Category: General

As the West African sub-region makes efforts to secure vaccine to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana’s Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botwe has said efforts by ECOWAS would help secure the vaccine either first or second quarter of this year.

According to her, she does not have power to put time frame as to how fast the vaccine can be secured for the West African sub-region.

She made this remarks on Thursday, February 11, 2021 when she appeared before Ghana’s Appointment Committee and was asked a question by the Minority Leader as to how fast the sub-region can procure the new found vaccine to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

.Again, Ghana’s Ministry of Health is putting in efforts to procure two hundred and forty million vaccines. And further noted that if countries with funds cannot find the vaccine to buy then the diplomatic channel of engagement can be explored and she is aware Ghana has already made efforts with countries manufacturing the vaccine and has to engage at the Foreign Ministers level to ensure that Ghana also get access to the vaccines.

 “I know for a fact that the president at his level is also engaging to ensure that we get the vaccine and I can assure the Committee that it would not be long before we get it, like others have been able to secure some amount, we would do that but it would not be enough to cover everybody”.

Also, she further explained that when Ghana secures the vaccine it would be given in phases; the frontline workers first.

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Ghana’s Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister designate, Shirley Ayorkor Botwe has said she is a firm believer in ensuring and seeing to it that lawmakers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament are elected under the universal adult surfer rage.

According to her as a former Community lawmaker it was something that she was pushing for, as at the time she was there they were pushing for an enhancement of their powers.

 “It is not right that member states are funding the Parliament, yet the Parliament only exists as an advisory body and yet budget for the Commission of ECOWAS institutions are not touched by the MPs”.

She further pointed out that, in every democratic dispensation funds given to institutions should be scrutinized.

The former Community lawmaker made this known on Thursday, February 11, 2021 when she appeared before the Appointment Committee of Ghana’s Parliament.

Mr. Mahama Ayariga who is a member of the Committee and also a member of the ECOWAS Parliament, wanted to know the role she would play as Ghana’s President is the chair of the Authority of Heads of States and Government with the Minister designate being chair of Council of Foreign Ministers.

Madam Ayorkor Botwe further assured the Committee that if given the nod she would engage her colleague Council of Ministers on the issues of direct election of MPs to the
Community Parliament.

Again, “I would like to work with the Parliament, and I am very open to discussion and engagement on the subject matter”, he assured the Committee.

Meanwhile on a sub-regional related question, the Bawku Central lawmaker wanted to know from the nominee if there can be measures put in place for COVID-19 testing to ensure that the land borders are opened as its being done at the airports that allow COVID-19 testing on arrival. This, he noted would help since his constituency shares border with neighboring Burkina Faso.

The Minister designate noted that Ghana is not the only country that has closed its borders, if there is the need to open the land borders there should be an effort by all the ECOWAS countries because, “we have porous borders and we cannot control the land borders properly”..

And further added that it would be difficult to control all the long stretches of borders that are not marked, therefore, it should be left for the authorities that are in charge to come up with the appropriate way to do it.

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Parliament’s Appointment Committee would on Thursday vet nominee-designate for Defense, Dominic Nitiwul and the Minister designate for Education Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum.

The activities of the Committee have not been affected by the 3-weeks shutdown of Parliament as announced by the Speaker following the surge in positive COVID-19 cases in the House, with 17 MPs and 151 staff being victims.

Due to the observance of COVID-19 protocols, media houses apart from the state broadcaster will not be allowed to cover the event.

The vetting process began yesterday with the nominees for the Health and National Security portfolios, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu and Albert Kan Dapaah respectively. And today’s vetting has been moved to the chamber.

The President nominated 46 persons in all to fill various ministerial portfolios.

The persons scheduled for vetting tomorrow are the Parliamentary Affairs Minister-nominee, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu; the Minister of Justice-nominee, Godfred Dame and the Interior Minister-nominee, Ambrose Dery.

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Minister-designate for National Security, Kan Dapaah has indicated that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) has been instructed to investigate the military invasion of Parliament during the inauguration of the 8th parliament.

He made this known when he appeared before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Wednesday, February 10, 2021.

Mr. Dapaah told the committee that those involved in the scuffle will be sanctioned if it is established that their actions were unprofessional.

“I know that orders have been given to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to investigate the military invasion of Parliament and to take the appropriate action, if he also comes to the conclusion that what happened on 7th January was totally unprofessional,” he said.

More than a dozen armed military personnel invaded the parliamentary chamber on the dawn of January 7 during the election of a new Speaker that had already been marred by scuffles between legislators from the NDC and the New Patriotic Party.

For hours, the scuffles broke out, led by the NDC legislators’ Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, who tried to make sure his opposing Whip was not interfering in the secret ballot.

The armed military and police personnel then stormed Ghana’s Parliament to confront the NDC.

The security personnel eventually left after about 10 minutes whilst being hooted at by the NDC MPs.

Although the Speaker of Parliament condemned the invasion by the military, he, however, failed to order for an investigation as asked by some Ghanaians.

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Mr. Albert Kan Dapaah, Minister-designate for National Security has justified the increased military protection for certain individuals in the country.

Responding to a query from Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, Mr. Kan Dapaah said the decision to rely on soldiers instead of police is based on intelligence and expert assessments.

“Anywhere you have seen soldiers having to protect a particular individual; it is because, in our assessment and assessment of security experts, there is the need for such support to be given to that particular person.”

“This is a decision normally taken by the security agencies. For instance, when we have a report that a particular individual has a problem and people are after his life, and we think there is a danger, we come in to provide support.”

He also said such security support was not limited to ministers and other high profile members of society.

“I do know of a journalist that we continue to provide security cover and security support to,” Mr. Kan Dapaah added.

When asked why police could not be relied on to offer such security support, the nominee said it was a question of resources.

“Clearly, the Ghana Police Service and the other security agencies; in terms of equipment, in terms of men, they, have never had the full complement of what it takes to provide the most effective policing.”

Though no individual was cited in the Minority Leader’s line of questioning, he has previously complained about the use of military personnel as bodyguards for state officials.

“We find it very despicable that men and women in uniform particularly in the Ghana Armed Forces will now be reduced to holding bags of key public officials. We want him to restore the dignity and honour of the Ghana Armed Forces,” Mr. Iddrisu said in a plea to the President.

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The surge in COVID-19 positive cases recorded in Ghana’s Parliament forced the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin in consultation with Leadership of the House on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 to suspend sittings of the plenary for three weeks.

According to him the House would resume on March 2, 2021, as members of staff infected in the last count has jumped from fifty-six (56) to one hundred and fifty-one (151), and Members of Parliament from fifteen (15) to seventeen (17).

Members of Parliament expressed shock on the floor of the House when the Speaker presented his formal communication to the plenary, with some shouting “eiii” and disappointment written all over the faces of some MPs and the journalists covering the House.

Mr. Speaker was quick to point out that, the Appointment Committee of the House can start its public hearing to vet Ministers designate and submit their report to the House for consideration after the three weeks suspended sittings.

“Only the clerk to the Committee, other supporting staff who would be engaged in the task of the consideration of the nominees for Ministerial appointment should be allowed to work, and during the period MPs and staffs are to comply strictly with the COVID-19 protocols and regulations”, the Speaker directed.

He further directed that MPs and members of staff should re-submit themselves to parliament’s medical center for re-testing after two weeks from Tuesday, February 10, 2021 to know their status before the House resumes from its break.

“Meanwhile, Parliament would continue with its weekly disinfection and sanitization of the presence of parliament, the House accordingly adjourn till Tuesdays, March 2, 2021”.

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Immediate past Member of Parliament for Kumbungu Ras Mubarak has indicated to contest for the position of Council of State member representing the Northern Region, a body created under Article 89 of the 1992 Constitution.

According to him Ghana would be better served if young people are part of the democratic process as he has the record of making a positive difference wherever he finds himself, and as Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Authority of Ghana he spearheaded reforms that resulted in the Authority moving from an underfunded agency to one of the most well resourced.

He touted his record in the Seventh Parliament, adding he asked most questions, made most statements, and made valuable contributions on the floor of the House.

“If delegates elect me on Friday, February 12, 2021 it would be the greatest honour in a life time,   more importantly offer me a special opportunity to offer advice on behalf of the people of the northern region to the President of the Republic on matters of state. This, I intend to discharge to the best of my ability”.

He further noted that, throughout his journey in politics and public life, he put the national interest over and above self or partisan consideration, the kind of quality required of a member of the distinguished body of advisors to the President of the Republic.

Again, I offer to the region and nation my youthfulness, dynamism, action oriented nature, accessibility, good listening skills which I have acquired over many years of practice as a broadcast journalist.

“I would listen to the voices of the chiefs, opinion leaders and people of the region, and would at all times make their well-being the Centre-piece of my attention at the Council, so help me God”.

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Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has advised first time Members of Parliament to take their parliamentary work serious as Ghanaians have high expectations from them and cannot afford to fail Ghanaians and the world at large.

According to him as representatives of the people their interest and ultimate goal should be serving their constituents, and they should do everything possible to pursue that course instead of seeking the political interest of their parties.

He made this remarks on Saturday, February 6, 2021 at Ada where an induction seminar was held for the new MPs, and added, “It is obligatory of the high attrition rate of Members of Parliament as the 8th Parliament has one hundred and twenty-three new MPs”.

The 8th Ghanaian Parliament is unique not only because the two major political parties have equal numerical strength, but also with the same number of women representation of twenty from each side of the divide. It is also the first parliament presided over by a speaker whose party is not in control of the Executive arm of government.

And added that he has directed the clerk of parliament to make the strategic plan of parliament available to all members of parliament as the House has almost completed a policy planning, budgetary management and evaluation department which would be staffed soon.

It would evaluate and over see the implementation and monitoring of reports on the performance of parliament as far as meeting its growth and success of their strategic plan is concern.

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Members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) would take their COVID-19 test today Friday. February 5, 2021 as the media was left out in the scheme of exercise which ended last week Wednesday, where Members of Parliament and staff went through the exercise.

Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin yesterday on the floor of the House indicated that the Noguchi Memorial Medical Institute would be back to the House to do a mop up exercise since there are still MPs who have not still taken the test.

Member of Parliament for Bia East Richard Acheampong pointed out on the floor yesterday when the matter came for discussion that, the Media and MPs’ drivers are with them in Parliament but have not taken the test.

According to him there is the need for the above mentioned category of people who work with them in Parliament to undertake the exercise so that going forward. “We know we are all safe”.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel George Nartey has urged the House to take advantage of COVID-19 and have a proper digital E-Parliament where instead of sitting twice in a week, it could be moved to four days a week.

According to him, virtually the House can be able to conduct business using a logging system which should be provided by the IT department of Parliament House and it would be a legacy for the House.

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Fifteen (15) Members of Parliament have tested positive to the novel coronavirus out of the two hundred and twenty-seven members who submitted themselves to the testing conducted by the Noguchi Memorial Medical Institute in parliament.

 The testing exercise which ended which ended on Wednesday, January 3, 2021 also recorded fifty-six (56) staff of the Legislature confirmed positive from some one hundred and ninety-three (193) members tested.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin announced that a mop up test exercise would be done on Friday, January 2021 for those who have not done the test to subject themselves to the test.

Mr. Bagbin who advised all members to avail themselves to the test for their own benefits and that of their families also announced some changes in the way parliament conduct its activities including sitting twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday from next week.

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