The Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South, Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, believes the government’s talk of haircuts on investments as part of debt restructuring was premature.
“You have not started the negotiations, then you pre-empt yourself in the negotiations by making a statement that there is not going to be a haircut. You have shot yourself in the foot,” he said on The Big Issue on Citi TV.
After the president’s assurances of no haircuts with respect to money invested in bonds during a speech last week, the government clarified that the restructuring was yet to be finalised.
The President said the statement was in response to rumours and speculation.
The restructuring talks are ongoing as part of Ghana’s efforts to secure an IMF deal for $3 billion.
In the wake of the speech, Mr. Rickets-Hagan said this was further evidence that the Akufo-Addo administration does not understand the government it is running.
He felt there was no need for the government to be paying attention to speculation at this point.
Mr. Rickets-Hagan added that the speculation was only a consequence of the poor management of the economy.
“They are behind the economy, they are running it. You shouldn’t be worried too much at this stage about speculation.”
“Speculation is going to happen when there is uncertainty. Speculation happens when people don’t have confidence in your economy; when your policies are no longer credible,” the MP said.
A French member of Parliamentbecame the subject of a racist jibe by a fellow lawmaker, causing the House to be temporarily suspended amid protestations.
The offending MP, Gregoire de Fournas of the National Rally party’s use of the term “return to Africa,” phrase during a submission on migration triggered outrage in the polity and on social media.
It turns out that the MP who was speaking when the remark was made is a Black, which in turn triggered racist connotations.
Below are five facts about the Black MP
1. His name is Carlos Martens Bilongo, born on December 31, 1990 in Paris.
2. He is the MP for Val-d’Oise (8th district).
3. He is 31-year-old from a Congolese background, according to a TRT report.
4. Bilongo is member of left-wing France Insoumise party
5. He was elected on 19 June,2022 and took office two days later. He is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and also the Committee for the evaluation and control of public policies.
Background:
Bilongo was on his feet making a submission on immigration when a colleague in the far-right National Rally party, Gregoire de Fournas, yelled at him from across the benches.
A visibly shocked stopped his speech whiles colleagues on his side of the House vehemently protested at the phrase.
Subsequently, a leader of the Parliament demanded which particular MP had uttered the phrase, which triggered shouting by the far-right bloc.
The session was temporarily suspended.
Speaking outside Parliament after the incident, Bilongo expressed grave reservations at the comment and described it as a “shame,” and something he never in his life thought would be raised in Parliament.
The Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman, Thomas Nyarko Ampem is calling on the leadership of Parliament to consider two sittings in a week due to the recent increases in fuel prices.
The MP says the House should consider sitting for about 8 hours a day for the proposed two days to save cost on fuel for the week.
“We will be willing to stay and do the business for like two days and then save the three days. That way, we can save GH¢500 on fuel every week and this will also be in line with Mahama’s proposal to organizations to allow those who can work from home to do so because the fuel situation is killing us.”
The MP said the current business of the House makes it possible to extend the sitting hours.
“Looking at the kind of business that we have, is it not possible to stay for six hours a day instead of coming two hours, and we go back after two hours.”
The MP made the call on Friday after the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, presented the Business Statement for the ensuing week in Parliament.
The Majority Leader described the proposal as apocalyptic with dire consequences.
Fuel prices have been increased twice in the month of October 2022 with diesel now selling for GH¢23.49 per litre, petrol selling at GH¢17.99 per litre, and Kerosene selling at GH¢14.70.
Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has described calls for Members of Parliament to work twice week in parliament due to high fuel as unfortunate.
According to him, the current economic crisis requires Members of the house to be productive hence the need for them to come to the house daily.
“The member of parliament calling for work in just two days in a week, Mr. Speaker, that is a very apocalyptic declaration. I think that it’s an unfortunate call,” he added.
Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman Constituency in the Eastern Region, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, had called on Parliament to consider members of parliament to work twice a week instead of the current four days.
According to him, since parliament resumed, the house has been sitting for not more than two hours and this usually costs them a lot, especially with the hikes in fuel prices.
Thomas Nyarko Ampem is asking that the house sits for two days for long hours rather than come in daily to reduce the cost of fuel amidst the economic crisis.
Speaking on the floor of parliament on Friday, November 4, he said he had to pay GHC3000 Ghana cedis for fuel to fill his tank, which according to him, is too much.
“Mr Speaker we all know the business for this particular meeting is the budget and I have observed that for the days we have been here, sometimes we come and in less than two hours we adjourned till the next day. I am asking that it will not be possible for the business committee to consolidate, and park the activities so instead of four days I suggest we work two days a week in order to be able to save on the amount of money we are using for fuel.
“Mr Speaker, a day before yesterday I went to a Goil filling station at Legon, my lights were on and I asked them to fill my tank, I got down to the shop to buy something when I came back, GHC3000 was my bill. I had GHC2100, I had to call my colleague honourable Jajah to send mobile money that I am avoiding using before I was able to pay my bill. We can stay for six hours a day instead of coming for two hours and we go back. That way we can save GHC500 a week. The fuel situation is killing us,” he added.
Members of the family of the Late Dr Samuel Nuamah Donkor have officially informed the House of his demise.
His family was received by the Majority and Minority leaders, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah- Bonsu, and Haruna Iddrisu.
The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, addressing the delegation, said there was a need for the departed statesman to be given a befitting state burial, in recognition of his invaluable contribution to the development of the country’s democracy in the fourth republic.
The Minority Leader, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, expressed condolences to the bereaved family, adding that the late Nuamah Donkor contributed immensely to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in particular and to the country as a whole.
Dr. Samuel Nuamah Donkor who died on October 14 in London, was a member of the first Parliament of the Fourth Republic for the New Juaben North Constituency. His other positions included Ashanti Regional Minister and Managing Director of the State Transport Company (STC).
Dr. Samuel Nuamah Donkor was survived by a wife, Mrs. Irene Nuamah Donkor and five children.
“On behalf the Nuamah Donkor family we want to say thank you to the entire nation of Ghana, for your support and the love that you have shown during these hard times. We would like to use this opportunity to invite everyone to the one-week celebration on November 5,” the daughter of the late Nuamah Donkor, Abena Nuamah Donkor told journalists.
The Director of Planning at the Water Resources Commission, Dr. Bob Alfa says Ghana is already importing water.
Speaking at the Citi TV’s Roundtable Discussion on Galamsey, Mr. Alfa said: “I hear people say all the time that if we don’t take time, we will soon import water. When we say Ghana is importing water, we often look at the physical importation but on the face of it, that is already happening. We are importing labour and tools into our water supply mechanisms.”
“Whatever we consume is produced with water and if you don’t develop your water resources, and then you import some country’s products, what you are importing is what they have done as far as their water development is concerned,” he explained.
He blamed the issue on the country’s lack of investment in its water resources.
“We do not even invest in our water resources, we do not manage our water resources very well.”
The Water Resources Commission (WRC) was established by an Act of Parliament (Act 522 of 1996) with the mandate to regulate and manage Ghana’s Water Resources and coordinate government policies in relation to them.
The Act stipulates that ownership and control of all water resources are vested in the President on behalf of the people, and clearly defines the WRC as the overall body responsible for water resources management in Ghana.
The Commission, which provides a forum for integration and collaboration of different interests, is composed of the major stakeholders involved in the water sector.
The Citi Galamsey Dialogue dubbed “Galamsey and Ghana’s Water Security” aimed at bringing together important stakeholders in the water sector to deliberate on the state of Ghana’s water resources and examine the effects of illegal mining on Ghana’s water security.
Members of Parliament (MPs) on Wednesday took turns to hail the role of journalists in nation building.
Mr Akwasi Konadu, the MP for Manhyia North, who presented a statement on the floor of the House to mark “International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists”, entreated the House to help in any way possible to ensure that media practitioners go about their duties without fear or favour.
This, he said, could be achieved by ensuring the safety and security of media practitioners and giving them all the necessary support to do their jobs.
He urged the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) not to relent in its pursuit of justice for all journalists who had suffered any form of injustice in their line of duties.
He also appealed to the Police to ensure that the killers of Mr Ahmed Hussein-Suale, an investigative journalist and Mr Samuel Kwanena Ennin, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the GJA, were brought to book.
“Parliament, we also want to assure all media practitioners that we stand shoulder to shoulder with them,” Mr Konadu said.
The United Nations General Assembly in 2013 set aside November 2, as the “International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists” to condemn attacks and violence against journalists.
Contributing to the presentation, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Majority Leader, said the National Media Commission that was charged to regulate the conduct of media practitioners captured under Article 167 of the 1992 Constitution was to promote and ensure the freedom and independence of the media for mass communication or information.
To take all appropriate measures to ensure the establishment and maintenance of the highest journalistic standards in the mass media, including the investigation, mediation and settlement of complaints made against or by the press or other mass media and to insulate the state-owned media from governmental control.
“Mr, Speaker, the Media Commission, regardless of their intention, they are toothless in trying to call media practitioners who to astray to order,” Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said.
“Mr Speaker, we need the media, but the media should not otherwise assume positions that are abhorrent to our society.”
Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader, said the Day provided journalists an opportunity to evaluate their own performance and to their contributions to Ghana’s functional democracy.
He lauded the contributions of journalists in their collective efforts for Ghana to attain the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“But Mr Speaker, as reported by the UN Secretary General, some 70 journalists have been killed this year in the course of their work and in the course of their duty of contributing to a more enlightening world,” Mr Iddrisu stated.
He said they were demanding Justice for the killing of Ahmed Husein-Suale and urged nvestigative or prosecutorial body handing the matter to discharge the responsibility with some credibility to give assurance to practicing journalists that they would not just wither away their lives in their services without support or compensation for their family.
“It is important that we celebrate and commend the Ghana Journalists Association and to urge them, what we need is the commitment of Government to continue to respect those freedoms,” he said.
He said Ghana still needed a new broadcasting law to regulate broadcasting generally.
Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, the MP for Abuakwa South, in his submission, said, as a legal practitioner, he had had to represent some people in the courts of law, who were defamed by certain media publications.
He noted that when someone’s hard won reputation was defamed through the publication of the journalist, it was difficult repairing, especially when it was carried on the internet.
“In trying to fly your story to make some money, be careful of the reputation of others, because money cannot buy the reputation of someone,” Mr Atta Akyea said.
Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, MP for Wa Central, urged Ghanaians to hold journalists in high esteem and not to look at them with disrespect.
He said Ghana was seen as an oasis of peace in the subregion, and that Ghanaians should ensure to handle journalists with pride; saying that journalists would be comfortable in doing their jobs, and that Ghana could be a source of inspiration for other nations.
The Minority in Parliament is asking the government to use part of the over GH¢8 billion revenue accrued from petroleum products to cushion petroleum consumers against the current price hikes.
The Minority says the government has received over GH¢8 billion from petroleum resources
in less than 3 months, as against its GH¢6 billion projection for the year.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, the Ranking Member on the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, John Jinapor urged the government to act in halting the escalation of fuel prices which he bemoans has seen over 300 percent increase in less than a year.
“In less than three months, the government has received over GH¢8 billion from our petroleum resources. So in three months, the government has received more than it projected for the whole year, so government is making supernormal profits. In fact, even the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy which are supposed to subsidize fuel, government projected that in the first two quarters, it will receive GH¢269 million and as we speak, from the Ministry of Finance’s own record, the Government has received GH¢800 million. And so this notion that Government is not making any money is a fallacy”.
“Government is making so much money from our petroleum resources, I, therefore, call on President Akufo-Addo and the outgoing Minister of Finance that they should do something about this pricing increment. They should sit up and think outside the box and apply these supernormal profits to cushion the ordinary Ghanaians.”
Mr. Jinapor indicated that the economic crisis worsens by the day as he receives calls every day from some of his constituents seeking diverse assistance to enable them to stay afloat.
“I receive calls every day from members in the Constituency from people who cannot even afford one square meal a day, people who cannot even send their kids to school because of the exorbitant fuel prices which are having a cascading effect on food prices, and general cost of living.”
“We hold the view that Government can do something about the fuel price increment, Government must sit up, Government must do something and the Government must cushion the ordinary Ghanaians.”
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has petitioned Parliament to halt the laying of a proposed Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) which seeks to make the Ghana Card the sole identification document for compiling the new voters’ register.
Until the backlog of Ghana Cards has been cleared, the NDC wants the C.I. to be frozen in order not to deny “millions of citizens” the right to register and vote in the 2024 general elections.
More so, other evidence of citizenship such as the use of a Ghanaian passport and the guarantor system must be added to the Ghana Card for the registration exercise.
“Any further action on the proposed C.I. by or in Parliament should be frozen until consultations have been initiated and concluded with the major stakeholders, especially the political parties, including the NDC and civil society,” part of the petition cited by MyJoyOnline.com stated.
The petition will be presented by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, when the House sits for business on Tuesday, November 1.
EC justifies use of Ghana Card
The Electoral Commission earlier in September defended its decision to use only the Ghana Card for the voter registration exercise, saying it is still the valid and surest way to rid the register of minors and foreigners.
According to the EC’s Director of Electoral Services, it is possible for eligible voters to get their Ghana Cards before the end of their registration on October 7, 2024.
Dr Serebour Quaicoe was confident that barring any unforeseen circumstances, every qualified voter can get their identity cards to be fully registered for the 2024 general elections within the next two years.
He believes no one would be disenfranchised because all Ghanaians have enough time to access the Ghana Card.
But the NDC believes this would rather be a tool to infringe on the rights of citizens.
“Since the proposed Public Elections (Registration of Voters0 Instrument (C.I.), as a subsidiary legislation, cannot override the substantive provision in the Constitution on the citizens’ right to register and to vote, and insistence on the Ghana Card as the only evidence of citizenship will deny millions of citizens the right to register and vote, other forms of evidence of citizenship such as the Ghana passport and the guarantor system must be added to the Ghana Card as evidence of citizenship in the proposed Constitutional Instrument (C.I.),” the petition added.
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Finance Committee, has indicated the president’s posture during his address on Sunday, October 30, was that of a man who was very angry.
According to him, Akufo-Addo clearly indicated that he was not ready to solve the economic challenges that the country is currently facing.
Dr. Ato Forson noted in an interview on Joy News which was monitored by GhanaWeb that the president did a poor job of asking Ghanaians to rally behind him during these difficult times.
The Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam MP is of the view that the address of the president was long overdue.
“Unfortunately, the President waited too long to address the nation, and even when he decided to address the nation, his posturing alone wasn’t good enough. Watching the President, I saw someone who was angry, but I did not see someone who was ready to solve a problem. The body language is everything so I was more interested in his body language and I saw an angry man.
“Your people are in crisis, their livelihood is at stake. People are struggling to have three square meals a day; they’re looking up to you as the President. You don’t come threatening them because some of them are rumour mongering.
“You come obviously by talking to them in a way that they can buy your message. I think whoever wrote that speech if it’s himself, did a very poor job, if it’s another person, whoever did that job must go because actually, the people of Ghana were waiting for that master stroke but it did not come out as such,” Dr. Ato Forson stated while commenting on the address.
To him, the president’s address should have announced some immediate actions being taken to curb the fiscal issues, including some alleviation plans to help support the most vulnerable in society.
The MP noted such a statement of hope would have earned the support of Ghanaians instead of their ire and ridicule.
“Let me tell you something…if the President had come and had announced to the people of Ghana to say ‘yes, because of the crisis A, B, C and D, I’m relieving 40 of my ministers or 30 of my ministers’ it’s a big signal. It tells the people of Ghana that this man means business.
“It calms the nerves of everyone. Quantify it and say that I’m making savings of ABCD and I’m going to put these savings into, say LEAP to support the elderly. The people of Ghana want to see things like this,” Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson observed.
Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said he has always had the notion that President Akufo-Addo is empty ever since he, Asiedu Nketia, was a member of parliament.
According to him, due to Akufo-Addo’s arrogance, he failed to learn from former President John Dramani Mahama’s address which had solutions and proposals.
In a Facebook post, he indicated that President Akufo-Addo’s address on Ghana’s economy on October 30 was “nothing beyond the smoke”.
“I have always insisted that President Akufo-Addo is empty. I formed this opinion many years ago as an NDC Parliamentarian. He was representing the NPP in Parliament. Listen critically to him, and you will know he is full of smoke. Nothing beyond the smoke.
“President Mahama set the right tone in his brilliant address with solutions and proposals at the UPSA for Akufo-Addo to learn from. But arrogance and lack of capacity deprived him of the opportunity to drink from his predecessor’s fountain of wisdom,” he said.
He urged Ghanaians to join the NDC to vote against the NPP in 2024.
“But there’s hope! We have elections 2024 to win to rescue Ghana from this incompetent and clueless NPP government that is determined to use foul means, including violence, to steal the outcome of the elections,” he stated on Facebook.
Kwasi Kyei Darkwah (KKD) has stated that he does not believe President Akufo-Addo is in control of things in Ghana.
The veteran broadcaster explained that many indications point to the fact that while the president is in office, he does not wield any power.
Speaking in a Monday, October 31, 2022, interview on Joy News and monitored by GhanaWeb, KKD stated that the fact that Members of Parliament on his side of parliament have openly expressed non-confidence in his chief financial officer, Ken Ofori-Atta, should tell he is failing.
“If nobody remembers anything I say today, please remember this; yesterday, I listened to our president for about half an hour and I learnt for sure that he’s in office but not in power.
“If the people who make laws; the ones on your team… are saying that no, you’re failing us but we can’t tell you directly that you’re failing us, so we’re going to put the blame on your finance minister for now, eventually, we will get to you, are you really in power?” he stated.
KKD also explained that issues such as the president’s recent chattering of private jets, a situation where the country does not even have the money to buy such luxurious planes, make it even more profound that he is actually not in charge of things.
“If you give a speech of 30 minutes and instead of telling us how ashamed you are that you let some of the people you appointed, who had no common sense to tell you, Emperor, you have no clothes, but made you sign, or have somebody you’ve authorized sign to go and rent a plane your nation cannot afford, and they came and give us the stupid justification that by that way, he can have a shower in the sky… how are you in power?” he quizzed.
Among the things that KKD has proposed to the Akufo-Addo government is for him to sack all his deputy ministers and further reduce the number of his ministers.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has resurrected the issue about the withdrawal of his military protection as he describes the action as politically motivated.
Mr. Bagbin who questioned the basis for the action says it is puzzling that the state maintained what he calls battalion for the Electoral Commission Boss even after withdrawing the few military personnel attached to his office.
The Ghana Armed Forces in January withdrew the military personnel attached to the security detail of the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin.
Government has dismissed suggestions that the withdrawal of the military attachment to the Speaker of Parliament by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is an attempt to stifle his protection.
But speaking on the issue publicly for the first time during an engagement with the parliamentary press corps, Mr Bagbin listed a number of individuals whose offices are relatively below that of the speaker of Parliament yet enjoying military protection.
“The Chief Justice has a military, as well as Ministers, have their own and each Supreme Court Judge but the EC Chair has a battalion. My brothers at the Ministry of Defense and Interior both have and the Attorney General has his own. The same as the Minister for Finance but the Speaker is not entitled to a military,” he bemoaned.
“When I was second deputy Speaker, the Office of the same President approved his staff sergeant to by military attaché. For four good years, the staff sergeant was with me.
“Now, I’ve been elected as the Speaker, which is a higher position, and the same president says I’m not entitled to military attachment,” Mr. Bagbin lamented.
Nonetheless, Mr. Bagbin assured the public his security is guaranteed regardless of the withdrawal of the military attachment.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) believes moves by the Minority in Parliament to have Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta removed from office is an exercise in futility.
It says, the Majority caucus will also not support the motion of censure against the Minister as filed by the Minority.
A Deputy Director of Communications of the NPP, Kamal Deen Abdulai described attempts for the impeachment of the Finance Minister as ‘much ado about nothing’.
“The Speaker admitting that motion is very predictable and it doesn’t mean that the conditions for admitting such a motion to be full will be met.”
“I am confident this motion for a vote of censure against Finance Minister is much ado about nothing. I can say emphatically that, the Minority will not have the support of the Majority to pass a vote of censure for the Finance Minister to be removed”, he said on Citi FM/Citi TV‘s The Big Issue.
Commenting on the Majority caucus back track over its demands for the Finance Minister’s dismissal, after meeting President Akufo-Addo, Kamal Deen Abdulai said there is nothing wrong with the NPP legislators softening their stance.
“It’s trite knowledge, some Majority MPs called for the head of the Finance Minister. Also, after engagements they have changed their stance that some time be given the Minister agreeing that they are not going to pursue this matter once the President has spoken to them and the unification we are seeking has been seen.”
About 80 New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs this week demanded the sacking of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta over the current economic hardships.
They threatened to boycott government business in parliament should the president fail to fulfill their demands.
The group however accepted President Akufo-Addo’s request asking them to allow the Finance Minister some time to finish negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The majority caucus in Parliament called for the dismissal of Mr. Ofori-Atta, and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen.
Their colleagues on the other side – that’s the Minority have also filed for a motion of censure against the Finance Minister.
On the same program, Tamale Central Member of Parliament (MP), Murtala Mohammed revealed his plans of commencing processes to impeach the President Akufo-Addo.
“If we think that, it is justified to call for the removal of the Finance Minister, let us not be hypocrites. It is equally justified to call for the removal of the President. I am assuring that, I have started talking to some of my friends to ensure that that we initiate a motion to ensure that the President is impeached. I have started [the process]”, the legislator said.
The anti-LGBT Bill currently before parliament will be passed before the next elections, Speaker of the House, Alban Bagbin has said.
The Speaker, earlier this week, asked the Committee working on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill to expedite works in presenting its report to the house for a debate.
Speaking at a media engagement, Rt. Hon Bagbin emphasized that “the sexual rights and human values Bill that is being handled by the committee will definitely be passed before the next elections. That Bill will go through.”
While data indicates that most Ghanaians are in favour of the Bill, it has faced criticism from renowned artists and academics.
The Bill prescribes that people of the same sex who engage in sexual activity could spend up to 10 years in jail.
Varying forms of support for the LGBTQ+ community will also be criminalized if the Bill is passed into law.
It has, however, generated some widespread conversation, with many expressing varied views about some clauses in the document.
“When we talk about sexual rights, we are talking about things that will add value to human beings by way of creating opportunities and equal playing ground in giving privileges and rights to everyone and removing all the restrictions and hurdles to make people freer. That is what we call human rights, whatever negates this is not a human right”, the Speaker of Parliament added.
Following the heated conversations amidst pressure on Parliament to pass the Bill, there have been speculations that MPs who support the Bill may be denied some privileges from members of the international community.
Many persons and institutions have filed memoranda in support of the Bill and to help fine-tune it.
A number of renowned legal, academic and civil society professionals have also filed documents challenging the legislation.
In the memorandum, they contend that the Bill is an “impermissible invasion of the inviolability of human dignity.”
They further argued that pushing through the Bill will be to challenge Ghana’s constitution and democracy.
Second Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrisu says government will complete negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) before the 2023 Budget will be presented to Parliament.
The Tolon MP is convinced that government will secure a bailout for the country before November 15.
Speaking on Newsfile, Saturday, he said due to the confidence and trust imposed by the IMF in Akufo-Addo’s government, negotiations have been at a fast pace to secure a programme for the country.
“The IMF has trust and confidence in this government and the President for that matter…At the end of the day, the 2023 Budget will be presented and I am very convinced from where I sit that the negotiations with IMF will be concluded by then and will be incorporated in the budget.
“I am convinced that by the 15th of November the budget that will be presented in Parliament will have incorporated in it the IMF programme,” he said.
This, he said would happen because of the “credible people at the Finance Ministry”.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker has debunked claims that the government provided inaccurate macroeconomic figures to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Tolon MP argued that the IMF with such credibility and credentials could not have accepted just any macroeconomic figures from the Finance Ministry.
Habib Iddrisu was reacting to allegations on Newsfile by Former Deputy Finance Minister, Mona Quartey that the Economic Management provided incorrect macro-economic numbers to the IMF.
“We need to respect the institution IMF, especially since due diligence is done by them. They are a credible organization, they will not just sit down and say that the government of Ghana is giving them wrong information and they just take information like that.
“It is never true that government has provided them with wrong information,” he said on Newsfile, Saturday.
A Governance Expert Professor Baffuor Agyeman-Duah has said he supports the call by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament to the President to sack his Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry Charles Adu Boahen.
Prof Agyemang Duah said he personally made this call in the past when the economy started deteriorating.
Speaking in an interview with TV3’s Alfred Ocansey on the Ghana Tonight show, the CEO of the Kufuor Foundation said “I will be a hypocrite if I say I don’t agree [with the calls] because personally, I have made this call over the past several months since the economic started nose down.”
Pressure is being mounted on President Akufo-Addo by some Ghanaians including his own Members of Parliament, to sack the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and Mr Adu Boahen.
The Majority caucus in Parliament have threatened to boycott the presentation and debate on the 2023 budget statement if President Akufo-Addo does not remove Mr Ofori-Atta and Adu Boahen.
The NPP MPs believe that the prevailing economic situation in the country does not make it right for the two gentlemen to remain in office hence the President must ask them to go.
Addressing a press conference in Parliament on Tuesday, October 25, a lawmaker for Asante Akyem North, Andy Appiah Kubi said “We are unhappy with the developments in the country, we consulted our constituents who also expressed same sentients.
“We want the President to remove Ken Ofori and Chares Adu Boahen.
“We are by this medium communicating our strong desire that the President changes the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State in the Finance Ministry without further delay.
“We want to serve notice, and notice is hereby served that until such persons as aforementioned are made to resign or removed from office, we members of the Majority Caucus here in Parliament will not participate in any business of Government by or, for the president by any other Minster.
“We hope that those of us in the back bench and members of the Majority caucus will abide by this prayer.
“We are saying that if our request is not responded to positively, we will not be present for the budget hearing neither will we participate in the debate.
Seven ministers are expected to appear before the house to respond to questions, which include urgent and oral questions.
The ministers expected to appear are the Minister for the Volta Region, Minister for the Interior, Minister for Food and Agriculture, Minister for Health, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Minister for Railways Development, and Minister for Roads and Highways.
The ministers will respond to over 40 questions during the week.
Aside from that, motions may be debated and their consequential resolutions, if any, taken during the week.
The Business Committee urged Ministers of State to endeavour to attend the House to respond to questions whenever they are scheduled to do so.
Also, some presentations of papers are expected this week, which include the Annual Report of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission for 2020; the Reconciliation Report on the Petroleum Holding Fund for the year 2021; and the Annual Public Debt Management Report for the year 2021, among others.
Aside from that, motions may be debated and their consequential resolutions, if any, taken during the week.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has underscored the need for members of the house to be educated on how motions are couched.
This comes after an objection raised by the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo Markin against a motion of vote of censure on the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
“We need to sit together, dialogue and exchange views on the constitution and standing orders for the practice and procedures of the house”, he said.
Alban Bagbin, further pushed the improvement of knowledge of members on the procedures of the house.
“Beyond that, we have the rulings of speakers and literature on the laws and customs of Parliament. The fact that the concept of democracy has remained the say of separation of powers and checks and balances, we need to have continuous education of these matters for us to play our role well.”
On Thursday, Alexander Afenyo-Markin raised an objection to a motion of a vote of censure filed against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
The Minority in Parliament had filed the vote of censure against the Finance Minister citing seven reasons which include conflict of interest and fiscal recklessness leading to the sharp depreciation of the Ghana Cedi.
But speaking on the floor of Parliament, Mr. Afenyo-Markin argued that the reasons given by the Minority were unjustified, adding that the Minister of Finance has not been heard on the allegations.
“If you go through our order paper in this House, clearly committees bring reports, we submit applications and motions are advertised on their own. So a motion for a censure against the Finance Minister…Mr. Speaker, we should not forget that we are in a political space. The Minister has been condemned long before he is heard. The respondent in this application has been condemned with allegations, not facts. We all want a fair hearing.”
The Member of Parliament for the Talensi constituency, Benson Tongo Baba, plans to push for answers on the delayed Pwalugu Multipurpose dam project sometime next year.
Commenting on concerns that the $993 million project has been abandoned, the MP said there were plans in place to formally visit the project site.
Following this, he said they will try to seek answers from the relevant ministers in Parliament.
“We will definitely go there after the budget presentation by the Minister of Finance, this year,” Mr. Baba said on Eyewitness News.
“Early next year, we will take appropriate action to drag either the Minister of Agriculture or the Ministry of Finance to respond to questions in Parliament as to why the project has come to a standstill.”
The MP was speaking after some farmers in the Upper East and North East Regions protested at Nalerigu to demand the acceleration of the project.
The protesting farmers were led by the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana.
Dr. Charles Nyaaba, the Executive Director of the association, called for the Vice President to intervene in the matter.
“We are calling on Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia, who is a son of the land, to lead this campaign. We are actually supporting him to ensure that as part of the IMF negotiations, money is allocated and provision is made for the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose dam.”
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has said the cedi appreciation is due to the calls for the removal of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
According to him, since the minority filed a motion to have Ken Ofori-Atta removed, Ghanaians have regained confidence that action has been taken to curb the economic crisis.
“Because of this motion, you know what has happened to the state of our Cedi. Just because people are given confidence that action is being taken, the Cedi gained some value, and parliament should be commended. It climbed from about 16 to a dollar to around 13, which is a serious gain for this country, and it’s because there is some confidence being given to the people that action is being taken to rectify the wrongs. Please let’s play our role properly and effectively, and at the end of the day, we’ll all benefit,” he told MPs on Thursday.
On October 27, the speaker of parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin admitted the minority’s Censure Motion filed against Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
This comes after Members of Parliament on the Minority side signed their signatories to a motion for a vote of censure on Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister, filed on Monday.
The Minority cites the overall mismanagement of the economy and ethical concerns, among others.
The motion was filed a day before Parliament resumed recess.
The admission of the motion is contained in the Order Paper of Parliament, issued on Thursday, October 27, 2022.
The House is expected to organize “a secret vote” to censure the Minister. This is scheduled for November 10, 2022.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has faulted the Supreme Court for delivering judgment in a matter the legislature was a party to without giving it a hearing.
According to Alban Bagbin, he “had no knowledge about the suit.”
He made this comment in Parliament on Thursday, October 27, 2022.
In July 2022, the Supreme Court declared as unconstitutional the law on granting licence to grow cannabis, popularly known as ‘wee’ in small quantities for industrial and medicinal purposes.
Section 43 of Act 1019 of the Narcotics Commission Act stipulates that “the Minister on the recommendation of the Commission, may grant a licence for the cultivation of cannabis popularly referred to as “wee” in Ghana, which is not more than 0.3 % THC content on a dry weight basis for industrial purposes for obtaining fibre or seed for medicinal purposes.”
However, the Apex court in a 4-3 majority decision on July 28 annulled Section 43 of Act 1019 and declared that it is a violation of Article 106 of the 1992 constitution.
But the Speaker has faulted the court saying although Parliament was a party to the suit, they were not granted hearing on the matter.
He insists that the fact that the ruling affected portions of the law is what even makes the implications dire.
“Yet, judgment was delivered by the Supreme Court in which a section of a law we passed was struck out as unconstitutional. If the speaker is a party to a suit, at least the speaker should be served. There was no service,” he said.
The Justices who ruled for the majority decision were; Justices Jones Dotse, Clemence Jackson Honyenuga, Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu and Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi while Justices Nene Amegatcher, Prof Nii Ashie Kotey and Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu disagreed.
The case was brought before the Apex Court by one Ezuame Mannan against the Attorney-General.
The majority in parliament wants the motion for censure against finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta thrown out for want of evidence.
Speaking on the floor, the deputy majority leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, argued the minority MPs failed to attach evidence to the motion to back their claims.
“Mr. Speaker, I beg to submit that the legal grounds or grounds for submission are not embedded in the motion. I am saying that Mr. Speaker, the motion is supposed to be advertised; that is what the constitution says. The constitution is not saying that you should accompany it with allegations as part of the motion; that is my contention. And if they beg to disagree, they should say so for the records to capture. And if there is any other provision that perhaps I have not read which allows you to state allegations, not facts, to support your motion, they should again draw my attention; we are here to learn. I’m not ashamed if I get it wrong, and I’m corrected. Mr. Speaker, I so submit.”
Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu however, rubbished the claim arguing there’s enough evidence to impeach Ken Ofori-Atta.
“We have made reference to constitutional provisions of Articles 178, 176, and 82. Mr. Speaker, to demonstrate with facts on this floor that the Minister is in breach of the law apart from the fact that he’s trashed the Ghanaian economy, we’ll do so. You cannot question the competence of the Speaker in admitting the motion. And we have not given you any facts; we are only giving you headlines of the matters to which we’ll lead with evidence. Mr. Speaker, our evidence will be in the category ‘beyond a shadow of a doubt’ – that the Ghanaian economy is a trashed economy, the cedi worst performing currency in the world.
“You have done what is constitutionally right. I expect him to be assuring me that his side will support this, and by consensus, we save this country. We need to save this country, save its businesses. Businesses are collapsing, industry is collapsing, the Ghanaian citizens are reeling under unprecedented hardships. That must be your concern. We are invoking provisions of the constitution.”
A political science lecturer, Dr. Abdul-Jalilu Ateku, has urged the Minority in Parliament to engage the Majority MPs opposed to the Finance Minister to ensure their support in having him removed.
Speaking on The Point of View on Citi TV, Dr. Ateku said he did not expect the President to heed the calls of 80 disgruntled Majority MPs for him to remove Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister.
They also want the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, removed.
“The Minority needs to engage with the other people from the other side since they all have the same objective of getting the Finance Minister out.”
“Leaving it for the President, the President will not remove the Finance Minister,” Dr. Ateku said.
The Minority has filed a motion for a vote of censure on the Finance Minister and made calls for support from the Majority MPs.
But the Majority MPs have indicated that they will not back the Minority.
Previous calls for the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta have been rebuffed by President Akufo-Addo, who said he would continue to back Mr. Ofori-Atta.
Responding to the recent demands by the group of Majority MPs, the President appealed to them to hold on until Ghana concludes negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
The President noted that terminating the appointment of Mr. Ofori-Atta will disrupt the programme.
The minority in parliament have been wearing black to parliament since they reconvened on October 25.
According to the minority, their reason for wearing black is to communicate their dissatisfaction with the country’s current economic situation, including the cedi depreciation.
On Wednesday, October 26, almost all the MPs who showed up in parliament were dressed in black attires.
The Minority and Majority Members of Parliament seem to be on the same page following the call to remove the finance minister from office.
While the Minority in Parliament has filed a motion to have Ken Ofori-Atta sacked, the Majority also threatened to boycott the 2023 budget presentation if the finance minister is not relieved of his post.
The MPs explained that their position follows several concerns over the poor management of the economy, which has forced the government to seek IMF assistance.
While addressing the parliamentary press corps, the minority urged the majority to not relent on calling the finance minister out.
The Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, noted “as representatives of the people and as duty bearers, we must move a motion to call for the end of the Finance Minister.
“Our brothers in the Majority believe in this. What they should do is to support the call of the Minority Leader and the motion for the Minority Leader for the dismissal of the Finance Minister.”
The Deputy Majority Leader of Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo Markin, has berated the minority caucus over its handling of a motion filed to get Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta impeached.
According to him, the minority is creating the impression the House (Parliament) has accepted the motion and it has the support of the majority caucus which is false.
Speaking to the press at Parliament on Wednesday, October 26, Afenyo Markin intimated that the majority are against the idea of forcing Ken Ofori-Atta to resign.
“Admissibility of questions, motions or any process is the sole mandate of Mr. Speaker. So, until your motion or any application is admitted by the speaker you cannot assume that you have the motion properly before the House.
“So, I will like to say that, simply put, they are just throwing dust into the eyes of Ghanaians. We are all aware that the whole world is in a crisis. We are all aware that government has taken steps to address this economic crisis that we face as a nation.
“As we speak, we have an ongoing negotiation with the IMF. Midway into the negotiation government cannot come and make an announcement,” he said.
Afenyo Markin, who is the Member of Parliament (MP)
for Effutu, urged Ghanaians to stop politicizing the current challenges in the country and treat it as a national issue.
The minority caucus of Parliament filed a motion to have Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State (in charge of Finance), Charles Adu-Boahen sacked.
The MPs explained that their position follows several concerns over the poor mismanagement of the economy, which has forced the government to seek IMF assistance.
The Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, noted “as representatives of the people and as duty bearers, we must move a motion to call for the end of the finance minister.
“Our brothers in the majority believe in this. What they should do is to support the call of the Minority Leader and the motion for the Minority Leader for the dismissal of the finance minister.”
Many Ghanaians, including Members of Parliament on the Majority side, have been left disappointed after the highly-expected ruling by the Speaker of Parliament on the fate of their colleague ended in the balance.
The Majority MPs, led by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, had called for the seat of Sarah Adwoa Safo, MP for Dome Kwabenya, to be declared vacant after she failed to appear in parliament for sittings.
Although the Speaker of Parliament was initially expected to deliver his verdict on the matter in the last meeting of parliament in July 2022, he adjourned it, announcing later that he would give his ruling on Wednesday, October 26, 2022.
However, when Alban Bagbin did, he gave a ruling that the report of the committee set up to look into the case of the MP and two others who absented themselves for a number of sittings should be presented before the whole house to be debated.
He, therefore, dismissed the objection of the Majority Leader to the admissibility of the committee report for the consideration of the house.
“As I have noted in this ruling, the decision (sic) on not to admit a motion is the exclusive preserve of the Speaker. In view of the foregoing, the House is well within its right to receive and consider reports of the committee and make a determine arising out of the consideration.
“In the circumstances, it is my ruling that the motion was rightfully admitted and the report of the committee is subject to the consideration of the house. It goes without saying that the (sic) objection of the Majority Leader today (sic) is hereby dismissed…” he concluded his verdict.
It will be recalled that on July 29, 2022, a day after parliament adjourned its first decision to determine the fate of the Dome Kwabenya MP, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo sacked her as the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
In a statement, the president said the revocation of the MP’s appointment as minister was to take immediate effect.
“In accordance with article 81(a) of the Constitution, the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has revoked the appointment of Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, with immediate effect.
“The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, will continue to act as caretaker Minister for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, until such a time that President Akufo-Addo appoints a substantive Minister,” the statement from the Presidency concluded.
Sarah Adwoa Safo has been in the United States of America since 2021.
Ordinarily, there shouldn’t be anything special about the day, Wednesday, October 26, 2022, but politically, Ghanaians would have two major things to look out for.
Coincidentally too, these two things concern members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
It becomes even more relevant because of the many relationships that a lot of people are drawing between all the things happening in the United Kingdom at present, and why Ghana should take cues from it.
For more clarity, in the last week in the UK, Prime Minister, Liz Truss succumbed to mounting pressure from parliament and tendered in her resignation, making her the shortest-serving Prime Minister ever.
Days after, British-born Indian Member of Parliament for Richmond, Rishi Sunak, made history by being elected the first person of colour and the youngest in the last 200 years to be PM of the UK.
The fate of Ken Ofori-Atta in the balance:
In Ghana, calls are already mounting for the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, to be sacked, or, as other people have suggested, he should resign.
And that is one of the reasons Ghanaians should be interested in the happenings of Wednesday, October 26.
A day before – Tuesday, October 25, 2022, Ghanaians got the shock of their lives when news emerged that some 80 Members of Parliament from the Majority Caucus (whose government is in power) called for Ken Ofori-Atta to be sacked.
The MPs, most of whom are backbenchers, stated that this was a simple scenario of doing the bidding of their constituents and nothing else.
“Most of the majority caucus came to this decision because it is what our constituents wanted. This is not something we wanted to do but it is what the people who voted for us, our constituents wanted. This was not by a rebel group in the caucus.
“There is a lot of pressure on us. If you go to your constituency office and you listen to the concerns of your constituents it is very disheartening. Just yesterday, three women visited my office and they were crying while narrating how they had lost their businesses because the price of a gallon of oil they used to purchase for GH¢60 [600] is now selling for GH¢1000.
“The other MPs also shared their experience and we saw that it all boils down to the same thing. So, this is how we came to the decision that we have to let the president know what our constituents want. We had to let him know, otherwise, our people will not listen to us if we go to them again,” Ahenkrorah said in a radio interview on Neat FM.
The 80 MPs also stated in their press briefing that should President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo fail to heed to their call, they will henceforth make government business in parliament a difficult one for him.
They added that they will begin by absenting themselves from the reading and participation in the 2023 budget statement in parliament.
Although President Nana Akufo-Addo held a late meeting with the NPP MPs calling for the sack of Ken Ofori-Atta, asking them to allow the minister to seal the IMF deal first, it is the hope of many that the minister would make an announcement on his own before close of day.
Speaker to determine fate of Sarah Adwoa Safo:
News of the fate or otherwise of the Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, is no longer a big news but the decision that will be made by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, is one many are looking forward to.
It will be recalled that since 2021, there have been many calls for the MP to make clear her stance in her political position, both as MP and as minister, but she never did come clear on it.
As a major first step, and after many attempts to get her to fall in line, President Akufo-Addo sacked her as the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Having been away from Ghana for the greater part of 2021 and 2022, many have also wondered how it is that she is able to execute her work as an MP in absentia.
Calls have been made for her seat to be declared vacant, among others, though the decision by parliament has taken some time, it appears a finality will be brought to the subject when parliament sits on Wednesday.
Giving his assurances of delivering his final verdict on the fate of the MP on this day, many people are looking forward to what that ruling would be.
The last time parliament was to determine the fate of Sarah Adwoa Safo, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, speaking during the last sitting of the third meeting of this eighth parliament, said he would not want to make a hasty decision.
He therefore informed the House that on resumption for the fourth sitting of this parliament, he would deliver his verdict on the matter.
“I have consulted the old lady. The old lady has given me an advice and I think that advice is clear because the issues raised by the Majority Leader is both substantive and procedural law and I need time to submit to this House a reasoned, written ruling.
“I cannot in the haste of today, give you the ruling. In the circumstances, I’d urge this House for us to call it a day,” he said.
It is also worth mentioning that the call for the seat of Dome-Kwabenya to be declared vacant was made by the NPP MPs, knowing very well that it is the seat of one of their members.
The events of the day are surely expected to be interesting.
Parliament is still yet to determine the fate of Dome Kwabenya MP, Adwoa Safo, although Speaker Alban Bagbin pledged to give his ruling when the House returned from recess.
The House has resumed sitting and the Speaker has failed to bring finality to the matter.
Speaker Alban Bagbinon Wednesday ruled that the report of the committee set up to look into the case of the MP and two others who absented themselves for a number of sittings should be presented before the whole house to be debated.
He, therefore, dismissed the objection of the Majority Leader to the admissibility of the committee report for the consideration of the house.
“As I have noted in this ruling, the decision (sic) on not to admit a motion is the exclusive preserve of the Speaker. In view of the foregoing, the House is well within its right to receive and consider reports of the committee and make a determine arising out of the consideration.
“In the circumstances, it is my ruling that the motion was rightfully admitted and the report of the committee is subject to the consideration of the house. It goes without saying that the (sic) objection of the Majority Leader today (sic) is hereby dismissed…” he concluded his verdict.
Adwoa Safo and her two other colleagues, Kennedy Agyapong and Henry Quartey were reported to the Privileges Committee for their absence in Parliament.
Mr Agyapong and Quartey appeared before the Committee to provide reasons behind their absence but Adwoa Safo failed to.
Sarah Adwoa Safo was scheduled to appear before the Committee on May 27, 2022.
Speaking to the media on the said day, she explained that she had not been served any notice to appear before the Committee, and further attributed her absence to the medical attention she was giving to her son living in the United States of America.
Adwoa Safo no longer Gender Minister
President Akufo-Addo on Thursday, July 28, 2022, relieved Sarah Adwoa Safo of her duties as the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection in accordance with Article 81(a) of the constitution.
He has appointed the Member of Parliament for Walewale, Lariba Zuweira Abudu, as the new Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Until her approval from Parliament, Cecilia Dapaah, who is the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, remains the caretaker minister.
Lariba Zuweira Abudu is currently the Deputy Minister for Gender.
Although he has not clearly stated it, President Akufo-Addo has, however, given a roadmap on the possibility of taking action on a demand made on him by some Members of Parliament.
The call by the 80 New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, was for the president to sack the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.
As surprising as the news has been, particularly since the minister is a member of their party and this is the first time any such thing has happened in the country, it has already brought up suggestions on who could take over as the country’s finance minister.
In an earlier GhanaWeb story, three names have come up for the job: Dr Mark Assibey Yeboah, Professor Gyan Baffour, and Kwame Pianim.
GhanaWeb further places the spotlight on these individuals to understand what they bring to the job, in the instance that they get it.
Below is a profile of Professor Gyan Baffour:
Prof George Yaw Gyan Baffour is currently the Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission and Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Finance.
He is a former Member of Parliament who represented the Wenchi Constituency from 2005 to 2021. He was a professor at Howard University in Washington DC from 1993 to 2021.
He is an economist, a banker and an insurer.
Being an economist, Professor George Gyan Baffour has mainly sat on parliamentary committees that relate to his field, which include the Special Budget Committee, the Education Committee, and the Poverty Reduction Committee, and he was once the Acting Chair of the Special Budget Committee.
The ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor appointed Prof George Gyan Baffour as the Director General of the National Development Planning Commission in 2002. It was during his time that he established the first system for overseeing and assessing the rate of national development.
He oversaw the development of the coordinated program for the Economic and Social Development of Ghana.
Prof George Gyan Baffour is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Economists of Ghana. He was a member of various boards, including the Bank of Ghana (2005-2008), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research of Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) from 2003 to 2005.
He has a PhD in Industrial Relations from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, a post-Doctorate Diploma from Harvard University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a Bsc (Hons) in Economics from the University.
Prof George Gyan Baffour is currently a Senior Policy Advisor to the Finance Minister, focusing mainly on Sustainable Development Goals and climate change mitigation financing.
He is the UN Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data Ambassador in the UN’s SUN movement focal person for Ghana and Executive Committee Excom Member representing Central and Eastern Africa.
He was appointed Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning of Ghana in March 2005. As a Minister For Planning, he was the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on SDGs.
An economist, Dr Sam Ankrah, has said the markets will respond favourably towards the economy if the President heeds calls to remove the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta. According to him, the economy was in dire strait and needed one who will inspire confidence and command the respect of the international community to restore the economy to its former glory.
Dr Ankrah was reacting to calls by some members of Parliament of the ruling New patriotic Party (NPP) who held a news conference a few hours ago to demand the removal of the Finance Minister from office.
The latest development comes amidst growing pressure from all sources for Mr Ofori-Atta to either step aside or face a sack from the President.
Dr Ankrah said the current developments in the economy and the reactions of the markets demonstrates a lack of confidence in the Finance Minister and noted that, if the President responds to the call, his action will restore confidence and the aftermath will be in the interest of the country.
“Let us remember that we play a key role in the international markets and therefore, any move that gives confidence will result in an action. That is what the markets are waiting to see,” he said.
Economy in Q3
The local currency, the cedi, suffered a steep decline in value against the world’s major currencies in the third quarter of the year.
It depreciated against the US dollar, the British pound, and the Euro by 37.5 per cent, 24.1 per cent, and 27.5 per cent respectively on a year-to-date (YTD) basis as of September.
Headline inflation rate accelerated to 37.2 per cent at the end of September 2022 compared to 29.8 per cent at the end of June 2022.
Food and non-food inflation for the end of September 2022 were 37.8 per cent and 36.8 per cent respectively, as compared to that of June 2022 which were 30.7 per cent and 29.1 per cent respectively.
These developments have created unbearable hardship for business leading to retrenchments due to high cost of operations. On the individual side, the developments have heavily eroded their disposable income making life unbearable.
Meanwhile, the country and the international community awaits what the President’s response will be after meeting various interest groups in an attempt to find solutions to the disturbing economic phenomenon.
Prior to today’s sitting, Speaker Alban Bagbin received a draft Parliamentary Transition Bill from the Center for Democratic Transitions (CDT).
The draft bill was presented to him in Accra by Professor Kwamina Ahwoi and Nana Ato Dadzie, both consultants with the CDT.
Transitioning from one parliament to another under the Fourth Republican Constitution has had gaps and doubtful legal validity, that have created challenges from one parliament to another in particular, and for democratic governance in general.
The purpose of the draft bill therefore is to ensure a smooth, seamless and peaceful transition for the legislature.
The draft bill is similar to, but different from the Presidential Transition Act, which was passed for the executive for a similar purpose.
The Parliamentary Transition Bill focuses on the peculiarities of the legislature in periods of changeover, and what the experience has been so far.
The idea of enacting legislation in the nature of a Parliamentary Transition Bill dawned on Rt. Hon. Speaker Bagbin immediately he assumed office after the nasty and acrimonious election process on January 7th 2021. The idea was shared with the Parliamentary Service Board, which commissioned the drafting of the Parliamentary Transition Bill.
Speaking after a presentation on the draft bill and related documents, the Rt. Hon. Speaker said the Parliamentary Services Board commissioned the drafting of the bill to help bring closure to some of the unregulated and contestable aspects of what have been the processes, procedures and practices when it comes to parliamentary transition.
He spoke about instances where there have been certain expectations of the Speaker or the Clerk to Parliament, when in truth that mandate does not exist, and said the draft bill takes a retrospective look at what has happened in the past, considers today’s hung parliament, anticipates what could happen in the future and provides direction and guidance.
Rt. Hon. Bagbin commended Professor Ahwoi and his team for the deep thoughts that went into the proposals and recommendations. He looked forward to sharing the proposals and recommendations with the Parliamentary Service Board so that together, they could chart a path that will sustain parliamentary democracy in Ghana.
Presenting the draft bill to the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Professor Ahwoi gave examples of the gaps the bill will help close. He said the election of the Speaker of Parliament has hitherto been done by elected Members of Parliament who have not been sworn into office.
This, he said, was problematic and could raise legal issues. The bill therefore proposes that election of the Speaker should be by constituting elected MPs into an electoral college to conduct that business. That would help circumvent the current challenge.
Professor Ahwoi also suggested that to avoid unnecessary complications and complexities in the future, consideration should be given to requesting the Electoral Commission to be responsible for the election of the Speaker of Parliament. The Speaker, once elected and sworn in, will then supervise the election of the deputies.
These, he said, would have to be done at least two days before the Speaker presides over Parliament for the swearing-in of the President-elect of the Republic, in consonance with the Presidential Transition Act.
When validated, considered and passed, the Parliamentary Transition Act will govern how the offices of the Speaker, Leaders of the House, and MPs transition from one person to the other to ensure continuity, sustainability and ultimately enhance parliamentary democracy in Ghana.
Present during the presentation was the Clerk to Parliament, Mr. Cyril Nsiah and other officers of the Parliamentary Service.
The re-elected Organiser of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ablekuma South constituency, Alfred Addotey Allotey, has termed the just-ended elections as an ‘election of truth.’
The party executive, who polled 1013 votes against his contender, Albert Pangbot, who polled 510 votes, said his victory in this election feels so clean although he never underestimated his contender.
“I have never underestimated my competitor but this victory looks resounding, this victory looks so pure, so clean. My efforts [to] my people have really paid off and I anticipated this. I saw this victory coming and I’ve said to so many people that I knew this victory was coming.
“Throughout my campaign, I have said to everybody that Ablekuma South has been lured for many years, and these elections that we’re going to run is going to be the election that I term the ‘election of truth,’” Addotey Allotey stated.
Speaking to GhanaWeb immediately after he was declared winner in the constituency elections on Saturday, October 22, 2022, Alfred Addotey Allotey, popularly known as Alute, emphasised the need for the new crop of executives to continually support the work of their Member of Parliament, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije.
“We have a Member of Parliament – I just want to be so emphatic, who today stands as one of the best Members of Parliament in Ghana. There are many constituencies surrounding us who are just pleading within their hearts, and they are overjoyed to have Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije as their Member of Parliament.
“This man is doing a yeoman’s job,” he stressed.
Watch him speak below:
Ablekuma South Organiser calls out regional executives working against party interest
Ablekuma South Organiser calls out regional executives working against party interest.
George Mireku Duker, Member of Parliament for Tarkwa-Nsuaem, has denied being involved in illegal small-scale mining, galamsey, activities.
Nana Nyowah Panyin IV, the Chief of Dompim-Pepesa in the Tarkwa municipality in an interview with Accra-based Joy FM alleged that the MP, together with Benjamin Kesse, the Tarkwa MCE, as well as Kobby Okyere Darko Mensah, the Western Regional Minister were all involved in galamsey activities in the region.
The chief indicated that he is not just throwing out allegations against the three appointees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who has promised to put his presidency on line to ensure that galamsey which is polluting water bodies and destroying farmlands become a thing of the past.
But in a reaction, Mireku Duker stated that the allegation levelled against him were unfounded and it is a form of distraction from his duties as MP and Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.
“I do not own a concession, I do not have a concession, I do not invest into any mining of any kind and I am not into mining. Let me make that clear and I have said this time and again that mining is not done in a hidden place, it is done in an open place.
“You cannot just speculate if you know a concession owned by Mireku Duker everybody will testify, the community will testify…You know it is also a strategy to in a way distort your assignment, your focus and all that…,” George Mireku Duker said in a Joy News report.
The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources is of the view that the traditional ruler is throwing this allegation at him because the chief is his distant nephew and he [Mireku Duker] did not support his bid to ascend the throne.
The minister further noted that he has no knowledge of any mining firm engaging in illegal activity in the area.
“I have told you the background of the one making the allegation. He was the one who led the Independent candidate campaign in the 2020 elections…he is my distant niece (sic) and he feels I did not support him in becoming chief of my community and he is gone against me ever since,” the MP said.
Mireku Duker urged the public to disregard such accusations as they are untrue. He noted that he will engage his lawyers for the Chief to be summoned to show proof of his allegations.
What the Chief said about the MP
Nana Nyonwah Panyin IV, on Monday, October 10, 2022, to Joy FM that he has incontrovertible evidence to implicate the trio in galamsey activities.
“I know not of any company but I know of the very people who are behind the operations of ‘galamsey’ in my area. First and foremost the Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah is involved.
“The MP for the area, Tarkwa Nsuaem, Honorable George Mireku-Duker is also involved and the MCE, Benjamin Kessie is also involved. I have told you I am not going to disclose my arsenals to you.”
He did not state the exact nature of their involvement in galamsey, which has become an issue of national concern with increasing pressure on government to curb its growing spread.
“They said they were going to sue, so let them sue. I’ll let out my arsenals at the right time,” Nana Nyonwah Panyin IV alleged.
The paramount chief of Cape Coast, Oguaamanhen Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, has posited that the central government has too much power.
According to him, the powers of chiefs, who had complete control of their territories before the colonial era, have almost been completely taken away by political authorities.
Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II said that chiefs nowadays have to seek permission from politicians in the capital town of Ghana, Accra, before they are allowed to do anything on their own land, asaaseradio.com reports.
“With the advent of politics as we see it today, chiefs as it were, are relegated to the background. The position they held and the part they played is not the same today; where you had the power to do certain things, you do not have the same power now.
“You have to channel certain decisions to Parliament and even to the government before you implement certain things and I wouldn’t say it’s an affront, but it subjects the chief to either the government or to Parliament and that was not the case in the past. It is a nuisance; it’s a delay in the resolution of matters in your own environment,” he said.
“For example, if you are chief, that land of which you are the chief belongs to you [hold it in trust for the people] and therefore, anything whether minerals or whatever there is in that land, you should have control. If you are misusing it your people are there to check on you,” the chief is quoted to have said by asaaseradio.com.
He added that “Why should I go to Accra to get a permit before I can explore what is in my own land? … you can have your treaties but leave my land for me.”
The Oguaamanhen’s comments come following conservations on the role chiefs play in leasing lands for mining activities in the country.
Many Ghanaians have said that chiefs are complicit in the menace of illegal small-scale mining, otherwise known as ‘galamsey’, in the country.
But the chiefs have maintained their innocence, saying that they are not the ones who give out mining licenses to prospective miners.
Citizens of any country are usually encouraged to participate in the day-to-day developments of their nations, but even more, the bigger expectation mostly rests on the shoulders of the people in political office.
Much as this is the ideal situation, something very interesting happened in the Parliament of Ghana in August 1959.
Teased out of a newspaper report by Ghana Times, with the headline, ‘No sacrifice by U.P. M.Ps,’ the story captured the reasons behind the refusal of Members of Parliament of the opposition party at the time, United Party, to take a pay cut.
The pay cut was intended to support the government of Kwame Nkrumah’s of the successful implementation of the Second Development Plan.
“Member of the Ghana Parliamentary Opposition yesterday demonstrated in the National Assembly that they were not prepared to sacrifice a penny of their allowance to the nation towards the successful implementation of the Second Development Plan.
“This happened during a debate on a motion moved by Mr. K. A. Gbedemah, Minister of Finance, asking both sides of the House to approve the Development Fund (Members Contributions) B111 which sought to cut the salaries of the Speaker, Cabinet Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and the allowance of Members of Parliament.
“There was uproar in the House on several occasions, and the Speaker, Mr. A. M. Akiwumi, had to call members to order,” the Saturday, August 1, 1959, report stated.
Explaining their reasons for rejecting the progressive motion in the House, the UP MPs claimed that it was something that was being forced on them.
The other side of the House – the incumbent MPs, also tried to convince their colleagues but when their attempts failed, they tagged the MPs “enemies of the nation.”
“During debate, the opposition claimed that they government was using a means of forcing them to accept a bill which they did not support, while government backbenchers contended that they agreed that ‘as real patriots’ there should be cut in salaries and allowances.
“They called members of the opposition names and described them as ‘enemies of the nation,’” it added.
The Minister of Finance, K. A. Gbedemah however still tried to argue the decision of his government, making reference to the example of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and his commitment to the course, but that was still not convincing enough.
You can read the full report in the photo snippets, exclusive to GhanaWeb, below:
Vice President Mahamudu BawumiaFriday celebrated his 59th birthday with cured lepers from the Weija Leprosarium at his Cantonments residence in Accra.
The guests were served food and drinks, joined the Vice President to cut the birthday cake, danced to good music and fraternised.
Present at the celebration were ministers of state, members of Parliament, the clergy, family members and loved ones.
Mr Francis Asenso Boakye, the Minister of Works and Housing, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mr Ussif Mustapha, the Minister of Youth and Sports, and Mr Henry Quartey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, were among the guests present.
The Vice President is the Patron of the Lepers Aid Ghana and has supported them over the years with food items and facilitated the construction of a multi-purpose hostel for them.
In brief remarks, Vice President Bawumiathanked God for His continuous protection, grace and mercies over the years.
“I’m overwhelmed by your presence and the love shown me…a year older, a year wiser,” Dr Bawumia added.
He urged the public to always show compassion to the cured lepers and should not be afraid to touch them, adding; “Show them kindness and love”.
Mr Henry Quartey, the Regional Minister, on behalf of the metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives, pledged to support the Vice President in his political ambition of transforming the nation and improving standards of living.
Reverend Michael Boadu Nyamekye, the Head Pastor of the Makers Chapel International, in a word of exhortation, said: “A man should not be judged by his religion but his capabilities to transform lives and better the lots of the people”.
He prayed for God’s favour, wisdom and understanding for the Vice President to fulfill his destiny.
Mr John Ampao, a representative of the Weija Leprosarium, expressed gratitude to the Vice President for his compassion towards lepers and showing immense concern for their welfare and asked for God’s continuous protection and guidance over him in the ensuing years.
Vice President Bawumia was born on October 7, 1963, in Tamale to the late Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia, a former Chairman of the Council of State, and Hajia Mariama Bawumia.
Lesotho citizens have voted in a parliamentary election that political analysts said could see the ruling party lose power after years of political instability that the Southern African mountain kingdom’s legislators have failed to resolve.
Friday’s election has gone ahead despite a deadlock in parliament on a gamut of constitutional reforms that were meant to be enacted ahead of the vote to bring order to Lesotho’s fractious politics.
The All Basotho Convention (ABC) has run the country of 2.14 million people since 2017, but divisions within the party have seen two prime ministers installed over five years.
Defections, meanwhile, have left the party vulnerable to its opposition rivals, the Democratic Congress (DC) and the new Revolution for Prosperity (RFP), which is led by businessman Sam Matekane.
“These elections will be highly contested and by the look of things, the DC and RFP will be neck and neck,” said Lesotho political analyst Lefu Thaela, who saw the ABC trailing in third place.
Speaking to Reuters before polls opened, Thaela said the DC was likely to get the most votes but if it did not win an outright majority, the outgoing ABC could emerge as the kingmaker.
Some voters who turned up early at the polling stations said they hoped to bring a change of government.
“Truth be told, no government has ever fulfilled my aspirations and I am very disappointed,” said Semoko Monare, who has been voting since 1993.
Surrounded on all sides by South Africa’s mountains, Lesotho’s high-altitude springs provide vital freshwater to its parched neighbour, supplying its commercial hub, Johannesburg.
In 2020, ABC leader Thomas Thabane stepped down as prime minister after being charged with the murder of his ex-wife. He denied any wrongdoing, and the charges were later dropped.
His successor, Moeketsi Majoro, declared a state of emergency in August after politicians failed to pass constitutionalreforms to amend everything from the role of political parties and rules on floor-crossing in parliament to the appointment of senior officials and the prime minister’s role.
The reforms were supposed to make Lesotho less prone to political logjams but got stuck in one themselves.
Last month, Lesotho’s highest court ruled the state of emergency unconstitutional. The ABC has selected another leader, former health minister Nkaku Kabi, to contest its ticket.
The Member of Parliament for Suhum Constituency, Hon. Frederick Opare Ansah has described as desperate propaganda an attempt by some faceless people to misrepresent Dr. Bawumia’s engagements during his working tour of some parts of the north this week.
During his tour, which took him to the Northern and North East Regions between Sunday, October 2 to Wednesday, October 5, the Vice President paid courtesy calls on traditional rulers and inspected a number of ongoing Government projects, including Agenda 111 District hospitals.
The Vice President also met with the party faithful, who he thanked for their continuous support to the government and urged them to, in spite of the current economic challenges, be proud of the NPP Government’s achievements in various sectors, which he listed to them.
However, some people, who the Hon Opare Ansah says are internal party saboteurs, are, throgh social media, propaganda, spreading falsehood about the Vice President’s tour.
It is these claims Hon Opare Ansah, who was a member the Vice President’s delegation for the tour, has completely rubbished as “desperate propaganda” by people he adds, desire to lead the party in 2024 and see the Vice President as a threat.
Speaking to Omanhene Kwabena Asante on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme from the north on Wednesday after, Hon. Opare Ansah said even those behind the propaganda know very well how decent and decorous a politician Dr. Bawumia is.
“Everybody knows Dr. Bawumia is a decent and a decorous politician who speaks to issues and doesn’t insult,” said Opare Hammond.
“From 2007 when he emerged on the national scale, 2012, 2016 and 2020, Dr. Bawumia has been meeting people, and he has also been campaigning with the President. Have you ever heard he has said something indecent before?”
“I sat in all the meetings throughout the tour and nothing like that happened. All that these desperate people are putting through propaganda, artworks and articles on social media are coming from our own NPP brothers, who support some other people who intend to lead the party.
Opare Ansah described the Vice President’s tour of the North as very successful, as it gave him the opportunity to “inspect on-going projects, re-assure Chiefs and people of the north of government’s commitment to completing these projects, as well as provided opportunities for our party to interact with the Vice President on government’s development efforts, as he also thanked the party for their support to him over the years to partner President Akufo-Addo both as a running mate and as Vice President.”
The Suhum MP had some words of advice to internal NPP members who specialise in deliberately smearing their opponents with dirt to desist from that, as it is detrimental to the overall interest of the NPP party.
“Let us stop such dirty politics because it is not healthy,” he said.
“We will finish the internal contest and face the NDC. In the past, some of these people said many things against Nana Akufo-Addo in 2007 and after our internal contest, the NDC used these lies against our candidate.
“My advice to my NPP brothers is that we should have a healthy contest devoid of insults, lies and fabrications so that when you meet your brother in the future you can comfortably look him in the face and say this is my brother.
“There is no iota of truth in their desperate propaganda
You can’t deliberately throw dirt on your brother and turn around and accuse him of being dirty.”
Dr. Bawumia’s delegation to the North included: the Minister of Interior Hon. Ambrose Dery, Sports Minister Hon. Mustapha Ussif, a number of Deputy Ministers, CEOs of State Agencies including immediate past National Organiser of NPP Sammy Awuku, Presidential Advisor on Health Dr. Nsia Asare, a number MPs from various regions, party executives and stalwarts of the NPP, including Chairman Odeneho COKA.
Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa, Kobina Tahir (K.T.) Hammond, has said that persons financing illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) are well known but have not been exposed yet because of fear.
He intimated that they are not talking about ‘galamsey’ because they know the power of the people involved in the menace, adomonline.com reports.
“How do these visitors get to know these galamsey towns? Our own people hold their hands and take them to the places to do the illegal mining. We all know those involved but it has become difficult to talk about it because of fear,” the MP is quoted to have said on Asempa FM.
K.T. Hammond, however, urged the government to start putting in place serious mechanisms to stop the menace because it is becoming very scary.
“The issue of galamsey is a serious issue and should be looked at. Let’s be up and doing as a government and do the right thing.
“The government should do more to end the galamsey menace. It is not acceptable any longer. Government should tighten the measures adopted in the galamsey fight,” he said.
Meanwhile, the United States (US) Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, has urged the government of Ghana to put in more effort in the fight against the menace of illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) in the country.
According to her, Ghana was not making any significant strides in the fight against the menace because only the illegal miners (‘galamseyers’) are arrested while the powerful forces behind them are not touched.
Virginia Palmer, who made these remarks when she paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, added that if the government fails to take urgent steps to stop ‘galamsey’, the country will be in some serious crisis soon.
“The galamseyers themselves are people who need to make a living. I think the galamseyers are not active in doing it but the powers behind them are the ones truly responsible for the evils. Indeed, they are wreaking real environmental havoc on your rivers which is having an impact on your cocoa crops. All of these things are going to have really negative consequences on the economy of Ghana,” she said.
Ghana’s parliament has been urged to fast-track processes towards the ratification of some ILO Conventions currently before it, to enhance decent working conditions among fishers and other stakeholders in the marine fisheries sector.
Ghana has been a member of the ILO since 1957 and has ratified eight Fundamental Conventions, with two others; C155 (Occupational Safety and Health Convention) and C. 187 (Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention), yet to be ratified.
Aside these Fundamental Conventions, the ILO has developed technical Conventions for specific areas including construction, plantations and marine fisheries, among others.
Under marine fisheries, the ILO has established a Convention to ensure that fishers have decent conditions of work on board fishing vessels, considering the hazardous nature of the occupation.
The convention – C. 188 which looks at Work in fishing, if ratified, will ensure fishers have the minimum requirements including accommodation and food; health protection, occupational safety, social security and medical care among others while on board a vessel.
While the Ghana Maritime Authority has confirmed that the Convention – C.188 has been assented and laid before Parliament for consideration, processes to facilitate speedy ratification are yet to be done.
Touching on the need for the Convention which is currently before Parliament to be ratified for implementation, National Project Officer of the International Labour Office (ILO), Emmanuel Kwame Mensah told GhanaWeb that it will advance efforts to deal with issues of forced labour among fishers.
“When the convention is ratified then it can be translated into a framework for implementation and we encourage that no hindrances or impediments are put in this part so that all the parties supposed to help implement this convention when its ratified will be given the necessary support in terms of logistics.
“The expectation is that after the ratification, now you have a national law that contextualizes the ratification because the context of countries differ from one country to the other. The conventions are very general although they provide some international standards,” he noted.
Mr. Mensah further added that authorization of the Convention will provide the necessary logistics for various stakeholders to work and ultimately lead to measurable results.
“Although we know that ratification is not the final bit, ratification provides an impetus, for actual work to be done to deal with issues of forced labour and provide a decent working environment for our fishers.
“For example, in the fishing sector, there are a number of players; the fisheries ministry, labour ministry, you have the maritime authority who in the context of the country should have the leading mandate to do this inspection,” he said.
Adding,
“You need to talk about the kind of logistics, resources they need to carry out their work, do they have it? Are the personnel available? Are they well-trained? Properly distributed in the areas where work is needed to be done,” he added.
Mr. Mensah spoke on the sidelines of a 2-day training held in Accra, in partnership with the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) for journalists nationwide.
The workshop, among other things, focused on target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 8 which calls on countries to take immediate action against decent work deficits that are an affront to the fundamental principles and rights at work.
Background:
Ghana has ratified the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (no 81), the Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (no 144) as well as a number of technical Conventions.
Two fundamental Conventions; C155 (Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981) and C187 (Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006) remain unratified.
While these are undeniably central to the achievement of the ILO’s goals to promote decent work and protect individuals, specific Conventions which focus on forced labour in the marine fisheries sector also need to be ratified.
Pressure group, OccupyGhana has asked President Akufo-Addo to declare a state of emergency in the various mining areas across the country.
OccupyGhana last week wrote to the president asking him to show more commitment towards the fight against galamsey which the group noted had failed abysmally.
In the letter dated September 28, 2022, OccupyGhana said it would write a reminder to the president every Monday until it sees firm actions being taken by the government to stop illegal mining.
In the first of its reminder dated October 3, 2022, OccupyGhana said the current situation of illegal mining impact satisfies the requirements of 31(9) of the 1992 Constitution.
The group thus charged the president to declare a state of emergency.
“In our open letter to you dated 28 September 2022, we promised to send you a Galamsey reminder every Monday morning until your government takes drastic steps to control the situation. This is the first reminder.”
According to the pressure group, the threats of illegal mining to the country require immediate actions such as the declaration of a state of emergency.
“We risk losing our very essence as a nation unless immediate and radical action is taken, first to STOP all unregulated and illegal mining, and then put a process in place to REGULATE artisanal mining, going forward.
“We therefore request that you take immediate steps towards declaring a state of emergency in every mining area in Ghana. In accordance with article 31(1) of the Constitution, these steps would be, first, seeking and obtaining the advice of the Council of State and, second, publishing a Proclamation of the declaration in the Gazette,” the group said.
As stipulated by Article 31(1) of the Constitution, OccupyGhana said it also expects parliament to be recalled from its break after the declaration by the president.
“We expect Parliament to be recalled from its vacation, for the government to place before it ‘the facts and circumstances leading to the declaration of the state of emergency under article 31(2). Considering the gravity of the situation, we fully expect Parliament to agree with the government and provide that the state of emergency should remain for such period as Parliament may determine, so that the government can get a grasp of the situation.
“For our part, we have, and are willing to offer, suggestions and proposals on how to establish a properly regulated artisanal mining industry in Ghana that would benefit the wider interest of all Ghanaians,” it added.
There is a renewed public conversation about the impact of illegal mining on Ghana’s water and forest reserves.
Currently, several water bodies are under threat from the galamsey activities while forest covers are being depleted by the day.
Banking and Corporate Governance Consultant, Dr. Richmond Akwasi Atuahene, has urged Parliament to place a cap on borrowing in the constitution.
This he believes will prevent the borrowing spree that has led the country into the economic quagmire it finds itself in.
According to him, the failure to quickly establish a debt limit would result in the current situation repeating itself over and over again in the future.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, Dr. Atuahene said it is about time Ghana followed in the steps of Kenya and Germany by establishing a debt limit.
“But let me finally say this. In the long term, we need to put a debt limit in the constitution. As you were saying, Kenya has now done it, 50%, you cannot go more than that because we keep on going and going and going and then we come back.
“I believe the people who look at the constitution who said the constitution doesn’t need to be amended let me assure them German has it, even Americans who borrow and over borrow they have set a debt cap. Unfortunately for Ghana, this one will borrow and borrow and borrow,” he said.
He further bemoaned the failure of successive governments to use borrowed money to expand and provide sustainable infrastructure to support the Ghanaian economy.
He noted that most often borrowed monies are used to pay compensations instead of being invested into productive ventures that may earn the country foreign exchange.
This he says must be avoided at all cost.
“But if you borrow and you don’t even put in some strategic investment that will work to pay itself, I’m sorry we’ll have this argument, this discussion the next 20 years, the next 40 years because our infrastructure cannot even support the expansion of the economy, but we keep on saying that we’re building the economy,” he said.
He added, “If you borrow to consume then you’re going to have this challenge that we have. Because it is a country that we don’t want to borrow to expand the infrastructure or the system that will bring the foreign exchange or bring the currency. But if you borrow to support some payment and what have you, refinancing, at the end of it all we’re going to have a problem.”
Parliament has passed the law spelling out the various fees to be paid by persons seeking Information under the Right to Information (RTI)law.
This is the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous provisions Act 2022 (ACT 1080). Persons seeking Information are to pay 0.27 pesewas for every photocopy of A4 size of information.
ection 75 of the Right to Information Act, 2019, (ACT 989) requires applicants to pay the fee approved by Parliament.
“An applicant seeking access to information under this Act shall pay the fee or charge approved by Parliament in accordance with the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act,2009 (Act 793).”
The Right to Information Commission in accordance with this law submitted a proposal to Parliament spelling out how much should be charged.
Even before this could be passed, applicants seeking information were in some instances asked to pay amounts considered to be problematic.
The Fourth Estate’s Evans Aziamor Mensah was asked by the Minerals Commission to pay $1,000 to access Information.
This amount was later set aside by the Right to Information Commission as being unreasonable. The matter is currently pending at the Court of Appeal.
Speaking on The Law on the Joynews Channel, Executive Secretary of the RTI Commission, Yaw Sarpong Boateng, said the new fees approved by Parliament will provide clarity on the matter.
“It sits with our argument that the fees ought to be reasonable in respect of the reproduction not for the cost of generating the Information.”
Parliament has passed the law spelling out the various fees to be paid by persons seeking Information under the Right to Information law.
This is the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous provisions Act 2022 (ACT 1080). Persons seeking Information are to pay 0.27 pesewas for every photocopy of A4 size of information.
Section 75 of the Right to Information Act, 2019, (ACT 989) requires applicants to pay the fee approved by Parliament.
“An applicant seeking access to information under this Act shall pay the fee or charge approved by Parliament in accordance with the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act,2009 (Act 793).”
The Right to Information Commission in accordance with this law submitted a proposal to Parliament spelling out how much should be charged.
Even before this could be passed, applicants seeking information were in some instances asked to pay amounts considered to be problematic.
The Fourth Estate’s Evans Aziamor Mensah was asked by the Minerals Commission to pay $1,000 to access Information.
This amount was later set aside by the Right to Information Commission as being unreasonable. The matter is currently pending at the Court of Appeal.
Speaking on The Law on the Joynews Channel, Executive Secretary of the RTI Commission, Yaw Sarpong Boateng, said the new fees approved by Parliament will provide clarity on the matter.
“It sits with our argument that the fees ought to be reasonable in respect of the reproduction not for the cost of generating the Information.”
Member of Parliament for Ketu South, Dzifa Gomashie, has called on the police to launch a full-scale investigation into the recent drowning incident on the Laklevikope lagoon.
It will be recalled that GNA reported on September 18 that Madam Yawa Apenu (aged 41) drowned in a pit dug in the Keta Lagoon at Laklevikope, with her children Bridget Amewu (14), Daddy Amewu (10) and a third child, Sitsofe Ahiawor (8) when they allegedly went fishing.
Although residents claim the pit belongs to Seven Seas Salt Limited, the company denies it stating that it is out of their concession and rather belonged to an individual who was using it as a fish pond.
Reacting to the incident in a Facebook post, the legislator extended her condolences to the bereaved family over the loss of their beloved relatives.
She stated that a delegation represented her in presenting water to the family per the demands of custom and tradition.
“On the 17th of September, I received news of a tragic accident in the Laklevikope Lagoon in my beloved Ketu South. This is not the first time lives have been lost in our lagoons in Ketu South.
“My deepest condolences to the bereaved family, the Viepe-Tokor Electoral Area and the entire community of Ketu South. Babaa na mi kataa, miawoe se nyavor.
“The team (included Constituency Executives, Zonal Executives and my office Staff) who represented me to express my condolences presented some water to the bereaved family as custom and tradition demands,” part of the MP’s post read.
Gomashie said she had been receiving reports of the nefarious activities of the salt mining company over which she took steps to address.
She urged the Minerals Commission and the Municipal Assembly to take ‘urgent steps’ in addressing the menace posed by the activities of the mining communities to forestall any tragic death.
“Prior to this particular incident, I received many calls and complaints about the nefarious and environmentally hostile activities of the Salt Mining Company and the effect of those activities on the ketu South Municipality.
“I have also read the report from one community to the Speaker of Parliament. Following this, I engaged the Traditional Authorities, Opinion leaders and the salt mining company. I have also asked for legal advice and the necessary steps I can take as the elected representative of the people to address their concerns.
“While I commiserate with the affected communities, I also want to urge the Ministry in charge, the Minerals Commission and the Municipal Assembly to take the extremely urgent steps necessary to avert any more tragic deaths,” her post continued.
Dzifa Gomashie wants investigations conducted into the current matter with the subsequent report also published.
She said while the people of Ketu South are law-abiding, they will not sit aloof and watch foreign entities endanger their lives.
“Indeed, I demand a full scale Police investigations into the present case and the publication of the report as well as the full disclosure of the efforts to ensure the lives and property of the people are protected.
“We are a peaceful and law-abiding people and will support the state in the discharge of their duty but will not sit aloof whilst foreign entities imperil the lives of our people die. Enough is enough! Ketu lives matter,” her post concluded.
MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCES BY HON. DZIFA ABLA GOMASHIE
On the 17th of September, I received news of a tragic accident in the Laklevikope Lagoon in my beloved Ketu South. This is not the first time lives have been lost in our lagoons in Ketu South.
My deepest condolences to the bereaved family, the Viepe-Tokor Electoral Area and the entire community of Ketu South. Babaa na mi kataa, miawoe se nyavor.
The team (included Constituency Executives, Zonal Executives and my office Staff) who represented me to express my condolences presented some water to the bereaved family as custom and tradition demands.
Prior to this particular incident, I received many calls and complaints about the nefarious and environmentally hostile activities of the Salt Mining Company and the effect of those activities on the ketu South Municipality.
I have also read the report from one community to the Speaker of Parliament. Following this, I engaged the Traditional Authorities, Opinion leaders and the salt mining company. I have also asked for legal advice and the necessary steps I can take as the elected representative of the people to address their concerns.
While I commiserate with the affected communities, I also want to urge the Ministry in charge, the Minerals Commission and the Municipal Assembly to take the *extremely urgent steps* necessary to avert any more tragic deaths.
Indeed, I demand a full scale Police investigations into the present case and the publication of the report as well as the full disclosure of the efforts to ensure the lives and property of the people are protected.
We are a peaceful and law-abiding people and will support the state in the discharge of their duty but will not sit aloof whilst foreign entities imperil the lives of our people die.
The Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) has denied allegations of inflating the cost of the construction of its single-unit tower.
Management of the Company says claims that it padded the contract sum to $78 million are not only misinformed, but also lack intellectual honesty.
The Minority in Parliament had hinted at a procurement scandal at BOST to the tune of $39 million.
The caucus alleged that, a contract sum for the construction of a single unit tower estimated at US$ 39 million has been inflated and approved by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) at $78 million, indicating a 100 percent inflated price.
But speaking on Face to Face on Citi TV, Edwin Alfred Provencal, Managing Director of BOST said:
“The conclusion is based on a lot of misinformation and some intellectual dishonesty. The contract was signed but based on some circumstances, my predecessor thought that it should be looked into again. My philosophy on this matter is the fact that, we do not have to mix politics and business.â€
The twin-office space was initially procured at $39 million under the previous administration, but had to be halted in 2017 after allegations of inflated cost.
A value of money audit was subsequently carried out, resulting in a new value of $49.6 million for the office space.
However, BOST could not afford $49.6 million due to financial constraints and thus had to negotiate for a single block.
“Because we are not into the real estate business, and we have liquidity challenges, we have decided that due to cash flow constraints, we can not afford the two towers so we opted for one which the contractor agreed. We went to the PPA, they said there was a procurement irregularity that we needed to rectify before we go ahead to vary the contract to a single block.â€
“It is that ratification request that we sent to PPA and the response that people saw and said we are buying a single block at $39 million. But the final cost of the single building is $31 million and not US$ 39 million or $78 millionâ€, Mr. Provencal added.
According to him, the embattled MP will be back whenParliament reconvenes to serve the people of Dome Kwabenya.
“As we speak, the Honourable Member of Parliament [for Dome Kwabenya] is not in the country, she has gone back to the States and will be back in the country when Parliament reconvenes,” Nana Dubin said in a Joy FM interview on Tuesday, August 16.
Sarah Adwoa Safo was reported to have returned to the country before Parliament went on recess on July 28, 2022.
A recent Facebook post by the dismissed Gender Minister left many wondering whether she is returning to the country or not.
Sharing photos of herself in what appeared to be a private jet while looking excited with a cheerful smile, the MP quoted Psalm 23:5 in her caption, “You prepare a table before me, in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.â€
Political witch hunt
The legislatorearlier opened up about the ordeal she is facing in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to her, she has become a victim of a sustained political witch hunt by certain elements in the NPP and in Parliament for their own parochial goals.
She expressed shock about how she is being treated differently by people, including members of her party for staying away from official duty in order to attend to personal issues involving her child.
She said she had sacrificed a lot including her family for NPP but she is now being described as a traitor, “and there are schemes to oust me from my position as MP and Minister.â€
Dismissal from Office as a minister of state
President Akufo-Addo relieved the MP of her ministerial position after staying outside the country for nearly a year amid calls from critics to get her axed.
A letter signed by Eugene Arhin, Director of Communications at the Presidency said, the decision by the President to act on these calls on July 28, was “in accordance with Article 81(a) of the Constitution, the President of the Republic, Akufo-Addo, has revoked the appointment of Hon Sarah Adwoa Safo, Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, with immediate effect.”
Constitutional provision
Article 81 of the 1992 Constitution stipulates that the office of a Minister of State or a Deputy Minister shall become vacant if
(a) his appointment is revoked by the President; or
(b) he is elected as Speaker or Deputy Speaker; or
According to her, the directive by the President issued on July 28, 2022, will afford her the time to focus on her work as the Member of Parliament for the people of Dome Kwabenya.
In a letter to the Presidency dated August 5, Sarah Adwoa Safo wrote “Cognizant of my duties to the 75,000 constituents who elected me, this development is opportune and will afford me more time to concentrate on my Parliamentary responsibilities and Constituency engagements as well as consolidate the gains we have made as a government at the Constituency level in our quest to break the eight.”
President Akufo-Addo in accordance with Article 81 of the 1992Constitution relieved Sarah Adwoa Safo of her duties as Gender Minister.
Her dismissal came at time when Ghanaians called on the government to replace Adwoa Safo over her absence from post for over a year due to personal reasons.
According to the former Gender Minister, it was an honour to serve at “this all-important Ministry albeit for a short time.”
She also thanked the President for his “understanding, compassion and unending devotion” throughout the period she faced difficulties.
“Your kind support has been very much welcome and for that I remain eternally grateful,” she added.
Sarah Adwoa Safo mentioned that during her tenure of office, the Ministry put in place enough mechanisms to ensure a harmonious society where the survival and development of Women, Children, Persons with Disabilities as well as other vulnerable persons in society to transform the Social Protection Framework into a robust and more responsive one.”
Meanwhile, Sarah Adwoa Safo has revealed that all officials assets provided her have been handed over to the Administrator of the Ministry.
Parliament on Wednesday (July 27, 2022) approved a loan agreement for the construction of a 4-tier interchange at Suame roundabout in Kumasi.
The agreement is between the Government of Ghana (GoG) and Deutsche Bank S.A.E.
It is to finance the design and construction of the Phase One of the Suame Interchange and Ancillary Works Project in Kumasi.
The project is to convert the Suame roundaboutinto a four tier interchange to ensure the free flow of traffic within the area and help reduce travelling time.
The total amount of of the loan approved is €156.4million.
The loan agreement between the Government of Ghana (GoG) and the Deutche Bank S.A.E was in two folds.
One was for an amount of €135,396,518.38 and the other for €21million bringing the total to €156.4million.
It is expected to be completed within a period of 36 months from the commencement date in September 2022.
Yapei, Buipe and Daboya bridges in the northern Ghana
The House also approved two loan agreements totaling €102,248,679.45 to finance the design and construction of the Yapei, Buipe and Daboya bridges in northern Ghana.
It involves an amount of €97, 721,615.91 and €4,527,063.54 respectively, totaling €102,248,679.45 for the design and construction of the three bridges.
The loan agreement is between the GoG and the Standard Chartered Bank, London.
The Buipe and the Yapei bridges over the Black and White Volta respectively span a distance of 240 metres each while the Daboya bridge also over the White Volta covers a distance of 300 metres.
The overall objective of the project is to develop an efficient and integrated transport network for the safe movement of people and goods.
The specific objectives are to connect southern and northern Ghana, facilitate trade, transit and transport between Ghana and its neighbouring countries, remove traffic bottlenecks at River crossing and improve the movement of goods and people.
Motion
The motion for the adoption of the committee reports on the loan agreements was moved by the chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament and NPP Member of Parliament (NPP) for Obuasi West, Kwaku Kwarteng.
He said the Suame interchange project would improve travel time and reduce waiting times within Kumasi metropolis with consequent reduction in poverty and enhanced development in the country.
Contributing to the motion for the approval of the loans, the Minority Leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu said he and his colleagues on the Minority side whole heartedly support it.
“I know the leader of government business himself has some background when it comes to road construction and therefore he should religiously police the project so that the work is executed”, he said.
He stressed that the road was important and he also used it when travelling to his hometown and constituency in Tamale, adding that it would reduce the travelling time between Kumasi, Offinso and Techiman when travelling to Tamale.
Mr Iddrisu said their leader was subjected to an embarrassment when he visited his constituency to interact with his constituents on the road project but expressed the hope that he has taken it in good faith.
On his part, the Majority Leader and NPP MP for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu in whose constituency the road project is to be undertaken said the construction of the interchange was very necessary because of the traffic situation at the Suame roundabout.
He said roundabout is the convergence of five major roads hence the congestion.
He said the roundabout also leads to the Suame Magazine, the largest congregation of mechanics in the West African sub-region.
For his part, a Deputy Minister of Health and MP for Daboya/Mankarigu, Asei Mahama Seini said the construction of the Daboya bridge would bring enormous benefit to the Savannah Region and the entire country and link the Savannah Region to the Northern and the North East Regions.
Background
The Suame roundabout is a five-legged intersection. It linked the P. V Obeng road, Mampong road, Offinso Road, Western By-Pass and Kejetia road. The roundabout has a central green area with a statue in honour of the late Otumfuo Opoku Ware II.
The Suame roundabout has been identified as a major bottleneck in the road transportation system in Kumasi.
