The by-election for the Kumawu constituency will take place on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, according to the Electoral Commission (EC).
The Kumawu seat became vacant following the death of the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency Philip Basoah.
The EC revealed in a release that nominations will be received at the Setwere Kumawu District Office of the Commission from 2nd May 2023 to 5th May 2023 between the hours of 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm on each day.
The former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema East, Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, has stated that President Akufo-Addo will make the greatest mistake if he refuses to sign the anti-LGBT bill into law.
Speaking in an interview on UTV on Thursday, which was monitored by GhanaWeb, Titus-Glover allayed fears that the president will not assent to the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 (Anti-LGBTQI bill), saying that Akufo-Addo not approving the bill will not be politically prudent for the NPP.
“President Akufo-Addo has female children and recently one of them got married. He is a strong believer of the Anglican faith; he does not support gayism and lesbianism.
“Just like the late former President, Prof John Evans Atta Mills, who said he will not allow the acceptance of gays under his presidency, Akufo-Addo also in an Anglican Church in Mampong said same-sex marriage will never happen under his watch.
“We know the implication of these gay issues in Ghana, as a political party and as a government. And you think that after Parliament has passed the anti-LGBT bill, the president will say he will not assent it. That will be the greatest mistake of President Akufo-Addo,” he said in Twi.
Titus-Glover, a former deputy minister of trade and industry, also said that the response given by President Akufo-Addo on the anti-LGBT bill, during the visit of the Vice President of the United States of America, Kamal Harris, was apt.
He explained that President Akufo-Addo only said that the bill is being considered by Parliament and that when it is passed, it will come to him for approval into law.
What Akufo-Addo said:
At the joint press conference, both President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Kamala Harris were confronted with the issue of the criminalization of LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana.
Responding to the question at Jubilee House, in Accra, on Monday, March 27, President Akufo-Addo refuted the suggestion that Ghana already had an anti-LGBT law.
He said that the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 (Anti-LGBTQI bill), which was championed by “only a hand full of MPs”, is currently being considered by Parliament.
Akufo-Addo added that even if the bill is passed, it will still have to be ratified by him. He also said that the anti-LGBT bill has been modified.
“The legislation was a private members bill; it is not an official legislation of the government but it is one that is being muted by a hand full of private members.
“My understanding from the recent discussion I had with the chairman of the committee is that the substantial elements of the bill have already been modified as a result of the intervention of the Attorney General,” he said.
The Majority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrisu, has disclosed that the Member of Parliament for Nanton, Mohammed Hardi Tuferu’s, wounds were cleaned and stitched up in Parliament’s restroom.
Mohammed Tuferu was involved in an accident ahead of a crucial vote on the government’s revenue bills on Friday.
His car reportedly somersaulted several times before landing upside down.
The MP is reported to have suffered a deep cut on his forehead but was still taken to Parliament to vote before he was taken to hospital for further treatment.
Some Ghanaians have described the decision to rush the MP to Parliament after a near-fatal accident as reckless and insensitive but speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, April 3, Mr Iddrisu said safety precautions were taken before the MP was sent to Parliament to participate in proceedings.
“The time we were taking the voice vote, he had come to Parliament and I put him in the washroom, we didn’t put him in the Chamber, we put him in the washroom and brought the nurses from Parliament and a doctor to attend to him. The Majority Leader came, and the nurses from Parliament came to attend to him in the washroom”.
“He had minor bruises on his face, so they cleaned it up and even stitched it up. So he was stitched in Parliament in the washroom.”
Mr Iddrisu also dismissed claims that several other majority MPs were absent from Parliament.
According to him, no MP was outside the country and nothing untoward was done to pass the government’s new tax bills.
A lecturer from the University of Ghana’s Political Science Department, Dr. Alidu Seidu has pushed for electronic voting to be used as part of legislative voting system improvements.
According to him, doing so will serve the dual purposes of aiding in the monitoring of MPs’ voting patterns on specific matters, such patterns may later be examined for various motives.
Dr. Seidu advanced further that the vote in the case of a secret ballot should be stored electronically in a remote server but that same should be declassified at a later date.
“Moving forward there is the need to have an electronic voting system, so that when the MPs are going to vote, they’ll call their names and they’ll vote, which is stored remotely and not displayed at that material moment until when the need arises for people to look at it, then it is produced. That’d be good.
“In other jurisdictions, we can tell the track record of MPs, including Congressmen and how they vote and on what issues. And so, it becomes even a campaign message for them,” he explained on the PM Express programme on Joy News (March 27).
He stressed that for the MPs, such a record becomes a basis on which they can make a case to their constituents during elections, because they can say they are a champion on so and so issue.
Other guests on the show were lawmakers Kofi Adams (NDC, Buem) and Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed (NDC, Tamale Central).
Adams in addressing the issue of vote reforms said: “Even if (the vote is) not public, we should put a system in place so that how each member votes on any issue would be recorded. So that when there is a need to enquire into it, we can enquire into it.”
Murtala also agreed with the suggestion and asserted that doing so with the view to later declassifying will mean that MPs who want to vote against their party whip will reconsider their actions.
The NDC has recently been hit by a vote rebellion in which its MPs voted to approve eight nominees of president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo against express orders of the party and a three-line whip by their leadership.
The party is currently on a hunt for MPs who defied the party’s orders with the view to punishing them.
Rumors that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) leadership is attempting to have Muntaka Mubarak removed as the party’s representative in Asawase have been refuted by Sammy Gyamfi, the NDC’s national communications officer.
Rumours of Muntaka’s removal have been rife in recent times after some party supporters and branch executives in the Asawase constituency organized a press conference to question the competence of their parliamentary representative with some demanding for him to be replaced going into the 2024 general elections.
Muntaka’s woes began after the leadership of the NDC replaced him with Kwame Agbodza as the Minority Chief Whip in Parliament on January 24.
But speaking on Face to Face on Citi TV, Mr. Gyamfi said it is ridiculous the rumour had gained traction because the party doesn’t have the power to remove legislators.
“It is ridiculous because the party cannot remove any Member of Parliament. MPs are elected by their constituents, so the party has no power to remove a Member of Parliament. The fate of all aspirants or candidates will be determined by the delegates in the 275 constituencies and so the party will not protect any individual, but the party is protecting all the 275 seats but also where for good reason, the party has to engage various stakeholders on specific issues to build consensus, the party will do so.”
The announcement of Muntaka’s removal as the Minority Chief Whip birthed a series of agitations in Asawase where the MP has recently sued 11 branch executives for defamation and is demanding GH¢10 million in damages.
Following the resignation of three prominent MPs, the SNP’s Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, has announced a front bench reshuffle.
After the 34-year-old took over from Ian Blackford, Pete Wishart, Chris Law, and Stewart McDonald all stepped down.
Stewart Hosie, a former Cabinet Office spokesperson, is now in charge of the economy brief.
Meanwhile, David Linden is in charge of social justice, Dave Doogan of defense, and Chris Stephens of leveling up.
It follows reports of divisions in the SNP, which Mr Hosie has dismissed as “complete fiction”.
In his resignation letter, Mr McDonald said the SNP was at its best “when we collaborate as a united party” and urged the new leadership to “keep this at the forefront of their mind and work in that spirit across the party”.
Mr Flynn said his team was “entirely focused on standing up for Scotland’s interests”.
Referring to three recent opinion polls which suggested there is majority support for independence, he said members were ready to “harness that momentum”.
He said: “Scotland continues to face the cost of living crisis, made worse by Tory ‘wreckonomics’, and we are still being hit with the disastrous impacts of leaving the EU.”With the Tories and Labour both backing Brexit and denying democracy by standing in the way of a Scottish independence referendum, only the SNP is truly standing up for the people of Scotland. “Support for independence is growing because people know that it is the only route back to the EU and the only way to escape the broken Westminster system. The SNP Westminster team will work hard to make it happen.”
Mr Flynn had initially been expected to be the only candidate to replace Ian Blackford, who was regarded as being a close ally of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
But Alison Thewliss unexpectedly threw her hat in the ring after sources close to Mr Flynn were quoted in the media as saying he intended to replace much of the party’s front bench team in the Commons.
The Aberdeen South MP defeated Ms Thewliss – who is also seen as being closer to Ms Sturgeon – by 26 votes to 17 in a vote of the party’s MPs.
Previously Mr Flynn had been the party’s business, energy, and industrial strategy spokesman.
Ms Thewliss, who is now the party’s home affairs spokesperson, was previously the Treasury spokesperson.
Former Manchester United forward, Wayne Rooney has described the mockery of Harry Marguire in the Ghanaian Parliament as crazy.
Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central Constituency, Honourable Isaac Adongo compared Maguire’s performance for the Devil Reds to Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s handling of the Ghanaian economy.
Honourable Adongo went viral for claiming Dr Bawumia is an economic Maguire.
“Harry Maguire, he’s a defender. He was tackling everybody and throwing his body everywhere,” Adongo said in Parliament.
“He was seen as the best defender in the world. Manchester United went and bought him. He became the biggest threat at the centre of the Manchester United defence, tackling Manchester players and giving assists to opponents.
“Mr. Speaker, you remember in this country we also have an economic Maguire. We’re clapping saying this man is the best in managing foreign terms. Mr Speaker why we gave this Maguire the opportunity to be at the centre of our defence? He became the rest of our own goals. Our economic Maguire is taking control of the fundamentals of our economy and destroying all of them.”
Rooney responded to the MP’s joke, claiming Maguire has been at his best at the World Cup in Qatar.
“On social media this week I saw someone in the Ghanaian parliament making fun of Harry Maguire. It was crazy, because Harry has been outstanding at this World Cup. I predicted he would do well – because he always does well for England and never lets Gareth Southgate down. He’s simply a very good defender with a strong mentality,” he told The Times.
A US court has reportedly adjourned the case of fraud and money laundering against the son of the former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini.
According to a report by AsaaseRadio.com, the case has been adjourned until December this year.
Meanwhile, Abdul Inusah, who faces a possible prison term of up to 50 years, says he is yet to receive information about the actual date of adjournment from his attorney.
“The case has been adjourned to a later date in December and the actually day is yet to be confirmed. I’m yet to meet my attorney for clarification on that,” Inusah said.
In August this year, when news about the case against Inusah was reported by the media, the son of the MP said he was very expectant of being discharged.
“My utmost worry right now is not fighting my case or proving my innocence to the Ghanaian public,” Inusah said. “My very utmost problem right now will be my family and friends who have been affected by these half truth publications, with utmost respect because I don’t want to discredit anybody’s work.
“But these are half-truths, and people’s lives in Ghana are being affected, especially my family and love ones, and I would like to apologise to them that they should take heart and keep having faith that their brother and son is innocent and will soon be a free man and we will rejoice and jubilate with the people of Ghana,” an optimistic Inusah said in an interview on Thursday, August 25, 2022.
His father, speaking about the case in another interview, said it was a case of conspiracy as his son’s documents were used by some individuals to perpetrate crime, leading to the charges against him.
“As a father, my son told me that one of his colleague students wanted a car and he has documents that allows him to auction vehicles, and it turns out the colleague student was involved in a romance fraud,” the former MP said.
Residents of the Dome-Kwabenya constituency feel indifferent about their member of parliament, Adwoa Safo, following her return to parliament.
According to some residents, after abandoning the constituency for about a year, Adwoa Safo‘s return does not mean anything to them.
They mentioned that they feel disrespected by the MP while others stated that they were unaware she is back in the country.
Speaking to www.ghanaweb.com, the residents seemed to have regretted voting for the MP while accusing her of being irresponsible.
One resident said “both Adwoa Safo and other government officials are not acting responsibly; because if this country was their sole property, will they leave the country and return as they please? As if nothing happened? If I talk more, I may say something offensive. She’s doing as she pleases.”
Another resident said “we woke up at dawn and left everything including our businesses to vote for her. A first fool they say is not a fool but the second fool is. If we go and vote for her again it means we are the fools. We voted for her based on her promises but they were all lies.”
The former Minister for Gender, Women, and Children’s Affairs who was living in the USA for almost a year before she finally resumed her parliamentary duties on November 11, 2022.
The MP came under scruntiny from the public for ‘neglecting’ her duties for that long.
In subsequent interviews, she indicated that she was in the US to attend to urgent family issues including taking care of her son.
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.
A New Patriotic Party (NPP) Deputy National Communications Director, Kamal-Deen Abdullai, has berated Members of Parliament (MP) of the minority caucus for blocking the impeachment of their colleague MP for Dome-Kwabenya Sarah Adwoa Safo.
Kamal-Deen said that the MPs by their actions were doing a lot of disservice to Ghanaians because they are protecting an MP who is being paid for no work.
He added that the excuse by National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs that Adwoa Safo should be given a chance to explain her absence does not hold water.
He explained that the MP had refused to appear before the Privileges Committee of the House to give reasons for her absence.
“Ghana seeks to develop, the constituents of Adwoa Safo are supposed to be served better. Are we happy with what you are seeing? Let us put the law aside and ask ourselves objectively, the people are supposed to have representation in Parliament, through no fault of theirs, their Member of Parliament is somewhere and running on social media … singing and dancing.
“… we sit here and say use the law. We are going to use the law alright but I am asking, are we not short-changing the people of Dome-Kwabenya? Aren’t we?” he said in a Good Morning Ghana interview monitored by GhanaWeb.
The NPP communicator further stated that the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, ruling that Adwoa Safo fate is to be decided by the plenary after Privileges Committee indicated that she should be removed was wrong.
He added that the NPP will be exploring all the legal options available to get the NPP removed.
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 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.
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.
Some New Patroitic Party (NPP) delegates of the Tain constituency in the Bono Region of Ghana have routed for one Alexander Ababio to lead the constituency on the ticket of the party ahead of the December 7, 2020 Elections or else if delegates fail to change hands and maintain the incumbent Member of Parliament (M.P) Hon. Gabriel Osei the seat may possibly revert to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) .
In an interview with journalists at Nsawkaw leader of the concern delegates of Tain constituency; Mr. Elijah Asamoah said as a staunch member of the ruling party a lot of their campaign promises by the sitting M.P have not Materialize such as construction of roads, revamping Agric, Education, Employment etc, hence their opponent always blame them for little or no work done this he said compelled key stakeholders of the party to consult one Mr.Ababio Alexander ;a youthful exhubrant entrepreneur to led the party to be able to sail through the primaries and win the General Election as well for the NPP in order to diffuse the notion from some people that Tain is a Strong hold of the NDC.
Moreover, Mr. Elijah Asmoah said after Mr. Ababio accepted the call by majority of party delegates and executives he (Ababio) has been able to help in the developing of the education section by putting up structure for some schools and helping in diverse ways in providing various Personal Protective Equipments (PPE’s) which has compelled various community members to support him (Ababio) to win the primaries for them .
Adding that their sitting member of Parliament won the 2016 elections with about 47 votes against his contender hence his lackadaisical attitude is not appealing to the constituents there calling for a positive change which could help uplift the image of Tain Constituency high in parliament.
Mr.Elijah Asamoah ; in conclusion bemoaned the latest act of the sitting M.P personally in broad day light sharing GHS1000 to delegates at various zone (Seikwa Nkoraman SHS, Debibi Zone at Menji, Badu zone at Badu and Nsawkaw zone all in the name of securing loan for them this last hour which shows clearly that he has failed in the 3 and half years in office therefore calling on all delegates to vote for development oriented candidate who can lobby to bring projects to help in the development of the area and charge both aspirants and candidates to be circumspect and be decorous in their campaign.
Source: Fiifitvgh
The member of parliament for the Kpando constituency, Hon Della Sowah has on Monday the 17th of Feb inspected the six-unit classroom block in Avertiope in the Kpando constituency. This follows, an earlier tour of the constituency to inspect similar projects at various stages of completion.
The MP who has a notable reputation in leading and supporting education in the area is focused on completing several infrastructural projects this year.
She expressed her excitment with the completion of the Avertikope six-uint classroom project. This, she believes would help to augment the existing gap in the basic education infrastructural deficit in the area.
The MP who is credited with other school building projects including a 3 unit JSH at Dzigbe, Dzewoe, a 12 unit 2 storey at Dafor, a 12 storey unit at St. Thomas Tsakpe, a 6 unit classroom block at Bame and kindergarten and day care facility at Gbefi Tornu amongst others. She reaffirmed her unflinching commitment to the development of education in the Kpando constituency.
The MP, who has in the past provided scholarship opportunities to many students in the constituency, both at the secondary and tertiary levels, and was seen last year enthusiastically supporting the participating Kpando schools in the National Science and Math quiz competition, called on the people of Kpando to continue working together to build a very prosperous society for our children.
She used the occasion to assure the people of Avertikope of her continues commitment to the development of the area and thanked them for their continues support thus far. She admonished the indigenes to have faith in her and the NDC going into elections 2020.
Source:Â primenewsghana.com
The people of Behenase in the Bekwai Municipality have dared the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bekwai, Lawyer Joseph Osei Owusu, the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Kyei Baffuor, Bekwai constituency party executives and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) machinery not to step in the community to campaign for votes towards the 2020 elections.
They claim the party has ignored them in their quest to seek justice for their relatives who have become victims of barbaric assaults unleashed on them by the police.
Read: NPP to break NDC hold on Kpone-Katamanso
Mr Lawrence Ntiamoah, a youth leader, in addressing a news conference on Monday morning, said in the evening of Monday, June 24, 2019, there was a clash between the Bekwai police and the youth in the community, which led to the death of one Mr Joseph Kingsley Ntiamoah, after he was hit by a stray bullet.
He said others sustained gunshots and are currently receiving medical attention at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.
Mr Ntiamoah explained that the unprofessional conduct of the police caused the mayhem and that instead of protecting lives and properties, the police shot directly into the crowd in an attempt to disperse the people who were unarmed.
According to the spokesman, they had petitioned the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, the Regional Minister, the Member of Parliament, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, and Municipal Chief Executive for justice for the late Ntiamoah, an Agricultural Extension Officer who was about to go on retirement, yet nothing has been heard from those individuals.
Read: Anguish, joy herald NPP primaries
It is for this neglect that the community would not have anything to do with the NPP if the party cannot champion the cause of justice for the constituents.
As a result of the seeming neglect, the community has appealed to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to intervene to ensure that justice is given to the community.
Source:Â thechronicle.com.gh