Category: General

Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Bagbin has assured the general public that he remains committed to his oath to inter alia “faithfully and consciously discharge my duties as Speaker of Parliament”.

The Speaker’s assurance followed his disappointment with what is playing out in the public domain after he adjourned the House sine die on July 30, 2024.

The Rt. Hon. Speaker has already recalled Parliament to sit on September 3, 2024, following a petition by the Majority side of the House; a request that outlined several matters alleged to be emergencies and needed urgent considerations.

Clarifying some of the allegations leveled against him by the Majority particularly the one that accused him of prioritising international travel over parliamentary business and of unilaterally deciding to adjourn the House on 30th July 2024, the speaker described the allegation as unfounded and made in bad faith.

According to him, the decision to adjourn the House Sine die on 30th July 2024 was not made in isolation. “This date was informed by the Parliamentary Calendar of the Fourth Session of the Eighth Parliament which calls on Parliament to adjourn at the end of the month of July.

“In my capacity as the Speaker of Parliament, it is part of my duties to uphold the principles of transparency, accountability, and due process. It is also my duty to uphold the dignity and integrity of Parliament, MPs, Officers and Staff of the Parliamentary Service. I have throughout my tenure as Speaker, not only sworn but committed to doing exactly that with all my heart and with all my might”, he emphasised.

Read below the full statement:
Before I proceed to address the specifics of the request, I find it necessary to clarify certain issues related to the adjournment particularly as these have been raised by the Majority Leader, Hon Afenyo-Markin, at a Press Conference after the adjournment sine die.

DECISION TO ADJOURN THE HOUSE SINE DIE

4. In my capacity as the Speaker of Parliament, it is part of my duties to uphold the principles of transparency, accountability, and due process. It is also my duty to uphold the dignity and integrity of Parliament, MPs, Officers and Staff of the Parliamentary Service. I have throughout my tenure as Speaker, not only sworn but committed to doing exactly that with all my heart and with all my might.

5. I am therefore duty bound to clarify the circumstances surrounding the adjournment of the House on 30th July 2024 and to correct any erroneous impressions that may have arisen as a result of the adjournment and the reactions thereafter. It is vital that the facts are understood clearly, and that the dignity and integrity of this institution remains unblemished.

6. Firstly, I have been accused of prioritising international travel over parliamentary business and of unilaterally deciding to adjourn the House on 30th July 2024. These accusations are unfounded and are made in bad faith.

7. The decision to adjourn the House Sine die on 30th July 2024 was not made in isolation. This date was informed by the Parliamentary Calendar of the Fourth Session of the Eighth Parliament which calls on Parliament to adjourn at the end of the month of July. This guide was discussed on several occasions at pre-sitting meetings of the Speaker, and Leaders and agreed to, weeks before the 30th of July 2024. As the official reports, voice, and video recordings of proceedings of the House will clearly demonstrate, I consistently communicated to the House the agreed adjournment date throughout the meeting. The adjournment was neither sudden nor unilateral in this regard as evidenced by the contents of the official reports of 6th, 11th, 25th, and 26th July 2024.

8. It is for this purpose that the House prioritised some agenda items and I committed to sit late hours till midnight to ensure that all the prioritised businesses are completed before the House adjourned sine die on the agreed 30th July 2024. This was particularly so, because in the last week to the adjournment, both Deputy Speakers had to be unavoidably absent from the jurisdiction and I had to sit throughout the sittings, as captured by the official reports.

9. Admittedly, in the last three days, to the date of the adjournment, the Hon. Majority Leader proposed an extension of the meeting to the 2nd of August 2024. The Minority Leaders opposed the proposal. The Hon. Majority Leader was reminded of the commitment of Parliament to send a delegation led by the Speaker, together with the leadership, inclusive of the Majority Leader and Clerk to Parliament to attend a conference in the United States of America. This conference had been agreed to and paid for by Parliament even before the commencement of this meeting. The Speaker, Clerk to Parliament and the former Majority Leader, Hon Osei Kyei– Mensah–Bonsu, being members and Co-Chair of the International Advisory Council of the Conference had to depart earlier. The Speaker had thus committed to leave the jurisdiction on the night of the 30th July. It would mean that from the night of the 30th and the next day the 31st, the Speaker and both Deputies Speakers would have been unavoidably absent from the jurisdiction.

10. The Majority Leader later informed me the Second Deputy Speaker would have returned by the 29th of July to preside on the 30th of July if permitted by me. He also argued that a member could be elected to preside in the interregnum. I enquired to know whether he had discussed this with the Minority Leaders. His answer was in the Affirmative. Later enquiry reveals that his answer was inaccurate.

11. Further, the attention of the Majority Leader was drawn to the state and tempo of the House and the high risk of disorder, especially as, he the Majority Leader had, as leader of Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, agreed to host a delocalised meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament at Winneba, without the knowledge of the Speaker or the Clerk to Parliament, from the 29th July to the 2nd of August 2024. The Majority Leader was thus visibly absent on the floor of the House, most of the 29th and 30th July 2024.

12. The Second Deputy Speaker never arrived as submitted by the Majority Leader until the 31st of July after the House had adjourned sine die. While a member elected could have presided in the absence of the Speaker and Deputy Speakers, it is essential to understand that the presiding member could not have effectively handled administrative matters during this period nor presided over the House to take any substantive decision.

13. Again, at the beginning of the year, the Leadership of the House and the Parliamentary Service Board had decided that the chamber be retrofitted in preparation for the 9th Parliament. The urgency of addressing structural defects and replacing the audio and video equipment cannot be overstated as many have witnessed the failure of the equipment and some parts of the structure of the chamber in recent times which has in some instances led to the abrupt suspension of sittings or adjournment.

14. If Parliament does not undertake this work now, it will face significant challenges in finishing the necessary preparations before the transition to the 9th Parliament. The Chamber of Parliament is being retrofitted, upgraded, and is unavailable for use by Parliament now.

15. It is important to note that the request for the recall is based on Article 112 (3) and not 113. It is not a recall on the basis of an emergency. The reasons stated in the request are misconceived and are meant to throw dust into the eyes of the unsuspecting public.

16. Consequently, most of the issues outlined in the request, including the motion on the $250 million Financing Agreement, are businesses before the House prior to the recess. For instance, the motion on the loan of $250 million was tabled, debated and rejected by the House prior to the adjournment of the House sine die.

17. At all material times, therefore, matters which have been prioritised and agreed to, including the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Bill were handled and passed before the adjournment sine die. Consequently, I categorically reject the erroneous impression created by the Hon. Majority Leader that my actions were unilateral or that I placed personal travel above my duties to the House and nation. The decisions taken were in the best interest of the nation, the institution of Parliament and were made with the full involvement of the leadership of Parliament.

REQUEST FOR RECALL OF THE HOUSE

18. The request before me was brought pursuant to Article 112 (3) of the Constitution and Order 53 of the Standing Orders of Parliament, and not Article 113, which deals with emergency matters. To reiterate, Article 112 (3) of the 1992 Constitution provides that:
“Notwithstanding any other provision in this article, fifteen percent of members of Parliament may request a meeting of Parliament and the Speaker shall, within seven days after the receipt of the request, summon Parliament.”

19. Similarly, Order 53 of the Standing Orders of Parliament reinforces this constitutional provision by stating that:
“Despite any other provision, fifteen per cent of Members of Parliament may request a meeting of Parliament and the Speaker shall, within seven days after the receipt of the request, summon Parliament. Parliament shall convene within seven days after the issuance of the notice of summon.”

20. While these provisions are clear and unambiguous, it is essential to consider the broader context in which they were intended to operate. Article 112 is designed to be invoked in normal times when Parliament is on recess and a need arises in the national interest for Parliament to address. The phrase “and the Speaker shall, within seven days after the receipt of the request, summon Parliament “ is meant to prescribe the upper limit within which the discretion of the Speaker, in taking the decision to summon Parliament can be exercised.

21. It should never be lost to Ghanaians that Members of Parliament serve a dual role. They are first and foremost representatives and leaders of their constituencies, charged with the responsibility of engaging with, accounting to, listening to, and addressing the needs of their constituents.

22. It is crucial that MPs are given time to fulfil their constituency duties, which are fundamental to the democratic process. If MPs are continually summoned back to Parliament for Meetings that could be scheduled within the regular parliamentary calendar, this balance would be disrupted, the relevance of MPs lost, and their service to the constituents ineffective and of no value.

COMPLIANCE WITH THE RECALL PROVISIONS

23. A literal understanding of Article 112 (3) and Order 53, without consideration for the context and purpose behind these provisions, could lead to an absurd situation where Parliament is kept in perpetual meetings. Such a scenario would undermine the very essence of parliamentary democracy, i.e. to serve the people.

24. Moreover, this literal understanding could be weaponised by factions within Parliament to serve partisan interests, rather than the national interest. By constantly invoking these provisions for partisan considerations, Parliament could be drawn into a state of perpetual sitting, at unnecessary cost to the nation and effectively preventing MPs from attending to their constituencies and other vital responsibilities, especially in an election year when advocacy of MPs is crucial.

25. The framers of the 1992 Constitution did not intend for these provisions to be used indiscriminately or in a partisan manner. Extending their application to ordinary or routine situations, as is the case with the current request, would dilute the significance of Article 112 (3) and Order 53.

26. A careful review of the matters outlined in the request reveals that they do not meet the threshold set by Article 112. Most of the issues, including the $250 million IDA financing agreement, were already tabled before the House prior to the adjournment on 30th July 2024. The fact that these matters were already under consideration by Parliament and, in the case of the IDA Financing Agreement, were even subjected to debate and rejected, undermines the essence of the request for a recall.

27. Indeed, several of the bills listed on the request are bills that are still under consideration at Committee. The official reports of 30th July show the unwillingness of even members of the Majority side to transact the same business.

28. The above notwithstanding, given the constitutional requirement, the Speaker is obliged to summon Parliament within seven days of receiving the request, which means by the end of 7th August 2024 given that the request was received by the office of the Speaker on the 31st of July.

29. Article 112 (1) of the Constitution empowers the Speaker to appoint the place for Parliament to conduct its business. Relying on this constitutional provision and noting the unavailability of the Chamber of the House as stated above, the poor state of the Accra International Conference Centre, the Speaker has a practical challenge to appoint a place suitable for a parliamentary meeting.

30. It is worth noting, however, that while the Constitution provides that “the Speaker shall, within seven days after the receipt of the request, summon Parliament.”, it is the Standing Orders which provides that “Parliament shall convene within seven days after the issuance of the notice of summon.”
The same Standing Orders empower the Speaker to interpret the Standing Orders in consonance with the Constitution. In this instance, the Constitution doesn’t prescribe the date for the meeting of the House after the issuance of the notice of summon.

31. It is my considered view that in interpreting the Orders, the Speaker must consider the context and practical realities of the situation. This approach aligns with the modern approach for interpreting statutes, which emphasises understanding the purpose and practical implications of the law.

32. The Speaker should not only focus on the literal text but also consider, the intent behind the Orders, the practical impact of different interpretations and the need to ensure efficient and effective parliamentary procedures.

33. Due to the ongoing renovation works in the chamber, and the period required to recondition the AICC, adhering strictly to the requirement of the Standing Orders that Parliament convene within seven days after the notice is issued would impose significant practical challenges. With the chamber under renovation, finding an alternative venue on short notice would be impractical, costly, and an unnecessary strain on Parliament and public funds.

34. The Speaker must weigh the broader context, such as the current logistical realities, to make an informed decision that aligns with the overarching principles of good governance and democratic integrity. This method ensures that interpretations are practically viable and reflective of contemporary needs.

35. To address these practical concerns, and to allow sufficient time for preparations, as I intimated several times to the House before the adjournment sine die, I summon Parliament to meet on Tuesday, 3rd of September 2024, at a place and venue to be communicated as soon as one becomes available. Order 53 cannot therefore be fully complied with.

Ghanamps.com

Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has summoned parliament to an emergency meeting pursuant to article 112 (3) of the 1992 Constitution and Standing Order 53.

“I Rt. Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament hereby summon parliament to sit on Tuesday the 3rd of September 2024 at ten o’clock in the forenoon at the place to be appointed by the Speaker in due course”
This was contained in a statement signed on Wednesday, August 7, 2024 by the Rt. Hon Speaker of the House.

Ghanamps.com

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, James Klutse Avedzi, has directed the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to pay Caterers who provided meals for schools in the Volta Region during the 2019/20 academic year and are yet to receive payment.

This directive was issued during the Committee’s sitting in Parliament to review the Auditor-General’s Report on Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies as of December 31, 2023.

Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dakoa Newman acknowledged the arrears, stating that it was an abnormality and that plans are underway to resolve it. She added that, the problem is not limited to the Volta Region but is a nationwide issue.

The Auditor-General’s report highlighted double payments to some Caterers in the school feeding programme, resulting in overpayments. It recommended that the Agency’s Accountant recover the wrongly paid amounts and deposit them into the Auditor-General’s Recovery Account at the Bank of Ghana.

Dakoa Newman expressed her gratitude to the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, and all members of Parliament, past and present, including former Ministers of the Gender Ministry, for the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill 2024.

The report also cited the Labour Departments in Suhum and Takoradi for unpaid compensation to workers injured on the job.

Attendees at the Public Accounts Committee meeting included Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Welfare, and Hon. Amidu Issahaku Chinnia, Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.

Officers from various agencies, including the Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty Management Secretariat, Community Water and Sanitation Agency, School Feeding Programme, and Department of Social Welfare and Local Government Services, Head Office, Accra, were also present.

Hon. Avedzi announced that the Committee would take a one-week break and return on August 12, 2024, to examine the Auditor-General’s report on Government Boards, Corporations, and Commissions for the year ending December 31, 2023.

Ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga said he has seen a video of some supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Natinga angrily burning NDC paraphernalia.

According to him, the anger of the youth stems from his inability to ensure that the flag-bearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama stopped at grandfather Gumah’s residence in Natinga as part of his campaign in the Bawku Central Constituency”.

“I appreciate the legitimate concerns of the youth and would like to apologize to them for this unfortunate incident which was occasioned by time constraints.

We had done four stops even though we were allocated two and had far exceeded the time allotted to Bawku.
We appreciate the love for the party and desire to host the flag-bearer”.

He, however, allayed the fear of the youth and assured them that Mr. John Mahama would surely visit them in due course.

“I wish to assure them that this is just the beginning of the campaign. The flag-bearer, H.E. John Dramani Mahama will surely visit Natinga in due course”

Ghanamps.com

A Delocalized Joint Meeting of the Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources; the Committee on Mines and Energy; and the Committee on Infrastructure of the ECOWAS Parliament has ended in Winneba, Ghana on Friday, August 3, 2024.

The five days meeting under the theme; “Plastic Waste Management: Challenges and Prospects in the Implementation of Community Activities” was aimed among other things to inform members and raise awareness on the strategies and mechanisms developed by ECOWAS for the environmentally sound management of plastic waste in the West African region.

The Joint Committees at the end of their deliberations proffer the following recommendations for consideration by plenary.

 RECOMMENDATIONS:

 For ECOWAS Member States

• Invite Member States to adopt provisions aimed at the effective implementation of Regulation C/REG.17/12/23 on the harmonization of the regulation of plastic products and the environmentally sound management of plastic waste in ECOWAS Member States;
• Encourages States to build the capacities of the populations and civil society organizations in the fight against plastic waste;
• Urges Member States to harmonize their regulations on the treatment and management of plastic waste;
• Calls on Member States to define a policy to raise awareness among populations on the dangers of plastic waste.

 For the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of States and Government 

• Urges the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of States and Government to instruct governments to create funds dedicated to the organization of a circular economy in the treatment of plastic waste.

For the ECOWAS Commission

• Request the ECOWAS Commission to set up a joint committee of the ECOWAS Parliament and the ECOWAS Commission to further explore the harmonization on the fight against plastic waste;
• Invites the ECOWAS Commission to contribute to building the capacities of national institutions or agencies responsible for environmental protection;
• On the issue of transferring plastic waste to Europe for processing, the joint Committee recommends setting up a special fund to finance new non-polluting technologies, including the entire value chain of the circular economy in plastic waste management. 

For the ECOWAS Parliament

• Requests the ECOWAS Parliament to organize advocacy missions to Member States for the implementation of Regulation C/REG.17/12/23 on the harmonization of the regulation of plastic products and the environmentally sound management of plastic waste within ECOWAS Member States;
• Invites the ECOWAS Parliament to develop mechanisms for regular monitoring of the implementation of policies relating to the fight against plastic waste within the Community. 

Some Notable Engagements by the Joint Committee

 During the five days meeting, the joint committee as part of efforts to acquaint themselves with cycling of liquid and solid waste visited the Accra  Compost and Recycling Plant at Adjen Kotoku in the Accra, a move that gave them insight about some best practices of sustainable waste management in Ghana.

 The Accra Compost and Recycling Plant is a 600 metric tons per day capacity processing plant that takes care of most of the urban wastes, treat and process them into reusable end products like plastic pellets, recyclable products such as papers, metal scraps as well as such as organic manure.

The Committee also had the opportunity to engage and interact with stakeholders at a town hall meeting in Winneba where they shared experiences with the people and also advised the people on the need to adopt some best practices with regards to waste management particularly the culture of waste segregation.

Ghanamps.com

 

 

The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin has advocated for collective action the threat of plastic wastes in the sub-region.

He said the scourge of plastic waste poses significant challenges to our people, the economy as well as the coastal and marine environment, hence the need to urgently find solution to the problem.

The Speaker made the call when he addressed the opening of the Delocalized Joint Meeting of the Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources; the Committee on Mines and Energy; and the Committee on Infrastructure of the ECOWAS Parliament currently underway in Winneba, Ghana on the theme: “Plastic Waste Management: Challenges and Prospects in the Implementation of Community Activities”,

Mr. Bagbin said plastic waste has, undoubtedly, become one of the nagging environmental problems confronting the world, particularly the ECOWAS Sub-region, where the generation of plastic waste has been fueled, in recent times, by rapid urbanization and population growth, coupled with increased consumption patterns and packaging.

“Indeed, the ECOWAS sub-region, with its rich natural resources and diverse ecosystems, is particularly vulnerable to the impact of plastic waste. From the plastic-choked waterways of our cities to the dumping of microplastics in our seas. The evidence of plastic waste explosion is clear, and we must act now to avert this potential disaster”.

According to him, in 2020, plastic consumption across the West African coastal countries was estimated at 7.9 million tons, and this is projected to rise to 12 million tons by 2026. Sadly, only 20% o of plastic waste is recycled or well managed in coastal West Africa, leaving the chunk of 80% to our guess.

In discussing solutions to the threat, the Speaker urged participants not to be oblivious of the challenges that undermine our capacity to effectively deal with the menace of plastic waste which we need to overcome if we are to effectively combat the menace of the plastic waste.
These include;

• limited infrastructure for waste management

• poor public awareness on sustainable waste management practices,

• weak policy implementation, coupled with weak legal regimes enforcement together with general economic constraints.

These challenges notwithstanding, he asserts that opportunity abounds to collaborate and champion the adoption of common regional standards for the effective management of plastic. “We also have the opportunity to constantly engage with our local communities and educate them on the threats that plastic waste pose not only to our environment but also our livelihood, particularly the blue economy”.

Rt. Ho. Bagbin thus urged various governments to leverage on public-private partnership initiatives to build the infrastructure required to effectively deal with the plastic waste menace and possibly turn plastic waste into useful economic resource that can create employment opportunities for the many unemployed youth in the sub-region.

Ghanamps.com

Parliament on Monday, July 29, 2024 passed the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Bill, 2024, to make the authority a regulatory body; that is the Ghana Shippers’ Authority.
This is hoped to among other things;

• ensure the balance of interests between shippers and service providers in the international carriage of goods and related logistics activities in a manner that translates into efficiency and competitiveness in international trade;

• bring transparency in the determination of port fees and charges, and will by that, ensure that there is better accountability in the legal movement of international trade cargo across all of borders of Ghana;

• make Ghana a preferred transit trade route for her landlocked neighbours, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, and overall, enhance the sector’s revenue contribution to the national purse.

Mr. Emmanuel Kofi Arku, Director responsible for Business Development and Commercial Service at GSA, addressing the press in parliament after the passage said the new law is an enabler, in the sense that, it will empower Ghana Shippers’ Authority to better adapt to emerging trends and complexities within the shipping and logistics industry. In this capacity, GSA can better protect the interests of shippers and shipping service providers, and improve its regulatory oversight of the entire industry.

“One of the fundamental reasons for the passing of this law is the need for effective regulation of the shipping and logistics sector to guarantee fair pricing and charges for all stakeholders, especially importers and exporters”, he added.

On her part, Director of Operations at the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Sylvia Asana Dauda Owu asserts that the new law will to enhance transparency, and accountability, and invariably drive improved revenue generation and collection for national socio-economic growth.

ESTABLISHMENT
The Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) was established 50 years ago by NRCD 254 (1974) to regulate the commercial activities of shippers and shipping service providers in the shipment, storage, and delivery of international trade cargo by sea, air, and land.

Over the last five (5) decades, GSA has driven compliance with established standards and guidelines in the commercial shipping sector in Ghana, and through Ghana to Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.

Ghanamps.com

The long awaited Affirmative Action Bill has finally been passed by parliament.

The House on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 passed the much anticipated law aimed at giving more opportunities to women at the national level, with a target to increase their participation in governance and decision-making process to a minimum of 30% by 2030 under the requirements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Affirmative Action Bill was presented to the House on Friday, June 14, 2024, by the Minister for Education on behalf of the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection and later referred to the Committee on Gender, Children and Social Welfare for consideration and report in accordance with Articles 103(3) and 106(4) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 237 of the Standing Orders of Parliament.

The Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Bill 2024, passed by the Ghanaian MPs brings finality to the advocacy started almost three decades ago for a more equitable society through laid down processes to address the socio-cultural, political, economic, and educational imbalances in private and public sectors in accordance with clause 4 of Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin after the passage called for swift implementation of the requirements of the law, inspired by the 1992 Constitution which says the state must take steps to ensure gender equality and equity.

“Don’t just celebrate and don’t really put in place the vision that we have created for the country. But more importantly, I hope that members will commit themselves to the constitutional reforms. We need to do more there to be able to create this free and just society we are looking for to liberate more of our women to be able to support us to be able to develop mother Ghana,” Speaker Bagbin said.

The country now looks forward to the president of the republic to assent to the Bill into law to take effect.

Ghanamps.com

The Third Deputy Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States’ parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has proposed a five point action plan for consideration to deal with the menace of plastic in the sub-region.

The Effutu lawmaker, whose welcome address at the opening of the Delocalized Joint Meeting of the Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, Energy and Mining/ Infrastructure of the ECOWAS Parliament ongoing at Winneba – Ghana, was delivered by another member of the Ghanaian delegation to the ECOWAS parliament, Samson Ahi said the ancient harmony enjoyed by countries along the coast in the region is under threat due to an ever increasing plastic wastes; and there is the need to take action now to safeguard livelihoods and the people.

According to him, the effects of plastic wastes are enormous and dire to the survival of the people hence the theme; “Plastic waste management: challenges and prospects in the implementation of Community activities”, is not merely a topic for academic discussion but a clarion call to action, a command to safeguard the very essence of our West African identity.

“Our once-pristine beaches are now littered with the debris of our modern lives. Plastic waste chokes our waterways, suffocates our marine life, and poisons the very waters that have nourished us for millennia. In Ghana alone, records show that we’ve witnessed a staggering 59% decline in small pelagic fish landings between 1993 and 2019. Our neighbors in Cote d’Ivoire have seen their catch tumble by 40% in less than two decades.

But the crisis extends far beyond our shores. It seeps into the very fabric of our societies, threatening livelihoods, food security, and our cultural heritage. The scale of this problem is staggering. In 2018 alone, our coastal West African countries generated 6.9 million tons of plastic waste. Nigeria, our largest economy, accounted for 4.7 million tons of this figure. Even more alarming, 20% of this waste was produced within just 30 kilometers of our coastlines, with most of it ending up in our precious oceans.

The economic toll is equally devastating. Each ton of plastic waste causing marine pollution costs our region between USD10,000 and USD33,000. Our vital sectors – fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism, and coastal real estate – are bearing the brunt of this relentless assault on our environment”.

As such, he affirmed that, “the plastic waste choking our waters is more than an environmental crisis – it is also a test of our commitment to our people, to our heritage, and to our future. It’s a challenge to our fishermen whose nets now catch more plastic than fish, to our farmers whose lands and livestock are threatened by this plague, and to our children who deserve to inherit clean beaches and bountiful seas”.

The Five-Point Action Plan

In proffering solution to the menace, Mr Afenyo –Markin who is also the leader of the Ghanaian delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament and the Majority Leader in Ghana’s Parliament believes that these five points when explored can help. These are;

• A push for harmonized legislation across ECOWAS member states to phase out single-use plastics within the next 3 years.

• The need to invest heavily in innovative waste management solutions that turn our challenge into opportunity (And suggested the adoption of pioneering initiatives like Safisana in Ghana and Recuplast in Senegal).

1- Safisana’s model combines faecal matter and organic waste treatment with the production of renewable energy, nutrients, and water. This innovative system not only addresses our waste problem but also produces biogas for energy and organic fertilizer for agriculture, creating a truly circular economy.

2- Recuplast’s initiative collects up to 150 tonnes of plastic waste monthly, providing livelihoods for over 5,000 people. They’ve created a network that recovers plastic from individuals for a fee or provides them with recycled products like basins, tables, or chairs.

• Strengthening enforcement against illegal fishing practices by foreign trawlers.

• A push for the establishment of an ECOWAS Coastal Protection Fund to support communities most affected by plastic pollution and declining fish stocks.

• A comprehensive public education campaign to change behaviors and attitudes towards plastic use and waste management, (This is not just a government problem – it requires the support of every West African).

He admonished his colleagues to ensure they come out with the best solutions as the entire population is looking up to them for a solution that would bring the needed relief.

“Let it be said that when our beaches were drowning in waste, our fish stocks dwindling, and our livelihoods threatened, we did not retreat. We advanced with innovative solutions like Safisana and Recuplast. We united across borders to implement harmonized legislation. We innovated to transform our waste into opportunity”, he added.

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The Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States Parliament, Rt. Hon. Hadja Mémounatou Ibrahima has underscored the dangers posed by the proliferation of plastic wastes in the sub-region.

According to her the development poses significant environmental challenge that threatens our development and collective well-being.

Speaking at the opening of the delocalised joint committee meeting in Winneba-Ghana, on plastic waste management within ECOWAS on the theme: “Plastic Waste Management: Challenges and Prospects in the Implementation of Community Activities”, The Speaker in a speech read on her behalf by the Third Deputy Speaker, Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the impact of plastic pollution on our ecosystem is undeniable and poses a significant threat to our survival.

“The figures are alarming; ECOWAS generates around 17 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, of which only 10% is recycled. This lack of proper management leads to an accumulation of plastic waste in the environment, polluting our oceans, rivers and soils and threatening biodiversity”.

The impact on public health, she said is also a cause for concern, with increased risks of illness linked to pollution and contamination of water resources.

According to her, at the international level, in addition to the numerous conventions adopted to combat climate change, awareness of the many negative impacts of plastic waste on the environment and human and animal health has led the international community to institute a “World Plastic Bag Free Day” in 2010, which is celebrated every year on 3 July.

ECOWAS, also having been aware of the urgency of the situation, has adopted a community policy for the management of plastic waste. “This ambitious and necessary policy aims to promote the reduction, recycling, and recovery of plastic waste while ensuring the responsible management of non-recyclable waste”.

She disclosed that some countries, including Togo, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Gambia and Senegal have already adopted legislation to regulate the plastics sector in their various countries.

“ECOWAS has adopted the Regulation on the Regulation of Plastic Products and the Harmonisation of the Environmentally Sound Management of Plastic Waste in ECOWAS Member States. Waste within ECOWAS Member States to alleviate the difficulties experienced by Member States in effectively implementing the regulations already in place”, she affirmed.

The Rt. Hon. Speaker was however not impressed that despite these efforts, the community is still struggling to eradicate plastic waste from our towns, countryside, and oceans.

This, she noted, is mainly due to the lack of adequate infrastructure for collecting, sorting, and processing plastic waste and the lack of awareness among our population; adding that if nothing is done, the plastic waste pollution is likely to significantly impact food security in ECOWAS.

She cited the general report on the state of implementation of the community’s work programme, in which the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H. E. Omar Alieu Tourey, informed the ECOWAS Parliament that cereal production in 2023-2024 would be 0.6% down on the previous year. “This results in a worrying food and nutrition situation in the region, which could affect more than 49.5 million people if appropriate measures are not taken”, she warned.

In view of these, she called for deep thinking to bring out innovative and sustainable solutions while urging member states to;

• invest massively in research and development,

• encourage technological innovation in the recycling and recovery of plastic waste,

• strengthen the capacities of local players in the responsible management of plastic waste; and

• adapt our school curricula to include compulsory subjects on the fight against climate change in general and plastic waste in particular to better prepare them to adapt to these new challenges.

She called for collective action and collaboration to propose effective solutions for plastic waste management since individual efforts are not enough.

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