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The Minister of the Interior Ambrose Dery has told Parliament the Police administration is yet to develop the eight-nine point eight one acre of land allocated to the Oda divisional police command in 1979 through an Executive Instrument.

According to the Minister, resources constraints have been a major factor to the construction of both office accommodation and barracks for Oda Divisional Command, but noted that some citizens have notice of willingness to help develop the land.

“Mr. Speaker, in spite of the setback, a group of citizens from Oda resident in the United States of America (USA) has proposed to construct the Divisional Police Headquarters on the allocated land for the Oda Divisional Police Command. The Police Command is yet to engage the leadership of the Association to discuss the way forward.

This came to light when the Member of Parliament for Akim Oda, Alexander Akwasi Acquah wanted to know the effort being made to accommodate the Oda divisional police command as they are in a rented apartment.

The MP who disclosed that some portions of the land have already been encroached added that the continues wait would worsen the situation.

But the Minister calls for collaboration as to how to deal with the issue of encroachment of the land but promised to draw the attention of the police administration to the issue that the MP has put up.

He, however, admitted that the best way out of the situation is for the construction to be undertaken, and noted that his ministry would want to build a lot of police stations.

He assured that there is no lack of commitment from their side, just that they do not have resources, and that when resources are gotten, they would develop the facility very fast.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for effiduase- Asokore,  Nana Ayew Afriye speaking on behalf of the Majority Caucus said they remain resolute for the Finance Minister to be relieved of his position as stated earlier.

He said even though they have initially agreed to heed the president’s suggestions to allow the Finance Minister present the budget, recent comments by the Finance Minister has given them reason to reverse back to their initial position.

That is to say the finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta must not be the one to present the budget, and must not be the one to present the appropriation.

This, he said would very soon be their position. “We are going to be positively defiant on that posture until that action is taken”.

The Majority however made it clear that they would not support the Minority in their vote of censure in the chamber.

Mr. Afriyie indicated that the course of the NDC is premised on falsehood, propaganda and reasons that are not justifiable.

According to him, the Minority’s position might look like theirs but it is not the same.

He asserts that they (Minority) cannot come to the chamber to level claims that border on criminality over a person that would not be able to come to the chamber to defend himself.

He said they don’t have any personal issues with the finance minister, but their confidence in him has dwindled and he must go and that is the general feeling.

Ghanamps.com

The Minister of Defence, Dominic A. Bingab   Nitiwul has called on Ghanaians to dismiss any alleged recruitment and training of mercenaries to disrupt the 2024 elections.

“This president and all that we are doing will hand over to the duly elected president of Ghana on the 7th of January 2025.

The duly elected president would be chosen by the people of Ghana, and nobody will interfere in the choice of the people of Ghana; not from the military, not from the police, not from any politician.

The people of Ghana will lineup on the 7th of December, 2024, cast their votes, who ever emerges president will be sworn in on the 7th of January 2025, and would be given the mandate by this president”.

The Defence Minister who was responding to the Minority’s call for a bipartisan prove into an alleged training of mercenaries at Asutuary thus urged all political parties to go out there and campaign to win the hearts of Ghanaians, adding that nothing of such is taking place.

The Minority in their presser stated that their “attention has further been drawn to an expose by a Ghanaian journalist based in the USA, Kelvin Taylor which suggest the recruitment and training of mercenaries by government operatives based at the Jubilee House to cause chaos and mayhem in the country and blame the political opposition”.

This, the Interior minister said was not true. “No such thing is taking place this government has not brought anybody into the Jubilee House who is not a soldier, who is not a police, who is not into national security. We have not done it since we came to power, and we don’t intend to do it. No evidence of that nature”.

He, however, admitted to an enhanced security arrangement at the seat of government, adding that is a prerogative of government, but government has not recruited anybody outside the recognised security forces.

Ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Krachi West, Helen Adjoa Ntoso said it is about time government put some premium on the plight of residents in island communities in her constituency. She said the conditions under which the people in island communities live need to be improved through government interventions particular in critical areas like education, health, and road infrastructure in order to assure them of some better lives.

Speaking with Ghanamps.com, Madam Ntoso noted that government is paying little or no attention to education in these island communities which spell doom for the future of most of the children who would aspire to become something other than the traditional jobs of their parents.

She said it took her intervention to assist about 95 percent of the schools in such communities through self-help projects to be built using mud (clay). She encouraged and supported them with the supply of cement, roofing sheets and wood.

But for the self-help initiative and her (MP) supports communities like Chenekope, Basare, Asutuare, Volivo, Okumah, Mauritania, Odumankuma, Adankope, Kponfre, Akweba, Gamorkope, Aglakope, Old Chantai, and Old Dobeso would not have a school.

And in recent times, when some of these schools have their roofs ripped off, she had to step in once again and has already provided about 300 bags of cement and 40 packets of roofing sheets, and next week, a lot more of the communities will have theirs.

These are Ghanaians, and they are entitled to the national cake, so government must distribute the resources to get to them too. They lack a lot of social amenities required to make lives better for them”, she emphasised.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com

About a year after that infamous demonstration in which the Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis Sosu led residents of Ayi Mensah-Danfa-Otinibi and surrounding areas to draw government’s attention to the bad nature of their road networks, residents say the government is yet to undertake any significant improvement on their roads.

It was a demonstration that resulted in some altercation with the police where attempts were made to arrest the MP because according to the police the people erred in blocking portions of the road; and the MP being the organizer and leader of the demonstration would have to bear the brunt of such lawlessness.

A visit to the area revealed that very little has happened.
The contractor, Messrs Kwame Boadi, who actually moved to site immediately after the demonstrations started some works, but that was short lived.

He was only able to construct a gutter around the Kweiman Basic School which is less than a kilometer, and then abandoned the project, leaving the people to their fate.

The abandoned drains, residents say also brings its challenge as it causes the school to get flooded when it rains including people’s homes because the wtyer cannot get its path to move smoothly.
Residents say the road became so bad at a point especially during the rainy season that it took the intervention of the Member of Parliament to improve those seriously affected portions to make them motorable again.

Speaking with the MP on the seemingly no action on the roads after everything that had happened, he said it appears they are also becoming either victims of the general hardship, because almost all road contractors have not been paid for some time now.

However, government is becoming a bit discriminatory when it comes to payment of those contractors, because they can still witness some improvements in some parts and some quarters. “So why do we have a situation where some quarters are able to get some improvements and others are not able to get anything at all; that is where you see like there are some discriminatory ways of distributing the national resources and that is absolutely wrong and unacceptable”, he lamented.

He said it is his hope that government will improve its work and improve equitable distribution of national resources to ensure that places like Madina get its fair share.

According to him, roads in Madina have not seen any major improvement in the last six years except for Madina West and part of North Legon “but beyond that every part of Madina is messed up, and government doesn’t seem to really care about it”.

He disclosed that he was compelled to start the self-help project where he rallied some members of the community to use part of his SIF to get a grader to improve some portion, adding that that small stretch caused them about GHC120, 000.00.

He expressed hope that the government would be able to take some steps to be able to address the concerns of the constituents.
Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com

Ranking Member on the Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament, James Agalga is urging government to speak on the alleged training of mercenaries in the country; whether it’s true or not. He stated that a US-based Ghanaian journalist, Kelvin Taylor, in his exposé called “The Big Scandal” mentioned that some mercenaries have been brought into the country by the NPP government and are being trained at Asutsuare.

And he (Kelvin Taylor) cites DCOP Asare of the Jubilee House as the one responsible for the training of these mercenaries. The exposé also provided details of where the said mercenaries are being kept, including the Accra City Hotel. But Mr. Agalga speaking to the issue, said the development is very disturbing and referenced the Ayawaso West Wuogon bye-election incident and the death of some 8 Ghanaians in the run up to the 2020 elections, and till now no investigation has been conducted to unravel the circumstances that led to the murder of those 8 persons.

According to the Builsa South Legislator, if these allegations are true then the government has election 2024 in mind and is preparing to disrupt the polls or tilt the outcome in favour of the NPP party. “The Minority takes very serious views of the exposé and would invite this government to say a word about the exposé. Is it true that mercenaries have been brought into this country and are being trained at Asutuare; they are taken by escort to Asutuare every morning by bus?”.

He queried about who the people are and want to know if they are part of the mainstream security. “If not are we not flouting the constitution; are we not raising a parallel armed force contrary to the dictates of our constitution?” He asked. He affirmed that it is important an independent probe is conducted into the matter “as it is worrying and we can’t just go to sleep”.

Mr. Agalga said it’s been 3 days since this was made public and was expecting the National security Minister, Interior Minister to speak to the issue. The deafening silence on the part of government is worrying and calls for an independent probe to ascertain the veracity of the allegations made by Ekow Kevin Taylor.

He also used the opportunity to invite the International community, African Union, ECOWAS and National Peace Council to take a serious view of this matter. They should not wait but speak up as these are dark clouds gathering over our political landscape, he stated.

Ghanamps.com

It is about time government sits-up to arrest the deteriorating economic conditions in the country because things are getting very though. This is according to the Member of Parliament for Krachi West, Helen Adjoa Ntoso. She said the frequent fuel price increases coupled with high food prices is making live unbearable for a lot of people, and this will get worse if nothing is done to arrest the situation.

The MP disclosed that she used to fuel her car with an amount of GHC500.00 to get to her constituency and still have the fuel gauge at quarter. But now with GHC1, 500.00, she still has to top up at Dambai to be able to get to her constituency.

She stated that as a representative of people who are mostly farmers and fishermen, there is always this relieve when farmers are harvesting their produce. The pressure of people coming to seek financial assistance from the MP for school and other thing reduces; but now because things are very difficult for them, the pressure of paying school fees, medical bills among other financial assistance is mostly pushed on them (MP).

And with the peculiar nature of her constituency; a resettlement community with many island communities doted all over which are only accessible by boat, the unavailability of premix fuel has also become a daunting task adding to their cost.

And because the MP cannot ignore the needs of these communities, she is compelled to visit these island communities at an exorbitant cost having to buy their own petrol and engine oil, mix the two to have their premix. And added that it would take her not less than GHc10,000 to embark on tour of the island communities with current state of affairs.

She said no one is spared the effect of the current economic turbulence in the country, but they, the representatives are not finding it easy at all as they have to always respond to the challenges of their constituents in many ways.

Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com

The Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman, Thomas Ampem Nyarko could no longer bear the brunt of the fuel price hikes on his pocket and that of his colleagues.

And the MP did not mince words when he expressed this sentiment on the floor of the House on Friday, 4th November, 2022 during the presentation of the Business Statement for the ensuing week.

According to him, the last time he went to fill his fuel tank, he spent GHC3000.00 and which he didn’t plan for, and it took the help of one of his colleagues to send him money to top up.

“So Mr. Speaker looking at the kind of business that we have, is it not possible to concentrate, we can stay for six hours a day instead of coming two hours we go back, drive here two hours we go back; pack the day even if it is eight (8) hours, we would be able to stay , do the business like two days and then… That way, we can save like GHC500 on fuel every week.

His suggestion he indicated is in line with the proposal by the former president John Mahama to organisations to allow those who can work from home to do so “because the fuel situation is killing us Mr. Speaker.

However, in a sharp rebuttal, the Majority Leader, Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu described the call as an “apocalyptic declaration” from the Member of Parliament, and queried what the impact would be on national productivity, and the effect on GDP. “I think it is an unfortunate call on us that we should be working for just two days in a week”.

He asserts that it is in difficult times that we should work harder to get ourselves out of it.

It used to be the burden of car owners each time fuel prices go up, but now even commuters that patronize commercial vehicles are not spared.

Recent fuel price hikes have resulted in astronomical increases in transport fares, as it appears transport operators keep increasing their fares on daily basis.

Unlike the usual practice, the driver unions seems to have lost control of their members and are unable to regulate how fares are increased.

Ghanamps.com

Majority Leader Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has hinted that by his own estimation, work on reviewing of the New Standing Orders should be concluded by the Committee working on it and introduce to the House in the first meeting of the third session of the eighth Parliament.

According to him work is still ongoing in reviewing and they should be able to bring closure on it soon as there are few issue to be attended to. “I am not sure that it would too much pre occupy us; my own thinking is that into the first meeting of the third Session we should be able to finish up and introduce it to the House”.

He made this remarks on Thursday, November 4, 2022 in a leadership engagement with members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) to brief journalists on what to expect in this meeting.

 He added that the main issues have been sorted out, and there are a few matters that need decision to be taken on them.

When asked at which stage is the Affirmative Action Bill,  he noted that it has been advertised, and  is also one sensitive thing and if one looks at the agenda it is the first in this third meeting of the second session the bills for presentation.

 And further noted that, if they are not able to deal with it, in this meeting and it is introduced next year, it will not have the date 2022; it will be Affirmative Action Bill 2023.

“I know cabinet has been considering it and the Legal and Governance Committee of cabinet is still dealing with it, I have missed the last two meetings and I must confess I am not able to update you on where we are on that. The last time I was there it was about nearing conclusion. May be it could be introduced to the House for the relevant committee to start its consideration, but I am not too sure of where it is at cabinet level”, he said.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com

The 2023 Budget and fiscal policy of government may miss the November 15th deadline.
The Minister of parliamentary Affairs, and leader of government business, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu told the media in parliament that though the Public Financial Management Act provides that the budget be provided to parliament latest by the 15th of November, the discussions that are ongoing with the IMF may affect the November 15th deadline.
According to him, his understanding is that the discussions will go into the first few days of next week around the 10th and the conclusions would have to be factored into the budget. It has to be present to cabinet for discussion all of which would take some time before it gets to parliament.

“I believe it is going to be quite difficult to submit to the 15th deadline; I don’t know, I’m only conjecturing, but if you want to do a tidy work, may you require to have some space to be able to do a tidy work”.
Asserts that these are not normal times, and it is important to do a tidy job to reposition the country. “Nothing should be done which would eventually become wishy-washy; we want to have the best to be able to uplift us from where we are as a country”.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu however assured that it would not be in breach if it comes after the 15th of November as the constitution provides that the last date of presentation should be 30th of November.
Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com