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The Commissioner for Macro Economic Policy and Economic Research, at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, who is in Ghana, has been throwing light on his job in Abuja, Nigeria.

According to him it is an opportunity to work on behalf of the fifteen (15) member states to uplift it in terms of its finance and ensure that there is a single currency in place for the West African sub- region.

Again, he pointed out that ECOWAS ensures citizens within member states are able to move freely, have one passport, and there is trading going on within the fifteen member states.

He, however, lamented that Africa as a continent, and the West African sub-region is lacking behind, and sometimes it is as if the African continent is not part of the rest of the world. “We need to pay attention to things that would uplift us as a sub-region for us to be recognised and Africa as a whole and for the citizens of ECOWAS to have a better life”.

Speaking on Asempa FM, a private radio station’s current affairs programme, ‘Ekosiisen’, he noted that his work at the ECOWAS Commission as a Commissioner, he is there to do his best as his predecessors.

“My job is to follow the microeconomic policy of the 15 member states and their trade policy and their research statistics through research, which we get to know that in this particular year we had this number of things coming in and out of a member country.

Again,  what they  are exporting and the funds coming into the various countries in member states are how much for instance in the case of Ghana,  how many things do we buy from other African countries; we juxtapose that with what we buy from outside the African continent. All of these bring progress to a nation”, he said.

My work is in every member states the policy they are formulating, would that bring progress and growth, policy on interest rate and inflation, trade and all on micro economic variable.

For instance, he pointed out that when he visits Ghana with his staff to look through the macroeconomic indicators in a year, what they look out for is the amount of money the country get and inflation, what interest rate is, what is the GDP, what are all the goods they have exported abroad, and how many of them stayed in West Africa.  “What, did we import from other countries and how is that affecting us, does that help in our growth or not?”

Dr. Apraku pointed out that on the issue of single currency convergence; Togo is leading in meeting the convergence criteria than every country in the West African sub-region when it comes to ECO, as the next is Senegal.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Akim Oda Constituency, Alexander Akwasi Acquah has appealed to the National Democratic Congress, NDC Minority MPs to support the NPP-Government to pass the E-Levy to promote development.

He said most of the times when they engaged the NDC on the E-Levy, they were reluctant to support them because they think the NPP-Government will make money and use it to develop the country.

“If the NDC is saying the E-Levy is not good, they should help us pass it, and let Ghanaians vote them in and let them come and use it to develop the country,” he said.

Speaking on Atinka TV morning show, Ghana Nie with Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu, the MP noted that, “it is left with three years, so they should help us pass it and let them come into power. Rather, they know that if we are able to pass it, Ghana will be a paradise.”

The Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori Atta stated that government has engaged the Telcos on the controversial E-Levy and the Telcos have agreed to cut down their percentage on transactions by 0.25%.

Despite the 0.25% cut by the Telcos, he said 1.75% remains the same, adding that a new Bill will be heading to Parliament when it resumes.

The Finance Minister was addressing the Press on Wednesday, January 19, 2022 after consultations with the Minority, Corporate Society Organisations and a number of institutions.

When asked if the 1.50% is still okay to be maintained by parliament, Mr. Alexander Akwasi Acquah said, “The 1.50 should be easy because it is going to go into infrastructure, roads and others.”

He added that, “Look at how much money we spend on our car parts, shock absorbers and others, but someone can drive in abroad for a long time without changing shocks because the roads are good. We say we are spending much money to change shocks in our country, but what we are saying is that the E-levy will help us pay our road contractors so that they will fix our roads for us.”

As a strong campaigner of the E-levy, he called on all to support it to help the government get enough money to develop the country.

“Because I know the importance of the E-Levy, it will not worry me when it is passed. I am looking at what the tax is going to be used for, I do not see it as a tax, I see it as a contribution because the moment you see it as tax, you think it is punitive, let us call it contribution,” he said.

Ghanamps.com

Headmistress of Apersua MA/primary Teye Korlekie Dina has appeal to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly for her school to be considered in the next batch of schools to benefit from the school feeding.

According to her the current school population of ninety one (91) would have been more if the school had benefited from the school feeding programme. At the moment, she said most of the pupils have moved to the adjourning community schools because they enjoy the feeding programme.

In an interview she noted that as a farming community Apersua has a lot of children who are not in school and are home due to financial difficulties and the introduction of school feeding would motivate the children to come to school.

“One of our desired needs is the school feeding programme and we are most grateful to the MCE that when we appeal to him he indicated that this school would be considered in the next batch”.

As to how the relationship has been between the school and parents, she noted that it has been cordial as parents assist anytime they need their assistance.

Mrs Teye Korlekie was very grateful to the Yilo Krobo lawmaker for his intervention that has put smiles on the faces of teachers, pupils and the parents with the renovation of the Apersua primary and building of a new kindergarten block.

“When I was posted here I met a very deplorable school building our desire was that somebody comes to our aid; lucky for us the MP showed the zeal to work on the building and that is what we have seen done by him”.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Ketu South, Dzifa Gomashie has given out GHc 49,920 as seed money for a revolving fund to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) branch executives in the Ketu South Constituency.

 The amount which constitutes her six month salary was doled out in fulfillment of a promise she made during her parliamentary primaries to support the branches if she was elected.

The MP handed out cheques to the five Zonal Chairmen on behalf of the branch executives during her recent ward tour with the Constituency Executives.

She admonished the zonal executives to call zonal and ward meetings to deliberate on how to distribute the money.

According to the MP, even though the said amount is the seed money for the loan, any Zone that decides to put their share of the money into the ongoing party office project, will forfeit their obligation to repay as the money will then cease to be a loan and become an unconditional grant.

All Zones are to report to the Constituency Executives on the decision arrived at before disbursement commence.

The five Zonal Chairmen were in high praises for the Member of Parliament for fulfilling her promise.

Below are the various zones and amount received by the Zonal Chairmen.

*Klikor Zone (29) branches GHC 6,960.00

*Aflao Urban (83) branches GHC19, 920.00

*Somey Fugo (33) branches GHC 7,920.00

*Aflao Wego  (33) branches GHC 7,920.00

*Somey Wego (30) branches GHC 7,200.00

Bright Dzila/Ghanamps.com

As the 8^th Parliament starts its first meeting of the second session of the fourth Republic, lawmaker from the Yilo Krobo constituency has said he is set for the meeting and would continue to ask questions on the floor of the House which would benefit his constituents.

According to him as a caucus the Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) is ready to do whatever they can to mitigate the sufferings of Ghanaians more especially when it comes to the E-Levy.

“You know what we have done about it and I am passionate about it because I believe it is the poorer section of society who would surfer the more when it is passed and comes to implementation, we would continue to fight”.

He added that looking at their numbers, when the Speaker comes to preside over affairs in the chamber they have vote and “you can guess the outcome, Ghanaians should know whatever would affect the poor negatively or the needy they have to be assured the NDC caucus would continue to fight it”.

Again, “we are opposed to the E-Levy; we would not let it happen if we vote and it happens you know our stand”, he said in an interview in his constituency.

On his view about physical fight that has happened on two occasions on the floor of the House, he noted that he does not expect the upcoming meeting to witness that; “I expect more debates, collaborations but not on the E-Levy, we have made our position clear on that”.

Again, “we did not plan to go and fight in parliament whatever we did we did it to protect Ghanaians, we would continue to do so”, he said.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

As part of his agenda to ensure that his constituents have access to quality healthcare, Member of Parliament (MP) for Yilo Krobo, Albert Tetteh Nyarkotey is building a health facility at Akpo Akpamu.

The Community had an old structure which was built long ago and had become dilapidated hence the MP had to build a new structure, as the nurses at Akpo Akpamu health center had to vacate the facility and move to Agogo.

In an interview the Yilo Krobo MP noted that by the end of February 2022, the people of Akpo Akpamu would have a newly completed health center; and added that he has plans for other communities like Opersika among others.

“Beyond putting up structures, I have gone to the Communities to pay for all those who are unable to renew their health insurance card. It would surprise you to note that some of the people would resort to herbal medicine because he or she does not have 10 or 8 Ghana cedis to renew his or her health insurance card, and it is something I do from time to time”,  he noted.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

 

Member of Parliament (MP) for Yilo Krobo, Albert Tetteh Nyakotey on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 handed over a renovated primary school block and a newly constructed kindergarten block back to management of Apersua in his constituency.

The school roofing was ripped off in 2015 after a torrential rainfall and rendered the school block in a very bad shape such that pupils had to scoop water from the classroom after every rain just so they can return to class to continue their studies.

Though several appeals were made to relevant stakeholders no help came.

It was not until in the lead to the 2020 Parliamentary election on one of his campaign trail that the people appealed to the MP to assist in roofing and renovating the school block which makes attending school unattractive in the mostly farming community.

The MP embraced the call and has not only fulfilled the desire of the people, but went ahead to   rebuild the kindergarten block which was a wooden structure with a bare floor into a concrete structure befitting for conducive teaching and learning environment.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony of the newly renovated block to the school, Mr. Tetteh Nyakotey revealed that having made education his priority concern for his constituency he has signed a contract with a nongovernmental organization (NGO), Pencil of Promise to jointly rebuild eight school infrastructures which were in very bad shape, including the Agogo Anglican school in which the building has become a death trap to both teachers and students, and has since been brought down as three separate blocks are quickly springing up.

He assured the people of more interventions stating that; “my contributions to the communities in the area include connecting them to pipe borne water and providing street lights apart from the renovation of the primary block and provision of a KG block”.

Speaking with Ghanamps.com during the commissioning ceremony, Mr. Tetteh Nyakotey noted that this was his first educational intervention since becoming an MP and was happy to see smiles on the faces of teachers, pupils, parents and the chiefs.

He further noted that he has provided free vacation classes for all BECE candidates in 2021 and among other intervention provided mathematical sets to all candidates; and he visited a number of schools to motivate the BECE candidates a day before the exams begun.

The MP also hinted of a scholarship scheme that would identify brilliant but needy children, especially those who want to enroll at the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD-Ghana) in Somanya for assistance. “When they apply they would get some funding”, adding that plans are already in place to achieve that.

According to him, he is where he is today because he benefited from education and took the opportunity to encourage parents to send their wards to school.

As to what he is doing with regards to the day secondary school facility that has been completed at Apersua but not being put into use, he noted that he has held discussions with the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) on the subject matter.

“I brought the Minority side on the education Committee to hold a press conference here, and if the need be I would bring them for the second time for the whole world to know the effort I am putting in for students in this constituency who do not have space to occupy and edifice constructed by John Dramani Mahama is wasting away”.

On what would be his contribution towards getting a Junior High School for the people of Apersua who appeal to him for such a facility, he noted that he would collaborate with the MCE to address their needs as he has no difficulty working with the MCE; “at the end of the day it’s the people who would benefit”, he said.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament (MP) for Okaikwei South, Dakoa Newman has visited various projects being undertaken at her constituency.

According to her twitter post she had the opportunity to visit one hundred and fifty (150) students in the constituency who are beneficiaries of MPs educational support fund for the 2022 academic year.

She further noted that, as school reopened children within her constituency would no longer study in uncompleted classrooms.

“I visited my pet project which is the completion of the ground floor of the Cable and Wireless School to ascertain the level of completion. The project is 60% complete”.

Ghanamps.com

 

Member of Parliament (MP) for Sege, Christian Corletey Otuteye has expressed shock over news of attack on Radio Ada 93.3 on Thursday, January 13, 2022 by unknown weapon wielding men “macho men” who attacked the Community base radio station.

According to him the hoodlums manhandled, assaulted and kept hostage at gunpoint presenters and guests during their barbaric attack on the station.

The heavily built masked men smashed broadcast equipment and damaged several other machines, furniture among others.

“I strongly condemn this barbaric, primitive and lawless act, and calls on the Inspector General of Police and the Police Services in the Ada enclave for an immediate investigation and prosecution of all persons involved”.

As a representative of the people of Sege, who benefit from the Station, in a statement he noted that he would not sit down for the media to be coerced, terrorized and stifled to the whims and caprices of some criminals.

“The unwarranted attack and brutality of media persons and their stations cannot be shelved unpunished any longer, I further urged the good people of Sege and Ada to stand firm in unity to resist any act of intimidation and lawlessness”, he added.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The vice chairman, of the Public Account Committee (PAC) of the 8th Parliament,  Dr. Samuel Atta Mills has said when the Committee is adequately resourced, they can do a lot of work in the wake of back log of reports the Committee is yet to deal with.

According to him the Speaker, Rt. Hon Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has given assurance of support to deal with the back log, especially funding; “what we need to do is to get our plans together and cover all these issues”.

In an interview Dr. Mills indicated that when the House starts the Second Session of the 8th Parliament on Tuesday, January 25, 2022 the Committee has a lot of reports to look at to ensure that they cover a lot.

On the issue of the regional public hearing tour embarked on by PAC last year, he noted that it yielded a lot of results, as those involved knew the Committee was coming to the various regions and they paid up and they recovered sixty five million Ghana cedis on their tour.

“I think when we do more and earlier, it would help recover funds that people may have misapplied or misappropriated”, he said.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com