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Member of Parliament for Ketu South Abla Dizfa Gomashie has taken a swipe at the Majority Leader, Afenyo Markin describing his comment as despicable for referring to Professor Jane Nana Opoku’s age as the running mate for the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Mahama.

The Majority Leader on Monday, March 11, 2024 during his closing remarks on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate on the floor of the House made reference to Professor Jane Nana Opoku’s age as a running mate to John Mahama intimating that she would not be able to take over after one term should the NDC win.

and was supported at a press conference on Monday, March 11, 2024 when in the closing remarks on the State of the Nation Address (SONA) when he made reference to her age as a running mate to John Mahama and would not be able to take over after one term should they win.

The statement triggered reaction from the Minority MPs who were obviously not happy and kept demanding that the Effutu MP apologizes, and kept heckling until the House became uncontrollable and the Second Deputy Speaker suspended the House for an hour.

Addressing the media Madam Dizfa Gomashie pointed out that the speech of the Majority Leader who is supposed to make his closing remarks was not relevant to SONA. “I am a daughter of a teacher who retired and sold in Madina Market, the examples I saw that brought me to be a member of parliament if you count ten people Professor Opoku Nana Agyeman, a former Minister of State at the Education Ministry and first female vice chancellor, a school where Hon Afenyo-Markin attended is one of them.”

Again, to attack Professor Jane Nana Opoku-Agyeman the way he did is totally unacceptable; I take exception to that. It’s only on the 8th of March, 2024 we celebrated International Women’s Day when we were saying we needed mentors for our young girls to become great in society. “For him to reduce this woman and talk about her as if he was talking about his classmate; she taught you a person, and a person who has been elected by the biggest party in Ghana to be former President Mahama’s running mate, “what business has this woman’s name got to do in the closing remarks of SONA?” She queried.

“I am horrified and I think that we deserve an apology from the leader for the way he has brought this woman’s name into disrepute and the Speaker should not have allowed this to go on.”

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Deputy Minister designate for Health, Alexander Akwesi Acquah has opined that the way to addressing the challenges of uncompleted health facilities would be to focus on those that are at advanced stages of completion.

Responding to a question from the Ranking Member on the health Committee of Parliament Kwabena Mintah Akandoh on the nominee’s take on the numerous uncompleted health facilities across the country, he said the 50 million budgetary allocation in the 2024 budget is woefully inadequate to complete all the facilities hence the focus would be to address the problem gradually focusing on those that are near completion.

The nominee who himself is into hospital business admitted that managing health facility is capital incentive and that the number of months left for this government, not much can be done by way of completing all the abandoned health projects, but government would do its best to tackle some of them.

When approved, Mr. Akwesi Acquah would be one of two deputies at the health ministry and is expected to bring to bear his business acumen in the health sector.

Ghanamps.com

With seven (7) Speakers so far under the fourth Republic of Ghana, the issue of the male dominance cannot be overemphasized.

After three successive male speakers from January 1993 to January 2005, Madam Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo broke the jinx when she became the Speaker from January 2009 until January 2013 and remained the only female Speaker so far under the fourth republic.

Three subsequent Speakers after her have continued with the male dominance.

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The Minority women caucus in Ghana’s Parliament has commended the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for choosing Professor Jane Nana Opoku-Agyeman as his running mate.

At a press conference addressed by leader of the Women caucus in the Minority and Member of Parliament for Ada Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe and flanked by her colleagues on Thursday, March 7, 2024, use the opportunity to congratulate Professor Jane Nana Opoku-Agyemang for her re-nomination.

This was after the National Executive of the party today formally introduced her as the running mate of John Dramani Mahama.

And further pointed out that the former Education Minister under the NDC has shown that she is a person of integrity and commitment to advance the cause of women and shows the confidence the NDC repose in her.

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The first deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Bekwai, Mr Joseph Osei Owusu said, it’s about time members of Parliament made good decisions towards their lives as MPs and live after parliament since the society does not care about them.

According to him many a time former MPs are seen in a very miserable conditions to the point that, paying for hospital bills was a problem not to talk about taking care of their families.

And further added that the society recognizes members of Parliament only when they are in emergency or in need of financial assistance, needs opportunity to get into any institution and apart from that, you the MP can go to hell.

Also, the MP for Asawase, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed added that, members of Parliament sometimes behave as if they are colleagues but in reality, that is not so, since majority of MPs do not even know where each member lives.

He calls for MPs to come together and build a solid political class in order to take care of each other even after leaving Parliament and stop being too political where people in NPP Majority or NDC minority don’t want to be nice with their opponents.

The MPs made these comments when they were contributing to a statement made in remembrance of the death of former MP for Kpandai, the late Kwadwo Tawiah.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Deputy Finance Minister and Member of Parliament for Ejisu, John Kumah has been reported dead.

Ghanamps.com has learnt that the 45-year-old MP reportedly died after a short illness.

He left behind a wife and six children.

John Ampontuah Kumah, popularly called Lawyer John Kumah, in Ejisu, in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, was commonly described by his constituents as a man of integrity with a focus on job creation and inspires hope for the future in both young and old.

Ghanamps.com

Minister designates for Local Government and Rural Development Martin Adje-Mensah Korsah has thrown his support for the concept of electing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives.

At his vetting, on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, Mr. Korsah affirmed that it is important to ensure this happens; adding that the conflict between MPs and MMDCEs is worrying; but was quick to point out that in normal life there are bound to be conflicts, but when the conflict becomes deliberate and partisan it becomes more problematic.

According to him, if a DCE decides to frustrate an MP in accessing their common fund, “I do not thnk the punishment goes to the MP, rather members of the community who should benefit from the MP’s common fund gets denied and a second view should be taken at this problem”.

He further pointed out that all over the world with the exception of Pakistan, Malaysia, Ghana, and some parts of Canada are the only places where we do not elect MMDCEs more so on partisan lines.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

Minister designate for Tourism, Arts and Culture Andrew Egyapa Mercer said in the wake of the brouhaha emanating from the passage and expected assent of the Anti-LGBTQ Bill passed by Parliament its implication is a difficult question to answer.

According to him despite his view on that Ghana’s culture is our culture, no matter what if someone is opposed to a certain lifestyle and what is important is the promotion of Ghana’s culture.

The Minister designate who was responding to questions at his vetting again indicated that though he had not fully assessed the impact, on the sector, the will definitely be some impact.

He furthermore stated that there are those who believe in that life and there are others who believe in the Ghanaian culture and find Ghana attractive place to visit and indicated that for him it is about how as a people we market Ghana and what we offer to the world.

Also, Ghana should promote domestic tourism, and when given the nod he would liaise with the Road Ministry for roads leading to tourism site to be worked on.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Appointment Committee of Ghana’s Parliament has today, Tuesday, March 5, 2024, started vetting President Nana Akufo-Addo’s reshuffled Ministers.

With the new Standing Orders coming into force, nine members of the Appointment Committee would be joined by members of the Trade, Industry and Tourism Committee members for this exercises.

First to come before the Committee is Minister designate to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Hon Andrew Egyapa Mercer.

Other Ministers designate to appear before the Committee today are Hon Lydia Seyram Alhassan designate for the Ministry for Sanitation and Water Resources, Local government decentralization and rural development designate are Hon Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, Minister designate for Environment Science Technology and Innovation, Hon Ophelia Mensah Hayford and Minister designate for Gender Children and Social Protection Hon Darkoa Newman.

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Majority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has pointed out that the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill passed by parliament is yet to be forwarded to the presidency for assent as it is yet to be authenticated by the clerk of Parliament and Speaker before it is transmitted to the President Nana Akufo-Addo for his assent.

According to him the process leading to it being forwarded to the President is not completed yet and believes Ghanaians should be made aware of this, “nothing has moved from the Parliament to the presidency yet”.

Again, “Mr. Speaker is yet to receive the authenticated Bill, the clerk himself has not yet seen it, the drafting department is still compiling, I have been going after it but they say it requires sometime a lot of changes were done I do not have the draft compiled bill. They are putting together all the amendments seeing to it that the I is doted and commas are there and the legal language is properly put together for us to know the state of the bill”.

He further pointed out at a media briefing that, the sponsors have to look at the final draft, adding that the sponsors have not seen the final draft. “It is upon the perusal of this that the clerk to parliament would be then required to authenticate it”.

He also supports that the Bill could be tested at the Supreme Court, stating that “we are a growing democracy; this is not an emotional journey this is a law that have to do with the right of citizens, the test thing is whether or not a sexual right in itself being brought to question should lead to a criminal penalty”, he said.

As a nation if we say our value system do not support man to man relation, woman to woman, are we also saying the means to reform those people with that orientation is to imprison them. “How does this position stand in accordance with our constitution?”

Also the issue of advocacy; are we saying media houses cannot take certain steps; how do we put that in the contest of the constitution? All these are issues when if they are tested in our courts would help us bring this matter to a good rest, he added.

“For me, I will like to say it is good to legislate against same sex and criminalize those who would entice under age children below 18 does not have the necessary maturity to take a decision, they are not adult enough”.

For people to surfer jail term, I think there is a problem and the Catholic Church came up strongly to make an appeal on that matter. We would have to test the law on that and see. As a country, tolerance is part of our value system; we should find a middle ground either way conservative way is not the way to go to transform a society, he emphasized.

More over our judiciary has a new sentencing system in place, it talks about non- custodian sentencing system as a form of reform and correction; we know the conditions in our prisons do not help in achieving that objective of transforming, correcting and reforming.

So, we should proceed with some caution and again urge a strong view in testing the law at the Supreme Court and we know where we are moving to as state.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com