Most Members of Parliament (MP) from the Majority side (i.e the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were absent in the parliamentary chamber during the highly anticipated swearing-in ceremony of James Gyakye Quayson.
The absence of the NPP MPs during such a crucial event highlights the party’s position on the MP’s re-election while still entangled in a legal battle over his citizenship.
Regardless, Parliament was filled with jubilation as the House swore in the Member of Parliament-elect, James Gyakye Quayson.
The euphoria ahead of the process emanated from just one side as most members of the Majority are absent.
Minority MPs are singing and chanting victory songs for their colleague while clad in all-white apparel.
Only a few NPP MPs were seen dotted around their side of the aisle.
The public gallery is equally flooded with leadership from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Notable among them are 2024 flagbearer and former President John Mahama, his election 2020 Running mate Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, Chairman Asiedu Nketiah, General Secretary Fifi Kwetey, and former Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, among others.
On June 27, Mr Quayson who was ejected from Parliament following a Supreme Court decision annulling the 2020 constituency election, won the Assin North by-election with 17,245 votes representing 57.56% of valid votes.
His main rival, Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party polled 12,630 or 42.15% of valid votes to place second, while Liberal Party of Ghana’s Bernice Enam Sefanu polled only 87 votes or 0.29%.
Addressing the legislators, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin indicated that the Electoral Commission (EC) had officially communicated the results to the House.
It is on this basis that the EC “declared Quayson James Gyakye as the elected Member of Parliament for the Assin North Constituency,” Mr Bagbin told the House.
After swearing him in, Minority Leader Cassiel Ato Forson congratulated the new MP adding that his side will be in court for support until the Quayson trial is over.
Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also welcomed James Gyakye Quayson and wished him well in the execution of his mandate.
Sitting was subsequently suspended for 30 minutes.
Ahead of James Gyakye Quayson‘s swearing-in as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, all members of the minority party in parliament arrived at the house dressed in white attire, symbolizing their collective support.
At 9:50 am, MPs on the Minority side had already gathered in the parliamentary chamber in preparation for the upcoming ceremony.
Today, July 4, 2023, the Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana, Alban Bagbin, is scheduled to administer the oath of office to James Gyakye Quayson, who was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Assin North Constituency.
Following the by-election held on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, Gyakye Quayson emerged victorious as the winner in the Assin North constituency.
Based on the Electoral Commission’s official announcement, James Gyakye Quayson secured a total of 17,245 votes, which accounted for 57.56% of the overall votes cast during the election.
Charles Opoku, the candidate from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), emerged as the closest competitor to James Gyakye Quayson, receiving a total of 12,630 votes, representing 42.15% of the total votes cast.
Bernice Enyonam Sefenu, the candidate from the Liberal Party Ghana (LPG), obtained a total of 87 votes, accounting for 0.29% of the total votes counted.
The by-election in Assin North was conducted to fill the parliamentary seat that remained vacant due to a legal dispute questioning James Gyakye Quayson’s eligibility to hold office, primarily due to concerns regarding his dual citizenship status.
The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, on Friday 30 June 2023, delivered the 2022 report on the performance of the Right to Information (RTI) Act to parliament.
In his address, Mr Nkrumah highlighted the crucial contributions of the Access to Information (ATI) Division of the Information Services Department (ISD) and the RTI Commission in driving the successful implementation of the RTI Act.
“We have made significant strides in enhancing the implementation of the RTI Act,” the Minister stated. “The ATI Division of the ISD has embarked on five major tasks in the year gone by. Significant among these tasks are the recruitment and deployment of Information Officers, and the support to information units,” he added.
He emphasized that the government’s commitment to accountability and transparency is evident in the inclusion of RTI compliance as Key Performance Indicators in the Chief Director’s Performance Agreement. This step highlights the importance of upholding the principles of the RTI Act and promoting transparency within public institutions.
Regarding the accomplishments of the RTI Commission, the minister disclosed that the regulatory body had obtained prosecutorial authority from the Attorney General to take action against individuals and institutions that violate the RTI Act.
He lauded the Commission for conducting compliance surveys, handling review applications, and acquiring additional resources to improve its effectiveness and efficiency.
“Mr. Speaker, in terms of the work that the regulator has done, the RTI Commission has done in the year gone by, the regulator has secured the prosecutorial mandate from the Attorney General of the Republic, has also conducted compliance surveys, determined review applications that have come before it, secured additional logistics for its operations, promoted the Right to Information Act and its infrastructure and issued guidelines for the compilation and publication of information units,” he emphasised.
The Minister shared significant data on the number of information requests received by public institutions during the reviewed year. Out of the expected 683 institutions, 382 submitted annual reports to the RTI Commission, showing a 55% compliance rate. These institutions received a total of 783 applications, with 669 being approved, rejected, transferred, or deferred in accordance with the provisions of the RTI Act.
Looking ahead, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah outlined the upcoming plans. The ATI Division aims to implement the Online Records Management System to streamline the online application and request process. Additionally, he promised to present the legislative instrument for the RTI Act to Parliament before the end of the year.
Regarding the future initiatives of the RTI Commission, he mentioned their intention to establish field offices in Kumasi and Sunyani to provide services closer to the Ghanaian people. The Commission will continue public awareness campaigns and strive to appoint Information Officers in the remaining 333 public institutions, subject to available funding.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has accused finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta of refusing to listen to his alternative suggestions for raising revenue without imposing the controversial e-levy.
The e-levy bill, which was passed by parliament on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, will introduce a 1.5 percent tax on electronic money transfers and transactions. The government has said the move will help address problems from unemployment to Ghana’s high public debt.
However, the bill faced significant opposition, with seven out of ten people expressing their disapproval of the levy, according to the Afrobarometer Survey.
The minority group in parliament also staged a walkout before the bill was passed, claiming it would hurt the poor and undermine the digital economy.
Mr Bagbin said he had suggested several ways for the finance minister to generate revenue by including more people in the informal sector in the tax net. He said a large proportion of individuals in the informal sector of the economy are not captured in the tax system due to a lack of documentation, so the government is unable to tax them.
During a meeting with the management of Media General in Accra on Thursday, June 29, Mr Bagbin said “I made it known to the finance minister long ago that there are so many areas where we can raise revenue, not e-levy. But if you wanted to use e-levy, let us start from zero point something percent and then go up. You have an informal economy where a large percentage of the people are outside the tax net. Because of no documentation, you will never know their income. There are things that you have to do to bring them into the formal sector. I suggested to him the lottery tax.”
Lottery tax, compulsory health insurance for people flying into the country, and taxing the use of narcotics, particularly “weed”, were among the sources of revenue suggested by Mr Bagbin.
He explained “The lottery tax is very simple; you use tax receipt numbers to play the lotto, and every week, one tax receipt number will win, and you can give a pickup to the person. So everybody now comes in because the person wants to win a pickup, and so they start issuing receipts.”
He added “Look at insurance; there are countries that have moved on now and said any person flying into their country has to take medical insurance, and that is factored into your ticket. So in case you land and there is a problem, they just rush you to the hospital and treat you because you are insured. Nigeria and the rest have taken that; that is another way of raising revenue.”
He also pointed out “Look at the gaming commission; there is a lot of money in the gaming sector, but you are not taxing them; many countries are taxing it, and they are getting a lot of revenue.”
Another source of revenue Mr Bagbin suggested was taxing the use of narcotics; “weed”, which has become a major component in pharmaceutical products recently. He said “One of the areas is narcotics, weed because they use it in pharmaceuticals. Now you go for a surgical operation, and most of the things they inject you with are from weed; the place becomes numb so when they cut you don’t feel anything at all.”
He maintained that these suggestions have been implemented in countries such as Malaysia among others where they have recorded over 500 percent increase in revenue. He claimed that he discussed these ideas with Mr Ofori-Atta but Mr Ofori-Atta did not listen.
He said “We tried to get the finance minister to understand this thing but he would not understand it. We are looking more outside than inside [for revenue].”
Source: The Independent Ghana | Abigail Twumwaa Ampofo
This week, the anti-LGBT measure, also called the Promotion of Proper Sexual Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill, is expected to be discussed in parliament.
Last Friday, the Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, made it clear that the absence of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee prevented the House from conducting the second reading of the bill as ordered by Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, last week.
The bill aims to outlaw LGBTQ+ and associated acts, as well as any propaganda, advocacy, or promotion of LGBT and related activities. It also aims to protect and support children, as well as anyone who have been wrongly accused or victimized by LGBT or related activities.
On June 27, when the MPs were supposed to debate the issue, the House was empty because the majority of MPs from both the majority and minority parties were in Assin.
Residents in Bokankye, Akropong, and Esaso of the Atwima Nwabiagya North District in the Ashanti region have expressed their dissatisfaction regarding the terrible state of roads in the area.
The communities argue that the road, which serves as an alternative access route to northern regions, has been neglected for an extended period.
Speaking to the media the residents described their daily commute as frightening and dangerous due to the poor road conditions.
The inadequate road network is adversely affecting their daily activities, health, and local economy. They hold Member of Parliament, Benito Owusu-Bio responsible for the road’s disrepair, as he has served in parliament for two decades without resolving the issue.
The Assemblyman for Bokankye, Malik Osei Kwame, assures the residents that the Bokanye-Esaso road has been contracted out, urging them to be patient.
However, residents remain skeptical, as previous contractors have failed to initiate construction. District Chief Executive Rebecca Yeboah reassures the residents that the contractor is now on-site and committed to fixing the road promptly.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Krachi West Constituency, Helen Ntoso has raised concerns about the insufficient supply of toilet rolls in the female washrooms used byMembers of Parliament (MPs).
Speaking to the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, she stated that “Mr. Speaker, if you go to the washroom, there are no toilet rolls since yesterday. There are no toilet rolls in the washroom, so I need to draw the attention of the House,” she voiced her concern on the floor of the Parliament on June 30, following the business statement for the week.
She further called for urgent action to address the issue, stating that Parliament has a responsibility to ensure the availability of basic amenities.
In order to ensure the comfort and convenience of all MPs and guests, the MP’s statement emphasized the significance of maintaining appropriate supplies in the parliamentary washrooms.
Parliament was unable to conduct the second reading of the anti-LGBT bill this week owing to the absence of the chairman and ranking member of the constitutional, legal, and parliamentary affairs committee, according to the majority leader in parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.
Both the committee’s chairman, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, and its ranking member, Bernard Ahiafor, could not be present for the bill’s presentation.
Although the motion appeared on the order paper on Thursday and Friday, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, last week asked the Business Committee to table the Anti-Gay bill this week for a debate. However, the House was unable to comply.Proponent of the bill, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzra demanded answers for the delay of work on the bill.“The Bill that was advertised yesterday and today has not found its way to the Business Statement.
The Motion by the eight private members on the Promotion of Proper Sexual Human Rights and Ghanaian family Values, has been advertised yesterday and today but unfortunately, it has not found space.”“It has been advertised for two days and nothing has appeared on the Business Statement, so I want to find out from the BusinessCommittee what they are doing about it.”
A captivating video has recently surfaced on social media, showcasing a moment between Kennedy Agyapong, a prominent Member of Parliament (MP) and a hopeful New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, and Sarah Adwoa Safo, the respected MP for Dome Kwabenya. The intriguing one-minute-thirty-second clip, shared by Oyerapa TV/FM, has captivated users and triggered a flurry of discussions online.
In the video, the distinguished Kennedy Agyapong, who also serves as the MP for Assin Central, is seen approaching Adwoa Safo as she gracefully enters the parliamentary chamber for her official duties. A sense of anticipation fills the air as Kennedy Agyapong discreetly hands a pristine white envelope to Adwoa Safo, initiating an intriguing exchange.
Adwoa Safo, taken aback by the unexpected gesture, delicately taps Kennedy Agyapong and engages in a brief conversation with him. With grace and poise, she carefully places the envelope inside her bag, leaving onlookers wondering about its contents.
Social media has been ablaze with discussions surrounding this enigmatic exchange, with speculations swirling about the envelope’s significance. Observers have noted the envelope’s seemingly substantial size, leading to conjecture that it may have contained a significant sum of money.
Yet, the true purpose behind Kennedy Agyapong’s gesture and the contents concealed within the envelope remain shrouded in mystery, allowing room for elegant speculation and contemplation.
In light of Kennedy Agyapongand Adwoa Safo’s known connection, as they share the joy of parenthood with at least two children, some have pondered whether the envelope might have contained financial support for their beloved offspring. However, it is important to note that these assumptions remain unconfirmed.
The video has undoubtedly captivated the attention of discerning individuals, drawing them into an intriguing web of curiosity and speculation. As the whispers and theories continue to circulate, only time will reveal the true nature of this intriguing gesture between two esteemed Members of Parliament.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin is unhappy about an Accra High Court decision to hear James Gyakye Quayson‘s on a daily basis, describing it as “selective.”
He believes that it is not right for the court to put Assin North MP-elect James Gyakye Quayson through a daily trial following the perjury and forgery charges brought against him by the state.
Speaking in an interview with Graphic Online, he said the decision to hold the trial daily seems selective, especially since no case has been taken through such a process.
The Speaker was speaking during a visit to the office of Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) in Accra to meet with management and the editorial staff.
The visit is aligned with the Speaker’s desire to strengthen Parliament-Media Relations, and it is his first to a media organisation since he was elected Speaker on January 7, 2021.
“What we are doing is rule by law, not rule of law, and I think that we should move away from that. For democracy to succeed, the pillar is the rule of law. I tell them, and I tell the judges, it is not right. If it is done to everybody, I have no problem, but if it is done selectively, I have a problem,” Mr Bagbin said.
He added that “the law is not the centre of democracy, that is one of the errors in our constitution. Read through our constitution and you’ll see the law is a respecter of so many people. So many people in Ghana are above the law. You can’t have democracy [with that], and so we need to work at it seriously.”
The speaker called on the public to, as a result, support the need for a constitutional review emphasizing that “it is something we must take up.”
This comes after an Accra High Court presided over by Justice Mary Yanzuh ruled that the trial of the opposition National Democratic NDC’s James Gyakye Quayson will be heard on daily basis starting from July 4, 2023.
The court ruled that its June 16 order announcing this arrangement was within the law and a case for a review had not been made.
The decision was protested by many including the MP-elect’s legal team.
However, the court maintained that “adjournments are at the discretion of the court and not the convenience of parties. The order of this court was clearly in line with the law. Nowhere was it demonstrated that the order was contrary to law.”
“His rights have not been violated by the court for refusing not to give him time to campaign. Mere refusal of the court does not constitute denial of right to fair trial,” the judge stated.
Mr Quayson is being tried for forgery and perjury after he was charged by the Attorney-General’s Office.
He is also accused of deceiving a public officer and knowingly making a false declaration when he filed nominations to contest in the 2020 election when he had not renounced his Canadian citizenship.
Background
This followed a Supreme Court ruling that the Electoral Commission acted unconstitutionally in allowing Mr Quayson to contest the 2020 parliamentary election without proof of him renouncing his Canadian Citizenship.
The apex court in its ruling ordered parliament to expunge James Gyakye Quayson’s name from its records as a Member of Parliament. It further declared that his election was unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect. His swearing-in was equally declared to be unconstitutional.
Following the ruling, his seat was declared vacant and a by-election was held Tuesday, on June 27.
Mr Gyalye Quayson won the by-elections with 17,245 votes representing 57.56% of valid votes.
His main rival, Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party polled 12,630 or 42.15% of valid votes to place second, while Liberal Party of Ghana’s Bernice Enam Sefanu polled only 87 votes or 0.29%.
Speaking to JoyNews about his victory, Mr Gyakye Quayson said the electorates in his constituency cannot be swayed by the governing New Patriotic Party.
“When it comes to the people of Assin North, nothing can break us apart. And if they (NDC) want to go for a by-election 10 times, I will win 10 times. I can assure you that.
“They are not in for money, they are in for real development and what I can say is that I am the first gentleman of Assin North now,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, he has filed a motion on notice at the High Court for stay of proceedings, pending an appeal.
Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr William Owuraku Aidoo, has disclosed that four communities within the Suaman Constituency have been excluded from the ongoing Electrification Projects (EP) initiated by the Ministry.
He, however, added that the communities would be considered when funds were available and mentioned Asempaneye, Samanga, Tarlorkrom and Mensahkrom as the affected communities.
Mr Aiddo named the communities, on Thursday on the Floor of Parliament, in Accra, in an answer to a question by Mr Joseph Betino, Member of Parliament (MP), for Suaman.
Mr Betino inquired about when Asempanaye, Samanga, Tarlorkrom and Mensahkrom would benefit from the Rural Electrification Project (REP).
The REP was incorporated in 1975 with the specific mandate to expand the reach of electricity supply to rural areas, where the provision of such services would not be economically viable for commercial providers of electricity.
“Mr Speaker, the communities have been noted and will be considered for connection to the national grid in the subsequent phase of the electrification programme when funds are available, ” he said told Parliament.
The Budget bill, which tries to give Members of Parliament (MPs) a say in what goes into the national budget, is being pushed for quick passage by the Speaker of the House, Alban Sumana Bagbin.
According to Mr. Bagbin, the bill will force the administration to take action on important national concerns by integrating parliament in the process of creating the national budget, whereby priority are assigned to various sectors with regard to allocations.
“This is a very important subject matter and I believe that one of the ways we could support national leadership to find solution, is for us to pass the Budget Act,” he said.
He said every rainy season parts of the country experience flooding that leads to loss of lives and property, yet successive governments have failed to find a lasting solution to this problem – adding that the Budget bill is critical to prioritising and addressing some of the country’s social issues, including ending the perennial flooding recorded during rainy seasons.
“Since I entered parliament in 1993, we have had so many statements of this nature (flooding) almost every year and we are not finding solutions to the problem; and I think it starts from the priority-setting. Parliament must be involved at that stage, not wait until a month to end of the year when the budget is thrust upon you and you have no time even by the constitutional provisions to talk about increasing the allocations – the provisions that have been made to various sector.
“I think we have to pass the Budget Act so that we have early entry at the time of discussions on the budget, including the planning and priority-setting,” the Speaker emphasised.
His remarks come on the back of comments by the MP for Adaklu, Kwame Governs Agbodza, on the floor of parliament about floods in some parts of Accra resulting from last week Wednesday’s downpour.
News reports suggest that, so far, a lady and her two children are missing at Bortianor-Ngleshie Amamfrom due to the floods – which also led to other residents being injured and some properties damaged.
Similarly, in March this year two people lost their lives in the same area due to flooding.
In his statement, Mr. Agbodza – who is also the Minority Chief Whip – commiserated with the area’s MP and called on the Minister for Works and Housing to apprise the House [parliament] on steps his ministry is taking to avert further damage and loss of lives as the rains continue.
“For the past several lyyears, there has not been any major desilting of drains in Accra. As a House and as a country, we need to take this very serious and see what we can do to at least minimise the damage that is happening in these areas.
“It is not beyond the capability of parliament to help the relevant agencies to finance needed interventions to save lives. Desilting gutters or the major drains in Accra cannot be something beyond the funding of government with the approval of parliament,” he noted.
He added: “We would like to see what government is going to do when the mid-year budget comes to the House”.
Budget bill
The Budget bill seeks to set a budget office in parliament that enables MPs to scrutinise the country’s national budget and economic policy.
Currently, the only role the legislature plays in the budget process is to either approve or disapprove government’s budget when it is presented before the House by the Minister of Finance.
Earlier this month, when parliament reconvened from break, leadership of both sides of the house told the press corps that the Budget bill is among those listed on the meeting’s agenda.
Finance, Works and Housing Minister to brief House
The Speaker has since directed that the Minister responsible for Works and Housing and the Finance Minster be programmed by the Business Committee to brief the House on actions being taken to address the recurrent flooding menace.
MP-elect for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson will be sworn in today in Parliament following the just-ended by-election.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban S.K. Bagbin, disclosed the information to the media during a visit to the office of Graphic Communications Group Limted (GCGL) to meet with management and the editorial staff.
Parliament resumes sitting today after the abrupt end of proceedings on Tuesday due to the Assin North by-election.
Gyakye Quayson is expected to proceed to Parliament after first appearing in court for the perjury and forgery case against him over his participation in the 2020 Assin North parliamentary election.
Mr Gyakye Quayson on Tuesday, June 27, beat his closest contender, Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Assin North by-election by obtaining 17,245 votes out of the total valid votes of 29,962, representing 57.56 per cent.
Mr Charles Opoku, on the other hand, garnered 12,630 of the votes cast, representing 42.17 per cent while Bernice Enyonam Sefenu of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) secured 87 votes.
Tuesday’s election was marked by electoral malpractices such as bribery and vote-buying, as well as the arrest of some recalcitrant who posed as security officers.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has congratulated the opposition National Democratic Congress for their victory in the just-ended election.
He however entreated the supporters of the NPP not to lose hope despite their defeat.
“I urge members of my party, the New Patriotic Party, to keep their heads up, recognising that, in a democracy, there are winners and losers, and that we live to fight another day. We once held the Assin North seat, and I am confident that, sooner rather than later, Assin North will be blue again,” he wrote in his message.
Source: The Independent Ghana | Andy Ogbarmey-Tettey
The celebration by the lawmakers acknowledged his significant contributions to Ghanaian football and the development of sports in the country.
Gyan officially announced his retirement from football on Tuesday, June 20.
Gyan who paid a working visit to the Majority Chief Whip in Parliament, Frank Annor-Dompreh, on Monday (26 June) told the media that, “as a Ghanaian and for all that I have done for this country now I will say my heart is at peace.”
Annor-Dompreh praised Gyan and asked for a national monument in his honour.
Humbled with gesture
Baby Jet, as he is affectionately called, said he was humbled by the recognition of Annor-Dompreh.
“Honestly, I was very honoured to hear what went on in Parliament. For me honestly, I haven’t witnessed something like this before. I didn’t expect it and I felt some way.
“Since childhood till now, I have never seen Parliament discuss a player before so I feel very honoured and appreciative,”the former Black Stars forward said.
The 37-year-old former Sunderland arrow head said he has been disrespected on several occasions despite his dedication to mother Ghana.
“There was a lot of disrespect. Sometimes I go on social media and a lot of disrespect and I feel like I am one of those guys who put Ghana on the map.
“The masses can also confirm. But seeing what went on in Parliament, I’m now beginning to understand and feel appreciated,” Gyan said.
Celebrating more heroes
Annor-Dompreh added that there is the need to celebrate heroes like Gyan who have contributed to Ghana’s feats.
He said: “I feel we can do better, whatever we do to him or for him will set the tone and going into the future, what we should do to our heroes as a nation.
And as the saying goes, ‘a nation that doesn’t celebrate its heroes is not worth dying for.’ I am particularly elated that we set the tone and we got almost the entire house agreeing to what I suggested.”
“If you go to England, the way theycelebrate David Beckham, you will be amazed. So, I think not just the personality of Asamoah Gyan but our traits and the tendency for us to also celebrate people who have sacrificed for our country.”
The Coalition of Muslim Organizations, Ghana (COMOG) has urged Members of Parliament (MPs) to vote for the Proper Human Sexual Practice and Ghanaian Value bill to be passed into law.
In a release issued to the Ghana News Agency, on Tuesday, in Accra, COMOG said it expected the Muslim Caucus of Parliament to rally all other members to vote for the bill.
“As Muslims, we passionately expect our Muslim Caucus in Parliament, especially, to come together and vote for the bill at the same time. to demonstrate their belief of the teachings of Islam,” the press release stated.
“It is instructive to note that, in a survey conducted and reported by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), over 95% of Ghanaians are against the practice of LGBTQI+ in Ghana. This we believe should serve as a guide to our parliamentarians to debate in support of the bill and vote for it…”
The release urged Muslims and the public to keenly follow the debate on the floor of Parliament and ensure that any MP, who debated against the bill did not return to Parliament after the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.
“So, we would like to encourage all to use the alignment of the debate of MPs to decide their fortunes in the upcoming 2024 elections.”
The release encouraged all Imams who would lead Eid prayer during the Eidul- Adha to use the occasion to reiterate the position of Islam on the practices of the LGBTQI+ community.
The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Joseph Osei-Owusu has directed the Business Committee of the House to draft the anti-gay bill into next week’s agenda for deliberation.
The deliberation on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill was supposed to have been held this week.
However, upon enquiry from a sponsor of the Bill, Sam Nartey George, there have been two lawsuits filed against it.
One is said to have been filed at the Supreme Court while the other at the High Court.
After presenting the explanatory memorandum on the business statement schedule for next week the First Deputy Speaker and the Member of Parliament for Bekwai constituency declared that there is going to be a debate on the bill on either Tuesday or Thursday.
The Deputy Speaker directed the business committee to ensure that the bill will appear in the order paper.
However, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has been an ardent opponent to the activities of homosexuals in the country.
In his recent tour of the northern region of Ghana to mark 30 years of parliamentary democracy, the former lawmaker told journalists that he will prefer to die than to see activities of gays and lesbians legalized.
The advent of distance learning courses at institutions of education is to be blamed for the mass failure of the teachers license examination, according to Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, the ranking member of Parliament’s Education Committee.
According to him, the distance programme particularly those for mature students have opened the floodgates for persons even with the most deplorable WASSCE results to earn a place at the colleges of education.
This he says is partly to be blamed for the mass failures at the colleges of education.
Speaking to the media, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe said it was time for the Ministry of Education to rethink the admission processes of colleges of education in the country.
“Entry requirements to colleges of education as the registrar said, yes the minimum is 36, that is C6 in all the six subjects and you’re good to go. But when you go to distance programmes there is one entry requirement they call mature students, that is where the problem is.
“So you can get the E8 all along and once you’re 25 years you qualify to do the programme and they are the ones creating the problems in the service. So they’re mature students, but the years for you to be a mature student I think it’s about 35, 40 but they’ve brought it down to 25. So when they go there they’re not able to do well,” he said.
He further called for a total scrap of the distance programmes.
According to him, the education of future leaders should not be placed into the hands of persons who do not go through the colleges of education full time.
He expressed concern that most of the educators being graduated from these colleges may have not fulfilled the required credit hours as a result of the distance learning programme.
“We also have a problem with this distance programme, you see, you go to the nursing programme I don’t think they run any distance programme or sandwich. No, you go to the college of nursing and you’re trained as a nurse because you’re coming to deal with human life.
“So if we’re to teach and you want us to do the course by distance, no, we have been telling the minister that the ministry must do something about it because there is a mass production of teachers.
“ So they’re producing teachers on mass basis and they’re unable to pass the examination because I don’t even see the credit hours that they even earn, whether they earn it genuinely, I don’t know. So there’s the need for the Ministry of Education and GTEC to sit up,” he said.
The Minority in Parliament has urged the government to promptly allocate funds for the desilting of major drains in Accra as an urgent measure to mitigate the effects of flooding in the capital.
This follows the heavy rainfall on Wednesday, June 21, which the Caucus says led to injuries and property damage in parts of Accra.
In a statement on the floor of Parliament,Minority Chief Whip Governs Agbodza called for immediate action from the government to address the perennial flooding.
“It is not beyond the capability of Parliament to help the relevant agencies to finance the needed interventions to save lives and desilting major drains and gutters in Accra cannot be something beyond the funding of the government and with the approval of Parliament and that is why I call upon the House to take this opportunity to invite our colleague Minister of Works and Housing to brief the House as soon as he can.”
Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, however, says the Works and Housing Committee of Parliament should be more proactive in its work to help contain the situation.
“More often than not, the matter occurs, and then we tend to call on the Speaker to make a referral or rather expect the sector minister to be called upon to appraise the House and so what? It is high time our Committee leaders also get a bit proactive. These disasters have been occurring, and we would have expected the Committee on Works and Housing to at least, by now, start visiting some of these places and also coming to brief the House.”
A member of parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam George, has stated that the court lacks the authority to stop Parliament from enacting the anti-LGBTQ bill.
The vocal proponent of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill says the judiciary should not overstep its boundaries by attempting to dictate the legislative process.
Speaking to the media, Mr George questioned the court’s willingness to entertain two recent cases brought before it against the bill’s passage.
“I’m wondering why the courts are going ahead to even entertain any case at this point in time because the courts must bear in mind that no court can issue a judgment or give directive to the President that you can’t discuss this matter in Cabinet.”
He highlighted that while the courts play a crucial role in ensuring due process and keeping the legislation in check, they cannot assume to have the power to impede on Parliament’s right to pass laws.
“It is the prerogative ofParliamentto pass legislation, and so no court should think that they have the power to tell Parliament that you can pass this bill or you cannot pass this,” Mr George stressed.
Citing a previous case involving the Marijuana legislation, Sam George underscored that the courts have the ability to review the legislative process after Parliament has passed a law.
He said in such cases, they can assess whether all necessary procedures were followed and potentially nullify the law if due process was not observed. However, he firmly stated that this should not interfere with Parliament’s right to sit and pass laws.
“You can pass a judgment, saying that Parliament did not go through all the processes and nullify the law. But you can’t tell Parliament that you cannot sit and pass a law,” added Mr. George.
The proposed LGBT Bill has been a subject of intense debate in Ghana, sparking discussions both domestically and internationally.
The bill seeks to criminalise activities related to homosexuality and increase penalties for those involved.
While it has generated support from certain segments of society who believe it aligns with Ghana’s cultural and religious values, it has also drawn criticism from human rights organizations and advocates who argue that it infringes upon the rights and dignity of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Deputy Ranking Member of the Financial Committee in Parliament, Isaac Adongo, has criticized President Akufo-Addo for blaming rating agencies for contributing to the country’s economic woes.
The Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central is of the view that the ratings of these international rating agencies have a great deal in borrowing from developed countries.
Isaac Adongo further described President Akufo-Addo as a dishonest man for enjoying the benefits of high financial ratings but having a problem with low ratings from the same bodies when their findings are nothing but the truth.
“You see the dishonesty, when the rating agencies were rating us high and we were going to the capital markets and showing them the rating of Ghana and collecting the $3 billion, were we in bed with them to deceive the investors? What have the rating agencies said that is not true?
“They should tell that man [Akufo-Addo] that rating is not a diplomatic manoeuvre, he should stop going around his peers and telling them stories. The rating agencies and the capital market predates his own life, and it is part of the global financial system that has come to be accepted. He has been a beneficiary of it,” Adongo said.
President Akufo-Addo during the 30th Africa Export and Import Bank annual meetings, took a swipe at rating agencies for their “reckless” downgrades of African economies during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
He noted that these downgrades have led to countries, especially Ghana being shut out of the international capital market.
“I can comfortably and convincingly say this as the AU champion for African financial institutions and leader of a country, which recently had to deal with one of the most difficult periods in his post-independence history, difficulties which were exacerbated by the reckless behaviour of rating agencies that engaged in pro-cyclical downgrades shutting Ghana out of capital markets and turning it liquidity crisis into a solvency crisis.
“The country which had become the favourite child of bondholders, and had successfully gone to market at the height of the pre-Covid downturn was suddenly shut out of international capital markets,” Akufo-Addo said during his speech at the 30th annual meetings of Afreximbank.
A flag bearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, asserts that his training, experience, and expertise in finance, economics, management, and policy decision-making make him the ideal candidate to lead the NPP to success in the 2024 general election.
He said the tremendous experience he gained when he served with the United Nations (UN) mission to Croatia after it broke out of the then Yugoslavia, as staff in charge of Macroeconomics in rebuilding that country and also in South Africa when that country emerged from the apartheid system and was preparing to hold its first election, made him the best to lead thepartyin 2024.
He further stated that his practical experience in Parliament when the NPP was in opposition and government, on issues of finance and economics, as well as being the ranking member on the Finance Committee of Parliament and later as the Minister of Trade and Industry, also made him the best person to lead the party.
“I believe I am the best person to lead the NPP in 2024 to victory, based on the training and experience I have acquired over the years,” the NPP flag bearer hopeful stated.
Filing of nomination
Dr Apraku, who was also a member of the second, third and fourth Parliament of the Fourth Republic for the Offinso North Constituency in the Ashanti Region, said this in an interview with the Daily Graphic after successfully filing his nomination forms last Monday (June 19) to contest the NPP flagbearership.
The flag bearer hopeful, who was at the party’s headquarters at Asylum Down in Accra last Monday to submit his nomination, was asked by the party’s elections committee to complete his documents, and did so and re-submitted it later in the afternoon to the committee.
However, members of the team revealed that certain documents such as his CV and personal contributions to the party were not included in the nomination document submitted.
Dr Apraku, who holds a Doctoral Degree in Economics and Finance, said he was in the race to lead the party to victory in the 2024 general election and believed the delegates of the party would give him the nod to lead the party based on his experience and service to the party, both in opposition and in government.
Dr Apraku becomes the fifth presidential aspirant to file his forms as of Monday, June 19, 2023, since the party opened nominations for the presidential primary on May 26, which is expected to end on June 24, 2023.
The Deputy Minister for Energy, Andrew Mercer Agyapa, has refuted assertions that the ousted Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, is being prosecuted because the New Patriotic Party (NPP) wants a majority in parliament.
According to him, the ousted MP committed a crime and the fact that his conviction would affect the numbers at parliament is not a reason for him not to be prosecuted.
Speaking in a TV3 interview shared on Facebook on Monday, June 19, 2023, Agyapa Mercer added that the evidence is clear that Gyakye Quayson committed a crime and he has no doubt that he would be jailed.
“This gentleman who is taking the NDC’s abuse willingly, violated the statutory declaration, saying that he owed no allegiance to any other country.
“And I hear some argument to the effect that the man had tendered his application to the Canadian authorities, really and that is exculpatory. Are we serious?”
The deputy energy minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Sekondi, added, “What kind of joke is this? What kind of joke is this? The law is clear on this… He had another citizenship other than Ghana… he is going to jail.”
The High Court in Accra, on Friday (June 18, 2023), ruled that the ongoing criminal trial of ousted Assin North Member of Parliament, James Gyakye Quayson, will be heard daily starting from Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
This was after the presiding judge, Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh, turned down an application for the trial to be adjourned till after the by-election.
The Court has since fixed June 20, 21, and 23 for the trial to continue.
Quayson was recently ousted from parliament after the Supreme Court of Ghana ruled that he was ineligible to contest in the 2020 parliamentary election because he failed to renounce his Canadian citizenship in time.
But there is still one case the former MP has to face in court after the Office of the Attorney General accused him of deceiving public officers to acquire state documents.
On February 12, 2022, the State charged James Gyakye Quayson with five counts; deceit of a public officer, forgery of a passport, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury, and false declaration.
Member of Parliament for Zebilla Constituency, Cletus Avoka, has called on Ghanaians to as a matter of priority unite and work collectively to consolidate the gains made under the fourth republican Constitutional democracy.
He said Parliament was proud of the journey and successes achieved under the 1992 Constitution which had strengthened the country’s unity in diversity and political stability and Ghanaians should not take such opportunities for granted.
“Democracy is expensive, but dictatorship is worse,” he said, adding “do not take our democracy and peace for granted, we have to work hard to sustain our democracy and peace because a divided country is a fallen nation”.
Mr Avoka, who is also a former Majority Leader, made these remarks when he led MPs and other stakeholders in a Parliamentary peace walk in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
The peace walk, coupled with other sporting activities, is under the auspices of Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, as part of activities marking the 30th Anniversary of Constitutional Democracy under the Fourth Republic.
It is being held on the theme: “30 years of Parliamentary democracy under the Fourth Republic: the journey thus far.”
Mr Avoka said Ghana, after its Independence in 1957, had three Constitutions before the 1992 Constitution, under Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia and Dr Hilla Limann, but they were all short-lived.
He said the 1992 constitution which gave birth to the Fourth Republic had stood the test of time and attributed the successes to the framers of the Constitution who took into consideration the views of all stakeholders at the grassroots.
He said it was imperative to sensitise Ghanaians to participate in governance to strengthen the stable democracy for sustainable socio-economic development and preservation of the Constitution.
The MP indicated that the calls for some portions of the 1992 Constitution to be amended to fight ills in governance and society in general is apt, however, it would only yield desired results when Ghanaians change their attitudes.
“At the end of the day, it is not the type of Constitution that we run that matters but it is how we manage the Constitution that matters because you cannot put everything in the Constitution.
“The American Constitution is about 20 pages; the British do not have a written Constitution and we got our Constitution and Independence from them. You can draw any Constitution, but the people can still be corrupt, extorting people, so, it is about our attitude, mentality, common sense, practicalities and ensuring good governance,” he stressed.
Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister, said democracy was all about understanding the diversity that existed among people and harnessing such diversities for their growth and development.
He said, particularly, stakeholders in the Upper East Region needed to work together despite their political and tribal affiliations to restore peace in conflict areas to enhance economic growth.
“Definitely there would be problems because we are humans but anytime those problems come, we should sit down and talk about it and solve it instead of running to pick a gun to solve the problem,” he appealed.
Some dignitaries who joined in the peace walk included, Mr Isaac Adongo, MP for Bolgatanga Central, Dr Kurt Nawane, MP for Nabdam, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, MP for Bolgatanga East, Ms Lydia Akanvariba, MP for Tempane, Mr Albert Akuka Alalzuuga, MP for Garu, Mr and Thomas Adda Dalu, MP for Chiana-Paga.
Others are Mr John Tia Kolgo, former MP for Talensi, Mr Gaaga Azitariga, former MP for Bongo, some Municipal and District Chief Executives, state institutions, students, and people from all walks of life.
The deputy ranking member on the education committee inparliament, Dr. Clement Apaak, has claimed that since 2017, the government has not provided funding for senior high schools’ ICT and libraries.
According to him, as part of the Free Senior High School (policy the government was supposed to pay for the ICT for SHSs but has failed to do that.
This comes on the back of the National Food Buffer Stock Company giving a fourteen-day’s ultimatum to settle over 200 million Cedis owed the Ghana Foodsuppliers association.
According to the suppliers, since the 2021 academic year, the government has failed to settle arrears of over 200 million Cedis which the association has threatened to stage a protest at the Ministry of Education to press the government on their demands.
Speaking to the media with Francis Abban, the spokesperson of the Ghana Food Suppliers association, Kweku Amedume said the association will not frustrate implementation of Free SHS policy as he took a swipe at the posture of CEO for Ghana Buffer Stock Company Abdul Hanan Wahab.
Commenting on the challenges, the Builsa South lawmaker stated that he cannot fathom why the government is adamant to review the FSHS policy.
“As part of the variables that constitute free, the government is supposed to take up the cost of ICT and library fees. Since 2017 the government has not paid even one pesewa. The government has not even regulated even one pesewa to any Senior High School in this country to cover the fee for ICT and library.
“So the truth is that the programme has challenges. Let’s sit down as a nation and let’s discuss the issues and bring in all the stakeholders and let’s agree on the way forward,” Dr. Apaak stated on Metro TV.
He continued: “I cannot fathom why the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia NPP government has been so adamant. Almost all stakeholders in the educational space have called for this review. Even the President sometime last year admitted that yes he has heard the calls and that he is not averse to taking another look at the implementation of the programme and the challenges.”
The Builsa South MP further stated that what the IMF and Minister for Information have said with regards to Free Senior High School policy and flagship programmes there should be attempts for a review by now.
Edward Bawa, a Member of Parliament’s Mines and Energy Committee, has refuted speculations made by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) regarding the energy sector debt in Ghana.
He clarified that the country has not reached a point where it needs to pay for excess capacity.
Mr. Bawa stated that since 2001, Ghana has never experienced a situation where its available capacity reached 3,700 megawatts.
He further explained that considering the government’s peak demand of around 3,480 megawatts and the fact that the available capacity falls below that level, it indicates that the country has never had to incur capacity charges.
The committee member defined excess capacity as when the power generator declares availability, but the off-taker (the entity purchasing the electricity) is unable to utilize it.
He emphasized that there have been no instances where availability was declared, but the off-taker was unable to access the power.
“If you look at between 2001 to today, I tell you that to a very large extent, we have actually not gotten to a state where we have to pay excess capacity. If you look from 2001 to 2003 as we speak now, we have not had a situation where our available capacity had gone up to 3,700.
“So if you have a situation where your available capacity is not up to 3,700 and your peak demand is around 3,480, taking into consideration that you also need redundancy in your system, what it simply means is that we have not had the occasion to pay capacity charges,” he said on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday.
Mr. Bawa therefore said that there is room to believe that the government has not been transparent in its argument on the capacity charges, warning that until there’s transparency the challenges facing the energy sector will persist.
Ghana’s energy sector is facing a debt crisis. The NPP has accused the NDC of signing some harsh Power Purchase Agreements which have become a burden on them.
Country Director for World Bank, Piere Laporte also made the same claim while speaking on the debt crisis bedeviling the sector.
The NDC has argued that even the NPP MPs at the time the PPAs were signed also appended their signatures to the same measure.
In 2021, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta while before parliament disclosed that the government paid a total of $937.5 million to independent power producers (IPP) for excess capacity charges between 2017 and 2020.
The total debt owed IPPs presently hovers around $1.58 billion. The power producers have also rejected a proposal from the government to restructure the debt.
Six Ministers are expected to appear before Parliament next week to respond to 38 questions, of which one is urgent while 37 are oral.
The six are Land and Natural Resources; Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs; Employment and Labour Relations; Sanitation and Water Resources and Roads and Highways Ministers and a Minister of State at the Office of the President.
Mr Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the Vice Chairman on the Business Committee of Parliament disclosed this on Friday when he presented the Business statement of the House for the week ending, Friday, June 23, 2023.
He further reiterated Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Chairman of the Business Committee’s earlier call that urged Committees with referrals, particularly on public bills to expedite work on same for the consideration of the House.
“Mr Speaker, this call by the Business Committee is borne out of the fact that the House has barely seven weeks left to consider these important Bills and other parliamentary business that may require the attention of the House,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin urged the Committees with pending Bills including the Grains Development Authority Bill, 2022; Wildlife Resources Authority Bill, 2022; Intestate Succession Bill, 2022; Ghana Industrial Property Office Bill, 2023; Rent Bill, 2023; Budget Bill, 2023, Criminal Offences (Amendment Bill, 2023 and National Petroleum Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023 to expedite work on same for the consideration of the House.
The proposed methodology for allocating theGhana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) for the year 2023 has been accepted by Parliament.
Under the formula, GH¢1.87 billion will be allocated to the fund, a reduction of over 28 per cent of the GH¢2.60 billion allocated to the fund in 2022.
The money will be distributed for the promotion of Technical and Vocational Education Training(TVET), completion of senior high school (SHS) projects, provision of basic schools, computer studies and technical education, among others.
Per the report of the Committee of the Whole signed by its Chairman, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, who is also the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, a total of GH¢97.54 million (4.5 per cent) has been allocated to the Ministry of Education and institutions and agencies within the education sector, including allocations for the GETFund’s operations, Youth Employment Agency and the Scholarships Secretariat.
Allocation
For the period under review, the tertiary sub-sector has been allocated GH¢170 million, 7.84 per cent of total expected inflow from the national budget for this year to support a range of activities and interventions.
The secondary education sub-sector has also been allocated GH¢167 million, 28.44 per cent of the total spending from the budget.
Besides, GH¢88.5 million (4.08 per cent) has been made for funding various projects and programmes in basic education, mostly for the procurement of basic education textbooks.
It was proposed that members of Parliament will receive support from the GETFund to enable them to undertake and monitor projects in their constituencies. To that effect, GH¢31.62 million, representing 1.46 per cent of total spending, has been allocated for that purpose.
Abandoned projects
The report said the committee observed that in 2022, the GETFund put in place a three-year project aimed at completing all of its abandoned projects.
It said as of December 31, 2022, a total of 2,405 projects had been completed during the period under review.
“These projects were financed mainly from the disbursements of the bond proceeds and the enhanced monitoring activities undertaken,” it said.
Fund’s bond after DDEP
The report said the committee was informed that out of a total of GH¢2.62 billion being the total bonds in the Register, a total amount of GH¢1.35 billion has been exchanged, leaving the total outstanding bonds of GH¢1.26 billion.
It said the Fund informed the committee that the remaining outstanding bonds were expected to be exchanged within the shortest possible time.
“The committee was, however, informed that the ambitious goal of completing abandoned projects, cannot be achieved within the three-year time frame.
“Cost escalation as a result of rapid increase in prices due to the depreciation of the cedi against the major foreign currencies, coupled with high interest rates, continue to impact negatively on project costs,” it said.
Pending committed projects
The report said the committee was also informed that the Fund had earmarked GH¢619.69 million required for pending projects to which contract was either awarded or committed.
“The Fund informed the committee that insufficient funding is adversely affecting its efforts to complete its programmes and projects across the country.
“The Fund, therefore, requested Parliament to urge the Ministry of Finance to make more resources available to the Fund to complete its programmes and projects,” the report said.
Debt service account
The committee observed that GH¢545.20 million was allocated for the servicing of the Daakye Bonds issued by the Fund for 2023, the report said.
It said the committee noted that as part of the debt restructuring programme as agreed with the International Monetary Fund, the Daakye Bonds had now been classified as a public debt and now formed part of the Government of Ghana debts.
“As a result, the GETFUND is no longer responsible for the service of the debt and, therefore, ought not to be a part of activities for the Fund for 2023,” it said.
Recovery of shortfall for 2022
The committee observed that under the proposed distribution formula, GH¢619.69 million had been earmarked as recovery of 2022 shortfall.
The amount, the Fund explained, was in respect of 2022 arrears which when released would be used to clear all outstanding commitments.
Digitalisation of teaching and learning systems
The report said the committee observed that GH¢550 million was provided under the distribution formula for 2023 for the digitalisation of teaching and learning systems for SHS and TVET students.
The Fund informed the committee that they entailed the provision of tablets fully loaded with all recommended e-textbooks, the full syllabus, past questions and examiner reports as well as other teaching aids.
“The goal of the programme is to reduce the cost of procuring textbooks and to prepare students for the ICT driven world.
“The tablets are cloud-based, making it easy for updates to be effected and come with solar packs to enable easy charging irrespective of location,” the report said.
Funding gap
Per the report, the committee observed that for the year 2023, GH¢1,869,563,000 was allocated to the Fund in the 2023 budget statement presented to the House and approved by Parliament.
It said the committee further noted that the total cost of the programme and activities contained in the proposed distribution formula amounted to GH¢2,169,563,000, leaving a shortfall of GH¢300,000,000.
“The Fund informed the committee that it engaged the Ministry of Finance over the issue and that the Fund had been assured that GH¢300,000,000 would be provided to the Fund to meet the gap,” the report added.
Former Deputy Minister of Power, John Jinapor, has denied allegations that the Mahama administration’s power purchase agreements resulted in a $320 million debt to the country.
The Chairman of the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, Samuel Atta Kyea, at a press briefing on Wednesday, June 14, accused the NDC of signing 43 take-or-pay power purchase agreements, resulting in the current government being obligated to pay over $320 million in 2018 for unused power charges.
Refuting these claims in an interview with the media, John Jinapor said the NPP is partly to blame for the losses accrued in the energy sector.
“ECG losses alone have increased from 23 percent to 31 percent so when the Minister of Finance pays for those losses, it is not excess capacity. It is power delivered. There is a power reserve margin of 20 percent and it is statutory and this government came and decided that it shouldn’t be part of the tariff structure and it is a political decision.”
The Yapei-Kusawgulegislator blamed the massive leakages, forex losses, exchange differentials and other factors other than what Mr. Atta Kyea is alleging for the ballooning energy debt.
“The problem is a result of forex losses, exchange rate differentials, and the unnecessary political interference which is leading to this payment and it cannot be attributed to former president Mahama. Immediately these PPAs expire, they quickly renew them and not from the five years that we did but for fifteen years. We will not allow these double standards to go because the facts speak for themselves.”
On claims by Mr. Atta Akyea that the Mahama government entered 43 take-or-pay power purchase agreements, resulting in the current government being obliged to pay over $320 million in 2018 for unused power charges, Mr Jinapor said the allegation is untrue.
“Some of the agreements he has said were not signed by Mahama, so he has to give further information on the 43. This is a simple analogy. You said the man signed 43 agreements, provide the 43,” he added.
Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya Constituency, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has commenced groundwork for seeking re-election in the upcoming New Patriotic Party parliamentary primaries.
This development comes despite her supposed dip in popularity among her constituents following her persistent absence from parliament after the 2020 election.
Speaking in an interview with Rainbow Radio, Seth Osei Kissi, the Chief of Staff to the MP, revealed that Adwoa Safo has started consultations with various stakeholders ahead of the upcoming internal contest.
He stated that the MP has already met with the youth and women organizers in the constituency and will soon meet with the organizers, secretaries, and leaders to inform them of her intention to run again.
Kissi claimed that her meetings so far have been positive and that the delegates have declared a ‘No Adwoa Safo, No Vote’ campaign.Her Chief of Staff further revealed the reasons behind the MP’s absence from the country during crucial times when her party needed her to vote on bills.Describing her absence as unintentional, Kissi revealed that Adwoa Safo “was pregnant and had to travel to give birth, but unfortunately, she lost the child during childbirth.
In a shocking and ground-breaking report that blasts Johnson‘s behaviour and suggests he be denied a pass to enter the parliamentary estate, a parliamentary committee found that the former British prime minister intentionally misled lawmakers about violations of his own Covid-19 lockdown rules.
According to the committee’s report, Johnson “committed a serious contempt” of parliament when he claimed that rules were always followed after the so-called “Partygate” affair exposed unauthorised gatherings at Downing Street.
The conclusions essentially amount to a historic reprimand of a former prime minister who, after winning an overwhelming electoral victory less than four years ago, had his political career crumble under the weight of a number of scandals.
“The contempt was all the more serious because it was committed by the Prime Minister, the most senior member of the government,” the Privileges Committee wrote in its report, published Thursday. “There is no precedent for a Prime Minister having been found to have deliberately misled the House.”
“He misled the House on an issue of the greatest importance to the House and to the public, and did so repeatedly,” the members wrote, adding that Johnson also misled the committee when he presented evidence in his defense.
Johnson resigned as an MP in fury on Friday, days before the report’s publication, nullifying the committee’s recommendation that he be suspended for long enough to force a by-election in his constituency.
But the report added a further, damning recommendation in light of his resignation: that Johnson is denied a former member’s pass to enter parliament, a longstanding convention for ex-MPs.
It marks the end of a lengthy investigation by the committee – the majority of whom represent Johnson’s Conservative Party – that Johnson and some of his allies attacked as a “kangaroo court.”
But it may not end the Partygate saga. MPs must now vote to accept the report’s findings, a potentially embarrassing exercise certain to expose divisions between Johnson’s supporters in parliament and the current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has sought to distance himself from Johnson in recent days.
The investigation’s focus was on Johnson’s conduct during the Covid-19 pandemic, when he was prime minister and found by police to have breached his own rules.
Unlike a police investigation and a separate parliamentary probe into the parties themselves, this inquest looked at whether Johnson knowingly misled lawmakers in the House of Commons when he reassured them that he was unaware of the parties.
Its findings were unanimous and unambiguous. “We think it highly unlikely on the balance of probabilities that Mr Johnson … could have genuinely believed at the time of his statements to the House that the Rules or Guidance were being complied with,” the report said.
The report also rebukes Johnson for his attacks on the committee’s impartiality, finding that he committed contempt of parliament on several more occasions when giving evidence and when he resigned as MP.
“This attack on a committee carrying out its remit from the democratically elected House itself amounts to an attack on our democratic institutions,” the committee wrote in its report, calling Johnson’s language “vitriolic” and “completely unacceptable.”
Had Johnson stayed on as a parliamentarian, the committee would have recommended a 90-day suspension from the Commons – a ban nine times the threshold that would force a sitting member of parliament to hold a by-election to reclaim their seat.
Johnson, in his own response to the report, called its publication a “dreadful day for democracy.”
“This report is a charade. I was wrong to believe in the committee or its good. faith. The terrible truth is that it is not I who has twisted the truth to suit my purposes,” he said.
But Johnson’s reputation is steeped even deeper in disgrace following the publication. As well as being the first PM ever to be fined by police while in office, his entire premiership was dogged by scandal, ranging from financial irregularities to members of his team being accused of sexual misconduct.
Johnson’s popularity plummeted toward the end of his time in office – both among the British public and his own MPs. His attempt to come back after his successor Liz Truss was forced to resign fell short after it became apparent that a majority of Conservative MPs would block it.
Johnson has been in a war of words with Sunak, his former chancellor (finance minister) and eventual successor.
Over the weekend, he and two of his allies said they would quit as MPs immediately, forcing three difficult by-elections for a government that is languishing in opinion polls.
The former PM’s departure from the House of Commons is not necessarily good news for Sunak, whom Johnson criticized in his resignation statement.
Johnson and his allies still largely hold Sunak responsible for his predecessor’s political downfall. Johnson has always been an influential figure among Conservative voters, whether inside or outside of parliament.
The prospect of Johnson outside of parliament, writing columns and giving speeches aimed at the voters Sunak needs to win the next election will no doubt cause yet more anxiety in Downing Street.
The Minority Chief Whip in Parliament, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has made claims that the government intends to fund the construction of a new conference centre, estimated to cost $150 million, opposite the National Cathedral.
According to him, the AICC was to be demolished two weeks ago after the government procured a Structural Audit Report on the building.
“Do you know that the International Conference Centre would have been demolished last two weeks? The government procured a Structural Audit Report backing the demolition. At the same time, the government is ready to fund a new one at $ 150 million opposite the National Cathedral,” he said in the tweet.
The AICC, commissioned in 1991, has long served as a venue for major national and international events and is being reported as a ticking time bomb due to structural defects.
The defects are posing serious threats to the edifice.
Currently, most of the columns that support that huge edifice have the concrete that covers the iron rods peeling off.
The development has compromised the structural integrity of the building.
During a tour by members of the Foreign Affairs Committee to some installations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs it came to light that many huge columns have their iron rods affected by corrosion, a problem blamed on lack of maintenance and weather elements.
A Structural Engineer with the Ghana Institute of Engineering, Mark Addo, said most of the columns that are affected have “30% of the concrete peeled off.”
He warned any severe external pressure can bring the entire building down.
“If there’s a severe buckle, it can cause the building to collapse,” he said.
The committee also toured the new passport office which is under renovation following the decision to demolish the existing one to make way for construction of the National Cathedral.
The final point of call for the members was the Foreign Affairs Training Institute.
A former Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Allotey Jacobs, has said that he disqualified the ousted Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, two times from contesting in the parliamentary primaries of the party.
According to him, he disqualified Gyakye Quayson from contesting in NDC primaries in 2012 and 2016 because he refused to renounce his Canadian citizenship.
Speaking in an interview on Peace FM, on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, monitored by GhanaWeb, Allotey Jacobs alleged the former MP was afraid of losing his Canadian citizenship in the event that he loses the primaries.
“I happened to be the chairman of the vetting committee when I wasn’t the regional chairman. I asked him (Gyakye Quayson) to present documents that showed he had renounced his Canadian citizenship but he could not.
“So, I disqualified him, this was in 2012. In 2016, I was the (regional) chairman and I wanted him to contest in Assin Central because he was afraid because of Kumpreko (Ken Agyapong). I once again asked him to present his documents but he could not,” he said in Twi.
He added that “He was afraid of what might happen to him if he renounces his Canadian citizenship and loses the primaries. In 2016 because he had people backing him, he contested in the primaries but he lost.”
Background:
The Supreme Court of Ghana, on May 17, 2023, ordered the Parliament of Ghana to expunge the name of James Gyakye Quayson as a Member of Parliament (MP)
The apex court of the land ruled that Quayson was not qualified at the time he contested the election in 2020 in the Michael Ankomah Nimfah vs. James Gyakye Quayson case.
According to the court, the ousted Assin North MP failed to prove that he had renounced his Canadian citizenship when he filed his nomination to contest the 2020 general elections.
Parliament subsequently declared the Assin North seat vacant, leading to the Electoral Commission of Ghana announcing a by-election on May 27, 2023, to fill the seat.
Private Legal Practitioner Lawyer Kwame Adofo has stated that the Special Prosecutor Mr Kissi Agyebeng has no power to declare Mr Charles Bissue wanted, neither has the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP)any power to investigate the controversial galamsey report as the office claims.
According to him, since the issue has not been referred to the OSP by Parliament or the Attorney General, Mr. Kissi Agyebeng has no power to take such a decision and therefore cannot declare Mr Charles Bissue wanted.
According to him, the only way the OSP can have the mandate to investigate a matter is when the Attorney General or Parliament has referred it to him
Speaking on Angel FM, Lawyer Kwame Adofo insisted that, “the only way he can get the locust is if these two bodies (the Attorney General and Parliament) refer a case for the OSP to investigate and prosecute”.
The statement from Lawyer Kwame Adofo comes after the Office of the Special Prosecutor declared the Former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Cronwell Nanabayin Onuawonto Bissue wanted.
The order was secured by the Office of the Special Prosecutor after Mr. Bissue failed to honour an invitation by the OSP last month.
But challenging the Constitutional Act the OSP built its reasons to declare Mr. Bissue wanted, Lawyer Kwame Adofo insisted that “you don’t have an automatic mandate to investigate the matter”. The Attorney General or Parliament must first refer the matter to you. You can decide what case you investigate. If the matter has not been referred to you, it means you have no power to investigate the matter,” he said
“From what I know, I’ve not heard that the Attorney General has referred the galamsey report to the OSP unless we are not aware then he should let us know”, he stressed.
Meanwhile, despite the order, a lawyer for Mr. Charles Bissue has insisted that his client will not turn himself in.
Security Analyst Dr Adam Bonaa has welcomed the parliamentary probe into the recent Bortianor shooting incident, which claimed the lives of five people, but has cautioned Parliament to refrain from a live telecast of proceedings.
This follows a demand by the Member of Parliament for Bortianor/Ngleshi/Amanfro, Sylvester Tetteh, for an independent probe into the matter.
Speaking to Starr News, Dr. Adam Bonaa said a live telecast of such a probe will present some challenges.
“It’s going to be very difficult to have a televised probe into this. I say it’s going to be difficult because it will be extremely difficult to have eyewitnesses come in and say these guys were landguards or were not landguards. Mine is that, I will be urging the committee, if it has been formed, that their terms of reference should be well defined.
“In the past, some of us would have called for a televised probe. But if you are not careful and call for a televised probe, you are likely not to have one single person come in to give an eyewitness account.
“An eyewitness can come and say, yes, I know this person; he was a landguard. Those who might be giving testimonies should be given protection so that they don’t come and do anything and the next day their names are out, their faces are published in the media or social media, and they become targets themselves.”
Background
On June 8th, 2023, the police conducted an operation targeting criminal elements involved in robbery and landguard activities. These individuals had been terrorizing residents and landowners in Bortianor and nearby communities.
Upon spotting the approaching police team, the suspects opened fire from their hideout, prompting the police to return fire. As a result, five of the suspects were injured and later pronounced dead at the hospital. The remaining suspects fled the scene and are still on the run.
Exhibits retrieved from the crime scene include: one (1) AK47 assault rifle, ten (10) rounds of AK47 ammunition, one (1) pump action gun with nine (9) rounds of BB cartridges, two (2) pistols with ten (10) rounds of 9mm ammunition, one (1) unregistered Toyota Tacoma pickup, four (4) motorbikes, three (3) of which are unregistered, a knife, and a pepper spray.
The police are actively pursuing the remaining suspects, some of whom are believed to have sustained gunshot injuries during the operation.
Police appealed to the public, especially residents of the Bortianor community, to promptly report any individuals with gunshot wounds who may be seeking medical treatment.
“Your cooperation will assist the police in taking immediate action,” a statement issued by the police said.
The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, has assigned the Defence and Interior Committee to conduct an investigation into the killing of five individuals suspected to be land guards by the police.
This follows a request by Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfro MP, Sylvester Tetteh, following reports that some of the deceased were average residents and not land guards.
On June 8, 2023, five land guards were shot dead during an anti-robbery and land guard operation by the Police at Bortianor in Accra for “terrorizing residents and landowners in Bortianor and nearby communities.”
In a statement signed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Director of Public Affairs, Grace Ansah-Akrofi noted that the suspects upon noticing the police team “opened fire from their hideout, prompting the Police to return fire.”
While the five shot were pronounced dead at the hospital, the remaining suspects fled the scene and are still on the run, the police noted.
But recent information before Parliament indicating otherwise has entreated Parliament to intervene.
Mr Andrew Amoako Asiamah has also called upon the leadership of the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs to collaborate with the Defence and Interior Committee to assist with the inquiry.
The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament tasked the committees to “report back by the end of this month.”
Meanwhile, the Police say a total of five weapons were recovered from the crime scene.
They include: one AK47 Assault rifle, 10 rounds of AK47 ammunition, one pump action gun with nine rounds of BB cartridges, two pistols with 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition, one unregistered Toyota Tacoma pickup, four motorbikes, three of which are unregistered, a knife and a pepper spray.
The police, on the other hand, are actively pursuing the remaining suspects, some of whom are believed to have sustained gunshot injuries during the operation.
In the ongoing debate concerning the legalization of LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has expressed strong opposition, stating that he would rather face death than support such the move.
He explained that being Catholic, he would rather sit on the fence than be a part of the agenda to legalize the activities of the minority group.
“For you all to participate in it, count me out of Ghana because I will prefer to join my maker than to live. That is me I am a Catholic and I will not do anything that will end the world because God says the world is eternal until he comes back, we cannot do that to end the world,” a report by dailyguidenetwork.com quoted him.
The report added that Alban Bagbin made the comments during a press soirée in Tamale as part of Parliament of Ghana’s 30th anniversary celebration, on the theme: “Thirty(30) years of ParliamentaryDemocracy Under the Fourth Republic; The Journey thus far.”
Parliament is currently considering a Private Member’s Bill titled the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021, popularly referred to as the Anti-LGBTQI+ Bill.
The bill is spearheaded by the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George.
Ghana’s Parliament will this year, 2023, mark thirty years of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy.
To commemorate the milestone, series of activities have been earmarked throughout the year under the auspices of the Speaker of the Eighth Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.
This is contained in a press release issued by Mr Mr Ebenezer Ahumah, Director, Coordinator, 30™ Anniversary Celebrations Committee and copied the Ghana News Agency.
“These activities will be celebrated in four regional zones, beginning with the Northern Zone namely Wa,Tamale and Bolgatanga, and will include Mock Parliament, Public Forum and Peace Walk,” it said.
The activities, it said would foster civic engagement and enhance public awareness of parliamentary democracy.
The commemoration, themed: “Thirty years of parliamentary democracy under the Fourth Republic: The Journey thus far”, will provide an opportunity for Parliament and Ghanaians to reflect on Parliament’s achievements, acknowledge challenges and recommit to the principles of democracy, justice and equality that have guided the nation over the years.
It said to kick start the celebrations, three key programmes would be held in the Northern Zone; a Mock Parliament in Wa in the Upper West Region on Thursday, June 15, 2023 at the Regional Library Complex.
The Mock Parliament, it said, would bring together five selected tertiary education institutions in the northern zone.
A public forum would also be held at Tamale in the Northern Region at the University of Development Studies (UDS) campus on Friday June 16, 2023.
That, it said would be followed by a peace walk and sporting activities would also take place at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region the next day to climax the activities.
The converging point for the event would be the Regional Coordinating Council in Bolgatanga, it added.
Ghana’s 30th anniversary of parliamentary democracy is a significant milestone for the country and testament to its commitment to democratic governance.
It also serves as a reminder of the progress made in the past three decades and the need to continue to strengthen democratic institutions and processes.
A television broadcast will showcase the parliamentary journey thus far, with particular emphasis on the pivotal role and significant contributions of women in the history of Parliament.
“Parliament encourages all Ghanaians to actively participate in the 30th anniversary as we reflect on the past and forge ahead, let us strengthen our resolve to preserve and enhance Ghana’s parliamentary democracy, safeguarding it for generations to come,” the release said.
Boris Johnson became Britain’s prime minister in the summer of 2019, becoming the highest-profile person to do so since his idol, wartime commander Sir Winston Churchill, began his second term as PM in 1951.
Johnson was nothing short of a colossus. A popular columnist, a television star, a celebrated author. For decades, his carefully honed media persona – part pseudo-intellectual; part loveable-but-out-of-touch-poshboy – won Johnson fans beyond the traditional Conservative base. For years, he was the most electorally successful Conservative in the country, serving as Mayor of London – a liberal city where the Conservatives typically struggle.
As mayor, he gained a global reputation, appearing at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics; going on US talk shows as a guest; taking center stage at the London Olympics in 2012; being the human embodiment of Brexit – an earthquake in global politics and economics.
However, he leaves frontline politics a diminished figure who, for now, seems to have lost all the big arguments and is no longer in control of his legacy.
His previous fame and electoral success could not protect him from crashing down to earth as the final months of his premiership became dogged in scandals so severe that his position eventually became untenable.
Those scandals have been covered extensively in the international media. From Partygate, in which Johnson became the first sitting prime minister to be issued with a police fine, to his deputy chief whip resigning after allegedly groping someone, Johnson’s spent his last few weeks in office clinging desperately to power.
What might be less well-known outside of the UK is what happened next. For all that Johnson’s supporters agitated for his return when his successor Liz Truss was forced to resign, when push came to shove, his own party thought he was damaged goods and blocked any return to the throne.
Since then, it’s only been his most loyal footsoldiers that have continued banging the Johnson drum.
When Johnson gave evidence to a parliamentary committee – with a Conservative majority –investigating whether or not he deliberately misled parliament over Partygate, you could count his supporters in the room on one hand. They muttered and tutted at others in the room as Johnson was grilled for hours, but they represented a minority view of the people that once supported Johnson whole-heartedly.
That same day, Johnson’s dwindling influence was further underscored as he led a futile rebellion against Sunak’s new Brexit deal, something Johnson has publicly criticized. Orthodox thinking in the Conservative party now is that Sunak has saved Brexit from being a total disaster and that Johnson looks slightly ridiculous protesting Sunak’s strategy.
It is in this context that Johnson’s resignation statement should be read.
He discredits the inquiry into Partygate, saying “they are determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of Parliament. They have still not produced a shred of evidence that I knowingly or recklessly misled the Commons.”
He attacks Sunak’s approach to Brexit: “Our party needs urgently to recapture its sense of momentum and its belief in what this country can do. We need to show how we are making the most of Brexit … We must not be afraid to be a properly Conservative government.”
And he reminds everyone reading of the monumental battles he won at the ballot box: “We need to deliver on the 2019 manifesto, which was endorsed by 14 million people. We should remember that more than 17 million voted for Brexit.”
Johnson is a man with a keen sense of history and desperately wants his name to go down as one of the most important in Britain’s.
A little over a year ago, there was no reason why it wouldn’t. He had not only delivered Brexit in 2016, but saved it in 2019 when he took over as PM, negotiated a new deal with the EU – at the time considered impossible – and called an election at which he won an 80-seat parliamentary majority.
He nearly died during the Covid-19 pandemic, but recovered and led one of the fastest vaccine rollouts in the world. His steadfast defense of Ukraine has won him such adoration in that country that streets in the capital Kyiv have been renamed in his honor.
But all of those things may have been overshadowed.
Brexit, his personal victory, is now tarnished. Not only do the majority of Brits now consider it to have been a mistake, it was his nemesis Sunak who received praise from none other than US President Joe Biden for fixing the problems Johnson’s deal created with Northern Ireland.
His legacy when it comes to Covid won’t be the vaccine rollout, but Partygate. And the longer the war in Ukraine rolls on, the more apparent it becomes that the first land war in Europe in decades simply isn’t primarily about Boris Johnson.
The final indignity for a man who prides himself on his popularity would have been defeat at an election. Johnson and his allies can now forever write an alternative reality, where he either remained in power or came back and won the next general election.
By resigning, he has spared himself that fate. And living in denial might be the kindest thing that Johnson could possibly have done for himself and his legacy.
The Minority Caucus in Parliamenthas warned the government against using Green Ghana Day celebrations as platforms for corruption.
According to members of the caucus, such programmes in the past, have been used to siphon money from the state and the taxpayer.
Green Ghana Day is an initiative launched in March 2021 by President Akufo-Addothrough the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources aimed at planting trees across the country.
The maiden edition was held on June 11, 2021, where an estimated seven million tree seedlings were planted across the nation.
According to an account made by the president, 85% of trees planted during the maiden edition were successful.
In the second edition of the project, the president announced government’s plan to plant an additional 20 million trees in support of the Green Ghana Project in 2022.
But speaking in Parliament on June 9 to mark the third edition of Green Ghana Day, the Deputy Ranking Member on the Lands and Forestry Committee, Alhassan Suhuyini raised the concern that government has not been transparent in accounting for the monies that go into the project.
Mr Suhuyini said “The President in 2022, in his State of the Nation Address (SONA), revealed to this House that they had successfully planted 7 million trees, 2 million more than was initially planned to be planted. However, the Minister, weeks earlier, in an answer to a question in this same house, reported that only about 4.89 million trees were planted.
“Mr Speaker the question therefore is, how many trees indeed were planted and how much did we throw at the plantation of these trees?” he interrogated.
Furthermore, Mr. Suhuyini stated that parliament should ensure that this initiative does not become an institution that siphons taxpayer funds, as climate finance must be optimised for impact and effectiveness.
Additionally, he stressed that the ultimate way to ensure the aforementioned is for parliament to ensure that, “strategies are put in place to change finance and to ensure that finance that is meant for climate change and its mitigation and its adaptation are not misapplied and also give us [Ghanaians] less optimal value.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor provided an update on the two previous Green Ghana editions to the House.
He claimed that the success rate of the planting done in 2021 amounted to an excess of 80%, whereas that of the planting done in 2022 was an excess of 70%.
The Minister also reiterated that Green Ghana Day is one of the efforts made by government to replenish Ghana’s depleted forest cover and support the world’s efforts to halt climate change.
Parliament of Ghana in collaboration with the Forestry Commission would, today, Friday, 9 June 2023, at 10:00am hold a short exercise within the precinct of Parliament to commemorate the 2023 Green Ghana Day.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin will lead Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Service Staff to plant about 300 tree seedlings at Parliament House, the official residence of the Speaker, Deputy Speakers, Leader’s village, Clerk-to -Parliament among others.
Considering the importance of this national exercise, the Speaker will suspend sitting today to enable Members of Parliament join their various constituencies to plant trees in the towns, communities and villages in their constituencies, a statement signed by David Sebastian Damoah, Director, Media Relation said.
The Speaker, Members of Parliament and the entire staff of the Parliamentary Service will participate fully in the national exercise.
This year’s edition of the Green Ghana Day exercise is being marked on the theme: “Our Forests, Our Health” with a target to plant at least 10 million tree seedlings across the country.
The nationwide exercise is part of an aggressive afforestation and reforestation agenda to restore degraded forest landscapes and to contribute to global efforts to fight climate change.
Parliament says it sees the preservation and protection of the forest as a collective responsibility of a nation.
In view of this, Parliament is calling on state agencies, institutions, faith-based organisations, and members of the general public to demonstrate their patriotism by actively participating in the tree-planting exercise.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has called on the Supreme Court for clarification over its order for Parliament to removeJames Gyakye Quayson‘s name from its records as the former Member of Parliament for Assin North.
This comes after some Members of Parliament raised concerns about how to implement the order of the Supreme Court since the standing orders of the house do not provide a clear path on such a directive.
Reacting to the matter, the Speaker of Parliament, said all activities the ousted Assin North MP engaged in since January 2021 would hold until steps are taken on the way forward.
“What has just happened is strong evidence that there is a need for clarification. Don’t forget that the order is predicated on a number of declaratory rulings by the court, it was not given in isolation. There were four earlier declaratory judgements before the order came as the fifth. The other declaratory judgements said the election of the member was unconstitutional. As a result of that, it was null and void and of no effect.
“The order did not say the Speaker should expunge [his name]. It did not say any Member of Parliament or Clerk should expunge [the name], it says the institution called Parliament. So that institution must carry out the order. The only way the institution can carry out the order is for the institution to reason together. And that is only done in a sitting where the opportunity is given to members to think through it.
“I don’t want to assume powers that are not clearly spelt out in any law. So I did indicate and mentioned to some members of the Supreme Court that there is a need for clarification,” he added. Background
The Supreme Court in May 2023 ordered Parliament to remove James Gyakye Quayson’s name from its records as the Member of Parliament for Assin North.
Parliament then declared the seat vacant which paves the way for a by-election on June 27.
The Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Quayson was not qualified to contest the 2020 parliamentary elections in the Assin North Constituency at the time he filed his nomination forms on October 9, 2020.
The Court found that Mr. Quayson had not shown evidence of renouncing his Canadian citizenship, and that the Electoral Commission had granted him permission to contest the election without this evidence.
The Court further ruled that Mr. Quayson’s election as Member of Parliament for Assin North Constituency was unconstitutional.
The 7-member Court in a unanimous ruling stated that “the qualification of holding only Ghanaian citizenship must be present at the time of nomination, and not any date thereafter.”
The Court also held that “any person, who has obtained citizenship of another country other than Ghana, and who files for nomination with the Electoral Commission to contest for election as a Member of Parliament will not be qualified to contest for elections unless and until they show a record from the alternate State that they no longer hold the citizenship of that State as at the date of filing their nominations with the Electoral Commission.”
“Since Mr. Quayson had not received his certificate of renunciation as a Canadian citizen as of October 9, 2020, he was not qualified to be a Member of Parliament at the time he filed his nomination papers, at the time he stood for election, and at the time he was declared as elected Member of Parliament”.
“This court has to, therefore, reiterate its earlier conclusion that the qualification of holding only Ghanaian citizenship must be present at the time of nomination, and not any date thereafter – in this case by 9th October 2020”.
“Since the 1st defendant had not received his certificate of renunciation as a Canadian citizen as of 9th October 2020, then he was not qualified to be a Member of Parliament at the time that he filed his nomination papers, at the time he stood for elections, and at the time he was declared as elected Member of Parliament, because he owed allegiance to another country as at 9th October 2020, the date when he should have satisfied the qualification criteria”.
TheIntestate Succession Billwill be passed, according to the leadership of Parliament, before the House adjourns on August 3, 2023.
The leadership expressed regret that efforts by previous governments to pass the bill have been unsuccessful over the years.
The bill seeks to make changes to the current system, which would offer even greater protection to children when a parent dies without a will.
Speaking at a media briefing by the leadership of Parliament, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, expressed optimism about the passage of the bill at the second meeting of the third session.
“It has been with this house for close to 10 years, since former President J.A. Kuffuor’s time. It came on two occasions, it came to be withdrawn. Eventually, it didn’t come before the elections. Late President J. A. Mills took over and indicated to bring the Bill back. It came to Parliament and got withdrawn for some considerations. Former President John Mahama’s attention was drawn to it, and he indicated that he will present it to Parliament, and it didn’t suffice. In President Akufo-Addo’s regime, it came once, and it went off the radar.
“Now a decision has been taken that the Interstate Secession Bill should come to parliament for consideration for some approval. There are major stumbling blocks, which relate to how to handle the property of a deceased person who transitions an intestate,” he said.
He added that they are working on a formula for how the property of a deceased person will be shared among their family.
“We are working on some formula whether 50% should go to the surviving spouse plus children of about 75%. And what will go to surviving parents, we are considering not higher than 10% or 5%. And also look at the affairs of some stray bullets and so all, so all these should be put in our basket for our consideration. There were some back and forward movements. It should be possible to pass the Intestate Secession law,” he stated.
The incoming Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkonoo, has been urged by Minority Chief Whip, Kwame Agbodza, to make sure that court judgments are upheld during her term.
“Let the rulings of the courts make sense for the ordinary citizen. Let the rulings of the court be enforceable,” he urged.
He also called on Gertrude Torkonoo to leave a better legacy than her predecessor Kwesi Anin-Yeboah in terms of justice delivery.
The Adaklu MP accused Anin Yeboah of presiding over a Supreme Court that made some bad judgments citing the Court’s decisions on the use of birth certificates and the recent Gyakye Quayson case.
According to him, the former Chief Justice should be made aware that the miscarriage of justice during his tenure as Chief Justice “lies on his chest.”
“Under the reign of the outgoing Chief Justice, the level of miscarriage of justice reached a crescendo and must never be repeated,” he said.
But the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu fired back at the Minority Chief Whip saying he was on a bad trajectory.
According to him, a judge’s decision must be criticised using laws and facts rather than their personality.
“Judges know that as humans they can err, and judges always welcome criticisms of their judgement. But when we are critiquing a judgement, it is expected that we critique with law, facts, and alternative arguments.
“We should move or shy away from just criticising because we agree or disagree, otherwise we dig room for people to attack the individual judges rather than the judgement,” he advised.
He, therefore, encouraged members to research and bring out alternative judgements to challenge the judgements when they disagree.
The new chief justice is yet to be sworn into office after Parliament approved her nomination on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.
The Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr Rahseed Draman, has made claims that the minority in Parliament is having a negative ripple effect as a result of its previous reshuffle in the minority leadership.
His claim was sighted by GhanaWeb in a 3news.com report.
According to him, it appears that the current Minority leadership has not been fully embraced by the Minority caucus, necessitating additional efforts on their part.
Haruna Iddrisu, James Klutse Avedzi and Mohammed-Muntaka Mubarak as Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader and Minority Chief Whip, respectively, were removed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) leadership and replaced with Dr Casiel Ato Forson, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah and Kwame Agbodza as leaders of the minority.
This change, according to the Executive Director, has resulted in agitation among the Minority caucus.
“It looks like the ghost of the reshuffle in the Minority bench is still haunting the caucus, and I am not (the only one) saying this. This has been said by people like Muntaka; said by the former Minority leader, and today when we listen to proceedings in Parliament, the Majority Leader jokingly took a jab at the Minority Leader [Dr Cassiel Ato Forson] and said you have not been confirmed yet,” he said.
Dr Rahseed Draman further explained that because the minority side has not fully accepted the new leadership, a lot of work needs to be done even as 17 of their members will not be returning to Parliament.
“The new leadership has not been fully accepted by the rank and file of the Minority caucus, so there is a lot of work that needs to be done for the leadership to endear themselves to the entire caucus, particularly given its dilemma that is facing them where they have 17 of their members that are likely not to come back,” he added.
Parliament has resumed sitting after going into recess in March this year.
The House being presided over by Speaker Alban Bagbin is expected to vote on the approval of Chief Justice nominee, Justice Eraaba Torkornoo.
Ahead of the substantive matter, the Majority and Minority are arguing over the Supreme Court’s ruling that birth certificate is not a form of identification.
This is contained in the court’s judgment in the case filed by private citizen Mark Takyi Banson which the court delivered judgment on June 25 together with the case filed by the opposition NDC.
Also, the House is discussing how prudent its members can criticise the Judiciary without being contemptuous.
Ernest Yaw Anim has officially joined parliament after being elected as the Member of Parliament for Kumawu.
He took the oath of allegiance and the oath of a member of parliament to formalize his position.
Anim, who ran as the New Patriotic Party’s candidate in the Kumawu by-election, emerged as the winner on May 23. With a total of 15,264 votes, he surpassed the National Democratic Congress candidate, Kwasi Amankwaa, and two Independent Candidates, both named Kwaku Duah.
Amankwaa secured 3,723 votes, while Kwaku Duah (1) received 2,478 votes, and the other Kwaku Duah only managed to gather 62 votes.
The by-election was held following the passing of the previous incumbent MP, Philip Basoah, who died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital after a brief illness.
As Parliament reconvenes today, Tuesday, June 6, a set of financial bills, including the Revenue Administration Regulations, 2023, will be presented before the House.
Alongside this, the Customs (Amendment) Act, Income Tax (Amendment) Regulations, VAT (Amendment) Regulations, and the Insurance Regulations, 2023 are also scheduled to be laid before Parliament.
Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri and Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, disclosed this information on his Twitter page.
Members of Parliament return today after going on recess on March 31.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin in a statement recalling the MPs for the Second Meeting of the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament said the House will commence proceedings at 10:00 am.
Parliament adjourned sine die for the Easter festivities in March 2023 after passing the controversial three revenue bills presented to the House by the government seeking to boost domestic revenue mobilization.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is challenging portions of the Supreme Court’s full judgement which formed the basis for the removal of James Gyakye Quayson’s name from the records of Parliament as the Member of Parliament for Assin North.
The Supreme Courton Monday released the official document detailing why it declared as unconstitutional the election of James Gyakye Quayson as MP for Assin North in the Central Region.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, Mr Abraham Amaliba described as ‘mind boggling’ the failure of the apex court to particularly address Section 21 D of the PNDC Law 284.
He explained that per that law, the court can only nullify the election of a person if he or she was not qualified at the time of an election, and not at the time of filing his or her nomination.
For this reason, he questioned why the Supreme Court determined in the case of Mr Quayson that his qualification is at the time of filing his nomination.
“So the question is why did the Supreme Court fail to address section 21 D?” he quizzed.
According to him, he expected the apex court to analyse that section of the law and deal with it “and then say that notwithstanding that, we think that the time for qualification is nomination.”
He said the court was not supposed to turn its back on section 21 D of the PNDC Law 284 unless it had a strong reason not to do so.
“In ex parte national lottery, this is what Justice Atuguba said ‘Courts are servants of the legislature and must give effect to the expert provision of the statutes unless there is a strong policy why that should not be done.”
Meanwhile, the NDC minority in parliament has served notice that it will study the full document to determine its line of action, especially regarding the expected approval or otherwise of the Chief Justice nominee, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo who was questioned on the apex court’s ruling on Gyakye Quayson when she appeared before parliament for vetting.
The future of Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo as the Chief Justice of Ghana will hang in the balance as Parliament reconvenes tomorrow to deliberate on her appointment.
President Akufo-Addo nominated Justice Torkornoo, who underwent vetting on May 26, shortly after the retirement of Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, the former Chief Justice who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.
During the vetting process, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority on the Appointments Committee of Parliament refrained from voting on the president’s nominee.
The decision was attributed to the absence of the reasoned judgment of the Supreme Court regarding the James Gyakye Quayson case.
In a statement by Kwame Governs Agbodza, the Minority Chief Whip, it was clarified that although Justice Torkornoo had been previously vetted and approved as a justice of the Supreme Court in 2019, the Minority Members required a comprehensive assessment of her decisions in all other cases, including the James Gyakye Quayson case.
The House will convene on June 6 to make a crucial decision on the Chief Justice nominee. This highly anticipated session will shape the future of the judicial landscape in Ghana, as all eyes are on Parliament during this significant deliberation.
Parliamentto deliberate on financial bills, including the Revenue Administration Regulations, 2023, as it resumes on Tuesday, June 6.
The other Bills are the Customs (Amendment) Act, Income Tax (Amendment) Regulations, VAT (Amendment) Regulations, and the Insurance Regulations, 2023.
These were revealed by the Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri and Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh on his Twitter page.
Members of Parliament will return to Parliament on June 6, 2023, after going on recess on March 31.
The Speaker of Parliament,Alban Sumana Bagbin in a statement recalling the MPs for the Second Meeting of the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament said the House will commence proceedings at 10:00 am.
Parliament adjourned sine die for the Easter festivities in March 2023 after passing the controversial three revenue bills presented to the House by the government seeking to boost domestic revenue mobilization.
