remarked.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

GRA train Journalists in Parliament on Ghana’s tax laws

Posted on by Fred GhanaMPs

Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has taken a section of journalists in Parliament through the nation’s tax laws and what is being done to mobilize revenue for national development at a two days work at Prampram.

The 35 Journalists were taken through the importance of introduction and enforcement of Tax Identification Number (TIN), introduction of paperless system and the impact of generating revenue and modernizing Ghana’s revenue system to drive efficiency in boosting tax revenue.

Mr. Henry Yentumi who represented the commissioner General of GRA in his address noted that the institution considers the media as a partner to get their message across to their stakeholders to enhance their revenue mobilization for national development.

We have undergone reforms and revised our tax laws, we have introduced Tax Identification Numbers, exercise stamp, and a paperless tax clearance system among others. These have been rolled out with the aim of widening the tax net to increase revenue mobilization.

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com