Category: General

The Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Sumana Bagbin has revealed that he received a WhatsApp message from the Minority that they would not be part of the ongoing orientation for Members of Parliament of the ninth Parliament in Ho because of issue of cost.

According to him the reason given by the Minority is unacceptable stating that choosing a venue for orientation has never been partisan. “There is always a search party that goes round to search for the appropriate venue at the right cost”.

Again, previously parliaments go to visit various hospitality facilities looking for good cost components suitable for MPs.

The Rt. Hon speaker further added that there is a lot of pressure on MPs that is also taken into consideration and before a decision is reached the search party moves round and brings a report to the Speaker for a decision to be taken.

He further explained and underscored the need to have Parliamentary staffs at the orientation, noting that since they assist MPs, there is the need to build their capacity too; otherwise they would not be in the position to assist MPs.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Minority in Ghana’s Parliament has boycotted the orientation of New Members of Parliament (MPs) currently being held in Ho, the Volta Regional capital.

As at the time of filling this story not a single soul of the Minority had appeared at the conference room.

In an interview with the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, he confirmed to Ghanamps.com that their colleagues in the Minority have indicated that they would not be part of the programme.

Minority Chief Whip Frank Annor Dompreh on Friday, February 28, 2025, indicated on the floor of the House that their side was not going to be part of the orientation, stating that as part of the cost saving strategy, the orientation should be done in Parliament House.

And added that when they were in the Majority in the 8th Parliament, there was public out cry over having such activities outside parliament; and questioned what has changed.

“We were not aware of the orientation until we heard of it on the floor of the House in the chamber”, he said.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Four Ministers have been programmed to attend to the House to answer twenty-three questions next week.

They are the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulahi Jinapor, 6 questions ; Minister for Gender and Children Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, 3 questions; Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, 5 questions; Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, 5 questions; and Roads and Highways Minister, Kwame Governs Agbodza, 4 questions.

There are two urgent questions and twenty-one oral questions while Order 91 clause 2 makes provision for statement by the Ministers and Members of Parliament.

In a related development, the Second Deputy Speaker Andrew Asiamah has directed that the Minister of Energy and Green Transition should appear before the House on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 to outline measures the country is taking to have clean energy.

Debate on the Message of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) would start on Tuesday March 4, 2025.

Majority leader and Minority leaders would have forty minutes, other leaders would have twenty minutes and leadership of Committees would have fifteen minutes and MPs would have ten minutes.

The Business Committee could not reach consensus on the number of MPs to debate as the Minority insisted that the numbers should be equal from both sides while the Majority thinks otherwise, suggesting that it should be based on the numerical strength of each sides.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

President John Dramani Mahama will be in parliament today, February 27, 2025 to deliver his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) since returning to the seat of government as the first gentleman of the land.

Today’s exercise is in fulfillment of Article 67of the 1992 Constitution of the Ghana.

The highly anticipated address is expected to provide details of the current state of the nation with regards to the various sectors of the economy as handed over to him; as well as detail how he (the President) intends to deliver on his visions through stated policies and programmes.

Various sector players are keenly anticipating policies that will enhance their areas of operation as the government begins implementing its ‘Resetting Agenda’ as promised in the lead to the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary election.

Ghanamps.com

The Rt. Hon. Speaker of the 9th Parliament Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has said the immediate eighth Parliament should not be condemned as is being done by Ghanaians; rather the world is praising Ghana for having a hang Parliament that has lasted for four years.

According to him the 8th Parliament has delivered a smooth transition of power from a party in opposition to a party in government that is the record that is being analyzed all over the world.

Commenting on the new leadership of the NDC Majority, Speaker Bagbin noted that he is worried that a clear hang parliament of the 8th Parliament, some people are still not clear in their mind and still describe it as seeming hang Parliament.

“In the West Minister system it has happened in many countries, in the UK it has happened a number of times same with Australia and in India, and it use to happen in the United States of America, and they legislate on it”, adding that about 90 percent of hang parliaments do not go for their full term of office”, he noted.

According to him, when it occurred in Ghana in 1979 it only lasted for 27 months; “people forget all this and saying this is the first time that Ghana has a hanged parliament. It happened between PNP and Popular Front Party and lasted twenty-seven months. In the UK recently, we had a hang Parliament and they were compelled to change their Prime Ministers.

Ours, lasted four successful years and delivered a smooth transition of power, and researchers should recognize this achievement”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Parliament has approved the first batch of Ministers designate by President John Dramani Mahama following their successful vetting by the Appointments Committee.

The approval follows the Committee’s unanimous recommendation of Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam and Majority Leader; John Jinapor, MP for Yapei-Kusawgu; and Dr Dominic Ayine, MP for Bolgatanga East, for ministerial positions.

Parliament debated the motion for the approval of the nominees on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.

The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, presided over the session as the House debated the approval of the nominees.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The New Patriotic Party Minority Members of Parliament on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 in the afternoon took to the chamber during proceedings to demand government action against what they described as increasing violence in the country.

The MPs were seen singing in the chamber as a form of protest, expressing their concerns over post-election violence and other disturbances in various regions.

MPs were singing one of the country’s patriotic songs, “Yen Ara Asaase Ni” [This is our land] on the floor, urging the government to address what they referred to as widespread violence across the nation.

The protest comes after a recent incident in Obuasi, Ashanti Region, where clashes between military personnel and local youth resulted in the death of nine civilians.

The violence erupted when the military attempted to prevent the youth from entering one of the mining concessions of AngloGold Ashanti, one of the country’s largest gold mining companies.

In addition to the Obuasi incident, there have been reports of state institutions being targeted following the December 2024 elections.

The NPP MPs have condemned these acts as undemocratic and are calling on the President to take immediate action to put an end to the violence and ensure peace across the country.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Parliament has approved the first batch of Ministers designate by President John Dramani Mahama following their successful vetting by the Appointments Committee.

The approval follows the Committee’s unanimous recommendation of John Jinapor, MP for Yapei-Kusawgu; Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam and Majority Leader;  and Dr Dominic Ayine, MP for Bolgatanga East, for ministerial positions.

Parliament debated the motion for the approval of the nominees on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.

The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, presided over the session as the House debated the approval of the nominees.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Greater Accra office of the Electoral Commission was besieged by some individuals disrupting the seventh attempt to re-collate the Ablekuma North constituency Parliamentary election result of 2024.

Some supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) damaged several louver blades at the EC’s office following the eruption of chaos at the office.

The EC is contemplating whether to continue with the re-collation of Ablekuma North parliamentary results following the invasion of the thugs at the centre.

The individuals claim the EC’s work is over, hence, the commission cannot carry on with any “dubious” exercise to declare the NPP candidate winner.

Currently, there is a legal tussle about the Ablekuma North election while the EC is also yet to re-collate results for some pink sheets.

Ghanamps.com

The Minority in parliament has registered their displeasure over happenings at the vetting of the first batch of three nominees of the President, John Dramani Mahama.

Dr. Gideon Boako, the Member of Parliament for Tano North who addressed the media on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 noted that the Majority side of the House exhibited behaviours at the vetting that were calculated to obstruct constructive and effective scrutiny of the nominees including the refusal to invite questions on the CVs as preliminary matters.

“The Chairman of the Appointments Committee was the first real obstacle to a diligent vetting of the ministerial nominees. He denied the Ghanaian people and the minority members of the committee the opportunity to conduct a thorough vetting of the nominees. He was protective of the nominees and extremely partisan.”

He thus noted that the altercation between the Minority side of the committee and the Chairman was a direct protest against his conduct. “Under the façade of a lack of capacity, he disregarded the fact that those he bullied were members of Parliament, and that the committee is a sub-body of the House. It cannot be right that members who are tasked by the Ghanaian people with oversight are denied the opportunity to scrutinize the nominees”, he added.

Dr. Gideon Boako asserts that the Chairman and the majority members of the Appointments Committee owe it to Ghana to assist them (Minority) in fulfilling the work entrusted to them by the Constitution; adding that, if the situation is not changed moving forward, they fear that an irreparable harm will be done to our democracy, with round pegs occupying square holes.”

Ghanamps.com