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Hon. Dakoa Newman among few female MPs is the Member of Parliament for the Okaikwei South Constituency.

Chairman of the Committee on Parliamentary Affairs Alhassan Bashir Fusein has lauded the works of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA).

He affirmed that the MoPA is doing a good work by serving as a coordinating link between the House and ensuring speedy passage of legislations, Bills like the Affirmative Action Bill, that had stayed in the House for so long.

According to him another success of MoPA is the passage of the Private Members Bill, one of the most important Bills that have seen the passage of Anti LGBTQ Bill.

In an interview he noted that President Nana Akuffo-Addo “is running away” from a lot of positive things that have happened under MoPA.

But pointed out in an interview that it’s the prerogative of the President to decide which Ministries to keep and should President John Dramani Mahama emerge victorious, MoPA will not stand alone as a Ministry.

“MoPA will be merged with another Ministry as we see the NPP government has large number of Ministers and a lot of Ministries; we want a downsized Ministries and Ministers”, he noted.

The Sagnarigu lawmaker, further pointed out that, the engagement by MoPA on the validation of the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) report on the 1992 constitution is very important, adding that “wisdom does not reside in the head of one person. So the more you open yourself to the participation of people, the greater the perspective of you getting input to enrich the content of your legislation. I salute this ideal of getting broad stakeholder consultation”.

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Member of Parliament for Sege Christian Otuteye Corleytey has bemoaned the current hybrid system of Ghana’s legislature and expressed worry over lawmakers playing dual roles as Ministers, and Members of Parliament.

According to him they have divided attention because the lawmakers who are Ministers and thus belong to the Executive arm of government and at the same time the Legislature.

In an interview he noted that, when you bring a Bill to the House as a Minister from the Executive at the same time you are an (MP), “as an MP you are expected to play a role on this Bill, you are now a Minister at the same time you have to defend the Bill from the Executive arm of Government, where do you stand?”

“It will be better for us as a Nation, if we can quickly do something about it. If we want the work of parliament to go on well we should get a clear distinction between workings of the Executive and workings of Parliament. It is not helping in terms of attendance to the House.”

He affirmed that people only rejoice over this because to beneficiaries, they are enjoying two powers “but is not the best for the nation as at now”, he lamented.

He said this in an interview on the sidelines of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) workshop on validating the report of the Constitutional Review Commission of the 1992 Constitution.

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Hon. Mavis Nkansah Boadu is the first female elected to the Afigya Sekyere Parliamentary seat since 1992.

 

Hon. Adelaide Ntim makes parliamentary debut as MP for Nsuta Kwaman Beposo in 2021.

 

Nana Nketsia V, Omanhene of the Essikado Traditional Area has harped on the need for peace and unity among duty bearers and chiefs, to ensure unity, development and progress.

He said: ” Whether New Patriotic Party (NPP) or National Democratic Congress (NDC), we’re all Ghanaians.”

The revered chief said this during a pacification rites at the palace of Nana Egya Kwamina XI Chief of Apremdo to end the feud that ensued between the Chief and Dr. Prince Hamid, the Member of Parliament for the area over a KG block project in the area.

On September 16 this year, the new KG block was to be unveiled by Dr Armah at the Apremdo School Complex, but Nana Kwamina’s name was excluded on the plaque of honour despite his contribution towards the process.

The matter generated much controversy between the Apremdo palace and the office of Dr Armah, and even attracted media attention, which nearly marred the peace of the area.

Nana Nketsia noted that the chief was the father for everybody in the community and found it disturbing that the impasse should generate media attention instead of being settled in the room.

But, happily, Nana Kwamina and Dr Armah agreed to a truce through the mediation of the Omanhene of Essikado, Nana Kobina Nketsia V, to ensure peace in Apremdo and beyond.

As part of the settlement, Dr Armah presented a ram, a bottle of drink and undisclosed cash to the Apremdo palace, to pave way for the peace processes.

Nana Kwamina and Dr Armah shook hands, embraced and also observed libation prayer for the peaceful settlement of the impasse.

Abusuapanyin Kow Kan supervised the sacrifice of the ram to seal the peaceful settlement and also ensure unity among Apremdo stakeholders.

Abusuapanyin Kan highlighted concerns of Apremdo community about the exclusion of the name of Nana Kwamina on the plaque, arguing that, “the land belongs to Nananom and so the right things must be done.”

The Municipal Chief Executive of Effia Kwesimintsim, Mr. Kojo Acquah, who led the delegation, thanked Nana Nketsiah and elders of Apremdo for the peaceful settlement of the matter.

He gave assurance that the plaque that sparked the contention had been removed and replaced with a new one that included the name of Nana Egya Kwamina XI.

By Mildred Siabi-Mensah

The Member of Parliament for Sege, Christian Otuteye Corleytey says the elections of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) is long overdue.

According to him electing leaders at the local levels allows people to make choices of leaders they believe can best push the needed development in the area.

In an interview on the sideline at a stakeholders’ engagement organized by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) to validate the Constitutional Review Committee Report of 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the Sege MP pointed out that, it should not be that when a party is in power, they put someone there to direct affairs at the Assembly.

Rather there should be an election of MMDCEs so that the people at the local level would have someone to better serve them and be accountable to them. Thus, the people will hold the person responsible for his stewardship. “In the legislature we elect our representatives; so same should be done at the local level”, he affirmed.

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The Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu Hon Alhassan Bashiru Fuseini said the 1992 Ghanaian Republic Constitution which has been described as the constitution of “butchers and ordinary people” has lasted and stand the test of time than the ones written by “so called intellectuals”.

Sagnarigu MP ABA Fuseini said this in an interview at the stakeholders’ consultations organize by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) on the validation of the CRC report of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

According to him the 1992 Constitution of Ghana is long overdue for review and amendment, and this will not be the first time that such an exercise has been embarked on, stating that as far back as 2010 under the Presidency of late Professor Atta Mills, there was a Constitutional Review Commission that tried to look at some aspects of the amendment of our constitution. The constitution is a living document, and after thirty years, this is the constitution that has had the long span of life in our country’s history, he stated.

“Even if you are handsome you still need to bath, no document is sacrosanct as time passes we need to look at some others, review and let it be a living documents of the times we live. This is a very good exercise, it should be done to complement with previous constitutions together so that we have a living document, so I support this exercise; its very good to help us get that renewal process to make our constitution more relevant to our people today”

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Member of Parliament (MP) for Sagnarigu, Alhassan Bashiru Fusein is advocating for the 1992 Ghanaian Republican Constitution to be amended and given the President of Ghana the latitude to determine where he picks his Ministers from; a departure from Article 78 clause (1) “Majority of ministers of state shall be appointed from members of Parliament”.

On the sidelines of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) stakeholders’ engagement, on the validation of the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) report of the 1992 constitution, in an interview with ABA Fuseini, he pointed out that Presidents of Ghana come to office with visions to be actualized.

And the Constitution of the land should not tie him down as to where he picks his Ministers from. “We should grant the President more leverage to look at the entire country, if he can get full complement of his ministers outside parliament that are committed, competent, loyal, and dedicated to him to attain his vision”.

He affirmed that he is in favor of an amendment of the 1992 Constitution that takes away majority of his ministers coming from Parliament House.

He was however, quick to point out that, he is not opposed to the President selecting some of his Ministers from Parliament, and that restricting the President to get Majority of his Ministers from Parliament hinders him from getting competent one from the vast human resources.

Again, you might have more Ghanaians who are outside Parliament who can contribute to the Country’s progress, but the constitution says majority of the Ministers should come from Parliament House.

Meanwhile, he pointed out that another aspect of the Constitution that should be looked at is this whole thing of winner takes all. “For example in a National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, the president should not depend on only NDC people for appointment. If there are people of other political parties and even not only political parties who are Ghanaians out there with the requisite competence, and the commitment to contribute to the progress of this country, why not”.

“I believe in the incoming President John Mahama administration, he has been there before as a pragmatic president who is amendable to such ideas, he would tape the expertise of many Ghanaians outside the normal political partisan thing”.

He asserts that where our country is today, we need all the needed human resources to move the country forward.

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The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA), Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said Ghana’s eighth legislature can’t be described as a hung Parliament.

According to him those describing the current eighth Parliament under the fourth Republic as a hung Parliament, “with the greatest respect are not well informed”.

He made this known at a stakeholders’ engagement organized by (MoPA) over the weekend that seek validation of the Constitutional Review Commissions (CRC) report of the 1992 Republican Constitution of Ghana.

He further pointed out that in a hung Parliament, there is rotation of leadership and in a hung parliament with the numerical strength they are split equally in terms of numbers.

But in the case of Ghana currently, it is one hundred and thirty-seven (137) plus one (1) independent that formers the Majority, while the Minority side has one hundred and thirty-seven (137).

“So, with the one hundred and thirty-seven (137) plus one or half is still the Majority”.

Again, in a hung Parliament you will have rotation of leadership where the Majority in the life span of the Parliament say four years, you have one side producing the Majority Leader for two years then the Minority Leader will serve as Majority leader for the remaining two years for the life span of the Parliament to end, he added.

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