Category: General

The Majority Caucus in Parliament has taken a swipe at the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin for his refusal to release the Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis Xavier Sosu to the Ghana Police Service to assist with investigations into the alleged offences committed during a recent demonstration for improved road network in his constituency.
The police in a letter dated 27 October, 2021 requested the police to release the Madina MP to assist with investigations, but the Speaker in a response dated October 28, 2021 refused stating that; “proceedings of the 3rd Meeting of the 1st Session of the 8th Parliament commenced on Tuesday 26th October 2021 and having regard to the limitations of articles 117 and 118 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic”, hence he was unable to release the said MP as requested.
This response, the majority Caucus described as troubling and a departure from how his predecessors handled such requests.
In a press statement dated November 4, 2021, they accused the Speaker of Parliament of instituting new rules that seem to undermine the Rule of Law without any prior discussions with the Leadership of the House, and asked: What exactly has changed?
They contend that the Speaker’s predecessors Rt. Hon. Joyce Bamford Addo and Edward Doe Adjaho both received those requests during their days in office, and “they responded by inviting the relevant MPs, held discussions with them, and then asked them to report to the requesting Police or investigative authorities.”
“Again, during his tenure as Speaker, Rt. Hon Professor Mike Oquaye modified the arrangement, including making the Speaker’s Conference Room available to the Police to meet with MPs they were interested in and to conduct initial investigations. He did this to protect the dignity of MPs while at the same time ensuring that MPs are not put above the law. At all these times, Hon Bagbin, as he then was, had been part of the leadership of the House.”
[04/11, 13:12] Dominic: The Majority therefore argued that being parliament as a law-making arm of our democracy, has a constitutional, legal and moral duty to cooperate and collaborate with police to ensure tHat the Rule of Law prevails. Also, “Parliament must not be seen to be creating a false regime of two separate laws in Ghana – one for MPs and another for non-MPs. Instead, Parliament must ensure the quality of all citizens, including MPs, before the law.”
Ghanamps.com

The Minister for National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah has commended initiators of the CCTV camera project in the previous John Mahama administration.

According to him it is a beautiful project someone had the fore sight to have this project, adding that without the CCTV cameras their ability to fight crime was limited.

This came to light on the floor of the House on Tuesday, October 2, 2021 when the sector minister came to answer questions on how far they have gone with installation of CCTV cameras in police stations across the country.

Member of Parliament for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa commended President Nana Akufo-Addo administration for continuing with the project, but wanted to know the cost of the project but his question was disallowed.

Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South, Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije also wanted the Minister to mention the name of the person who started the CCTV project, but the Minister said, “I am very grateful and thankful to whomever started the project and whoever came with the idea, and it was during the time of the NDC”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Minister for National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah said the installation of CCTV camera’s in 432 police stations is expected to be completed by December this year.

Responding to the Member of Parliament for Wa West Peter Lanchene Toobu’s question on the state of the CCTV camera installation project across the country, he said the project is ongoing and currently implementation of the second phase is underway; stating that though this stage commenced in January of last year and was initially scheduled to be completed in 18 months, the completion date was rescheduled for December 2021 “due to logistical challenges introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic”.

“Currently, the police have some 900 police stations in total operation across the country and the phase two project is providing CCTV coverage for all 432 Regional, District and Divisional police stations out of the 900.

This is to enable monitoring of these installation and the remaining stations would be covered in subsequent phase of the project, roll out is currently ongoing and all 432 stations would be completed before the close of year”, he stated.

According to the Minister, to date, installation works of about 6, 500 cameras have been completed, with a little over 4,000  cameras powered and online, mainly in Accra, Kumasi and other regional capitals which has aided them achieve many success in detecting many  infractions and criminal activities, including helping them resolve recent violent crimes such as armed robbery and kidnappings.

He disclosed that the actual project segmented into phases started in  2012 when the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Communications and Huawei Technology Co Ltd signed a contract in 2012 for the establishment of the first phase of the integrated National Security Communications enhancement project (Alpha project Phase 1)

This was to ensure installation of network of CCTV cameras and cellular technologies to enhance operational efficiencies of the security and intelligence agencies of the country; and that phase delivered about eight hundred (800) CCTG in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and some critical border areas like Aflao, Elubo and Paga.

It also delivered a National Command Center and other Operations centers for emergency response and command control for Law enforcement, security and intelligence, and Emergency Response Agencies

Other critical national installation and some major towns across the county were also considered and indicated that the project has been largely successful.

GOG through the Ministry of National Security Huawei Technology and China Machinery Engineering Corporation in December 2018 signed a contract for the implementation of the second phase of the project to further enhance the capabilities of the system, by installing ten thousand more cameras (10,000) and extending its cellular capabilities to every district across the country.

The Minister said in line with this vision, the Vice President H. E. Dr. Bawumia in February 2018 announced plans by government to fix CCT cameras in all police stations across the country, a plan that is integral to the roll out of the phases of the project.

He noted that compared to other countries like London with 73.31 cameras per 1000 citizens, Beijing with 55.03, New Delhi with 33.73 cameras per 1000 citizens, Ghana’s less than one camera for every 1000 citizens is unimpressive, “and the nation needs to make the relevant investments in the sector to enhance our security”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Chairman of the National Media Commission, Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh said Parliament, must be really interested in the way the Commission works since it has the largest constituency among the constitutional bodies.

According to him it is the reason why the framers of the country’s constitution saw the wisdom in giving Parliament three (3) position out of the 18 member Committee, and there is no other body with such a number of representations.

He added that when the NMC is well resourced, it would work in the collective interest of the nation in other to carry out its responsibility that has been given to it.

“NMC has the biggest task in terms of the nation’s constitutional bodies than the Electoral Commission. The EC’s duty comes once in four years as elections are supposed to be conducted after every four years”, he noted.

The law establishing the NMC says it should not conduct itself, as if they are full time members yet the work that they do is a full time job,  “that is why it has become necessary that we need the support of parliament because the constitution says additional responsibility of the NMC can be given by the national parliament and  bemoaned the lack of powers of the NMC”.

He said this at an engagement organised by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and expanded leadership of Parliament.

Again, Ghanaians expect that NMC to take appropriate measures to ensure higher journalistic standards and professionalism in the media but an assumption that the Commission cannot do anything about.

That is NMC is cracking the whip, where “no one has given the whip to the NMC to crack. This is a country of rule of law and anything we do should be founded on law. So when the commission has not been empowered for instance to close down a radio station that has created a mishap, we cannot do that”.

 What the Commission order is apology,   retraction and rejoinder of a story and or recommend for the Association to punish. Beyond that they cannot do anything, and in the mind set of those who set the NMC was for it to facilitate the media rather than close them down.

 “If the time has come with the passing of time that the NMC should be given the powers to crack the whip, it is only parliament that can give it those powers to crack the whip”.

In his presentation, he further pointed out a worrying situation that, if majority of the members on the NMC were not doing other jobs things would have been difficult for them, as their allowance is delayed unduly up to nine months. “How do you expect us to serve the public interest?” He queried

And added that as a country if we want the country’s democracy to succeed, there should be a way of managing the media environment in the exercise of our freedom, but room should not be given to degrading person’s reputations.

Again, he lamented that NMC has had meetings with all the constitutional created bodies except Parliament and the Ghana Bar Association and was very grateful to MoPA for creating the opportunity as they relied on three (3) MPs on the Commission to facilitate a meeting with parliament but that did not happen.

And look forward for an opportunity of meeting Parliament as a House for them to have frank discussions.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice has turned down a resolution by parliament for the General Legal Council to admit all the 499 law students who secured the 50 percent pass mark but were denied admissions.

Last Friday on the floor of the House, both sides unanimously called for the need to ensure the GLC abides by its own rules prior to the conduct of the law examinations, and to admit all the 499 students who secured the pass mark.

The House subsequently passed a resolution to compel the General Legal Council (GLC) to admit all the affectd students.

The resolution also directs the Attorney-General as “the leader of the bar in Ghana to see to it that the directive that 499 students who scored 50 marks are admitted is complied with. We do not want to get to contempt of Parliament issues.”

But the Attorney-General, Godfred Dame in a response to the resolution to parliament dated November 1, 2021 indicates that he is “constrained to advise that Parliament is devoid of a power through the use of Parliamentary resolutions, to control the process of admission into the Ghana School of Law. The mode of exercising legislative power enshrined in article 106 of the Constitution does not admit of resolutions.

And added that the in accordance with section 13(1)(e) and (f) of the Legal Profession Act, 1960 (Act 32), the power to regulate admission of students to pursue courses of instruction leading to qualification as lawyers and to hold examinations which may include preliminary, intermediate and final examinations has been vested in the General Legal Council.

 

Seven Ministers of the President Nana Akufo-Addo led government are supposed to answer thirty-six (36) questions on the floor of the House this week.

This came to light when the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo Markin presented the business statement on the floor of the House on Friday, October 29, 2021.

Minister for Roads and Highways is supposed to take 10 questions, whiles the Interior and Educational Ministers are supposed to take 9 questions each on the floor of the House this week.

Minister of Transport is supposed to take 5 questions whiles National Security, Tourism Arts and Culture, Employment and Social Welfare are supposed to answer 1 question each.

In all there are 7 urgent questions to be answered, and 29 oral questions are to be taken, pursuant to Order 70 (2) which indicates that ministers of state may be permitted to make statements of government policy, when duly admitted by the Speaker of Parliament.

Bills, papers and reports would be laid on the floor of the House in accordance with order 119.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin has declined a request from the police administration for the release of Mr. Francis-Xavier Sosu, Member of Parliament for Madina for arrest.

In a letter signed by the Deputy Director of Legal Services of Parliament, Nana Tawiah Okyir in response to the police request dated October 27, 2021, the Speaker indicated that “proceedings of the 3rd Meeting of the 1st Session of the 8th Parliament commenced on Tuesday 26th October, 2021 and having regard to the limitations of Article 117 and 118 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic, he is unable to release the Member of Parliament as requested in your letter.”

Additionally, the Speaker refers the police to article 112 of the 1992 Constitution and inform them that “on Wednesday the 27th October, 2021 he referred to the Privileges Committee of Parliament, allegations of breach of parliamentary privileges and contempt by ACP Isaac Kojo Asante and ACP Eric Winful of the Accra Regional Police Command and the Adental Divisional Command Respectively’.

Following this, the Speaker reminded the Ghana Police Service to be mindful of the provisions of article 117,118 and 122 in the conduct of their investigations.

Mr. Francis-Xavier Sosu is being chased by the Police for leading a demonstration on October 25, 2021 in his Constituency that they claimed resulted in the destruction of properties and blocking of roads.

He managed to escape arrest on the said date through the help of his constituents, and subsequently reported the incident to the Speaker of parliament.

Ghanamps.com

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin has affirmed that discussions and debates on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values otherwise known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill would be done in public.

According to him, the bill has international dimensions with the whole world waiting to see the decision that the Ghanaian Parliament would take hence every step of the way would be done in public including all committee works. “We would want to know where each Member of Parliament stands” with regard to the bill.

The Speaking who was making his welcome comment on the floor of the house on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at the commencement of the third meeting of the first session of the eighth parliament of the fourth republic, the Speaker praised the interest the debate has generated but called on all and sundry to be accommodating of divergent views on the topic.

“Let the various shades of opinions canvass their positions on the bill. Let us be accommodating of others’ opinions and perceptions because that is their reality. Parliament, I have always maintained, is a house of the people and for the people.”

He assured that parliament will at the earliest possible time pass into law the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 which is presently before the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, adding that he remains committed to that pledge. “After all the debate, the dust will settle and we will make our way through what is chaff and what is substance”, he added.

“I am persuaded that the Parliament of the people of Ghana will pass a law that protects our culture and values as a people because without that, we lose our identity and our very existence. I am persuaded that this Parliament will pass a law that is in sync with our constitutional provisions and the various laws that already exist in this country. I am persuaded that we will pass a law that is rich in common sense, human decency, morality, fact, logic, and one that does not foment hatred in any shape or form”, Hon Bagbin stated.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com

A member of the Liberian delegation to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament and serving as a rapporteur to the Public Account Committee, Clarence Kortu Momolu Massaquoi has given indications that anyone found culpable of financial misappropriation would face the law.

A Committee introduced under the leadership of the current Speaker, Dr. Sidie Mohammed Tunis but for COVID-19 pandemic would have started work long ago has started receiving reports from the Auditor General of ECOWAS to start its work.

He said; “If there is evidence to the Committee that, there is misuse and application of community funds in the AG’s report, and we establish that, anybody found culpable the laws would work. There would be refund of funds as we have limited resources”, he said.

He further noted in an interview with Ghanamps.com that there are health, peace, and security issues that need to be addressed in the sub-region, peace and security; “we cannot be having those needs and someone would take those monies away, it is not going to be part of this Community”.

Again, “we can assure the Parliament and the Community that the needful would be done”, he said.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Vice Chairman of the ECOWAS Parliament’s Committee on Education , Magassy Muhamed said activities at the Committee level is not moving at the speed of his expectation pointing out that there are challenges in the educational sector in member states that need to be addressed.

“As vice chairman of the committee I cannot tell you what is going on in member countries when it comes to the educational level in member states, I can only tell what is going on in my country the Gambia”.

In an interview with Ghamamps.com to find out what is new with the Committee he belongs to in the Community parliament, he further noted that COVID-19 has slowed things down.

“We should be thinking sub-regionally when it comes to the educational sector and working on how to harmonize the system and ensure that we have taken a decision to realise integration of education in the sub-region than looking at individual member states”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com