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Amenfi West lawmaker  Eric Afful has raised concerns about the growing disorder in parliament anytime the Rt. Hon Speaker, Alban Bagbin is not presiding over affairs in the House.

According to him whenever the two deputy Speakers, Bernard Ahiafor, and Andrew Amoako Asiamah are in the chair the House seems to lack decorum, particularly the 2nd deputy Speaker.

“The Minority becomes more hostile; it is not the best and should not be entertained, hence my call for the House to be sitting in the afternoon from two o’clock. By then the Speaker himself would have been around; and Members of Parliament can have time to be on the floor. Professionals among us like doctors and lawyers can also go about their duties in the morning and comeback to the chamber for business. Again traffic will not be an issue for us to have the numbers to transact business” he stated in an interview.

Again, one benefit we will have is that we avoid seeing students travel from very long distances like Northern Ghana to the House to observe proceedings; rather they can observe behind television sets from their schools.

Additionally, our constituents can have the opportunity of watching live proceedings by the afternoon as those who are farmers as well as others who manage shops can go about their duties in the morning but make time to observe proceedings from two o’clock to eight o’clock.

Mr Afful further revealed that when he raised the matter on the floor of the House, staffs of Parliament have issues with the time he was proposing on the floor of the House on Friday, February 14, 2025, and approached him on it, indicating that their closing time will be late when the new proposal is adopted.

He however, added that the Parliamentary staff need to assist them on this because any new policy one will encounter the merit and demerit, but one needs to choose the best option that can help solve the problem.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The New Patriotic Party Minority in Parliament continue to raise the issue of quorum and keep delaying government business, a situation many never saw coming considering the huge number of the Majority.

As first-time lawmakers form a huge chunk of the numbers in the ninth Parliament of Ghana and most of them are yet to settle down with issues of accommodation and settle down into their offices.

But a first-time Member of Parliament representing South Tongu, Kwame Maxwell Lukutor believes the Minority is only playing to the gallery by raising issue of quorum knowing what the problem really is.

According to him, a large number of the MPs in the ninth parliament are first-timers and are yet to fully settle in as many are currently logging in hotels as they struggle with accommodation issues.

“Again, we have just gone through elections; most of our resources have been used in campaigning, other MPs who have worn were formally working somewhere and will have to go and hand over.”

“So the first month has been a bit herculean for us, we are not lackadaisical in doing our work; any time the Minority raised issues of quorum you look at the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin and behind him you see only seven (7) of his members out of the eighty-seven (87) members”

According to him, the Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga at a point told him, if they are not going to make use of their numbers, it will be reduced further in the next elections. “It is a general situation with first- time MPs, not only the Majority. “We are trying to find our feet, and so many things are happening at the same time.”

In addition we know what we signed up for and we are ready to do that and we are not reneging on our responsibilities. Committees are yet been formed, we do not have committee meetings, government is still being formed, he noted.

He said it is also not true that the first-time MPs are out there trying to lobby for positions, stating that “we have 186 MPs, and only 40 will come from the House, and we have senior lawmakers we came to meet in the House, “so it cannot be the case that we are only out there lobbying”.

He also raised the issue of some of the MPs who lost their seats and are yet to completely pack out of their offices so that others can have them.

The South Tongu lawmaker pointed out that, sometimes they are told meetings will start at eight (8:00am) but it will rather take place eleven (11:00am) by then you have not taken your breakfast and there is no proper place for food in Parliament.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

 Amenfi West lawmaker in Ghana’s Parliament  Eric Afful is pushing for the Nation  to start sitting in the afternoon to make time for lawmakers to attend to business of the House in their numbers as issues of quorum most of the time are raised when serious business of the House is in motion.

According to him his colleagues in the Minority usually come under order 54 and article 102 of the 1992 Ghanaians Republic constitution when the number in the House seems small.

“Let us shift our sitting time from 10:00am in the morning to 2:00 pm; it will help MPs to be in their seats so that the morning can be used for administrative duties and help ministers of state to prepare adequately to come and answer parliamentary questions and the Speakers to have other administrative works to do”.

The Amenfi West MP who has been a member of the Business Committee for almost eight years indicated that he has visited other World Parliaments and gave an example of Zambian Parliament where sitting starts in the afternoon, stating that “if we can do this, it will go a long way to help us”.

Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga on his part indicated that he has always advocated for afternoon sitting having gone round the West Africa sub-regional Parliaments and witnessed sitting being conducted in the afternoon.

This, he said allows the professionals who are lawmakers including doctors, lawyers and businessmen and women to go and practice when they get elected so that their services are not missed; and added that for now nothing can be done but it is for the Speaker of Parliament to decide.

Kwaku Saky-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central Patrick Yaw Boamah has urged the House to give priority to the setting up of the House Committee at the start of the life span of every Parliament as there are urgent issues that has to be dealt with.

According to him it is unacceptable that MPs will receive delegations to their office and it becomes impossible to use the elevator because it is not working; same with the air-conditioners in their offices.

He gave the advice when he recounted receiving a delegation to his office on the tenth floor but the delegation was met with a faulty elevator.

He further pointed out that this could have been addressed easily if the House Committee were in place.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Mr Bawah Muhammad Braimah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ejura Sekyeredumase, has implored the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to institute an investigation into the burning down of the Ejura Police station by some irate youth on January 11, 2025.

The legislator also asked the Police Administration to bring all perpetrators involved in the incident to book to serve as deterrent to others.

In a statement read on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, February 13, Mr Braimah appealed to the IGP to urgently rebuild the police station and increase the number of police personnel to ensure effective policing in the town.

It will be recalled that on January 11, 2025, some irate residents from Ejura attacked the Ejura police station and set it ablaze following the sudden demise of Masaudu Shaibu, a suspect in lawful custody, assisting the Police in investigation over alleged purchase of a stolen mobile phone case.

The MP stated that the deceased, while in police custody, complained of stomach upset, and was subsequently rushed to the Ejura Government Hospital.

However, he died on admission at the health facility.

The news of Shaibu’s death spread like a wildfire in the Ejura township, infuriating the youth to mobilise themselves to attack the police station and set it ablaze.

The legislator expressed his condolences to the bereaved family and also condemned in no certain terms the burning down of the police station.

He bemoaned the recent youth vandalism of state facilities anytime there is a report of demise of a suspect in lawful custody.

The MP observed that most of the mob attacks were fuelled by misinformation over alleged police brutalities of victims.

While contributing to the statement, Mr Frank Afriyie, the MP for Afadjato South, expressed dismay over the frequent violence posture by the youth and advised that they employ dialogue in finding solutions to nagging matters.

The legislator expressed concerns about the First Aid administration in the country’s police stations and called for it to be taken seriously to save lives.

Mr Sanja Nanja, the MP for Atebubu Amantin and Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, the MP for Assin South, both shared their thoughts on the statement and added their voices for the IGP to investigate the matter and punish those involved in the arson attack on the police station.

Godwill Arthur- Mensah

The Appointment Committee of Parliament would on Monday, February 24, 2025, start vetting deputy minister nominees.

Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba, Minister designate for public sector, will be the first to appear before the Committee, followed by Thomas Nyarko Ampem deputy Finance Minister designate, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, Deputy Interior and Sampson Ahi, Deputy Trade and Agribusiness and Industry.

Tuesday, February 25, 2025, will be the turn of Deputy Education Minister designate, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, Richard Gyan-Mensah, Deputy Minister designate for Energy and Green Transition, Deputy Minister designate, Food and Agriculture John Kofi Setor Dumelo.

On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini, Deputy designate for Roads and Highways, Justice Srem-Sai Deputy Justice and Attorney General, Deputy Lands and Natural Resources Yusif Sulemana and Yussif Issaka Jajah Deputy Tourism Culture and Creative Arts will also have their turn.

The final lists of the first lists to be vetted on Thursday February 27, includes Rita Naa Odoley Sowah Deputy Minister designate for Local Government, chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Deputy Minister Works, Housing and Water Resources Gizella Akushika Tetteh-Agbotui and Ernest Brogya Genfi Deputy Minister of Defence.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The third Deputy Speaker of the Community Parliament and Minority Leader in Ghana’s 9th Parliament Alexander Kwamena-Afenyo Markin has lauded his former colleague at the Community Parliament and Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga for his special skills in conflict resolution.

The former first rapporteur on the Committee of Political Affairs, Peace, Security and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), and the current Majority Leader in Ghana’s Parliament, Mahama Ayariga promised to investigate the raiding of the private residence of the former Finance Minister when a statement was made on the floor of the House to condemn the act.

The Leader of Government Business promised the House to cross check and get back to the House, on Thursday, February 13, 2025 and true to his words came back and apologized for the unlawful entry into the private residence of the former Finance Minister.

“On behalf of the President John Mahama who believes in upholding the rights and liberty of individual Ghanaians, I believe the act was unfortunate”, he state.

The Minority Leader, Afenyo-Markin in response assured the Majority Leader that their side will engage them constructively to do politics in a very descent way. “Let us respect each other and use words that are complementary to each other. I am an NPP, proudly so; you are NDC, proudly so; we should not use this platform to denigrate each other, sometimes the way we go after our leaders, the little said about it the better”.

He cautioned his colleagues to be mindful of the kind of politics they do, stating that if one checks the 2024 election results, “the percentage turn out in the Central Region, we did not go beyond 60, same in the Volta region; around the same percentage in Ashanti, Upper East and Western, then almighty Greater Accra where all the mighty politics is done find out the percentage turn out”.

He said what this means is that “a percentage of our population is getting fed up with us with the political class, because of our conduct”, he stressed.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta is traumatized with the adjective used on him as “fugitive” but still knows God is with him, Minority Leader Kwamena Afenyo-Markin revealed on the floor of the House on Thursday, February 13, 2025.

Afenyo-Markin contributing on the development thanked the Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga for investigating issues surrounding the raiding of the private residence of the former Finance Ministers.

According to him he has had extensive conversations with Ken Ofori Atta who is undergoing a medical procedure outside the jurisdiction.

Again, he noted that he had an engagement with the current Chief of Staff who confirmed that the former Finance Minister wrote to him and was truthful about it and added that Ken will return back to Ghana within a reasonable time.

He said he will engage the Office of the Special Prosecutor and assure him if there was any miscommunication that the man will make himself available, and clarified that he left the country with permission; and if there is anything to be investigated, he will make himself available.

President John Mahama’s assurance given through the Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga to uphold the liberty of Ghanaians, the Minority thanked him and they will accord him all the necessary courtesies and we will cooperate and oppose when we have to oppose. Our duty is to oppose you, we can work together to represent our people for them to learn from us, he assured.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has commended the current Attorney General and Minister of Justice Dominic Akuritinga Ayine for preventing a political witch-hunt on him when he was then Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.

Commenting on the recent raiding of the private residence of the former Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta, Afenyo-Markin recounting that in 2015 as a legal practitioner when he was in the Minority, the then AG was urged to prosecute him on some tax offenses because he was making too much noise but Dominic Ayine stood his grounds.

“He did not tell me but I was told by someone, I have respected him and taken a picture with him at my office and I celebrate him; we have maintained friendship since then”, he said on the floor of the House.

That moment when he said, political opponents should not be targeted; he has done demonstrating sincerity. “We are a political class that is the path we have chosen, we are not to cover crime but we have to protect each other for the good of democracy”.

“Ghanaians have told us something; if they are feed up with you, there is nothing that can be done. In 2000 election after former President John Kufour worn, some of us as student leaders were of the opinion that NDC will never come to power because it was devastating. But Within years, Ghanaians were fed-up with us, we have to eat our humble pie”, he added.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has told Parliament that the unlawful entering of the private residence of the former Minister of Finance Ken Ofori Atta is regrettable and has gotten assurance from the National Security Coordinator that it will not be repeated.

This follows a statement made by the deputy Minority whip Habib Iddrisu on the floor of the House on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, and the Majority Leader promised to carry out some investigation and brief the House when various commentaries were made on the floor of the House.

“I am making these remarks on behalf of the President John Dramani Mahama who said he will reset Ghana which means everybody should act in compliance with the law and the mandate of the state institutions”.

He stated that it is true that the private residence of Ken Ofori Atta was raided by the operatives of the National Security and police led by someone who works at the National Security Coordinator’s office, Mr. Gyakpa. And added that they have investigated the matter and assured Ghanaians and Parliamentarians that they have received assurance of the National Security Coordinator that it was not their intention for that to happen; adding, “that occurrence is most regrettable and unfortunate” and giving his word to the House that a thing like that will not happen again.

Again, we have a constitution to uphold; it has in it embedded fundamental human rights and right to privacy and President John Mahama remained committed to ensure that the right and liberty of every individual is respected.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com