Ningo Prampram, lawmaker Samuel Nartey George has called for the process to investigate the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta by the 8-member committee formed by the Speaker, to be transmited by live television.
Sam George called for this to be live on television given the huge public interest in this matter.
“Mr Speaker, I will like to call for the sittings to be televised live given the nature of the matter.”
The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin on Thursday November 10 set a committee to investigate the allegations made against Mr Ofori-Atta by the Minority in Parliament for which they filed a motion to get him removed from office.
The 8-member committee, co-chaired by Dr Dominic Ayine and KT Hammond, lawmakers for Bolgatanga East and Adansi-Asokwa respectively, has within seven working days to complete its work and submit the report
The Speaker’s ruling came after the Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament Alexander Afenyo-Markin challenged the motion of the Minority on the basis that the Finance Minister will suffer injustice if the House goes ahead with the application.
Mr Afenyo-Markin indicated that the claims by the Minority were criminal in nature upon a proper scrutiny.
To that end, he called for a fair hearing for the Minister.
The Minority accused Mr Ofori-Atta of, among other things, personally benefitting from every loan that the government takes.
But the Effutu Member of Parliament said “these matters, upon a proper scrutiny, are criminal in nature. The Minister should be given a fair hearing.”
“If we go ahead with the application we will be doing a lot of injustice to our colleague. If this application is allowed it will be injustice and unfairness, the Minister wouldn’t have been given adequate time to prepare for his defense,” he stressed.
Justifying the motion to get the Finance Minister removed, the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said President Akufo-Addo was not ready to sack the Minister.
Therefore, he appealed the Majority Members of Parliament to support the move to get him removed.
In his ruling on this matter, Speaker Bagbin said after announcing the formation of the committee that “The evidence will be placed before the committee. The Minister will have the opportunity to defend himself.
“A report will be presented to the House, and we will debate that report.”
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has referred a vote of censure motion filed by the minority cause of Parliament for the removal of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to an 8-member ad hoc committee.
The committee is expected to make a determination on removal of Ofori-Atta within 7 days.
The speaker announced that the committee will be chaired by Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi Asokwa, Kobina Tahir (K.T.) Hammond and the MP for Bolgatanga Dominic Akuritinga Ayine.
An attempt by the majority in parliament to raise a preliminary objection against the motion for a vote of censure brought by the minority against Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has been rejected.
The minority, led by Haruna Iddrisu, moved the motion on Thursday, November 10, 2022, seeking to pass a vote of censure against the under-fire minister for finance.
Arguing against the motion after it was moved by the minority leader, Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said admitting the motion in the house would amount to injustice being dealt against the minister for finance.
“As it stands now, if this motion is allowed to proceed, it would amount to injustice in a sense that the minister wouldn’t be given enough time to prepare a defence,” the deputy majority leader said.
The majority, among other things, argued that the minister would be denied a fair trial and that the house would be overstepping its remit if it decided to go ahead and admit the motion.
However, ruling on the objection by the majority, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin said the minister will duly be granted an opportunity to defend himself as part of the process in dealing with the motion.
The speaker further hinted that the motion will be referred to a committee of the house, upon whose recommendation the house will act.
The minority is asking, among other things, for the removal of the minister of finance over what they say is his mismanagement of the economy, leading to high cost of living, and inflation.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has ruled that an ad-hoc committee will be set up to probe the allegations for the motion of censure raised by the Minority Caucus against the embattled Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.
According to the Speaker, setting up a committee will provide an opportunity for the Finance Minister to respond to issues of conflict of interest raised by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu.
“The evidence will be placed before the committee. The Minister will have the opportunity to defend himself. A report will be presented to the House, and we will debate that report,” the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin said.
Bagbin made the ruling after the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, moved the motion for the vote of censure against Mr Ofori-Atta on the Floor of the House on Thursday, November 10, 2022.
According to Haruna Iddrisu, the record inflation rate, the depreciation of the cedi, the excessive borrowing and the reckless spending and the failure to control fuel prices are clear indications that the Finance Minister is not fit to continue in his role.
The Tamale South MP added that “Ghana’s economy is currently in a ditch” and called on the Majority side of the House to join the motion to remove the Finance Minister to regain the confidence of investors and save the economy from total collapse.
But the call by the Minority Leader was turned down by the Majority side, with the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin stating the call by the Minority Leader is in bad faith and not procedural.
According to him, issues raised by the Minority Leader border on criminality. He said Parliament cannot arrogate to itself judicial powers to try the Finance Minister, and called on the Speaker to allow Mr Ofori-Atta to defend before any decision is made.
The Majority MPs had earlier indicated their unwillingness to back the Minority’s vote of censure against the Finance Minister.
At a press conference held Thursday morning, the Majority group led by the MP for Effiduase/Asokore, Nana Ayew Afriyie said despite the fact that they still stand by their decision for the Finance Minister to be removed, they refuse to support the motion by the Minority.
“We are not going to support the course of the NDC this morning. The course of the NDC is premised on falsehood, propaganda and reasons which are not justifiable. Their position might look like ours, but ours is different,” Ayew Afriyie said.
Dr. Courage Edwards, a financial expert, believes that the government’s banking sector changes have strengthened regional banks and increased their resistance to shocks.
In an interview with GhanaWeb Business, Dr. Edwards indicated that the need for the banking sector clean-up exercise arose from the International Monetary Fund’s suggestion that the Bank of Ghana implement changes as part of IMF requirements.
“I think maybe, the Speaker does not understand the essence of the reforms that took place in the clean-up exercise because if you assess the balance sheets of local banks currently, you will clearly see that the financial health of the Ghanaian-owned banks is stronger compared to the period before the clean-up exercise was undertaken,” he told GhanaWeb Business.
“I can tell you that, most of the local banks breached several banking regulations. They had governance issues and you had a situation where loans were given to family and friends without proper documentation. Depositors’ funds were also diverted to build businesses of shareholders while some depositors were not getting back their funds from some of the financial institutions,” he added.
Dr. Edwards also recounted the country’s financial system was on the brink of total collapse before the clean-up exercise was undertaken by the Bank of Ghana.
“Poor business practices and weak capital positions of the banks and financial institutions were visibly seen and the liabilities of some local banks were more than their assets.
You also had a situation where some of the local banks were just surviving on liquidity support from the Bank of Ghana and putting depositors’ funds at risk and so I believe government rather intervened to ensure that customers do not lose their money.”
The financial analyst however said that after the clean-up, government created the Ghana Amalgamated Trust (GAT) to guarantee capital injection for five local banks.
“I believe this demonstrates government’s commitment to ensuring that the local banks are able to support economic development remain robust.”
“The central bank also indicated that the reason why most banks were able to withstand increased withdrawals and met depositors’ demand for cash in the lockdown period, was due to the fact that banks were solvent and well capitalised,” he continued.
“The remarkable resilience exhibited by the banking sector over the two-year period is attributed to the comprehensive financial sector reforms that took place before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020,” Dr. Edwards concluded.
Meanwhile, in 2017 the Bank of Ghana undertook a clean-up exercise that saw the revocation of operating licenses of some eight banks, 23 savings and loans companies and more than 400 specialised deposit-taking institutions (SDIs).
According to the Receiver for some of the financial institutions, preliminary investigations found that most directors of the defunct financial institutions failed in their fiduciary responsibilities to customers and other stakehold.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has noted that the government erred in choosing to invest GH25 billion to collapse nine local banks rather than utilizing GH5 billion to save them.
In a recent interview with the legislative press corps, Mr. Bagbin highlighted that “it is the priority of every country to ensure they are in charge of the banking sector,” adding, “So, if we had Ghanaians with banks facing issues, it is incumbent on us to make them successful.”
On Sunday, October 30, 2022, he informed the media, “I think our colleagues in government erred in not seeing it that way.
He said: “They tried and ensured that Ghanaians making it in the sector lost out and instead of using about GH¢5 billion to help the banks to survive, we ended up losing GH¢25 billion, and we have still not been able to sanitise the system and there is still a lot of work to be done.”
Mr Amoabeng, whose bank was also collapsed in the first term of the Akufo-Addo government, told Nana Otu Darko on CTV’s morning show, Dwabre Mu, on Tuesday, 4 October 2022: “I was pained by the collapse of Heritage Bank because it was young.”
“The Bank of Ghana had issued a licence to Heritage Bank and Heritage Bank had not operated for long and, so, unlike UT Bank, it had no bad loans or anything and it was a wholly-owned Ghanaian company that we had to nurture to grow,” he explained.
“Secondly, the owners of Heritage Bank found it fit to appoint a solid board,” he noted, adding: “I mean, the chairman was [Prof] Kwesi Botchwey. When it comes to finance in this country, he is the safest hands you can get; he’s seen it all.”
“As chairman, the board members run the bank, not the owner, so, I don’t know Seidu Agongo – as I told you, I haven’t met him before – but I know Kwesi Botchwey and I know his track record. So, if you have a bank that hasn’t got any baggage, it’s fresh and it’s got a board headed by Kwesi Botchwey, then it means its closure was a worse decision than UT Bank’s,” he further noted.
“As for UT Bank, we owed and they could have bailed [us out] but decided not to bail; that’s an option. That is why I mentioned that Heritage Bank, for example, was collapsed out of sheer wickedness,” he added.
Mr Amoabeng observed that the “unfortunate thing is, the Bank of Ghana is supposed to be independent but I don’t think they were independent with their decision on Heritage Bank because, if they were independent, why do you issue a licence and withdraw it?”
“When you were issuing the licence, didn’t you know the owners and the board?” he asked.
“It means they were told to withdraw the licence,” he deducted.
“And it’s not a fair way but it’s another dangerous path that Ghana has taken,” he regretted, noting: “Every institution has been politicised including even the army.”
“And that is why I am saying that for Heritage Bank, the institution that is supposed to be independent of the government [BoG], even though in principle, issues a licence and then withdraws that licence when the company hasn’t even done anything wrong,” Mr Amoabeng added.
Mr Amoabeng made similar comments a couple of years ago, saying he found it “extremely odd” for the Bank of Ghana to have collapsed Heritage Bank Limited, which had no bad loans on its books and was being run by the “right people” within the industry.
In his view, the revocation of the licence of the Ghanaian-owned bank, whose founder, Mr Seidu Agongo, has always argued was above board, as far as its books were concerned, was not only politically motivated but also “extremely unfair and unfortunate.”
Asked directly by TV3’s Paa Kwesi Asare in an interview on Business Focus: ‘Do you think, as many think, that some of the decision to close down certain banks was politically motivated?’ Mr Amoabeng answered: “A few of them; specifically Heritage Bank.”
“I don’t understand the issue because the Chairman of the Board is Dr Kwesi Botchwey. I have a lot of respect for him when it comes to finance in this country and managing Boards and he will not, in my estimation, ever accept to be Chairman of a bank that is not right and dealing in all sorts of things. I can say that for him,” Mr Amoabeng, whose bank was also among the nine Ghanaian banks that were collapsed in the central bank’s financial clean-up exercise during President Nana Akufo-Addo’s first term of office, noted.
“So,” Mr Amoabeng noted, “I find it extremely odd that a bank – and it had not started doing business for it to have bad loans and all those things – and for you to say that the owner didn’t have what it takes [doesn’t meet the fit-and-proper criterion] or however they put it, I mean the owner doesn’t run the bank, he’s a Ghanaian, he’s got the money, he’s appointed the right people to run the bank for him, so, what is the excuse?”
“I find that extremely, extremely unfair,” Mr Amoabeng asserted, adding: “Maybe I don’t have all the facts, but from where I stand, I find it really unfortunate.”
The Bank of Ghana revoked Heritage Bank’s licence on Friday, 4 January 2019, on the basis that Mr Agongo, the majority shareholder, among other things, used proceeds realised from alleged fraudulent contracts he executed for the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), for which he has been facing prosecution together with former COCOBOD CEO Stephen Opuni, for the past four years.
Announcing the withdrawal of the licence, the Governor of the central bank, Dr Ernest Addison, told journalists – when asked if he did not deem the action as premature, since the COCOBOD case was still in court – that: “The issue of Heritage Bank, I wanted to get into the law with you, I don’t know if I should, but we don’t need the court’s decision to take the decisions that we have taken. We have to be sure of the sources of capital to license a bank; if we have any doubt, if we feel that it’s suspicious, just on the basis of that, we find that that is not acceptable as capital. We don’t need the court to decide for us whether anybody is ‘fit and proper’. Just being involved in a case that involves a criminal procedure makes you not fit and proper”.
However, Mr Agongo responded with a press statement in which he said that the “not fit and proper” tag stamped on him by the central bank was “capricious, arrogant, malicious and in bad faith.”
According to Mr Agongo, “In purportedly making the determination, the central bank obviously had little regard for the time-honoured principle that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction,” adding that: “The fact that I have a case pending before the High Court is a matter of public knowledge but my guilt or innocence is yet to be determined by the Honourable Court.”
“The determination that I am not a fit and proper person to be a significant shareholder of HBL because the central bank suspects the funds are derived from illicit or suspicious contracts with Cocobod is not only calculated to pre-judge the outcome of the criminal proceedings but also violative of the principle of presumption of innocence to which every individual is entitled. Since when has suspicion become a substitute for credible evidence?” Mr Agongo asked.
Also, the erstwhile Prof Botchwey Board issued a statement on the matter in which it said: “Heritage Bank was by the Bank of Ghana’s own admission, a solvent bank. It never received liquidity support from the Bank of Ghana. Its corporate governance record had never been impugned by the Bank of Ghana. We believe we have been done a grave injustice and a terrible precedent set that does not bode well for the future.”
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has resurrected the issue about the withdrawal of his military protection as he describes the action as politically motivated.
Mr. Bagbin who questioned the basis for the action says it is puzzling that the state maintained what he calls battalion for the Electoral Commission Boss even after withdrawing the few military personnel attached to his office.
The Ghana Armed Forces in January withdrew the military personnel attached to the security detail of the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin.
Government has dismissed suggestions that the withdrawal of the military attachment to the Speaker of Parliament by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is an attempt to stifle his protection.
But speaking on the issue publicly for the first time during an engagement with the parliamentary press corps, Mr Bagbin listed a number of individuals whose offices are relatively below that of the speaker of Parliament yet enjoying military protection.
“The Chief Justice has a military, as well as Ministers, have their own and each Supreme Court Judge but the EC Chair has a battalion. My brothers at the Ministry of Defense and Interior both have and the Attorney General has his own. The same as the Minister for Finance but the Speaker is not entitled to a military,” he bemoaned.
“When I was second deputy Speaker, the Office of the same President approved his staff sergeant to by military attaché. For four good years, the staff sergeant was with me.
“Now, I’ve been elected as the Speaker, which is a higher position, and the same president says I’m not entitled to military attachment,” Mr. Bagbin lamented.
Nonetheless, Mr. Bagbin assured the public his security is guaranteed regardless of the withdrawal of the military attachment.
Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, has said the government made a mistake in embarking on a financial sector clean-up exercise.
In an effort to restore confidence in the banking and specialized deposit-taking sectors, the Bank of Ghana launched a clean-up operation in August 2017.
This operation, according to the Central Bank, was taken to resolve insolvent financial institutions whose continued existence threatened depositors’ interests.
However, the government explained that the action was one of the factors contributing to the country’s high debt stock.
Nonetheless, the Speaker believes that “ It is the focus of every country to ensure they are in control of the banking sector, so if we had Ghanaians with banks having challenges, it was incumbent on us to make them succeed. I think our colleagues in government erred in not seeing it that way.”
The Rt. Hon. Bagbin alleged that the government “tried and ensured that Ghanaians making it in the sector lost”.
He continued that the country has lost GH¢25 billion in a bid to sanitise the banking sector, when the initial plan was to embark on a GH¢5 billion operation exercise to boost the sector.
As of yet, we haven’t been able to sanitize the system, according to Alban Bagbin.
Ofori-Atta supervised the banking sector clean-up from mid-2017 to January 2020.
The clean-up saw a reduction in the number of banks from 34 to 23, while 347 microfinance institutions, 15 savings and loans, and eight finance houses had their licences revoked.
While some of the commercial banks were merged to form the Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited, the state-owned GCB was allowed to swallow others.
The Securities and Exchange Commission also announced that the government spent about GH¢21 billion on the banking clean-up exercise.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has resurrected the issue about the withdrawal of his military protection as he describes the action as politically motivated.
Mr. Bagbin who questioned the basis for the action says it is puzzling that the state maintained what he calls battalion for the Electoral Commission Boss even after withdrawing the few military personnel attached to his office.
The Ghana Armed Forces in January withdrew the military personnel attached to the security detail of the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin for his protection
Government has dismissed suggestions that the withdrawal of the military attachment to the Speaker of Parliament by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is an attempt to stifle his protection.
But speaking on the issue publicly for the first time during an engagement with the parliamentary press corps, Mr Bagbin listed a number of individuals whose offices are relatively below that of the speaker of Parliament yet enjoying military protection.
“The Chief Justice has a military, as well as Ministers, have their own and each Supreme Court Judge but the EC Chair has a battalion. My brothers at the Ministry of Defense and Interior both have and the Attorney General has his own. The same as the Minister for Finance but the Speaker is not entitled to a military,” he bemoaned.
Nonetheless, Mr. Bagbin assured the public his security is guaranteed regardless of the withdrawal of the military attachment.
The anti-LGBT Bill currently before parliament will be passed before the next elections, Speaker of the House, Alban Bagbin has said.
The Speaker, earlier this week, asked the Committee working on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill to expedite works in presenting its report to the house for a debate.
Speaking at a media engagement, Rt. Hon Bagbin emphasized that “the sexual rights and human values Bill that is being handled by the committee will definitely be passed before the next elections. That Bill will go through.”
While data indicates that most Ghanaians are in favour of the Bill, it has faced criticism from renowned artists and academics.
The Bill prescribes that people of the same sex who engage in sexual activity could spend up to 10 years in jail.
Varying forms of support for the LGBTQ+ community will also be criminalized if the Bill is passed into law.
It has, however, generated some widespread conversation, with many expressing varied views about some clauses in the document.
“When we talk about sexual rights, we are talking about things that will add value to human beings by way of creating opportunities and equal playing ground in giving privileges and rights to everyone and removing all the restrictions and hurdles to make people freer. That is what we call human rights, whatever negates this is not a human right”, the Speaker of Parliament added.
Following the heated conversations amidst pressure on Parliament to pass the Bill, there have been speculations that MPs who support the Bill may be denied some privileges from members of the international community.
Many persons and institutions have filed memoranda in support of the Bill and to help fine-tune it.
A number of renowned legal, academic and civil society professionals have also filed documents challenging the legislation.
In the memorandum, they contend that the Bill is an “impermissible invasion of the inviolability of human dignity.”
They further argued that pushing through the Bill will be to challenge Ghana’s constitution and democracy.
Bagbin while commenting on the status of the MP on Friday, October 28, cited the lack of communication on the part of the Judiciary for his view on the matter.
He said everything he knows of the Gyakye Quayson matter is from what he reads in the media and what he hears from third parties despite the fact that as leader of the legislature, he must be formally communicated to on the court’s decision to bar an MP from serving their term.
“As of now, I still don’t have any evidence of that and so we should let sleeping dogs lie until the proper thing is done. The issues that were raised by the Hon. Ablakwa is on page 8 under item 3, you have the name number 45 which deals with the Hon. Member for Assin North.
“Because his matter has been pending and I don’t have any evidence on it. I have been reading in papers, I have been hearing from people but we don’t have any communication from our colleague from the arm of government in charge of the judiciary on the matter,” he told MPs.
He added that he cannot take what he reads in the papers as sufficient evidence to act on, “so, I have raised this issue before expecting that there would be a communication to us on that issue and nothing has come so far and that is the difficulty I have.”
Apex Court bars Assin North MP from Parliament
A seven-member Supreme Court panel, months back ruled that the MP cannot hold himself out as a legislator pending the determination of the case challenging his eligibility.
The court by a 5-2 majority decision, said Quayson, who has been sued by one Michael Ninfa, for not renouncing his Canadian citizenship at the time he picked nomination forms to contest December 7, 2020, Parliamentary Election, cannot go to Parliament to conduct business.
The presiding judge, Justice Jones Dotse joined four members of the bench- Justices Mariama Owusu, Prof Henrietta Mensah-Bonsu, Gertrude Torkonoo and Emmanuel Yoni Kulendi, to uphold the interlocutory injunction application filed against the MP. The two judges who dissented were Justices Agness Dordzie and NeneAmegatcher.
On the substantive suit, the Apex Court directed an expeditious hearing and urged the parties and their counsel to cooperate with the court in that regard.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has reiterated that an embattled Member of Parliament, James Gyakye Quayson of Assin North remains a lawmaker despite a court order barring him from holding himself out as such.
Bagbin while commenting on the status of the MP on Friday, October 28, cited the lack of communication on the part of the Judiciary for his view on the matter.
He said everything he knows of the Gyakye Quayson matter is from what he reads in the media and what he hears from third parties despite the fact that as leader of the legislature, he must be formally communicated to on the court’s decision to bar an MP from serving their term.
“As of now, I still don’t have any evidence of that and so we should let sleeping dogs lie until the proper thing is done. The issues that were raised by the Hon. Ablakwa is on page 8 under item 3, you have the name number 45 which deals with the Hon. Member for Assin North.
“Because his matter has been pending and I don’t have any evidence on it. I have been reading in papers, I have been hearing from people but we don’t have any communication from our colleague from the arm of government in charge of the judiciary on the matter,” he told MPs.
He added that he cannot take what he reads in the papers as sufficient evidence to act on, “so, I have raised this issue before expecting that there would be a communication to us on that issue and nothing has come so far and that is the difficulty I have.”
Apex Court bars Assin North MP from Parliament
A seven-member Supreme Court panel, months back ruled that the MP cannot hold himself out as a legislator pending the determination of the case challenging his eligibility.
The court by a 5-2 majority decision, said Quayson, who has been sued by one Michael Ninfa, for not renouncing his Canadian citizenship at the time he picked nomination forms to contest December 7, 2020, Parliamentary Election, cannot go to Parliament to conduct business.
The presiding judge, Justice Jones Dotse joined four members of the bench- Justices Mariama Owusu, Prof Henrietta Mensah-Bonsu, Gertrude Torkonoo and Emmanuel Yoni Kulendi, to uphold the interlocutory injunction application filed against the MP. The two judges who dissented were Justices Agness Dordzie and NeneAmegatcher.
On the substantive suit, the Apex Court directed an expeditious hearing and urged the parties and their counsel to cooperate with the court in that regard.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has underscored the need for members of the house to be educated on how motions are couched.
This comes after an objection raised by the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo Markin against a motion of vote of censure on the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
“We need to sit together, dialogue and exchange views on the constitution and standing orders for the practice and procedures of the house”, he said.
Alban Bagbin, further pushed the improvement of knowledge of members on the procedures of the house.
“Beyond that, we have the rulings of speakers and literature on the laws and customs of Parliament. The fact that the concept of democracy has remained the say of separation of powers and checks and balances, we need to have continuous education of these matters for us to play our role well.”
On Thursday, Alexander Afenyo-Markin raised an objection to a motion of a vote of censure filed against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
The Minority in Parliament had filed the vote of censure against the Finance Minister citing seven reasons which include conflict of interest and fiscal recklessness leading to the sharp depreciation of the Ghana Cedi.
But speaking on the floor of Parliament, Mr. Afenyo-Markin argued that the reasons given by the Minority were unjustified, adding that the Minister of Finance has not been heard on the allegations.
“If you go through our order paper in this House, clearly committees bring reports, we submit applications and motions are advertised on their own. So a motion for a censure against the Finance Minister…Mr. Speaker, we should not forget that we are in a political space. The Minister has been condemned long before he is heard. The respondent in this application has been condemned with allegations, not facts. We all want a fair hearing.”
“Ghana will again be represented at this year’s FIFA World Cup, this time in Qatar.
“This august house is expected to play a pivotal role in making sure players and technical team deliver to the expectations of Ghanaians.
“This is the time to right the wrongs that characterized the 2014 edition in Brazil. One which led to our early exit and brought so much shame and dishonor to Ghana football,” he added.
Ghana, who have been housed in Group H will open their campaign against Portugal on November 24 at Stadium 974 in Doha.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has said the cedi appreciation is due to the calls for the removal of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
According to him, since the minority filed a motion to have Ken Ofori-Atta removed, Ghanaians have regained confidence that action has been taken to curb the economic crisis.
“Because of this motion, you know what has happened to the state of our Cedi. Just because people are given confidence that action is being taken, the Cedi gained some value, and parliament should be commended. It climbed from about 16 to a dollar to around 13, which is a serious gain for this country, and it’s because there is some confidence being given to the people that action is being taken to rectify the wrongs. Please let’s play our role properly and effectively, and at the end of the day, we’ll all benefit,” he told MPs on Thursday.
On October 27, the speaker of parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin admitted the minority’s Censure Motion filed against Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
This comes after Members of Parliament on the Minority side signed their signatories to a motion for a vote of censure on Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister, filed on Monday.
The Minority cites the overall mismanagement of the economy and ethical concerns, among others.
The motion was filed a day before Parliament resumed recess.
The admission of the motion is contained in the Order Paper of Parliament, issued on Thursday, October 27, 2022.
The House is expected to organize “a secret vote” to censure the Minister. This is scheduled for November 10, 2022.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has faulted the Supreme Court for delivering judgment in a matter the legislature was a party to without giving it a hearing.
According to Alban Bagbin, he “had no knowledge about the suit.”
He made this comment in Parliament on Thursday, October 27, 2022.
In July 2022, the Supreme Court declared as unconstitutional the law on granting licence to grow cannabis, popularly known as ‘wee’ in small quantities for industrial and medicinal purposes.
Section 43 of Act 1019 of the Narcotics Commission Act stipulates that “the Minister on the recommendation of the Commission, may grant a licence for the cultivation of cannabis popularly referred to as “wee” in Ghana, which is not more than 0.3 % THC content on a dry weight basis for industrial purposes for obtaining fibre or seed for medicinal purposes.”
However, the Apex court in a 4-3 majority decision on July 28 annulled Section 43 of Act 1019 and declared that it is a violation of Article 106 of the 1992 constitution.
But the Speaker has faulted the court saying although Parliament was a party to the suit, they were not granted hearing on the matter.
He insists that the fact that the ruling affected portions of the law is what even makes the implications dire.
“Yet, judgment was delivered by the Supreme Court in which a section of a law we passed was struck out as unconstitutional. If the speaker is a party to a suit, at least the speaker should be served. There was no service,” he said.
The Justices who ruled for the majority decision were; Justices Jones Dotse, Clemence Jackson Honyenuga, Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu and Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi while Justices Nene Amegatcher, Prof Nii Ashie Kotey and Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu disagreed.
The case was brought before the Apex Court by one Ezuame Mannan against the Attorney-General.
Some Members of Parliament (MPs) have expressed varied opinions to the Speaker of Parliament’s ruling on the fate of some three Members of the house over absenteeism.
The Speaker, Alban Bagbin’s on Wednesday referred the report of the Privileges Committee asking for the declaration of the seat of the MP for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo and two others as vacant to the plenary for a determination on the matter.
In his ruling, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin said, “the preliminary objection for the admissibility of the report is hereby dismissed in limine.”
Members are divided over the ruling. Whilst the Majority which is pushing for the seats to be declared thinks the Speaker erred in his ruling, the Minority side believes the Speaker’s decision is apt.
“The Speaker was presiding, and the Privileges Committee is a Committee of the house so once it is charged to go and do something, the recommendation of the committee shall be in the form of a report to be presented to the house which they have done so clearly, so what the speaker is saying is that, the right thing must be done”, one of the MPs said.
The three MPs are Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central; Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso West, and Adwoa Safo; MP for Dome Kwabenya.
They had been referred to the Privileges Committee for absenting themselves from Parliament beyond the permissible period without any reason.
The Majority in Parliament has been pushing to have Adwoa Safo vacate her seat because she has been out of the country for most parts of the year.
Kennedy Agyapong and Henry Quartey appeared before the committee and attributed their absence to ill health, but Adwoa Safo failed to honour the summons and the option of a virtual appearance.
“The Committee cannot take a decision, they have come to the plenary for a debate on its report then a decision is taken, so I think that, the Speaker is on the right path”, another legislator suggested.
The Majority was left upset with the Speaker of Parliament’s ruling and said it would challenge it with a substantive motion.
The Majority Leader, on the floor of Parliament, further accused the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, of pandering to the Minority in Parliament, which has been opposed to making the Dome Kwabenya seat vacant.
One other opined, “as a member of the committee, it is the Speaker that has to make that decision and not the house debating it.”
On October 26, 2022, Alban Bagbin gave a ruling on absentee MPs who were referred to the privileges committee.
He ruled that the report from the committee set up to look into the cases of the MP and two others who had absented themselves for some sittings should be presented before the plenary to be debated.
He, therefore, dismissed the objection of the Majority Leader to the admissibility of the committee report for the consideration of the House.
“As I have noted in this ruling, the decision (sic) on not to admit a motion is the exclusive preserve of the Speaker. In view of the foregoing, the House is well within its right to receive and consider reports of the committee and make a determination arising out of the consideration.
“In the circumstances, it is my ruling that the motion was rightfully admitted, and the report of the committee is subject to the consideration of the House. It goes without saying that the (sic) objection of the Majority Leader today (sic) is hereby dismissed…” he concluded his verdict.
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, will not declare the seat of the three absentee Members of Parliament (MPs) vacant yet.
On Wednesday, October 26, 2022, Mr Bagbin indicated he would not declare the seats vacant without a formal debate on the report submitted by the Privileges Committee.
Delivering his ruling, the Speaker noted: “The preliminary objection for the admissibility of the report is hereby dismissed in limine.”
A former Member of Parliament for the Kumbumgu Constituency, Mr Ras Mubarak, petitioned the Speaker to enforce Article 97(1)c of the 1992 Constitution by referring some four MPs, including Ms Safo, to the Privileges Committee for absenting themselves for more than 15 days without permission.
According to the ex-lawmaker, the Standing Orders of Parliament are not clear as to who can or should raise the matter of absenteeism on the floor of the House for a debate and, or referral by Mr Speaker to the Committee on Privileges but it is incidences like this, if unattended to, that threatens Ghana’s democracy.
Quoting Afrobarometer data, Mr Mubarak said trust in Parliament has fallen by 12 per cent between 2002 and 2019.
The report, he said, ranked Parliament as the third corrupt institution in the country – just behind the police and judges.
“I humbly submit that democracy can only work if Parliament puts the common good ahead of the party and personal interest. At a time of seeming collapse of trust in politics and Parliament as an institution, it is my fervent prayer that the House would rise to the occasion and be united on this matter so as to uphold our constitution and also win back waned public confidence,” the petition stated.
The Speaker of Parliament referred the matter to the committee.
MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, Ayawaso West MP, Henry Quartey and MP for Dome Kwabenya Sarah Adwoa Safo.
Despite several invitations, Ms Safo has yet to appear before the committee.
Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has contested Speaker’s decision to allow the plenary to debate the fate of Dome Kwabenya Member of Parliament (MP), Sarah Adwoa Safo and two other legislators over absenteeism.
According to him, the majority is set to challenge the substantive motion if it is brought before the house.
“I totally disagree with the ruling. It doesn’t sit with the constitution and I must express my discomfort with this unfortunate ruling that has been made because it is very inconsistent. We will come back with a substantive motion to challenge the ruling”, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said on the floor of the House right after the ruling.
Alban Bagbin on October 26, 2022, gave a ruling that the report of the committee set up to look into the case of the MP and two others who absented themselves for a number of sittings should be presented before the whole house to be debated.
He, therefore, dismissed the objection of the Majority Leader to the admissibility of the committee report for the consideration of the house.
“As I have noted in this ruling, the decision (sic) on not to admit a motion is the exclusive preserve of the Speaker. In view of the foregoing, the House is well within its right to receive and consider reports of the committee and make a determine arising out of the consideration.
“In the circumstances, it is my ruling that the motion was rightfully admitted and the report of the committee is subject to the consideration of the house. It goes without saying that the (sic) objection of the Majority Leader today (sic) is hereby dismissed…” he concluded his verdict.
It will be recalled that on July 29, 2022, a day after parliament adjourned its first decision to determine the fate of the Dome Kwabenya MP, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo sacked her as the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
In a statement, the president said the revocation of the MP’s appointment as minister was to take immediate effect.
“In accordance with article 81(a) of the Constitution, the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has revoked the appointment of Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, with immediate effect.
“The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, will continue to act as caretaker Minister for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, until such a time that President Akufo-Addo appoints a substantive Minister,” the statement from the Presidency concluded.
Sarah Adwoa Safo has been in the United States of America since 2021.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin believes the state must resource the Black Stars ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ghana have made a return to the Mundial having missed out on the last edition of the global showpiece hosted in Russia in 2018.
With the team set to open camping on November 10 in Abu Dhabi, Mr. Bagbin speaking on the floor of parliament on Wednesday reiterated that the Black Stars must be fully resourced by the state.
He however admitted that despite the economic challenges, the state must ensure the team is resourced ahead of the World Cup.
The Speaker added that he is confident the team is fully prepared to do the nation the honors at the tournament.
Ghana as part of their preparations will take on Switzerland in a friendly on November 17 before flying to Doha on November 19.
The Black Stars have been housed in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.
Ghana are seeking to put up an improved performance at the Mundial after failing in Brazil in 2014.
The 22nd edition of the global showpiece has been scheduled to kick off from November 20 to December 18.
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, before the recess, had deferred ruling on the future of the Dome-Kwabenya MP in the House.
The Third Meeting of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic will resume sitting today, Tuesday, 25 October 2022, after it went on recess in July.
The House is also expected to determine the fate of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, during today’s sitting.
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, before the recess, had deferred ruling on the future of the Dome-Kwabenya MP in the House following her inability to appear before the Privileges Committee over her absence from Parliament.
It is also expected that the Appointments Committee will present its report on the nominees of the Supreme Court who were vetted while the House was on recess.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta will also be expected to present before the house, the government’s 2023 budget statement during this session.
Some eleven bills including the Anti-LGBTQ+Bill will also be considered during this session of the House.
The Speaker of Parliament and the Ghana Gas Company Limited are funding the project, which is being carried out by the Wembley Sports Construction company.
Speaker Bagbin expressed pleasure with the work achieved thus far during a site inspection exercise and pushed for the adoption of the proper maintenance culture after the sports facility was finished.
From what I’ve seen so far, it’s a sight to behold, and the pitch, as the construction manager has mentioned, is the best so far that is being built in the nation.
“The size of the pitch which is 75 by 1/10 is a bit above the standard size…the biggest is usually 120 by 75 but in Ghana, we are yet to have such a size so what we have to do is to ensure that we adopt a sound maintenance culture,” he added.
“Phase 2 will see the construction of running tracks which will commence from next year and the next focus after the actual playing area is done is to commence the construction of the spectator stand,” Lamptey added.
When completed, the Nadwoli multi-purpose sports complex will have a FIFA standard 11-aside pitch, fencing, floodlights, spectator stands, changing rooms, multi-purpose courts and a VIP stand.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has urged Parliamentarians across Africa to pay much more attention to climate change.
Addressing the 145th Inter-Parliamentary Assembly Conference in Kigali, Rwanda Ghana’s Speaker emphasized on the risk of climate change on the continent.
“I can tell from the Members of Parliament from CVF countries and observer states in attendance that as parliamentarians we have made a clear and conscious decision to rise to the challenge of ensuring action on climate change. That is very encouraging indeed.
“We should also consider what we can do to mobilize other key actors within the space to create a lot more awareness and readiness to act so that in a concerted manner, we can confront today’s climate change demands. In unity, as we told, lies strength. We can achieve a lot more together than if we leave national institutions, state and global actors to operate in silos,” he stated.
As the leader of the Ghana’s delegation to the conference, Mr. Bagbin touched on the effects, risks and challenges of climate change and the critical role of Parliaments and Parliamentarians have to focus on.
“Yes, the world is facing serious threats from the impacts and risks of climate change, but we also have an opportunity to seize upon new technologies and approaches that can help us adapt and build our resilience to this challenge.
“For example, today, a lot more people are using digital devices for their work, for communication and for storing information. Consequently, it has led to a reduction in the reliance on paper, which goes to reduce deforestation. Bear in mind that trees, by being an important source of oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide, help to reduce climate change.”
The Speaker also commended Hon Dr. Emmanuel Marfo, who was confirmed Chairman of the GPG during the conference.
Dr. Emmanuel Marfo is also the Chairperson of the Environment Science and Technology Committee, which is the relevant Committee in whose remit climate change issues fall in the Ghana Parliament.
“I place my utmost faith in his capabilities to ensure the success of the priorities of the CVF GPG and in support of the CVF priorities of 1.5ºC Ambition, Adaptation, Loss and Damage and Finance.
“The Parliament of Ghana is committed to support the work of the CVF GPG through the Chairperson of the CVF GPG. May I also take this opportunity to thank our Host Parliament, the Parliament of Rwanda, and Rt. Honorable Speaker, Donatille Mukabalisa, for hosting us. My appreciation also goes to the Secretary General of the IPU for facilitating the meeting of the CVF GPG.”
It was rather a ‘grief-stricken’ moment when tears consistently rolled down the cheeks of the late Highlife musician, Nana Kwame Ampadu’s wife, who was captured at the funeral grounds of her late husband.
All efforts by some women to console her proved futile as she cried profusely, as her tribute to her late husband was being read.
The manner in which the late musician’s wife wept got so infectious that even one of her ‘consolers’ ended up wailing as well.
Not forgetting the fact that the words in her written tribute sunk the audience into a more sorrowful state.
In attendance at the ceremony were President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin; the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei Opare; ministers of state; Members of Parliament; a former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings; the clergy, some veteran actors, musicians, chiefs and several other dignitaries.
The late Nana Ampadu was finally laid to rest on Saturday October 9, 2022, in his hometown, Obo Kwahu, in the Eastern Region.
Flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party, (NPP) Kwabena Agyepong, has advocated for the payment of ex-gratia every four years to Article 71 officeholders to be scrapped immediately.
He stated in an interview with Accra-based Joy News that the country does not have the financial resources to support such payments.
Agyepong contended that persons such as Members of Parliament can be given “something little” after serving their terms in office but it should not be in the current lump sum even for MPs who return to Parliament.
He listed the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin together with Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (Majority Leader and Suame MP) and Kobina Tahir Hammond (Adansi Asokwa MP) as people who have benefited greatly from payment of ex-gratia over the years due to their long stay in the legislature.
He said such payment were not right on any moral standing stressing that it should halt with immediate effect.
“Ex-gratia should be like a parachute payment. When you have served your country like a member of Parliament…it’s a difficult assignment. I would say it is like marriage. When you elevate a lady to certain level as a wife and you want to leave, that’s why they let you pay alimony.
“You have to support her. You cannot allow her just to drop because you are leaving. That’s not right. It is not fair. You make somebody an honorable Member of Parliament, he served when he is going home, something little. Maybe he can take the car away,” the former NPP General Secretary said on October 6.
“…not after every four years. I never understood that. If you are coming back it cannot be ex-gratia. I see the Speaker and the likes of Kyei Mensah, they must have benefited a lot. My good friend KT Hammond…that is not right. It cannot be right on any moral standing. We should stop it immediately. We don’t have the money as a country,” he added.
Mahama, NPP “clash” over payment of ex-gratia
Former President Mahama while speaking to a gathering of NDC lawyers pledged to implement recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee as well as review ex-gratia payments in the next NDC administration
“The next NDC government must commit to the implementation of the review of the 1992 Constitution, which was begun by President John Evans Atta Mills of blessed memory. This review should among others aim at reforming the judiciary and tackle head-on issues on ex-gratia payments and other matters of Article 71 emoluments” Mahama said.
Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, however, said Mahama benefited from ex-gratia payment to the tune of GH¢14 million in 2013 – a claim the office of the former president has denied.
Abronye DC also said Mahama cannot scrap the payment of ex-gratia because he “loves ex-gratia more than his wife Lordina”.
The NPP in press conference also said the promise by Mahama was mere political rhetoric aimed at swaying voters.
In contrast to prior reports, the Law Society of Ghana (LSG) has said that the Speaker of Parliament has not resigned from the Ghana Bar Association (GBA).
According to the news release from the LSG, Speaker Alban Bagbin only expressed concerns regarding the current situation of the GBA while expressing hope that there will be significant reforms that will enhance the association’s reputation.
“It must be placed on record that nowhere in the Speaker’s welcoming remarks during our visit did he ever state that he has resigned from the Ghana Bar Association (GBA).
“In his remarks, he expressed in strong words his revulsion about the state of the GBA and wishes to see a change for a better Bar Association committed to the aims, objectives and ethics as captured and practised globally,” a statement signed by LSG’s acting President, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor.
It was recently reported that Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, had resigned from the Ghana Bar Association (GBA).
Per the earlier details, Mr. Bagbin had said that a lot of people were worried about the state of GBA and their actions.
” I am no longer a member of GBA,” he is said to have noted while explaining tha he did not seem to benefit from the association.
Speaker Bagbin said the GBA has now become an association of elites, stressing that he used to pay his dues “religiously” but got to know that any lawyer that attended the public tribunal was not recognized and thus his interest in GBA diminished.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has eulogized veteran singer, the late Nana Kwame Ampadu, for his story telling artistry and dancing techniques.
The Speaker believes his action have contributed greatly to the development of Ghana’s music industry.
The family of the Late Nnwomtofohene Nana Kwame Ampadu has officially informed The Rt. Hon. Speaker of his final funeral arrangements in Parliament on Saturday.
“We don’t mourn musicians like Nana Ampadu; but rather, we celebrate them”, the Speaker said as he welcomed the delegation to Parliament.
He called on the Musician Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) to write the lyrics in his songs as well as identifying the quotes for future references.
Hon. Kofi Attoh, Speaker’s Adviser and a former Member of Parliament for Ho West, called for the need to include the study of Nana Ampadu’s songs at the various universities, since he believes this initiative when considered would keep his legacy move on.
The Highlife Legend passed on at age 76. According to his family, he will be laid in state on Friday 7th October, 2022 at the Forecourt of The State House, Accra then conveyed to his Hometown at Obo- Kwahu in the Eastern region for interment and final funeral rites on 8th October, 2022.
The visit was to re-enforce relations between the two countries, particularly bilateral relations between members of both parliaments, to promote close collaboration with Civil Society Organisations and to foster cultural exchanges in the areas of education, renewable energy, trade and investments, sports, arts and culture and security.
Ambassador Gutierrez said Ghana and Spainestablished diplomatic relations in 1986 when the Spanish Ambassador in Liberia was concurrently accredited to Ghana, whiles Ghana’s Ambassador to France was concurrently accredited to Spain in 1973.
Spain established a resident diplomatic Mission in Accra 1989 and in 2004, Ghana established a Mission in Madrid. Bilateral relations between the two countries have been deepened progressively following the establishment of Ghana’s diplomatic presence in the country.
Trade between the two countries has been growing steadily since 2013 with the balance of trade skewed in Spain’s favor.
The principal exports from Ghana to Spain are aluminum, fish, sea food products, timber and semi-processed wood products, cocoa butter, manganese, and fruit juice concentrate.
However, major Spanish exports to Ghana are edible oil products, optical instruments, ceramic tiles, electrical equipment, mining explosives, wine, and cosmetic products.
Ambassador Gutierrez disclosed that cultural relations have hinged on the awards of Spanish Government scholarships to Ghanaian for higher studies in Spanish institutions.
As mark of her decision to strengthen bilateral relations with Ghana, Spain has been offering scholarships to Ghanaian students to pursue studies predominantly in Spanish language courses in Universities in Spain and also sponsoring courses for the Ghana Army.
The Rt. Hon. Speaker Bagbin assured Ambassador Gutierrez of Ghana’s commitment to deepen bilateral relations with Spain in areas of education, tourism and culture.
Speaker Bagbin stressed on the need to create more opportunities for women to participate in politics, adding that there was a need for women Parliamentarians to collaborate with their colleagues from other Parliaments, adding that members of the Women Caucus in parliament will join their counterparts in Spain for knowledge exchange programmes.
Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, the Majority Leader, said both countries could deepen their friendship through exchanges in exports/imports and tourism to boost the economy of the two countries.
The Auditor-General has revealed that three companies with the same owner bid for the award of contract for the installation of LED bulbs and streetlights.
According to the 2021 Auditor-General report on Public Accounts of Ghana-Public Boards, Corporations and other statutory institutions, which has been addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, the companies involved were: Unity Enginmac Co. Precious Engineering and Dass-B Electricals.
BOST, the report said, eventually awarded the contract to Enginmac Co. Ltd at a cost of GHC178,252.52.
“We noted that three (3) Companies, Unity Enginmac Co. Precious Engineering and Dass-B Electricals bided for the award of contract for the installation of LED bulbs and streetlights for BOST of which Enginmac Co was recommended by the evaluation team for the award of the contract to the tune of GHC178,252.52.
“We noted further that, Unity Enginmac Co. Ltd and the two other alternative tenderers namely Precious Engineering and Dass-B Electricals who participated in the procurement were all owned by one person.
“We recommended that the contractor be invited to explain the ownership of the companies and tender documents submitted and admonish the evaluation team to do proper due diligence in the selection process as this lapse was identified in the previous year audit and cautioned,” page 16 of the report read.
The Auditor-General noted that “BOST continues to pay avoidable judgment debts in the forms of cost and interest amounting to GHC9,169,884.48 and US$3,057,096.00 to three contractors for breach of contract and undue delays in the payment of legitimate contract sums.
“We recommended that should Management apply appropriate sanctions on all officers whose negligence have occasioned the loss. Additionally, we urged Management to heed to all contract terms and indulge in negotiations rather than lawsuit in resolving disagreements.”
Parliament has passed the Income Tax (Amended) Bill, 2022 to amend the Income Tax Act, 2015 (Act 896) to extend the exemption from tax of gains on the realisation of shares listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange for five years.
Mr Kwaku Kwarteng, the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament moved for the adoption of the Income Tax (Amended) Bill, 2022 and was seconded by Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Ranking Member of the Committee.
Among the objectives, the Bill would extend the concession for Income Tax Stamp and Vehicles Income Tax systems to the end of December 2022.
The Income Tax (Amended) Bill, 2022, which was first presented to Parliament and read for the first time on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, was referred by Mr Alban Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament for consideration and report by the 1992 Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament.
However, the Finance Committee met and determined that the Bill was urgent and, therefore, certified that it ought to be taken through all the stages of passage in one day by Article 106 (13) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 119 of the Standing Orders of Parliament.
The Bill contains two clauses where clause 1 amends section 7 of the Act to provide for the exemption from Taxation of gains from the realisation of securities listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange up to December 31, 2006.
“Clause 2 amends the sixth schedule of Act 896 by providing for the suspension of quarterly income tax installment payments for the seated categories of persons for the first, second, third and fourth quarters of 2022,” it said.
Mr Kwarteng told parliament that after careful consideration, the Committee was of the view that the Bill was in the right direction as it sought to make the Ghana Stock Exchange attractive and to further provide some relief to businesses and transport operators (Trotro drivers).
“Mr Speaker, the Committee, therefore, recommends to the House to adopt its Report and pass the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill 2022 by the 1992 Constitution and the Standing Orders of the House,” he said.
The Committee also observed that as part of additional measures to provide some relief to the more vulnerable members of society, the government also suspended quarterly income tax installments payments for small businesses using the Income Tax Stamp system and for trotro drivers using the Vehicle Income Tax System for the second, third and fourth quarters of 2021.
Parliament on Friday, July 22 also passed the Tax Exemptions Bill, 2022, to regulate the application of tax exemptions and other exemptions and to provide for related matters.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has referred four Supreme Court Justice nominees to the Appointments Committee for consideration.
Interested persons and organisations have been asked to submit their memoranda in respect of the nominations to the clerk of the Appointments Committee for consideration.
The move is in accordance with Article 144 (3) of the 1992 Constitution.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo nominated the four: three justices of the Court of Appeal and a Justice of the High Court.
The nominees from the Court of Appeal are Justice Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu, Justice George Kingsley Koomson, and Justice Samuel Kwame Adibu Asiedu.
Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu is the only nominee from the High Court.
Their appointments are subject to vetting and subsequent approval or rejection by Parliament.
The President made these nominations to fill up expected vacancies at the apex court.
Speaker Alban Bagbin has assured that Parliament will ensure the demand by school feeding caterers to increase school feeding grant is met by the government.
The caterers are requesting that government increases the current grant of ¢0.97 to ¢3 per school child to enable them prepare meals for school children amidst current economic challenges.
During a surprise visit to the School Feeding Programme Secretariat on June 23, the Speaker stated that their demands are of sound mind therefore Parliament’s decision to support them.
“We see that there is a challenge and the challenge is financing. The caterers, as you say, do the pre-financing because of the global economic situation, which has affected Ghana.
“There is the need for an upward adjustment of the amount you give to them. Definitely, ¢0.97 is on the low side, and their demand is justified,†he stated, according to media reports.
Speaker visits state institutions unannounced Credit: Parliament of GhanaÂ
Prior to his visit to the School Feeding Programme Secretariat, Speaker Alban Bagbin paid a courtesy visit to the National Buffer Stock Company to ascertain its successes and challenges.
In a Facebook post, the Communication team of Parliament stated that the Speaker personally visited the institutions to “familiarise himself with the challenges of these institutions to appreciate their concerns when they are brought before the House” despite there being specific Parliamentary Committees assigned to perform their oversight responsibilities over these state institutions.
The Chief Executive Officer of National Buffer Stock Company, Mr. Hanan Abdul-Wahab, who welcomed the Speaker noted that the company has seen significant growth since his inception.
Speaker visits state institutions unannounced Credit: Parliament of Ghana
According to him, the National Buffer Stock Company has increased its number of offices and is currently operating in all 16 regions of the country.
He stated that the company used to operate in just three regions of the country.
Nonetheless, Mr. Hanan Abdul-Wahab mentioned the lack of big ware houses and inadequate allocation of funds as some major challenges of the company.
In response, the Speaker assured that he will lead the House to make sure that enough funds are allocated to solve the above mentioned challenge.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has emphasised the need for challenges with the national school feeding programme to be quickly resolved.
In recent times, there has been a running battle between caterers of the programme and authorities over the cost of feeding per student.
In a bid to resolve the challenge, the Speaker paid a surprise visit to the National Buffer Stock Company and the National School Feeding Programme.
“I decided to spring this surprise to see on the ground how these agencies are struggling to cope with the pressure. I am trying to understand the challenges they are experiencing and how we can support them to do their work. It is a national issue that I did not want to be taken along partisan lines. We pass the laws and approve the budget, and therefore we should be on top to assist the government to put their priorities right.â€
Caterers nationwide boycotted cooking weeks ago over outstanding allowances owed to them by the government.
Caterers in Savannah, Volta, Western North, Oti, Bono, Ahafo, Bono East and North-East regions were subsequently paid by the government after several protests.
However, some school feeding caterers in the Western Region recently picketed at the offices of the School Feeding Programme Secretariat in Accra, agitating over the non-payment of monies owed them for preparing meals for pupils.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has directed two committees of Parliament to investigate the COVID-19 expenditure incurred by the government since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.
The Committees on Finance and Health are to submit their report to the House in the first week of the next meeting of the House in October, this year.
The two committees are also to probe the receipt and application of COVID-19 funds by the government.
Mr. Bagbin gave the directives on the floor of Parliament Wednesday, after the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta had appeared before the House to give account of how the COVID-19 money was expended since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020 in the country.
The ruling by the Speaker followed calls by the Minority group in Parliament for the House to set up an ad hoc committee to probe the utilisation of the COVID-19 money by the government.
Mr Cletus Avoka, the Member of Parliament (MP) of Zebilla, Tuesday led a delegation to officially inform the Speaker of Parliament about the passing of John Akparibo Ndebugri.
The late Ndebugre was the MP for Zebilla in the Upper East Region in the Fourth Parliament, on the ticket of the People’s National Convention.
He was born on March 12, 1950, and died on May 6, 2022.
The Speaker, Mr Alban Bagbin, thanked the delegation for officially informing the House and described the late Ndebugre as a patriot, a senior brother, and a friend.
“He was an astute politician and lawyer of good standing who contributed a lot to the development of the country.â€
Mr Bagbin noted that the late Ndebugre deserved a befitting state burial.
He, therefore, tasked Mr Avoka to make a statement in the House to that effect.
He pledged Parliament’s support to the family in these difficult times.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has hinted of advanced ongoing plans to establish and run a functional dialysis unit at the Upper West Regional Hospital in Wa.
Speaker Bagbin made this disclosure at his residence in Wa on Saturday, April 2 when he met a cross-section of journalists and football enthusiasts.
It was during the occasion of his personal donation of sports equipment to Real Crusaders Ladies Football Club, a Division One ladies football club based in Wa.
Touching on his commitment to use his privileged position as Speaker of Parliament to better the lot of the Upper West Region, the Rt Hon Bagbin intimated that he has been able to secure some support from an undisclosed source for the establishment of the dialysis unit.
He bemoaned the stress and difficulties that people of the Region endure whenever they have to seek medical attention, which requires resort to dialysis and hence the reason for which he is pushing relentlessly to bring the project to fruition.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has confirmed speculations that the Member of Parliament for Ahanta Constituency was brought to Parliament in an ambulance on the day E-Levy was approved in the chamber.
The Speaker’s comments come after Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, asked why the Ahanta MP was marked present when he was not seen in the chamber.
In response, the Speaker said, “I saw how Ahanta West MP and Chieftaincy minister, Ebenezer Kojo-Kum was brought to Parliament in an ambulance”.
There were suspicions that the Member of Parliament for Ahanta West, Ebenezer Kojo, was conveyed to Parliament on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, when the House was due to approve the controversial E-Levy today.
This suspicion is a result of the arrival of an ambulance in Parliament on the said day.
The scene that was captured on video shows a paramedic behind a wheelchair at the entrance of the ambulance.
Though the video is not long enough to show anyone being brought out of the ambulance, some persons have taken to social media to reveal that the Ahanta West MP who has been bedridden for months was the person on board.
Bawku Central MP Mahama Ayariga says the minority caucus in parliament is surprised that Speaker Alban Bagbin did not check whether there was a quorum before the E-Levy was passed.
The MP (Member of Parliament), in a JoyNews interview monitored by GhanaWeb, said that the minority caucus was expecting the Speaker of Parliament to check if there was a quorum in the House for business to be conducted when they walked out of the House because he had previously done so.
“Remember that when the majority, not too long ago, on the day for the passage of the budget, decided to walk out, what did the Speaker do? He said I want to find out whether we have a quorum so that we continue transacting business and then he counted minority members in the chamber. We were 137, and he felt that there was a quorum to continue transacting business relying on the provisions of Article 102.
“So, we assumed that the legal position will be that when we walk out, anybody who wants to transact business will also check; the minority side having walked out, there should be at list 138 people to conduct business,” he said.
Also, Ayariga indicated that there was no need for any of the minority MPs to be present to object to the passage of the levy, saying, “when the majority walked out when we (the minority) voted against the budget, no objection was raised, and it was the same Alban Bagbin who was presiding over the House. It was the Speaker, on his own, who after the majority had walked out, decided to check if there was a quorum.”
Meanwhile, the minority caucus in parliament has indicated that the bill’s passage was illegal, citing the lack of a quorum.
According to the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, the House did not have the numbers to decide on the passage of the bill. He believes the recent Supreme Court ruling has been violated.
“The House had less than 137 in the chamber. They only proceeded in illegal business,” he said.
Mahama Ayariga, Haruna Iddrisu and Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa have filed a suit at the Supreme Court, asking the court to declare the approval of the levy null and void.
The Public Affairs Department of Parliament has denied reports that the Speaker of the House, Mr. Alban Bagbin, has sidelined the unit and similar departments while he focuses on the staff affiliated to his office for official assignments.
A statement denying the report signed by Kate Addo, Director, Public Affairs, emphasised that her department continues to remain committed to the communications management of the office of the Speaker and the performance of any allied duties as may be assigned by the Speaker.
The statement admitted that although it is true the Speaker has a communication team, that team has an entirely different mandate from that of the Public Affairs Department.
It added that the Speaker continues to engage with the Director on relevant issues and is keen on growing the department and other departments of the legislature.
As an apolitical outfit, the public affairs department noted that it is committed to working to enhance the overall development of the entire legislature without recourse to any political party or ideology.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, has disclosed that there is a push for Constitutional amendments to who becomes a Speaker of the House.
According to him, there are moves to secure changes to the law to make the position of Speaker, a role reserved for the sitting MPs.
In an interview with journalists late last week, he stressed that the Speaker enjoyed privileges that his two deputies do not in terms of his emoluments for instance.Â
He is quick to point out the restrictions the Speaker also faces because he is unable to represent the House in the regional Parliament.
“Since our Speaker is not an MP, he cannot go to ECOWAS Parliament. It is the reason some of us have been canvassing for an amendment of the constitution to have a situation where our Speaker will be an elected MP,†he stated.
In addressing the recent ruling by the Supreme Court allowing Deputy Speakers of the House to vote and be counted to form quorum, he expressed agreement citing portions of the 1992 Constitution.
“Article 104 refers just only to the Speaker. It does not provide any inhibition to the Deputy Speakers. So, if you come to provide any inhibition to the Deputy Speaker, then it means it is inconsistent with the constitution,†he emphasized.
He said the 1992 Constitution is clear on the distinction, saying the Speaker is the prime person, who superintends Parliament, and intimated that the constitutional imperative in Article 104 (2) is for the Speaker alone.
He asserted that Article 71 relates to the retirement benefits of the Speaker and it is different to those of the Deputy Speakers, adding “Deputy Speakers are grouped to MPs for the benefits. Article 97 says a Member of Parliament shall vacate his seat, (b) if he is elected the Speaker of Parliament.â€
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also MP for Suame, also told journalists that Bagbin, who is currently in the UAE for medical reasons, is asking for motions to be sent to him for approval and consideration by the House despite his absence.
Governance institutions in developing countries must prioritise the preservation of institutional experiences and memories, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbinhas advocated.
This, he said, was necessary for continuity while ensuring that people have access to accurate historical facts and data.
The Speaker made this remark during a courtesy call on him by a delegation from the Sierra Leonean Parliamentary Service Commission led by Mr Hassan Abdul Sesay, opposition whip for the Sierra Leonean parliament.
The delegation is in Ghana, among other things, to interact with their counterparts, learn best practices and exchange ideas.
The team is hoping to use this visit to create a platform for networking between the parliaments of both countries.
Mr Bagbin, in welcoming the delegation, called for the promotion of similar exchange visits among parliamentary commissions and services across the continent.
He said there is the need for the major stakeholders of the legislature in Ghana to commence discussions around establishing a Council modelled around the Council of State to advise and guide the Speaker and members of parliament to effectively discharge their duties.
The leader of the Sierra Leonean delegation, Hassan Abdul Sesay, commended Mr Bagbin for his leadership.
He said Ghana has a lot of democratic credentials to share, particularly in building strong and independent institutions.
Cardinal among the reasons for their visit, he said, was to learn the various schemes and legislations put in place to determine the conditions of service of members retiring from parliament.
First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has refuted suggestions that there is confusion between Speaker Alban Bagbin and himself.
According to him, even though it is not proper for misunderstandings between them to play out in public, there is no personal feud between them.
“I don’t see it as tension, but it is probably something unusual that we should be discussing our differences before the media; because we have other avenues for discussing even when we disagree … Unfortunately, we have had to do it before the media.
“I think between us, we understand these things are not personal. I would rather say our differences are playing out in the public gallery rather than at a forum we probably ought to, but I don’t see tension,” Osei-Owusu said in an interview on JoyNews’ PM Express monitored by GhanaWeb.
The first deputy speaker also refuted claims that he overturned a motion admitted by the speaker.
“The power to admit a motion or not is administrative, and Mr Speaker does not share that power with anybody. So, the decision to admit or not admit a motion, the application is sent to Mr Speaker, and then he would decide whether to admit it, direct amendment of some portion for him to admit or reject it,” he said.
He added that on the floor of the parliament, on the other hand, it is the house that takes decisions on any matter, and the person presiding has to make a ruling on issues raised.
According to him, he only made a ruling on the objection raised against the motion the speaker had admitted.
“It was argued on both sides, and the person presiding had no choice than to make a ruling,”
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has stated the decision by the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu (Joewise), to overturn his ruling on a motion he admitted was offensive and unconstitutional.Â
The speaker said this after Joewise, on February 22, 2022, dismissed a motion by the minority to probe government expenditure on COVID-19.
“The penchant of the First Deputy Speaker overruling my decisions is unconstitutional, illegal and offensive,” Alban Bagbin said.
A member of the NPP Legal and Communications Team, Gary Nimako Marfo, has said that the two NPP MPs who voted for Alban Bagbin to be the Speaker of Parliament caused the government’s challenges.
He indicated that if the two New Patriotic Party (NPP) members of Parliament (MPs) had voted for NPP sponsored candidate, Prof Aaron Mike Oquaye, the government would not be having challenges moving on with its business.
He also said that the Assin North MP, who had an injunction for him to seize to hold himself as an MP, should also not have voted during the vote for the Speaker.
“… but where did we get to, why did we get to where we are now? … I blame the two members of Parliament on our side who voted for him [Alban Bagbin] as Speaker of Parliament. That’s the beginning of all these problems. We should not forget that on the day of the voting, an injunction had been secured in the Assin North case, served to the Clerk of Parliament.
“… we are now confronted with the situation where we have the Speaker who is on the side of the opposition, and it’s very clear. So clearly, if one person is absent, or two are absent, it means the party in power is in trouble of completing the government business,” Marfo said.
He said this in an interview on Joy News’ Newfile on Saturday, February 26, 2022, monitored by GhanaWeb.
On the way forward, he said the Speaker should be patient with the MPs, adding that there has to be some understanding among factions in the Parliament for the good of the country.
“What I think ought to happen is that Mr Speaker, Alban Sumana Bagbin, should please calm down a bit. It appears that the manner with which he is speaking, and his conduct and everything is going, I’m clear in my mind that he appears to be on some turf with his MPs and maybe the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament.”
“… But I have heard Honourable Joe Wise speak; I think there should be some form of cordiality between the two of them,” the NPP legal team member added.
The Speaker of Parliament made some stark projections for which public sector workers may have to brace themselves.
According to Alban Bagbin, government may struggle to honour some financial obligations including remuneration of employees in the next three months if critical steps are not taken.
“This is not to discourage the committee from doing their work. If something is not done within the next three months, the government may not be able to even pay salaries,†he said.
He made this disclosure to Members of Parliament on Thursday, February 24, 2022.
It is unclear what constitutes this forecast as the Speaker fell short of giving further details of the “information at my disposal.â€
But this comes amid ongoing consultation by the government to get the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) bill passed, growing agitation within industrial unions over working conditions and calls for improved standards of living.
Specifically, on the E-Levy, Majority MPs have cited numerous intervention programmes that may fail to be realised if the estimated ¢7 billion in revenue is not mobilised.
Speaking on the floor, Mr Bagbin urged the MPs to exhibit leadership towards augmenting the oncoming challenge in remuneration.
“So we have to take leadership. We have to do a lot of things,†he encouraged.
Speaker Alban Bagbin has told Members of Parliament that information available to him indicate that if something is not done in the next three months, the government may not be able to pay the salaries of workers.
Speaking to the MPs in the chamber, Alban Bagbin said, the government may struggle to honour some financial obligations, therefore, they must show leadership.Â
“Honourable members, the information at my disposal, this is not something to discourage the committees from doing their work, if something is not done within the next three months government may not even be able to pay salaries.Â
“So, we have to take leadership, we have to do a lot of things. With this the House is accordingly adjourned to Friday,†he said in Parliament on Thursday, February 24.
It is unclear what constitutes this forecast as the Speaker fell short of giving further details of the “information at my disposal.â€
But this comes amid ongoing consultation by the government to get the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) bill passed, growing agitation within industrial unions over working conditions and calls for improved standards of living.
According to him, the committees have failed to present their reports before the house at the end of each session as provided in the Standing Orders.
In a formal communication by the Speaker of Parliament to the house on February 22, Mr Bagbin said that since the beginning of the new session, no report had been brought to the house for debate and consideration, which is really affecting both parliamentary and government businesses.
“I have noted the slow pace of work that has unfortunately characterized the conduct of activities of Parliamentary committees, and that has limited our parliamentary functionality as a parliament. It has become apparent that the problem of undue delay on Committee work appears to be plainly among several committees of Parliament. This has led to a situation where some bills and other matters served to the various committees have stalled.”
The Speaker called on the leadership of Parliament and the clerks to each committee to collaborate to make sure that Committees comply with reporting timelines to facilitate the smooth conduct of business in the house.
He stated that article 103 of the 1992 Constitution states clearly that parliamentary committees are to investigate and inquire into the activities of administrations, departments and ministries as Parliament may determine.
He, therefore, cautioned the committees to work hard and strengthen as an equal arm of government and discharge their functions and duties efficiently and effectively to achieve the vision of a model parliament for another parliament to study.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has returned to parliament after being away on medical review.
Alban Sumana Bagbin left the country for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on January 29, 2020.
While away, the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, presided on his behalf.
Meanwhile, the Majority Leader is expected to communicate a new date for the consideration of the controversial E-Levy.
On Friday, February 11, 2022, while speaking on the floor of parliament, he said, “Mr. Speaker, as members may be aware, in my presentation of the business statement last week, I did indicate that the Minister of Finance had given indication of the possibility of withdrawing the Electric Transfer Levy Bill, 2021 today Friday February 11, 2022.
“Another option stated was the withdrawal of the Bill in Parliament and the substitution of a new Bill that would include the amendment that the Committee had consensually agreed on could be on Tuesday 15 February, 2022. The sponsoring Minister has given an indication that he would not be ready next week. The house would be accordingly informed about a new date for the interrogation and possible passage of the bill.â€
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has directed the committee on Youth and Sports to present a report on the poor performance of the Blacks Stars during the AFCON by the end of February.
According to him, this will allow the house correct the mistakes that the team committed in the 2021 AFCO and prevent reoccurrence of same in their World Cup play-off match against Nigeria in March.
Speaking on the floor of parliament he said “I proceed to direct that the committee on Youth and Sports should present to this house, a report on the results of their investigation on the poor performance of the Black Stars by the end of February. We are expecting that the report will be before this house before the end of February so we can deal with it and try to right the wrongs before the; if necessary engage Nigeria for the qualifying match. If we deem it not necessary we will say so.â€
Ghana Black Stars were knocked out in the AFCON tournament after an abysmal performance.
Coach Milovan Rajevac who led the team has been sacked by the Ghana Football Association, GFA.
Ghana’s senior national team, the Black Stars, are currently without a coach.
Security Analyst, Col. Festus Aboagye has criticized the use of military officers for protecting a certain category of people in the country.
His comment comes on the back of conversations surrounding the withdrawal of some four military officers attached to the office of the Speaker, Alban Bagbin.
Speaking on current affairs program Newsfile on Saturday January 22 on Joy News, Colonel Festus Aboagye stated that the deployment of military officers for such duties was not in tandem with constitutional provisions.
He noted that the military was responsible for protecting the state against external aggression.
“The reason why the speakers [of the Fourth Republic] may not have been accorded military protection was that constitutionally, it is not the role of the military to become watchmen and watchwomen.Â
“Their function is to defend the state against external aggression and also to take care of internal security. In the domain of internal security, if there are exigencies that expose some public office holders to danger or risk then by executive order the President or Commander in Chief can direct the Armed Forces to provide protection for certain individuals,†he told host Samson Lardi Anyeneni
Col. Festus Aboagye also criticized Parliament for writing to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) requesting for military protection for the speaker.
A letter sighted by GhanaWeb dated January 18 from the Clerk of Parliament to GAF requested four military officers to be part of the security detail of the Speaker to protect him “especially in this day and age of terrorism and violent armed robbery.â€
But the retired officer believes the request made was wrong.
“We realise from the document that are circulating on social media that it was the office of Parliament or the marshal or whoever in parliament. Parliamentary Service or some other entities that wrote to the Ghana Armed forces directly asking that the speaker must be provided with military protection and indeed went ahead to name the personnel that should be provided.Â
“That is wrong…it is absolutely wrong. It put the military in a very awkward position as we are experiencing now,†Col Festus Aboagye said.
