News:
October 13, 2022
The Majority Leader in Ghana’s Parliament, Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu is seeking the support of the South Korean to help deal with terrorist attacks that is getting closer to Ghana more especially terrorist invasion in the Sahel Regions. According to him Ghana is seen as oasis of peace within the West African sub-region, but today almost fifty percent of Burkina Faso is lost to terrorist, which shares border with Ghana.
“That is why we need to have this cooperation in terms of security to the south is the gulf of Guinea, as we do know maritime piracy, the whole world the number one sport now is the gulf of Guinea. That is why we are appreciative of the discussion ongoing to provide us with a speed boat to secure our coast with our maritime resources”. He made this remarks on Wednesday, October 12, 2020 in Rwanda, Kigali at the ongoing 145th Assembly of the Inter Parliamentary Union, when the Speaker of the South Korean National Assembly Rt. Hon Kim Jin-Pyo called on the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament Rt. Hon Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin for a side meeting.
Touching on a point raise by his colleague the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, he noted that since the Republic of Korea has advanced more in ICT, Ghana needs its assistance to track communications of these terrorist groups “who are looking for areas of defect to pounce on. Just yesterday, I was having a discussion with our own defense minister, when we go back, we need to have a meeting with Members of Parliament, Minority leader to see how to make progress. Increasingly these days in the neighboring countries, these terrorist are pouncing on school children”.
He questioned, how they would be able to protect the lives of these children, unless, “we are able to trace the movement of them, hence the need to strengthen relation in ICT”. Rt. Hon Kim Jin-Pyo responded by saying relevant government authorities of both countries should take up the matter further, and these matters he believes would come up when the Korean and Ghana Parliament friendship group meet next time they can continue discussions on them. Majority Leader, thanked the Speaker Bagbin for facilitating the meeting as they all do know parliament is the bastion of democracy, they represent the people.
And most of the time Parliament is rushed to approve programmes and policies that, parliament does not have enough time to look into its importance; and to have such meetings to share ideas is most welcoming. The Republic of Korea he noted, has provided assistance to Ghana in many areas, most recent the refurbishment of Ghana’s oil refinery which has a capacity of refining just about forty –five thousand barrels which was increased to sixty thousand barrels. We need now to expand the refinery of current level of production from sixty to greater numbers.
“We should be able to refine not less than two hundred thousand; because daily consumption in Ghana now is over one hundred and twenty thousand barrels. What we have now is not even able to produce aviation fuel and bitumen”. He further added that Ghana needs an all inclusive refinery that would give off by-products for road construction and manufacture of fertilizer; “we need all these things, all inclusive refinery which would help Ghana a great deal”.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com/Rwanda/Kigali