Category: General

Minister of Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has noted that government is in the process of selecting an entity or individual to complete the much-talked-about abandoned housing project and operationalize it.

According to him the government took a loan of two hundred million dollars initially to build five thousand housing unit, thousand five hundred and six were partially completed, and that is what you see at Saglemi.

In a media briefing on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, he said three components were missing – water, electricity, and sewage work when the Ghana Institute of surveyors did their assessment.

”We needed hundred million dollars to complete this thousand five hundred and six. Then government took a decision that within the financial difficult constraints it is very difficult to find that money after two hundred million have been spent. Cabinet took a decision that we should start a process of selecting a private developer, consortium or private developers let them make investment in it and operationalize it.”

According to him, a month ago a proposal was issued and ten companies, private and international had expressed interest having pick up forms and were taken to the project site. They had the opportunity to inspect work. These companies, he said are putting together their work proposal according to the plan put together by 8th July, 2024.

We are hoping to receive the final proposal, we would hand the bide to a private entity and it would be opened which will give us evaluation report and based on that government would go ahead to select one of the bidders – single or consortium of entities when done, and the necessary cabinet approval will be gotten and sign a deal and hand over Saglemi to this entity to complete and operationalize that project.

Currently ten entities have expressed interest and going through the process. We are going through the process of selecting this independent organization; we would be going before PPA to get one selected. We are committed in completing this project, the Minister said.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Minister of energy Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh has admonished his colleagues to file an urgent question on the current power situation in the country when they were not satisfied on his answer on an urgent question on whether there is load shedding with the current outages.

According to the Minister, as at the time the question was asked there was no load shedding as at March of 2024.

He further pointed out that the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) does not fall under his ministry when a member wanted to know his opinion on the disagreement between the ECG and the PURC.

Whiles the ECG said there was no load shedding the PURC disagreed that there was load shedding.

But the response of the Minister did not go down well with some members on the Minority side, especially Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman Thomas Nyarko Ampem who pointed out that Ghanaians want to know if there is load shedding ongoing today. He said the Minister should not depend on a question filed two months ago that is currently being answered but respond based on current happenings.

The Minister noted, “I take my parliament seriously; I have been here three times to answer the urgent question and all the three times the questioner was absent. Come formerly with question on the current power situation in the Country, I will come to the House and answer question on the floor. I do understand my colleagues want to ask questions; if there is current load shedding. There has not been load shedding in the last one week; I can say there is no record that is not the way this House works. I am available to answer any urgent questions”, he added.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, has launched the Democracy Cup, a historic initiative marking three decades of parliamentary democracy in Ghana.

In his keynote address, Speaker Bagbin celebrated the journey of Ghana’s parliament, highlighting its role in promoting democracy, accountability and unity, while overcoming challenges.

He emphasized that the significance of the Democracy Cup will bridge the gap between Parliament and the people and enhances a collective celebration of Ghana’s democracy.

The Democracy Cup will feature a football match between Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak. This is to symbolize unity and sportsmanship ahead of the December elections.

Speaker Bagbin further urged the Electoral Commission to ensure a free, fair, and credible electoral process and used the occasion to invite everyone to attend the match and support the teams.

Ghanamps.com

Parliament of Ghana as part of its thirty years celebration of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy has launched a Democracy Cup to celebrate smooth practice of parliamentary democracy without interruption under the fourth Republican constitution.

In his welcome address on Thursday, June 13, 2024 to the launch of the democracy cup on the theme, “Thirty years of the practice of parliamentary democracy – the journey so far”, deputy clerk, Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror pointed out that in recognizing the role citizens have played in sustaining parliament under the fourth republican parliamentary democracy, the anniversary planning committee under the leadership of the Speaker organized a lot of activities including public forum, mock parliamentary sitting, football matches in various part of the country to commemorate the anniversary.

HE affirmed that the celebration has not only afforded parliament to assess itself through the lenses of the citizens but also created the opportunity for parliament to update and create awareness of what it does as an arm of government.

Article 1 clause 1 of the 1992 constitution says, “The Sovereignty of Ghana resides in the people of Ghana in whose name and for whose welfare the powers of government are to be exercised in the manner and within the limits laid down in this Constitution. As such, democracy is the project of the Ghanaian people and therefore they must own this celebration, he stated.

He said it was so exciting to see Ghanaians fully participating in the celebration and “we are using football which unites the nation together to celebrate the thirty-years and this is to also help identify young talents across the two hundred and seventy-five constituencies and this will be held annually to get the youth with talent into our national team.”

Present at the launch of Democracy Cup are, Steven Appiah, John Mensah John Pentsil, Agyeman Badu, Fatawu Dauda, Tony Baffour, and Sam Johnson.

Ghanamps.com

The Minority in Parliament has commended the Speaker of the House Rt. Hon Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin for his effort in closing the gap between the House and civil society organizations resulting in the country winning the most open Parliament in Africa.

Hon Ahmed Ibrahim, who represented the Minority Leader at the launch of the Democracy Cup in Parliament, noted that when the current Speaker started engaging civil society organizations, the academia community criticized him.

And something the Speaker started small has taken over the whole of Africa; the fifty-four nations. He said the launch of the Democracy Cup using football to promote democracy is very innovative and compared that to the time of Ghana’s first president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah where whatever he started became the property of Africa.

He further pointed out that the launch of the democracy cup will help return countries under military rule to democratic rule.

“The Bono region is a well-planned one; you have a lot of football fields there so we are producing a lot of players for the premiership, unlike Accra where all the football fields are being sold to estate developers”.

Again, I am happy and congratulate the Speaker for his effort of bringing our football legends into Parliament House, he added.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon Alban Suman Bagbin in welcoming Members of Parliament to the third meeting of the fourth Session of the eighth Parliament of the fourth Republic, has announced that this meeting is going to be short latest by the end of July unless the House decides to prolong it.

Despite the short time period, he disclosed that about 80 bills are expected to be introduced within the period.

He affirmed that the meeting would be tight and challenging; hence everyone is needed on board to achieve what they need to do within the meeting.

According to him, reports on urgent legislations like the Affirmative Action and Gender Equality Bill 2023 should be presented this week, and laid; adding that this time around “we have no excuse”.

Also the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana Amendment Bill 2021 will be looked at as well as International Business Economic Transactions Bill 2024 which is a critical bill because the responsibility has been on parliament since 1992, he stated.

Others are the Parliamentary Transition Bill critical for this House for smooth transition.

Five Legislative Instruments before Committees, twenty seven more instruments to be presented, one hundred and forty nine papers before various committees, and fifty nine more to be presented.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Leader of Government Business, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has revealed that the Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adams would present the mid-year review budget to the House before ending of July 2024.

According to him, the exact date is not yet known but that would be communicated in the course of time and the mid-year budget review he pointed out is something normal.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin noted that as the 2024 budget was presented and passed last year per the constitution, the Finance Minister is supposed to come before the House for review, if there is variation and update.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Minority in Ghana’s Parliament has re-affirmed that they will not be available for business on the floor of the House any time their leader Dr. Ato C. Forson Baah is before the court in the hearing of the ongoing ambulance case trial.

Minority chief whip Governs Kwame Agbodza at a press conference said the decision comes on the back of the refusal of the presiding High Court Judge, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe to grant a request from the lawyers of the Minority Leader for the leave of the court to enable him attend to important parliamentary business on Tuesday, 11th June, 2024 when the House resumes its third meeting of the fourth session.

Last week, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe again rejected a similar request from the parliament of Ghana to enable the Minority Leader take part in a meeting of the Parliamentary Service Board which was due to take critical decisions ahead of the resumption of Parliament, among others.

The NDC Caucus was left with no representation at these important meeting that the Minority Leader is expected to deliver a resumption address, join parliamentary leadership to engage the press and undertake other important activities, as part of his legislative mandate.

These are part of very important parliamentary duties exclusively reserved for the leader of a Parliamentary Caucus at the commencement of a parliamentary meeting. The Minority Caucus has taken notice of this worrying trend that shows an attempt by the trial judge, Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, to prevent the Minority Leader from performing his constitutional duties as an elected Member of Parliament and the Leader of the Minority Caucus.

“The NDC Minority Caucus further reserves the right to apply all other tools available to us in our approach to business on the floor, the press and undertake other important activities, as part of his legislative mandate. These are part of very important parliamentary duties exclusively reserved for the leader of a Parliamentary Caucus at the commencement of a parliamentary meeting”, they stated.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Senator Edwin Melvin Snowed Jr. of Bomi County has applied to the National Patriot party of Liberia for reaffirmation of his membership of the party having stepped aside from the party and contested as an independent senate candidate in the 2005 and 2011elections.

In 2017 however, he contested on the Unity Party ticket before reversing to an independent candidate which outcome made him the current Senior of Bomi County.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Committee on Health is holding an in-camera discussion with the social cluster of Committees to discuss non-release of funds to the National Health Insurance Authority.

Committees that are to appear before the Committee for discussion are the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, the National Health Insurance Authority and the Controller and Accountant General Department.

The initial public hearing of the Committee’s meeting turns up to be an in-camera discussion after which the chairman of the Committee Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye assured the media they would be briefed after their discussion.

As to what is informing the sudden turn around, the chairman of the Committee told journalists this is a standard practice; and apart from the Appointment Committee of Ghana’s Parliament they are a Committee that had held public hearing.

Ranking of the Committee Kwabena Minta Akando had a different view of the chairman and pointed out that since this is a public institution there is nothing to hide.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com