Category: General

Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs. Jean Mensah appeared before Parliament on Friday, July 19, 2024, to brief members on several activities which have been carried out so far and yet to be done in making sure the December 7, 2024, general elections are conducted successfully.

She revealed some of the activities carried so far as follows:

• No new C.I would be laid before Parliament ahead of 2024 elections and as such the commission would rely on the current registration C.I (C.I 91) to conduct the voter registration exercise and also rely on current election C.I (C.I 127) to undertake the 2024 general elections.

• The proposal of pushing the election date forward to November would not be implemented in 2024 but rather consult the Attorney General on it for its implementation by 2028.

• In addition, the EC would continue to use the indelible ink for the 2024 elections.

• filing fees for 2020 would be maintained for this election as well; Gh100,000 charge for Presidential candidates and GH 10,000 charge for Parliamentary candidates.

• EC would waive 25 percent of the filing fees for women and persons with disability to help increase the number of women and disability in our elections.

• The EC would waive the filing fees for the media accreditation fees to help the media fill more of their personnel to serve as election observers.

ON ELECTION CALENDAR:

The EC said the elections’ calendar has been discussed extensively at the Inter Party Advisory Committee meeting (IPAC) and has received the inputs of the political parties and indeed the feedback from the parties has been fed into the final plan for the 2024 elections on May 7 to May 29; the revision of the voter register was conducted.

The commission extended voter registration exercise for 2 days due to feedback received from the political parties due to slow network they experienced for the first 2 days of the exercise.

And explained that, the registration exercise was carried in all their 268 District Offices across the country including Guan District in addition to 800 difficult to reach centers or 800 other locations made up of 775 difficult to access electoral areas and 25 public universities.

At the end of the 23-days exercise, a total of 778,447 new voters which exceeded the original target of the EC 622,000 were recorded.

Out of the total 778,447 persons registered, 63.68 percent used the GUARANTOR system, 36.28 percent used the GHANA CARD and finally, 0.34 used Passport to provide their citizenship and age.

Total number of females registered 408,332 constituting 52.45 percent; total male voters amounted to 370,115 constituting 47.55 percent of total registered people for 2024 registration exercise.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe Jr.  has bemoaned the constant external factors in the fairs of Africa, which he blames as the main cause of violent extremism in the continent.

Leader of the Liberian delegation to the Community Parliament’s  attempting to answer the reason for the lingering terrorism, banditry, kidnapping in West Africa and the Sahel, despite every effort by the governments and multilateral institutions to nip the violent crisis in the bud said one thing that stands tall is the endemic influence from external factors.

“In Africa, we have African solidarity, but of late, we have been witnessing persistent interference from external forces. So, what is happening in Africa is that we need to work on very seriously and urgently the overbearing influence of external factor. The external factor is playing a major role in what is happening, be it security, slow pace of development or even the perennial poor economic outlook.”

He identified the fact that various countries in the continent have alliances with different countries from the western countries; and “the geo-politics has taken deep root into our African culture.”

“There are some African countries that are working with the United States, for example Liberia. There are some others that are working with France, example, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin Republic, and Senegal. There are a few others that are working with Russia – Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. We would not also forget the growing influence of China and its involvement in African Affairs”, he affirmed.

The geo-politics, he affirmed has penetrated the leadership as well, “because our leaders are relating with those powers that be and as they fight for space in the global sphere, it has a trickling down effect on our continent; particularly in our sub-region and it is affecting us severely. The sooner we realise that the better it will be for us”

Mr Snowe queried if the West is surreptitiously replicating the 1884/5 scramble for Africa in the 21th century? “It is not far from it”

He said African now has the sophistication to curb and correct this overbearing influence of our erstwhile colonial masters, but warned that “if we allow it to linger for so long, it might leave our hands and of course we will continue to suffer in the hands of Western powers.”

Ghanamps.com

The Legislative Instrument seeking to effect amendment to the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (LI 2180) has been withdrawn just days after it was laid on Friday, June 14, 2024.

The Ministry of Transport bowed to pressure from the public following the barrage of criticism that greeted the LI.
The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah, formally withdrawn the L.I. on behalf of the Minister for Transport on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

He said, “Mr. Speaker, I rise to move that the Road Traffic Regulation Amendment 2024, which was laid on Friday, June 14, 2024, be withdrawn. This has become necessary based on extensive engagement with leadership. Therefore, it is so withdrawn.”

The new Legislative Instrument had included provision granting certain public officials, including Vice-President, the Speaker of Parliament, the Head of the Judiciary Service, Ministers of State and the 275 Members of Parliament (MPs), who were not originally captured in those privileges as captured in the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (LI 2180); thus the privilege to use sirens on the road and not be liable for exceeding speed limits.

Many voices that were critical about the L.I. said government should rather focus its energy on addressing the economic challenges including high unemployment, depreciating cedi, food high food and fuel prices.

Ghanamps.com

The Senator representing Bomi, County in the Liberian Senate, Edwin Snowe, Jr. said the people of West Africa must go back to the soil, invest in the soil and have the necessary yield, to guarantee food security in the sub region.

He also noted that food insecurity is worst than other form of insecurity, as hunger and starvation is one of the factors that trigger social upheaval and fuel criminalities.

Snowe Jr who is also the Leader of the Liberian Delegation to the Community Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), identified other causes in an interview with Thisday in Abuja.

He said: “Food Security cannot be addressed through an event or programme where quick and beautiful speeches would be made. It has to be a practical reality where people have to go back to the soil, invest in the soil and then we would have the necessary yield. That is better than talking and doing nothing”.

Noting that that a hungry man is an angry man, the Liberian MP, said leaders and other critical stakeholder in West Africa need to move away from rhetoric to walk the talk.

According to him, “We need to create opportunity for farming, we need to deliberately invest in farming. At the ECOWAS bank for instance, we need to have a section for agriculture investment. The return on investment in agriculture in West Africa is very high. I am a farmer myself, I have over a thousand hectare of oil palm plantation in Liberia and I can tell you the cost of a bag of fertilizer, especially since the crisis in Ukraine has quadrupled.

So, there are challenges and I think that we need to invest in agriculture”.

Snowe Jr said that other factors that fuels insecurity in the region, include marginalization, unemployment, drug abuse, where people get high on all manner of substances and loose control of their sensibilities.

The ECOWAS Parliament Committee Chairman on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), noted that there are lot of factors that play into these situations.

He further noted that until W/Africa takes control of its destiny, in solidarity amongst themselves as brothers and sisters, the more the situation will continue to deteriorate.

He explained that, “Most times the people that are on the forefront of these crisises in West Africa and elsewhere are not on their own, they take instructions from people they don’t even know, some times third or even fourth party. They are just there to implement instructions that they don’t know how it was arrived at. They don’t know what they are doing. We need to focus more on youth empowerment and education, job creation and the issue of drug abuse is playing a major role in escalating these multifaceted crisis confronting the sub region”.

Ghanamps.com

Members of Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament have expressed concern with efforts to bring back to the fold of the sub-regional bloc Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso who have given formal indication to break away from the bloc.

At the ongoing first Ordinary Session of the 6th ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja – Nigeria, when the ECOWAS Commission President Dr. Omar Alieu Touray appeared before the Parliament to present a report on the state of the West Africa sub-regional bloc, a lot of questions popped-up on efforts to bring back the three Sahel Countries.

The Commission President assured the MPs of support in their own initiative to reach out to Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso to return to the fold but admonished that the engagement has to be efficient and strategic.

“You should not just go there and talk to anyone who does not have control over the situation and would not be helpful; talk to people who can make the difference, people who have the authority to take decision and change policy position”.

Dr. Touray further explained to the lawmakers that effort was made to invite representatives from Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea but it’s only Guinea that honoured the good gesture by sending a representative to the ongoing session at the parliament.

Additionally, the Authority of Heads of States and Government has instructed that the three Sahel countries be invited to technical meetings and all the security meetings as well as consultative meetings wherever there are meetings.

At the recent Ministerial session they were invited; unfortunate they did not turn up. Guinea took part in the meeting in which they were invited. “We will continue to invite them whenever there are meetings particularly meetings to do with security”, he told the MPs.

Again, as part of the effort to deal with security situation, counter terrorism of which several countries have benefited, one million dollars has been allocated to the three countries to support their effort in related expenses; but Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali rejected the funds.

“But the instructions is to hold on to it whenever they are available they should have access to those funds in their effort to fight counter terrorism efforts”, he affirmed.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

In presenting the Business Statement for the ensuing week on Friday, July 12, 2024, Majority chief whip Frank Annoh Dompreh told the House, the Minister for Finance Dr. Amin Adam would present to the floor of the House the Mid-Year budget review of 2024.

According to him members of Parliament should take note and ready themselves to receive the Minister for the Mid-Year Budget Review onTuesday, July 23, 2024.

The House was informed that from Monday, July 15, 2024 parliament would start extended sittings to deal with back log of work outstanding as the House is expected to go on recess on Wednesday, 31, 2024.

Again, the Minister of Educations and Minister for Employment and Labour Relations are scheduled to brief Parliament on the strike action by the lectures of colleges of Education, whiles the Employment and Labour relations Minister would also apprise the House on the strike action by the Civil and Local Government staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG).

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Parliament has experienced yet another blackout on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, when the House was getting ready to commence proceedings.

Members of Parliament for more than an hour have been waiting on the floor of the House for lights to come on for business of the House to commence as at 11: 21am when Ghanamps.com filed this report, the lights was still not back at the chamber.

Members of the parliamentary press corps have been in the heat of their offices writing stories as there had been two press conferences organized in the early hours of the morning.

Ghanamps.com

Delay in the start of works on the Eastern Railway Network from the Tema Port to Boankra is of a major concern to some members of the Roads and Transport Committee.

Mr. Samuel Atta Mills, a member of the Committee raised issues with this after presentation on the project was done to the Committee members who were on an oversight mission to ascertain progress of work.

“You have started this project how many more years do we have to wait for the railway line to be completed for Boankra to be useful. Are we going to let it sit as a white elephant?” He queried.

The consultant on the project Dr. John B. K. York pointed out to members of the Committee that there is work currently ongoing on the Western rail line leading to Boankra from Takoradi which is sixty-six (66) kilometers to Boankra.

But the Eastern rail line is going through the process, and yet to be started. He added further that by the time the Inland port is completed, fleets would still come by road until the rail lines are completed.

In addition, the Committee was briefed that with the completion of Boankra Inland Port, fourteen percent (14%) of the workload in Tema would be taken off. Government he said is however looking forward to using Public-Private-Partnership approach to develop the three hundred and thirty (330) kilometers Eastern Rail line to Boankra, and the process is ongoing.

The Railways Ministry told the Committee that studies have been done and submitted to the PPP Committee of the Ministry of Finance. They have received approval and have been directed to go to the market and invite private developers to partner government develop the Eastern Railways to Boankra Inland Port.

Mr. Emmauel Gyamfi pointed out to his colleagues that neighboring Republic of Togo has built an Inland port without Rail lines and in that process they have even taken away Ghana’s business from the Tema port; most especially from Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

These countries now do their transit through Togo and encourage members that it should not be said that because the rail line would not be completed in time, the project would be useless; “that is a wrong impression if we compare what Togo is doing.”

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.co

The Parliament of Ghana has held a public forum with a colourful durbar of Chiefs and people in Techiman and its environs in the Bono East Regional capital as part of its scheduled year-long activities to mark the 30th Anniversary celebration of the 4th Republic of Ghana.

This celebration marks three decades of uninterrupted and stable democratic governance and Parliament has undoubtedly, been at the forefront since January 7, 1993.

The Forum in Techiman sought to provide an opportunity for Parliament to soberly reflect on the successes chalked since the inception of the Fourth Republican Parliamentary Democracy and the challenges to overcome as a nation, going forward.

Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament in his speech to mark the occasion in Techiman said the 1992 Constitution has stabilized democracy in Ghana but noted there was a lot yet to be done to refine it to better suit the situation of Ghanaians. He called on future government to take it seriously to amend the 1992 Constitution. ”In the light of this, it is imperative that we treasure and put a high premium on the re-examination of the 1992 constitutional concept and practice of our multiparty constitutional parliamentary democracy, particularly within the context of Sub-Saharan Africa, where some of our neighboring countries, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and Niger have witnessed democratic reversals with the emergence of unconstitutional governments”, he stated.

Speaking on the theme of the anniversary celebration dubbed, “Thirty Years of Parliamentary Democracy Under the 4th Republic: The Journey Thus Far”, Mr. Alban Bagbin acknowledged the sacrifice, dedication and commitment of visionary leaders who worked tirelessly to craft the 1992 Constitution that paved way for the inception of the Fourth Republic. “We celebrate the wise counsel and leadership of our Kings, Queens and Queen Mothers, a pillar of stability in this country. The contributions of past and present Members of the Consultative Assembly and Parliament, whose dedication and service have contributed a great deal in deepening our parliamentary democracy”, he emphasized. He added that Parliament further recognize with great appreciation the contributions of notable former Clerks to Parliament from Bono such as Nana Rex Owusu-Ansah and Mr. Emmanuel Anyimadu.

Touching on Parliament as an institution, The Speaker said Parliament is the pillar that holds democracy globally and therefore recognizes the onerous responsibility that the citizens of this country have placed on it. He noted that Parliament was mindful of the trust that the citizens have reposed on it. “Let me assure you, Chairman, that Parliament do not take the responsibility and trust for granted; we are resolved to ensure that our democracy survives not only the test of time, but also the test of legitimacy, responsiveness and relevance to the needs and aspirations of Ghanaians”, he assured. He was quick to add that the quality of Parliament determines the quality of democracy in every country.

On Governance, the Speaker noted the nation, certainly were confronted with various challenges such as poor leadership and bad governance as a result of week institutions and systems, yellow journalism, insecurity, mismanagement and an unprecedented economic down turn. He re-iterated, nonetheless, the Ghana was blessed with a stable but fragile political environment that provides the opportunity to dialogue and work towards overcoming the difficulties and challenges.

Also on 2024 Elections, Mr. Alban Bagbin urged all stakeholders, including Nananom, the Executive President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, the Judiciary, led by the Chief Justice, the Constitutional Commissions, particularly the EC, NCCE, CHRAJ, MC, Political Parties, think-tanks, Security Agencies, Civil Society Organizations and the Clergy to work together towards ensuring a peaceful, free, fair and credible elections in December this year. “Mr. Chairman, as we celebrate our democratic credentials, let me emphasize that we can only maintain our true accolade as the beacon of democracy in Africa, if we conduct election 2024 in a peaceful, free, fair, transparent and credible manner”, he said. He noted that the impending elections was a new opportunity to reaffirm and renew Ghanaians commitment to the democratic ideals, a new opportunity to demonstrate that Ghana, the Shining Star of Africa, can always rise to the occasion, and show the way for others to follow.

Mr. Kwasi Adu-Gyan, the Bono East Regional Minister in his speech assured the people in the Region that he will ensure that the 2024 elections was conducted in peaceful atmosphere with free and fair outcome. “If there should be bloodshed, not in my region”, the Regional Minister assured.

The Public Forum was chaired the Omanhene of Bassa, Nana Owusu Sakyi III.
The Speaker was accompanied by his spouse, MPs from Bono and Bono East regions, the Deputy Clerk to Parliament and some staff of the Parliamentary Service.

Imoro T. Ayibani

The Parliament of Ghana as part of its 30th anniversary of the Fourth Republic of Ghana has organized a mock parliamentary debate at the Sunyani Technical University.

The debate organized among five tertiary schools was on the theme “Social Media Has Made Us Less Social.”

Rt. Hon Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament of the 8th Parliament Of the fourth Republic of Ghana delivering his key note address on the theme “Thirty years of Parliamentary Democracy under the fourth Republic; the journey thus far”, indicated that Politics was all about service and representation of the masses.

He advised that in the Country’s quest to achieving Good Governance system there is the need for attitudinal change and reforms.

In related issues of concern, he said celebrating three decade of uninterrupted Democracy was the reason why the country prides itself as a democratic Country.

The Speaker again said, Parliament has under gone a lot of transformational progression and advice that democracy should not be practiced at a tortoise space.

On the part of students, the Speaker cautioned that failure should be seen as a first attempt in learning and the debate should not be based on only academic excellence but a political progression of ideas.

The Bono Regional Minister Justina Owusu Banahene, marking the anniversary expressed her sincerest appreciation to the Speaker and parliamentary service for choosing Sunyani as the venue for the programme.

She added that the practice of rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights has led to peaceful transitions of power and applied tenets of democracy through free and fair elections.

She again said our democratic institution has grown stronger and the voice of the people have been given the platform to be heard and respected.

The Minister urged all the citizens to have a sober reflections essential in acknowledging the tremendous rise made in various sectors.

Nana Okokyeredom Sakyi Ako II Chief of Drobo Traditional Council representing the Regional House of Chiefs urged all present to work towards the preamble of the 1992 constitution by showing love, unity, stability and patriotisms.

Climaxing the ceremony awards, medals and cash prizes were presented to the participating schools which Sunyani Technical University emerged first.

Rejoyce Ofori Tamea