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Member of Parliament for Garu, Albert Akuka Alalzuuga has urged the Nana Akufo-Addo government to complete Tamne Dame which would create jobs for the youth in the constituency, to curb the drift towards Accra and Kumasi for greener pasture which does not exist.

According to him when the dam is completed, it would address dry season farming which would benefit not only his constituency but that of Pusiga, Zibilla, Binduri, Timpani and Bawku Central.

At a press conference just after the Minister for Food and Agriculture came to the floor of the House to answer a question, he pointed out that he was not satisfied with some aspects of the answers provided by the sector minister.

“There were no timelines given as to when the dame would be completed, and the project made available to the farms. There are thousands of hectors and the irrigation can cover six thousand or more but the response of the Minister indicates that only three hundred hectors would be covered”.

As a former District Chief Executive for Garu Tempani, he noted that the consultant had indicated that over three thousand hectors was going to be worked on but per the contract document presented by the Minister only three hundred hectors would be worked on.

He was particular about the dam creating jobs for the youth in the area so that they do not involve themselves in activities that do not speak well of people coming from the Northern Ghana that have migrated to Southern Ghana in search of jobs.

Government should find a way of raising money to complete the project in next year’s budget, he added.

“I am not satisfied that the Minister was unable to tell how much they have paid and how much is left to be paid, but promised to provide that information through the Speaker’s office, that is fine but I want the remaining money captured in next year’s budget”, he said.

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 Majority Chief Whip Frank Annoh- Dompreh said he is not convinced with answers given my Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh on the reasons why prepaid meters worth 40 million dollars almost six years down the line have not been put into use and the container is still at the port.

According to him he has filed an urgent question because some investigations have been done by The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and forwarded to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice Department.

At a press conference just after the Minister answered the question on the floor of the House, he urged the media in Parliament to be interested in this particular issue, “I am not going to waiver my interest in this matter, I would get to the bottom of this matter. It happened in 2016 and I am not suddenly interested in this matter, I have been following it for the past two years conducting my own investigation. I know the speaker has admitted this urgent question it would come to the floor, the only delay would be the presentation of the budget after the presentation of the budget I know that question would be taken”, he said.

The Nsawam-Adoagyiri lawmaker told members of the Parliamentary Press Corps that he would take issues one after the other and further pointed out that it is an issue of transparency and how public office is run and being accountable to the people.

“We hold in trust public funds, and if this were individual funds, we would be asking to enter into such a contract, close to six years no one has verified what is in the container at the port, it is a big matter we have to get to the bottom of this matter”.

Again, he noted that he does not just speak for the sake of it, and he has checked from the AG’s department and they have confirmed that EOCO has a report before them and they are preparing for prosecution.

“Some of you should go to the port and investigate if some containers are there with meters or not and if it has been verified”.

“If all of the members of the Majority MPs deject me on this matter, I would still go after it and I would not rest until I get to the bottom of this matter”, he assured.

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On the question on whether the crusade to ensure that citizens of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) would be able to elect their lawmakers to the community Parliament at the end of the life span of the fifth parliament, a member of the Ghanaian delegation to the current Parliament, Mahama Ayariga has given indications that he would go to the Community Court to ensure that any lawmaker coming to the next sixth Parliament would be through direct election.

According to him, he wants the ECOWAS Court of Justice to forcefully end the transitional protocol for direct election which has been more than twenty (20) years.

“So, if Members of Parliament of the fifth (5^th) legislature their tenure ends, the next parliament, if they are not directly elected, they should not be sworn in, because the transition has ended; I want the court to declare that the transition has ended”.

In an interview as to when he would head for the Community Court of Justice, he noted that he is still having discussions with his colleagues on the matter and at the appropriate time he would move to the Court.

When further asked if the direct election of MPs to the ECOWAS Parliament, a flagship project by the Speaker Dr. Sidie Mohamed Tunis is achievable before he leaves office, Mahama Ayariga responded in the affirmative and added that, “if we work hard at it, it can be achieved”

And added again that, there is nothing more to be done except for the Authority of Heads of States and Governments of ECOWAS to say that, “they want direct elections to start this time, that is all that is needed to be done”.

“It is a protocol and it was supposed to be a transitional arrangement and something that was supposed to be done over twenty years ago, and is no longer a transitional agreement, time has elapsed, the Authority of Heads of States they have already legislate on the matter”.

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Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako Atta has admonished his colleagues on the Majority and Minority side of the House not to plead with him in other for emergency roads and bridges to be fixed across the country.

According to him emergency roads and bridges have to be fixed “you do not plead with me or another person for them to be fixed”.

This came to light on Thursday, November 11, 2021 on the floor of the House when the Adentan MP drew the House’s attention that a seven-year-old boy, who had closed from school last week Friday, got drowned when trying to cross a drain after a light downpour. He said the situation could have been averted if the bridge was in place.

“Mr. Speaker, I share in the sentiment of my colleague from Adentan, if there is an emergency on any road or bridge it has to be fixed, do not plead with anyone” the Minister asserted .

But while the Minority MPs were shouting following the minister’s response, he explained that he was rather supporting the MPs call. “Per my statement, I am supporting the Adentan MP, he said a life was lost, it is unfortunate and regrettable, we should not lose a single life”, he added.

He further pointed out that in the past when his colleagues bring issues of emergency on roads and bridges, they are done and there is no need to make a statement on the floor of the House on these issues.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Member of Parliament for Adentan constituency, Mohammed Adamu Ramadan has made an urgent appeal to the Roads and Highways Minister to help put up a bridge over a drain in his constituency around Ashaley Botwe that has claimed the life of a seven-year-old boy last week after a light rain pour.

According to him last week Friday, November 5, 2021 he asked a question on the floor of the House about that particular drain and he was told the drain would be captured in the 2022 budget.

“Prince Wisdom Ndomesy of Prince Academy Ashaley Botwe closed from school, the only child of his parents, his mother stays around St Peters School Ogbodjo area, he was crossing the rain and got drowned, his other colleagues had to turn back”.

The Adentan MP further told the House that whiles the water was carrying the seven-year-old boy, he was shouting for help, only to be found dead the follow day at Trasaco phase two, a tragedy he pleaded with the Minster, Amoako Attah to turn his attention to his constituency.

He came under Standing Order 53 when the Second Deputy Speaker was charring affairs on the floor of the House and interrupted, an Order that allows an MP to put an issue of urgent public importance across.

“This is the last time that we should lose a life, I have met with the family and the mother could not control her tears, the only child, only God knows what he would have become in Ghana”, the MP lamented.

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The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Andrew Asiamah Amoako presiding over proceedings on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 has directed the issues of tidal waves devastation and matters arising in the coastal belt of the Volta Region to the Committee of Works and Housing.

He has directed the committee to visit the affected areas and report to the house appropriately as soon as practicable.

The Speaker’s directive follows statement presented on the floor of the house by the Minority MPs from the Volta Region led by Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzra, Member of Parliament for Ho West drawing the House’s attention to the happenings along the coastal belt of the region with respect to tidal waves devastation, and the inactions from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), and government.

The MPs from the affected constituencies, Madam Dzifa Gomashie MP for Ketu South, and Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey, MP for Keta both contended that no official from government or the NADMO office had visited the area, and nothing was presented to the people in a form of relief items.

The Keta MP said currently, some of the over 3000 affected persons are housed in schools and churches.

The House in commiserating with the people agreed that there is an urgent need for government’s intervention and called on the Finance Minister to release funds to NADMO to be able to respond quickly to the needs of these people.

Mr. Annoh Dompreh, MP for Nsawam Adoagyiri said the issue is a national concern, and the majority side sympathizes with the hundreds of people affected by the situation.

In a rather surprising turned of events, the two caucuses in parliament turned a clarion call for immediate assistance to be extended to the over 3000 victims of the tidal wave devastation into a political fight.

What was to be an innocuous appeal turned into a political struggle between the two major political parties with each trying to prove to have done more for the people in respect of dealing with the tidal wave devastation.

The MP for Keta who out of frustration during his submission asked a rhetorical question if “the affected people are not Ghanaians” as the government seems not to have responded swiftly was not taken lightly by the Majority Caucus.

Mr. Annoh Dompreh in trying to correct the impression that government was sideling the people said the first phase of the project was started in 2019 and duly completed, a sign that the government cared about the people. But his choice of date would be challenged when he was called to order by the Minority, correcting that the project was actually started in 2015 and rather completed in 2019.

Mr. Dompreh also stated that a lot is being done to start the second phase which is the Blekusu Coastal Protection Project, and allayed the fear of the people that government would repond appropriately to them as officials are assessing the situation for a proper appraisal.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com

Majority chief whip, Frank Anno-Dompreh has taken a swipe at the Minority and pointed out to them that the president cannot be everywhere, hence the reason the framers of the constitution gave him executive powers to appoint officials who would represent him.

“This is unlike us, after the statement on the floor of the House there are few things, we need to straightened; we are not showing any partisanship or approaching it aggressively”.

Mr Annoh Dompreh did not take kindly with the partisan nature the discussion on the tidal wave devastation was assuming when certain comments from the some minority MPs including the MP for Keta, Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey suggests the government was not sensitive to the plight of the people in the coastal belt of the Volta Region.

Mr. Gakpey in one of his statements asked a rhetorical question “if the affected people were not Ghanaians”, and in another wondered why the President was in Cape Verde for a ceremony in the midst of this level of disaster.

But addressing the media before adjournment of the House on Tuesday, November 10, 2021, the Majority Chief Whip expressed his unhappiness with comments made by his colleagues in the Minority that, the president does not care that is why he has left the country to attend to an anniversary.

He recounted that the Blekusu project along the Keta stretch, statistics has it that the project started in 2015, and when the current government came to power, they continued it and completed the phase one in 2019.

“The hydrological department of the Ministry of Works and Housing has done some work and was supposed to continue with phase two which is a stretch of eight kilometers estimated completed, we would not be having this conversation today if phase two had been completed”.

The Majority would support any attempt devoid of undue partisan tendency to call on the president and finance Ministry to ensure that the necessary finance is released and was the same line of argument taken on the floor when the issues came up.”

And recounted that even even during the Rawlings era, it was an MP from the then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) who raised the need of an action to be taken on the Keta Sea defence project, and the current government has been consistent in addressing the tidal wave problem.

“I am confident we are going to follow through to the conclusion of this matter to ensure the necessary funding is released. Our brothers in the Minority should be a bit considerate, I have checked from NADMO, they have sent their deputy director of operation who has gone there to do assessment”.

He further pointed out that relief items cannot just be given our when disaster like the one which had occurred in the three coastal Contituencies, Ketu South, Keta and Anlo; “experts would tell you it is important short and medium methods are adopted, you do not go to a place where disaster has occurred and just start distributing items”.

Again, we sympathize with the victims but we should take away partisanship from it as we are doing, I find it strange when the question is asked “are they not Ghanaians?’ You have been in power for more than 20 years were there no tidal waves, NDC does not have that moral right to be pointing accusing fingers at us, let us get patriotic, he stated

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Member of Parliament (MP) for South Tongu, Kobena Mensah Woyome  said the country risks losing about five communities in the coastal part of the constituency if urgent steps are not taken to avert the sea from washing away those communities.

He said because the areas is the estuary where the river empties into the sea, the devastating effect of the tidal waves, coupled with the effect of the rivers own actions on the communities around the coastal part of the constituency poses grave danger to people living there.

He said a tour of the area yesterday in the company of the chiefs and the District Chief Executive attests that the situation is getting serious as some towns are being submerged forcing people to start moving their items with the hope of eventually relocating.

The area, he indicated extend from Anyanui all the way to Kedzi.

Making a contribution during a press briefing organised by the Minority MPs from the Volta Region, on the plight of the affected communities and government’s inactions, he said he had to call the VRA to also move into action to intervene because they have a responsibility towards communities around the estuary, stating that VRA has sited a dredger at Adafor but for so many years they have not being working and not helping the communities.

He the inaction of VRA is having serious effects on the people. There have been meeting, there have been discussions and there have been promises by the VRA and Ministry of Energy, in fact they come in and make promises, but nothing comes out of it. As my colleague earlier said, the rhetoric I think it must end now because people’s live and properties are at stake, and there is the need for action now”

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com

Madam Dzifa Gomashie, Member of Parliament for Ketu South, one of the constituencies affected by the devastation of last Sunday’s tidal wave is calling for an immediate commencement of the Phase II of the sea defence project (Blekusu Project).

The 8 kilometers Blekusu Coastal Protection Project, which forms the second face, she noted, is the only and sustainable way of solving the recurring problem bedeviling coastal communities in those three constituencies.

 Speaking on the floor of the House on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 on the unfortunate conditions of the affected communities, she said the ” only consolation is the immediate start of the defence project’.

She said many comforting words were said in previous such situations that befell the people in March, May, and in November similar words are being expressed without the accompanying action, and this is getting frustrating.

The MP who admitted shedding tears on seeing the devastation the caused by nature said, even the very community she took the Works and Housing Minister to during previous occurrences has been washed away.

According to her, since Sunday when the disaster occurred, nothing in the form of relief has been sent to the affected people.

However, looking at the extent of damage, government should have moved in swiftly to comfort the people with the necessary relief items.

The Ketu South MP said the long closure of the borders has already worsened the economic lives of the people, many of whom are struggling with their finances, and the current situation would be unbearable without the needed external support.

The MP for Keta who also added to the contribution said even some communities who for the past 40 years never experienced tidal wave disaster have not been spared this time.

He said government through the National Disaster Management Organisation would have to move in soonest to support the over 3000 individuals affected by the disaster.

Dominic Shirimori /Ghanamps.com

Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo Markin has revealed to Parliament   that, the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee would start its work on the anti LGBTQI Bill next week.

According to him the Committee has received about one hundred and fifty memoranda from civil society and some Ghanaians which need to be considered by the Committee before they present their final report.

And further noted that the Committee has agreed to meet with all the ten groups and individuals who presented memorandum and listen to their explanation.

“The Committee would need fifteen weeks to meet all those who have submitted memorandum to the Committee before its final report is prepared and sent to the floor of the House”.

Mr. Afenyo Markin made this known to the House, when the Deputy Minority Whip, .Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim asked for the current position and preparations of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee on the Anti LGBTQI+ Bill in order to get Ghanaians informed on the Bill.

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