Category: General

The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta got the support of some chiefs when he appeared before the Ad hoc Committee hearing the vote of censure motion brought against him (Ken Ofori-Atta) on Friday, 18th November, 2022.

Mr. Ofori-Atta who appeared before the Committee to answer questions on 7 grounds for his removal from office was accompanied by a number of chiefs dressed in their full regalia to solidarize with him at the hearing.
The grounds include

1. Despicable conflict of Interest ensuring that he directly benefits from Ghana’s economic woes as his companies receive commissions and other unethical contractual advantage, particularly from Ghana’s debt overhang.

2. Unconstitutional withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund in blatant contravention of Article 178 of the 1992 Constitution supposedly for the construction of the President’s Cathedral:

3. Illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts in flagrant violation of Article 176 of the 1992 Constitution;

4. Deliberate and dishonest misreporting of economic data to Parliament

5. Fiscal recklessness leading to the crash of the Ghana Cedi which is currently the worst performing currency in the world;

6. Alarming incompetence and frightening ineptitude resulting in the collapse of the Ghanaian economy and an excruciating cost of living Crisis;

7. Gross Mismanagement of the Ghanaian economy which has occasioned untold and unprecedented hardship to the people of Ghana.

Aside grounds 1 and 3 which were expunged, the Minister denied all allegations leveled against him.

Ghanamps.com

Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta is scheduled to appear before Parliament’s committee set up to investigate a censure motion against him.

Mr. Ofori-Atta will appear before the 8-member committee today, Friday, 18 November 2022.

Lawyer for the Finance Minister demanded particulars and evidence to back the Minority’s allegations of incompetence against the minister for which reason they are demanding his exit from office through a vote of censure.

Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu and Ranking Member on Finance Committee, Cassiel Ato Forson who represented the Minority to give evidence to support the motion on censure against the Finance Minister listed the documents they will be relying on which all happens to be public documents such as the Auditor General’s report of 2019, 2020 and 2021, Budget statement, President Akufo-Addo’s address on the economy, PIAC report among others.

Lawyer for the Finance Minister, had indicated, his client would be ready with a response today.

Ghanamps.com

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has refuted claim he has banned the use of mobile phones in parliament.
The Speaker said neither he nor his office has issued any such directive banning the use of phones in Parliament.

Mr. Bagbin who was reacting to “Daily Guide” publication on November 17, 2022 under the caption “Bagbin bans phones in Parliament” clarified the issues as follows:

1. Mr. Speaker has issued no such directive banning the use of phones in Parliament.

2. No Member of Parliament has been stopped from using his phone in the Chamber.

3. The Press Corps who operate from the Press Gallery have equally not received any directive banning them from using their phones in the execution of their functions as Parliamentary reporters.

4. The Speaker’s Office remains accessible to the Press for purposes of clarification on any issue of interest to them.
He has therefore entreated all well-meaning Ghanaians to disregard the wrong and misleading publication.

Ghanamps.com

There was drama in parliament over which ministry of state has jurisdiction over the construction of the national cathedral.

The Ministry of Works and House, out rightly distanced itself from the national cathedral project when a question from the Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi was referred to the Works and Housing Ministry.

The MP simply wanted to know the current state of the National Cathedral.
But the Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, Abdulai Abanga, (MP for Binduri) responding to the question simply indicated that the construction of the National Cathedral “is an activity that is outside the remit of the Ministry of Works and Housing”.

He added that the Ministry of Works and Housing has therefore written to the House on 11th November, 2022 to draw the attention of the House.

His answer generated some confusion particularly among the Minority who wondered why it was so because from their point of view that should be the right Ministry to have oversight role over the project. For this, they required from the Speaker to educate them on which Ministry the question should therefore be directed to.

The Second Deputy Speaker, who presided over proceedings also failed to specify the appropriate ministry and informed the House that proper consultations would be done and the appropriate Ministry identified by next week.

Ghanamps.com

The Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee on the Minority’s motion of Vote of censure on the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta resumes its public hearing today, Thursday, November 17, 2022 after a day’s break.

The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) and Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) are expected to appear before the Committee to testify.
Ghanamps.com

President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) Dr. H. Kwesi Ayim-Darke is pushing for quarterly meeting with Parliament’s Committee on Trade Industry and Tourism and expressed joy of the engagement.

According to him it is part of what they call the public-private dialogue series, and expressed the hope that such engagements are structured quarterly to ensure the evolution of free economy where it is more dominated by private sector engagement. And added that the call for PPSD to be legislated for continues engagement is in the right direction.

He also asserts that just as the Deputy Minority leader James Klutsey Avedzi said it is their wish to bring out a private members bill which he calls the ‘budget bill’ as part of the solution. They understand the limitation of policy formulation; policy is initiated from the executive, it goes through the agencies and consultation.

The consultation is just an advisory work; the final decision comes from the Executive. Once you have such engagement, you bring all the policy players in place; “the agencies, the inter- ministerial, so you look at our issues holistically. When you do this consultation it becomes binding”.

An example is in the Obatampaa Project Plan, take time and read, it is a very beautiful well documented project and anytime AGI seats we see our reflection in it, beyond its being captured a very lovely blue print the next stage is execution and this can be challenged by our debt portfolio because you need space to do those interventions, he stated.

So  when you bring such document to parliament together in your initiatives you can find away round it; we want to go beyond policy formulation, our plan is we should see a clear plan from MPs that really represent us. The NDPC does the planning, the Ministry of Finance through the Executive sees to such document being executed.

Again, according to the consultations done, it should not be just as advisory document placed somewhere and the party manifesto are driven,  “let us focus on the national collectivity that is our approach on this engagement”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Speaker of Parliament has directed all Members of Parliament to submit themselves to security scrutiny before entering the chamber.” It is compulsory for all members including me Speaker to pass through the machines to be scanned before we enter the chamber of Parliament”.

The Speaker’s directive which was made on Wednesday, 16th November, 2022 takes effect from Thursday, November 17, 2022. The Speaker also added all other visitors including the media to do same saying “all strangers who are also to do so who intend coming in whether to the public gallery or to the press gallery or to the important visitors gallery are all to pass through the scanning machine”.

He assured that the implementation of this new development is for the good of the Members of Parliament and all users of parliament and should be seen as such. “I pass through it this morning, very easy, very comfortable and if you want to see, you can see it, it would be shown you”. Mr. Bagbin also assured that starting tomorrow, “any member who is not willing to pass through those machines would definitely not be allowed to enter this chamber”.

Earlier in the morning, the parliamentary press corps threatened to boycott proceedings in parliament following attempts to prevent them from bringing their phones into parliament. However, cool heads prevail following the intervention of the head of Public Affairs Department, Kate Addo in Collaboration with the Marshall and a promise of finding an amicable solution to the issues.

Ghanamps.com

It is still unclear who will bear the responsibility of delivering the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government for the year ending 31st December, 2023 to parliament.

The Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government is delivered to parliament by the finance Minister on behalf of the President of the Republic of Ghana in accordance with article 179 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

Parliament has scheduled Wednesday 23rd November, 2022 for the Minister responsible for finance to be in the House for the presentation.

However, with so much uncertainty surrounding the Finance Minister including the Majority serving notice they will boycott the chamber if the finance Minister appears in the House to do the honour, no one knows whose shoulder the responsibility will fall.

Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister for Finance is facing an Eight-Member Ad hoc Committee of parliament over a motion of vote of censure against him.

His fate would be decided after the ad hoc committee concluded its work with one week and the report submitted to the plenary.

Both sides of the House are speaking the same language – ‘the Finance Minister Must Go’, but are divided on the process to achieving that.

While the Minority moved a motion of vote of censure and called for the support of the Majority Caucus to secure the two-third majority to remove Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, the Majority Caucus would not take any of that, and have made it clear that they will not support the Minority on their tangent.

The Majority Caucus, on the other hand had petitioned the president to cause Mr. Ofori-Atta to resign or be sacked.

Meanwhile, in the midst of the uncertainty, the Majority Leader in Parliament Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on Friday November 11, 2022 during the presentation of the Business Statement for the ensuing week indicated that any Minister of State can be nominated by the President to present the budget statement to Parliament and in so doing, the person will act as the Minister responsible for Finance in the interim.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com

Management of B5 Plus, a steel manufacturing company based in the Kpone Katamanso Municipality in Ghana wants government to intervene to resolve some land challenges hindering their expansion drive.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Mukesh Thakwani briefing the parliamentary press corps during their industrial visit to the place stated that land litigation has taken a toll on their quest to expand their operations.
According to him, three supposed owners have so far surfaced on the 660 acres of land they acquired to expand their operations.

He stated that though they initially purchased the land from a company here with clear land title with the Ministry of land, other group surfaced which they had to negotiate with just to proceed with their operations.
But just when they started work on the land, a third group came forward claiming to be the true owners, a situation that stalled every development on the said land.

The CEO said it’s been five years since this issue lingers on, but expressed gratitude to the Ghana Investment Promotion Council (GIPC) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry for their support in partially resolving the issue.
Unfortunately, they are unable to continue developing the land as people keep worrying them each time they try doing so.

He believes that if land issues as this are sorted out seperately and directly since they have land tittles to it, it would help make the “made in Ghana dream” come true, as they (B5 PLus) and other manufacturing companies would be able to create a lot of employment, if the expansion drive is carried out, and this would bring in a lot of foreign currency to help stabilize the cedi.

Established in 2002, B5 Plus is a leading Ghanaian steel manufacturing Company that produces steel products for Ghana and West Africa.

B5 Plus Steel Company is a one-stop shop for high quality steel products, ranging from beams, to stainless steel plates, reinforcing bars, scrap bars, roofing and nails, among many others.

B5 Plus has constructed one of the largest, strategic, state-of-the-art steel manufacturing plants in Africa, under the 1D1F (One District One Factory) programme, in line with the vision of the Government and their mission to promote “Made in Ghana” products.

Ghanamps.com

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has been given a week of relief as the Speaker has instituted an 8-member ad hoc committee to look into the vote of censure motion brought against him.

This was after the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu moved the motion of censure which was duly seconded by the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka.

The Committee co-chaired by K.T Hammond- MP for Adansi Asokwa, and Dominic Ayine- MP for Bolgatanga East.

The Committee is expected to present its report in seven days to pave ways for the substantive debate to commence on the floor of the House.

The rest of the members include:
• Zanetor Rawlings – MP Korle Klottey
• Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa – MP North Tongu
• Bernard Ahiafo – MP Akatsi South representing the Minority
• Patrick Boamah -Mp Okaikwei Central;
• Andrews Agyapa Mensah -MP Sekondi;
• Kwame Anyimadu Antiw- MP Asante Akyem North

The Minority’s motion contained 7 grounds on which they argued the finance minister is not fit for purpose and must be sacked.

Prior to the Speaker directing the motion to the ad hoc committee, the Majority led by the First Deputy Speaker, Afenyo Markin called for fair hearing and due process to be followed.

Mr. Afenyo Markins thus lauded the Speaker’s ruling which directed the motion to the ad hoc committee.

Ghanamps.com