Centre Spread, Feb 26, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE government is to constitute a multi-partisan group, under the guidance of the Electoral Commission, to revisit the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act (ROPAA) passed during the Fourth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
Delivering his State of the Nation Address to Parliament yesterday, President Mills said the NDC opposed the passage of the law when it was in opposition because of the flawed processes for its introduction and not on the principle of Diaspora voting.
It would be recalled that the NDC boycotted the passage of the bill on the principle that the money that would be spent on Diaspora voting could be used in other parts of the economy to improve the standard of living of the people.
But in his address, the President stated, “Our commitment to provide the opportunity for our brothers and sisters abroad to exercise their franchise was never in doubt.”
President Mills said the group which would be constituted would review the Representation of the People Law of 1992 in its entirety and not a piecemeal amendment of the legislation.
“This matter affects the basic power-conferring law of our country and it must not be the prerogative of the ruling government to use its majority to have its way,” he said.
He said all political parties must be involved to enable the country to reach consensus on the bill to replace the existing Representation of the People Act and its amendments.
President Mills gave the assurance that when he was convinced that there was real consensus on the provisions, the draft bill would be presented to Parliament to go through the various stages of passage.
On reconciliation, he said inter-party collaboration should be a regular feature of the agenda.
“We cannot impose reconciliation by legislation. Genuine reconciliation must come from the heart – and can only come from humility and contriteness – and perhaps also from a spirit of forgiveness,” he said.
He noted that the Ghana Political Parties Programme of the Institute of Economic Affairs had been forged out of the voluntary will of the four political parties with representation in Parliament, not by any legislation.
The President said that demonstrated what genuine reconciliation and collaboration, based on a spirit of wanting to work together, could achieve.
He said out of their collaborative effort, a multi-partisan ‘Presidential Transition Bill’ to regulate the process of transition from one government to another and which would put an end to the acrimony and bitterness that had characterised past transitions had been agreed upon.
President Mills said the bill would be presented to Cabinet for consideration and Parliament for enactment, adding that because of its multi-partisan nature, Parliament would have no difficulty passing it.
He encouraged political parties to continue with what they had started, so that through their efforts Ghanaians could forge a genuine spirit of reconciliation and inter-party collaboration to develop a framework for working together, despite their ideological and other differences.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
'Rendition of failed promises'
Frontpage, Feb 26, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Minority in Parliament has described the State of the Nation Address which President Mills delivered to the House yesterday as “a rendition of catalogued failed promises”.
For the one hour and 10 minutes that the President used to deliver his 24-page message, the Minority gave him a taste of the heckling and jeering that sometimes characterised debates in the House.
But it was the President’s sense of humour and display of tolerance that saw him through the address which, according to the Minority, was not what they had expected to hear from him.
“Where is the money in our pockets?” they questioned him intermittently to remind him of the promise he allegedly made during the campaign period of the 2008 general election.
The trick seemed to have worked, as the President gave an instant answer, denying that he ever made such a promise during the campaign which brought the National Democratic Congress (NDC) back to power.
On another occasion, President Mills responded by saying that those who criticised him for being slow should do him a favour by adding “but sure”, drawing hilarious laughter from the packed audience which had filled both the Press and the Public galleries.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic soon after adjournment, the Deputy Minority Leader, Mr Ambrose Dery, said ìt was surprising that the President still seemed to be in a campaign mood.
He said last year President Mills had stood before the House to give a litany of promises which could not be fulfilled and said it was unfortunate that he could not realise the disservice that he had done to his administration.
“Ghanaians need action and not vain promises,” Mr Dery said, and noted that notwithstanding the usual assurances to reconcile the nation, the President’s silence on some actions by people near him had rather muddied the waters.
He said the constant lambasting of the Minority by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr Koku Anyidoho, had not helped to bridge the gap between the government and the Minority, saying the Minority was disappointed that Anyidoho had not been called to book.
A former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Joe Ghartey, noted that a substantial part of the address was a repetition of last year’s.
He wondered why the President had now taken a U-turn over some of the issues the NDC opposed when it was in opposition and referred to the comment in the address in which President Mills said the NDC had not opposed the passage of the Representation of the People Amendment Act (ROPAA) when it was in opposition.
Mr Ghartey also wondered why the President was now running away from the NDC campaign promise to put money into the pockets of Ghanaians now that he had been given the mandate to rule the country.
He asked people to be wary of the promises of politicians and make their choices during elections based on issues to ensure the growth of the country’s democracy.
The NPP MP for Evalue-Dwira, Mrs Catherine Abelema Afeku, said she was disappointed that the President had not been able to fulfil his promise to ensure 40 per cent women representation in all aspects of governance.
She said she was disappointed that President Mills could not take advantage of his recent Cabinet reshuffle to correct that anomaly, adding that she became more disappointed when the President failed to mention a single issue about women in his address.
Mrs Afeku stated that a sense of insecurity was gradually creeping into the country, explaining that the hitherto serene atmosphere in which people were not afraid to express their opinions was gradually fading out.
For the NPP MP for Subin, Mr Isaac Osei, the President’s assertion that the state of the nation was good was not right, since the picture he (the President) had painted was actually not the one on the ground.
“May be he is now too far from the people and does not actually know what Ghanaians are saying,” he said, adding that the mere shouting of slogans such as “so far so better” would not put money in the pockets of the people and food on their tables.
What the NPP MP for Okere, Mr Dan Botwe, could say was, “My brother, Ghanaians want action and not words. We have seen what the government was not able to deliver during the past one year. Ghanaians deserve better and we expect the President to fulfil his promises, instead of building castles in the air.”
But some NDC MPs disagreed with the assertions by their colleagues in the Minority and said the address had touched on all aspects of the socio-economic life of the people.
The NDC MP for Adenta, Mr Kwadwo Adu-Asare, said the address gave hope to the youth in the country, saying the initiatives outlined, particularly in the agricultural sector, would provide jobs for them.
He said for once Ghana’s rice imports had been reduced and would continue to reduce because of the sound policies put in place by the government, explaining that that was a sure way of putting money into the pockets of the youth and reducing the country’s import bill.
Mr Adu-Asare noted that the emphasis on finding a solution to the perennial water problem facing some communities in the country was good news, especially so because of the acute water shortage that his constituency had been experiencing since time immemorial.
The NDC MPs for Juaboso and Odododiodoo, Messrs Sampson Ahi and Jonathan Nii Tackie-Comme, respectively, said Ghanaians had now seen the difference between the NDC and the NPP, adding that notwithstanding the bad state of the economy which the NDC inherited from the NPP, the former had been able to put the country back on the path of growth within a relatively short time.
He, therefore, called for patience on the part of the people to enable the government to continue to put measures in place to fix the economy.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Minority in Parliament has described the State of the Nation Address which President Mills delivered to the House yesterday as “a rendition of catalogued failed promises”.
For the one hour and 10 minutes that the President used to deliver his 24-page message, the Minority gave him a taste of the heckling and jeering that sometimes characterised debates in the House.
But it was the President’s sense of humour and display of tolerance that saw him through the address which, according to the Minority, was not what they had expected to hear from him.
“Where is the money in our pockets?” they questioned him intermittently to remind him of the promise he allegedly made during the campaign period of the 2008 general election.
The trick seemed to have worked, as the President gave an instant answer, denying that he ever made such a promise during the campaign which brought the National Democratic Congress (NDC) back to power.
On another occasion, President Mills responded by saying that those who criticised him for being slow should do him a favour by adding “but sure”, drawing hilarious laughter from the packed audience which had filled both the Press and the Public galleries.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic soon after adjournment, the Deputy Minority Leader, Mr Ambrose Dery, said ìt was surprising that the President still seemed to be in a campaign mood.
He said last year President Mills had stood before the House to give a litany of promises which could not be fulfilled and said it was unfortunate that he could not realise the disservice that he had done to his administration.
“Ghanaians need action and not vain promises,” Mr Dery said, and noted that notwithstanding the usual assurances to reconcile the nation, the President’s silence on some actions by people near him had rather muddied the waters.
He said the constant lambasting of the Minority by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr Koku Anyidoho, had not helped to bridge the gap between the government and the Minority, saying the Minority was disappointed that Anyidoho had not been called to book.
A former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Joe Ghartey, noted that a substantial part of the address was a repetition of last year’s.
He wondered why the President had now taken a U-turn over some of the issues the NDC opposed when it was in opposition and referred to the comment in the address in which President Mills said the NDC had not opposed the passage of the Representation of the People Amendment Act (ROPAA) when it was in opposition.
Mr Ghartey also wondered why the President was now running away from the NDC campaign promise to put money into the pockets of Ghanaians now that he had been given the mandate to rule the country.
He asked people to be wary of the promises of politicians and make their choices during elections based on issues to ensure the growth of the country’s democracy.
The NPP MP for Evalue-Dwira, Mrs Catherine Abelema Afeku, said she was disappointed that the President had not been able to fulfil his promise to ensure 40 per cent women representation in all aspects of governance.
She said she was disappointed that President Mills could not take advantage of his recent Cabinet reshuffle to correct that anomaly, adding that she became more disappointed when the President failed to mention a single issue about women in his address.
Mrs Afeku stated that a sense of insecurity was gradually creeping into the country, explaining that the hitherto serene atmosphere in which people were not afraid to express their opinions was gradually fading out.
For the NPP MP for Subin, Mr Isaac Osei, the President’s assertion that the state of the nation was good was not right, since the picture he (the President) had painted was actually not the one on the ground.
“May be he is now too far from the people and does not actually know what Ghanaians are saying,” he said, adding that the mere shouting of slogans such as “so far so better” would not put money in the pockets of the people and food on their tables.
What the NPP MP for Okere, Mr Dan Botwe, could say was, “My brother, Ghanaians want action and not words. We have seen what the government was not able to deliver during the past one year. Ghanaians deserve better and we expect the President to fulfil his promises, instead of building castles in the air.”
But some NDC MPs disagreed with the assertions by their colleagues in the Minority and said the address had touched on all aspects of the socio-economic life of the people.
The NDC MP for Adenta, Mr Kwadwo Adu-Asare, said the address gave hope to the youth in the country, saying the initiatives outlined, particularly in the agricultural sector, would provide jobs for them.
He said for once Ghana’s rice imports had been reduced and would continue to reduce because of the sound policies put in place by the government, explaining that that was a sure way of putting money into the pockets of the youth and reducing the country’s import bill.
Mr Adu-Asare noted that the emphasis on finding a solution to the perennial water problem facing some communities in the country was good news, especially so because of the acute water shortage that his constituency had been experiencing since time immemorial.
The NDC MPs for Juaboso and Odododiodoo, Messrs Sampson Ahi and Jonathan Nii Tackie-Comme, respectively, said Ghanaians had now seen the difference between the NDC and the NPP, adding that notwithstanding the bad state of the economy which the NDC inherited from the NPP, the former had been able to put the country back on the path of growth within a relatively short time.
He, therefore, called for patience on the part of the people to enable the government to continue to put measures in place to fix the economy.
Minority returns to Parliament
Page 17, feb 24, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Minority in Parliament yesterday returned to Parliament after boycotting proceeding of last Friday’s sitting in solidarity with an NPP activist, Nana Darkwa, who was remanded by an Accra Circuit Court for his comment on the fire outbreak in ex-President J.J Rawlings’s Ridge residence.
After an early morning closed-door meeting at the office of the Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the NPP MPs started trooping into the House one after another, thereby giving hope that they had rescinded their decision to boycott sittings of the House indefinitely.
After the Speaker, Mrs Joyce Bamford Addo, had led the House in the usual daily prayer, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu informed the House that they had decided to come back, since new positive developments had taken place after their action.
He said even though Nana Darkwa had been released, the Minority would continue to engage the leadership of the Majority to ensure that the obnoxious law that was used to remand him in prison custody would be expunged from the statute books.
The Minority Leader used the opportunity to welcome the new Majority Leader, Mr Cletus Avoka, who assumed office yesterday.
“I extend a hand of friendship to the new leadership of the Majority side and I hope they will co-operate with us to ensure the smooth running of the House,” he said.
He said the Minority had followed events that led to the selection of Mr Avoka and Mr Rashid Pelpuo as the Majority and Deputy Majority Leaders respectively, adding that the attempt by the President to make the selection was unnecessary.
He said it was heartwarming that after initial resentment, members of the Majority side amicably resolved the issue and endorsed the new leadership.
“I hope that the new leaders of the Majority side will not play the musical instruments of yesteryears and sing the tune of their masters,” he said, and gave assurance that the Minority side was ever ready to partner them to successfully transact the business of the House.
Replying, Mr Avoka commended the Minority for reversing their decision to boycott sitting of the House and advised that though boycott was permissible, the Minority should resort to them as a last resort.
He explained that the selection of the new leadership of the Majority was done with the involvement of the NDC as a party, the leader of the party and MPs from their side.
Mr Avoka called for co-operation, consensus building and the building of bridges between the Majority and the Minority to ensure the smooth running of the business of the House.
Meanwhile, the Speaker had asked the leadership of the House to investigate a matter raise by the Minority Spokesman on Finance, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, over an alleged 450 million dollar loan contracted by the government from the IMF without the involvement of Parliament.
Dr Akoto told the House that Parliament was constitutionally mandated to ratify all loan agreements between Ghana and other countries or institutions.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Minority in Parliament yesterday returned to Parliament after boycotting proceeding of last Friday’s sitting in solidarity with an NPP activist, Nana Darkwa, who was remanded by an Accra Circuit Court for his comment on the fire outbreak in ex-President J.J Rawlings’s Ridge residence.
After an early morning closed-door meeting at the office of the Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the NPP MPs started trooping into the House one after another, thereby giving hope that they had rescinded their decision to boycott sittings of the House indefinitely.
After the Speaker, Mrs Joyce Bamford Addo, had led the House in the usual daily prayer, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu informed the House that they had decided to come back, since new positive developments had taken place after their action.
He said even though Nana Darkwa had been released, the Minority would continue to engage the leadership of the Majority to ensure that the obnoxious law that was used to remand him in prison custody would be expunged from the statute books.
The Minority Leader used the opportunity to welcome the new Majority Leader, Mr Cletus Avoka, who assumed office yesterday.
“I extend a hand of friendship to the new leadership of the Majority side and I hope they will co-operate with us to ensure the smooth running of the House,” he said.
He said the Minority had followed events that led to the selection of Mr Avoka and Mr Rashid Pelpuo as the Majority and Deputy Majority Leaders respectively, adding that the attempt by the President to make the selection was unnecessary.
He said it was heartwarming that after initial resentment, members of the Majority side amicably resolved the issue and endorsed the new leadership.
“I hope that the new leaders of the Majority side will not play the musical instruments of yesteryears and sing the tune of their masters,” he said, and gave assurance that the Minority side was ever ready to partner them to successfully transact the business of the House.
Replying, Mr Avoka commended the Minority for reversing their decision to boycott sitting of the House and advised that though boycott was permissible, the Minority should resort to them as a last resort.
He explained that the selection of the new leadership of the Majority was done with the involvement of the NDC as a party, the leader of the party and MPs from their side.
Mr Avoka called for co-operation, consensus building and the building of bridges between the Majority and the Minority to ensure the smooth running of the business of the House.
Meanwhile, the Speaker had asked the leadership of the House to investigate a matter raise by the Minority Spokesman on Finance, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, over an alleged 450 million dollar loan contracted by the government from the IMF without the involvement of Parliament.
Dr Akoto told the House that Parliament was constitutionally mandated to ratify all loan agreements between Ghana and other countries or institutions.
Parliament makes giant strides — Bagbin
Page 15, Feb 24, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
AS he leaves office as Majority Leader in Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin says the institution of Parliament has made giant strides from 1993 to date.
He said there had been some progress in the rules, processes, structures and systems in the institution.
“We could do better if the institution of Parliament were properly anchored in the Constitution and resourced,” he said.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Bagbin said notwithstanding the bottlenecks, Parliament had been able to move from a few inexperienced technical staff and MPs to have experienced technical and professional staff and MPs.
“Today, Parliament is seen as a store of experts and consultants from various parliamentary institutions throughout the world,” he said.
He noted that the House had also moved from a position of conflict between the Majority and the Minority, as evident in the frequent walkouts between 1993 and 2000, to one in which democratic space had been created between the two sides.
Mr Bagbin, who is also the MP for Nadowli West and Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, noted that the situation had ensured more conducive debates on the floor of the House.
He added that Parliament had moved from the period when political opponents were seen as enemies to now when opponents were seen as brothers and sisters in the same boat.
He said the House now operated on consensus building and was going through the transition from partisanship to national position or interest.
“We need, however, to do more work so that instead of the saying ‘Let the Minority have its say and the Majority its way’, both the Majority and the Minority will have a say so that the national interest will have its way,” he noted.
Mr Bagbin stated that much had, however, not been done in the provision of infrastructure for Parliament and gave the assurance that as the incoming Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, he would work towards the rehabilitation of Job 600 to be used as offices for MPs.
He said there was the need for Parliament to be strengthened with the provision of a well-stocked library, a resource centre for both MPs and the public and a media centre to enable journalists to efficiently operate from Parliament.
Mr Bagbin, who is in his fifth term in Parliament, rose through the ranks to become Minority Leader for eight years before assuming the position of Majority Leader when the NDC returned to power after the 2008 general election.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
AS he leaves office as Majority Leader in Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin says the institution of Parliament has made giant strides from 1993 to date.
He said there had been some progress in the rules, processes, structures and systems in the institution.
“We could do better if the institution of Parliament were properly anchored in the Constitution and resourced,” he said.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Bagbin said notwithstanding the bottlenecks, Parliament had been able to move from a few inexperienced technical staff and MPs to have experienced technical and professional staff and MPs.
“Today, Parliament is seen as a store of experts and consultants from various parliamentary institutions throughout the world,” he said.
He noted that the House had also moved from a position of conflict between the Majority and the Minority, as evident in the frequent walkouts between 1993 and 2000, to one in which democratic space had been created between the two sides.
Mr Bagbin, who is also the MP for Nadowli West and Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, noted that the situation had ensured more conducive debates on the floor of the House.
He added that Parliament had moved from the period when political opponents were seen as enemies to now when opponents were seen as brothers and sisters in the same boat.
He said the House now operated on consensus building and was going through the transition from partisanship to national position or interest.
“We need, however, to do more work so that instead of the saying ‘Let the Minority have its say and the Majority its way’, both the Majority and the Minority will have a say so that the national interest will have its way,” he noted.
Mr Bagbin stated that much had, however, not been done in the provision of infrastructure for Parliament and gave the assurance that as the incoming Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, he would work towards the rehabilitation of Job 600 to be used as offices for MPs.
He said there was the need for Parliament to be strengthened with the provision of a well-stocked library, a resource centre for both MPs and the public and a media centre to enable journalists to efficiently operate from Parliament.
Mr Bagbin, who is in his fifth term in Parliament, rose through the ranks to become Minority Leader for eight years before assuming the position of Majority Leader when the NDC returned to power after the 2008 general election.
Daily revenue from oil and gas.... 17 PESEWAS FOR EACH GHANAIAN
Frontpage, Feb 22, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
GHANA’S total revenue from the oil and gas find will represent less than five per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the Energy Minister, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei.
With the country’s current GDP at well over $18 billion, Dr Oteng-Adjei said the total revenue to the government and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) in respect of royalties, income tax and interest payment on the oil and gas exploration would be $1 billion per annum, at an average crude oil price of $60 per barrel.
He, therefore, admonished Ghanaians to be cautious in their high expectations of the extent to which the oil and gas find would help resolve the economic challenges of the country.
Speaking at a workshop on ‘Good Governance and the Emerging Oil and Gas Industry’ for selected journalists reporting from Parliament, the minister captured the scenario thus, “If we are to share the revenue to the 23 million Ghanaians, each of us will receive about 12 cents per day (17Gp per day)” and wondered whether that could be the panacea for the economic problems of the country.
He said it was his expectation that the revenue from the industry would be prudently managed and utilised and, therefore, called on civil society organisations and the media to properly perform their watchdog roles to ensure that all Ghanaians benefited from the oil and gas revenue.
Dr Oteng-Adjei added that a draft bill to effectively manage the oil and gas revenue was ready and that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning would soon embark on road shows to solicit the input of Ghanaians and other players in the industry.
He stated that in addition, the Petroleum Exploration and Production Law was being reviewed to make the process of getting exploration and production licences less complicated in order to sustain the high level of interest in the country’s petroleum industry.
The minister said the GNPC was being strengthened to play a more active role in the exploration for and production of oil and gas and explained that the government’s aim was to make the GNPC a self-sufficient player in the oil and gas industry that would have the financial and technical capacity to explore and produce oil of its own.
He disclosed that since the country’s petroleum industry was relatively young and small, the government’s intended amendment of petroleum legislation was aimed at creating a Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA) to oversee the industry’s operations.
Dr Oteng-Adjei said that had been decided with the understanding that as the industry grew and there were enough technically-qualified personnel to warrant two separate regulatory institutions for upstream and downstream businesses, the arrangement could change.
The Energy Minister said the main challenges that might face the country when production started in the fourth quarter of this year were the issues of regulation, accurate tax assessment and collection, the management of oil revenue and the continued increase in local goods and services in petroleum operations.
He said aware of those challenges, the government was working hard to recruit and train professional and other technical staff for the PRA and other relevant institutions, adding that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) were being strengthened to deal with the matter.
For his part, the Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Mr Emile Short, noted that the oil industry was a fertile ground for corruption because of the huge amount of money that was involved, noting
that the role of the media was very crucial to ensure that the revenue that would accrue from it benefited Ghanaians.
He called for a corps of journalists who would specialise in the oil and gas industry reporting to enable them to write and discuss issues bordering on the industry with understanding.
He also called for the early passage of the Freedom of Information Bill to enable the media to demand information on the industry to facilitate their work.
Mr Short added that CHRAJ was to establish a separate unit that would deal solely with issues concerning the oil and gas industry.
He said it would also submit a memorandum to the Constitutional Review Commission to split CHRAJ into two, with one dealing with human rights and corruption issues, while the other dealt with issues concerning administrative justice.
The Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Ms Samia Nkrumah, called for measures that would ensure the safety of communities that were near the place when the oil would be extracted.
She suggested to the government to hurry up with the enactment of laws that would guide the oil industry to ensure that Ghanaians benefited from the industry.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
GHANA’S total revenue from the oil and gas find will represent less than five per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the Energy Minister, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei.
With the country’s current GDP at well over $18 billion, Dr Oteng-Adjei said the total revenue to the government and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) in respect of royalties, income tax and interest payment on the oil and gas exploration would be $1 billion per annum, at an average crude oil price of $60 per barrel.
He, therefore, admonished Ghanaians to be cautious in their high expectations of the extent to which the oil and gas find would help resolve the economic challenges of the country.
Speaking at a workshop on ‘Good Governance and the Emerging Oil and Gas Industry’ for selected journalists reporting from Parliament, the minister captured the scenario thus, “If we are to share the revenue to the 23 million Ghanaians, each of us will receive about 12 cents per day (17Gp per day)” and wondered whether that could be the panacea for the economic problems of the country.
He said it was his expectation that the revenue from the industry would be prudently managed and utilised and, therefore, called on civil society organisations and the media to properly perform their watchdog roles to ensure that all Ghanaians benefited from the oil and gas revenue.
Dr Oteng-Adjei added that a draft bill to effectively manage the oil and gas revenue was ready and that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning would soon embark on road shows to solicit the input of Ghanaians and other players in the industry.
He stated that in addition, the Petroleum Exploration and Production Law was being reviewed to make the process of getting exploration and production licences less complicated in order to sustain the high level of interest in the country’s petroleum industry.
The minister said the GNPC was being strengthened to play a more active role in the exploration for and production of oil and gas and explained that the government’s aim was to make the GNPC a self-sufficient player in the oil and gas industry that would have the financial and technical capacity to explore and produce oil of its own.
He disclosed that since the country’s petroleum industry was relatively young and small, the government’s intended amendment of petroleum legislation was aimed at creating a Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA) to oversee the industry’s operations.
Dr Oteng-Adjei said that had been decided with the understanding that as the industry grew and there were enough technically-qualified personnel to warrant two separate regulatory institutions for upstream and downstream businesses, the arrangement could change.
The Energy Minister said the main challenges that might face the country when production started in the fourth quarter of this year were the issues of regulation, accurate tax assessment and collection, the management of oil revenue and the continued increase in local goods and services in petroleum operations.
He said aware of those challenges, the government was working hard to recruit and train professional and other technical staff for the PRA and other relevant institutions, adding that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) were being strengthened to deal with the matter.
For his part, the Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Mr Emile Short, noted that the oil industry was a fertile ground for corruption because of the huge amount of money that was involved, noting
that the role of the media was very crucial to ensure that the revenue that would accrue from it benefited Ghanaians.
He called for a corps of journalists who would specialise in the oil and gas industry reporting to enable them to write and discuss issues bordering on the industry with understanding.
He also called for the early passage of the Freedom of Information Bill to enable the media to demand information on the industry to facilitate their work.
Mr Short added that CHRAJ was to establish a separate unit that would deal solely with issues concerning the oil and gas industry.
He said it would also submit a memorandum to the Constitutional Review Commission to split CHRAJ into two, with one dealing with human rights and corruption issues, while the other dealt with issues concerning administrative justice.
The Member of Parliament for Jomoro, Ms Samia Nkrumah, called for measures that would ensure the safety of communities that were near the place when the oil would be extracted.
She suggested to the government to hurry up with the enactment of laws that would guide the oil industry to ensure that Ghanaians benefited from the industry.
Parliament hit by Minority walkout
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
Frontpage, Feb 20, 2010
concretise their intentions, they moved into the main chamber of the House where the Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, made the announcement after the Speaker, Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo, had led the House in the usual daily prayers.
Amidst shouts of “Who born dog? Who born dog?” and the singing of a local tune “Y’eani abre, y’eani abre koo” by the Minority, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu told the House that what happened to Nana Darkwa was “a national tragedy”.
“In the light of this, the Minority has decided not to participate in the proceedings of the House until further notice,” he said, adding that since Parliament was for Ghanaians, they would keep an eye on what would happen in their absence.
The Minority Leader’s announcement was met with more shouts of “Who born dog? Who born dog?” by the backbenchers of his side, who also sang the last portion of the first stanza of the National Anthem, “And help us to resist oppressor’s rule with all our will and might for ever more.”
The noise intensified when the backbenchers of the Majority side responded by hooting at the Minority with shouts of “Hai, hai, hai”. After the backbenchers of the Minority had left, their leaders remained seated, while the outgoing Deputy Majority Leader, Mr John Akologu Tia, responded and said while the Minority had the right to register its point through staging a walkout, the Majority was of the opinion that the Minority should have allowed the leadership of the House to deal with the matter, instead of taking a unilateral decision.
Mr Tia said what the Minority had done amounted to bending the hand of Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary to submit to its demand, saying that “that is rather unfortunate”.
He explained that since the matter bordered on the democratic right of an individual, a statement should have been made on the floor of the House to enable as many MPs as possible to speak their minds on the issue.
The outgoing Deputy Majority Leader, therefore, appealed to the Minority to rescind its decision and come back to the House to continue with business.
The Speaker, Mrs Bamford-Addo, also asked the leadership of the Majority to dialogue with their counterparts in the Minority to ensure that they came back to continue with the business of the House.
In another development, despite the boycott by the Minority, the Majority continued with the business of the day, during which the House ratified the petroleum agreement between the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), on the one hand, and Afen Energy Ghana Limited, Gulf Atlantic Energy Limited and Mitsui E & P Ghana Keta Limited, on the other.
The agreement is in respect of a further exploration work in the Offshore Keta Contract Area.
Earlier, during the press conference, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu had said the Minority was persuaded by the National Anthem to “resist oppressor’s rule”.
“This is our collective resolve,” he said, and appealed to the authorities to cause Nana Darkwa to be immediately released, adding that the Minority was seeking an urgent response to its request.
Meanwhile, in response to the action of the Minority, the Majority Caucus immediately held a press conference after the adjournment of the House, during which the outgoing Majority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin, repeated the appeal for the Minority to rescind its decision.
He stated that having been a Minority Leader for eight years, he recognised the right of the Minority to stage a walkout but announced that at the time of the Minority’s press conference Nana Darkwa had been granted bail.
“The boycott was, therefore, unlawful and unjustifiable,” he said, and called on the House to continue with the consensus building approach that had become part of the culture of the House to ensure the entrenchment of the country’s parliamentary democracy.
Frontpage, Feb 20, 2010
concretise their intentions, they moved into the main chamber of the House where the Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, made the announcement after the Speaker, Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo, had led the House in the usual daily prayers.
Amidst shouts of “Who born dog? Who born dog?” and the singing of a local tune “Y’eani abre, y’eani abre koo” by the Minority, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu told the House that what happened to Nana Darkwa was “a national tragedy”.
“In the light of this, the Minority has decided not to participate in the proceedings of the House until further notice,” he said, adding that since Parliament was for Ghanaians, they would keep an eye on what would happen in their absence.
The Minority Leader’s announcement was met with more shouts of “Who born dog? Who born dog?” by the backbenchers of his side, who also sang the last portion of the first stanza of the National Anthem, “And help us to resist oppressor’s rule with all our will and might for ever more.”
The noise intensified when the backbenchers of the Majority side responded by hooting at the Minority with shouts of “Hai, hai, hai”. After the backbenchers of the Minority had left, their leaders remained seated, while the outgoing Deputy Majority Leader, Mr John Akologu Tia, responded and said while the Minority had the right to register its point through staging a walkout, the Majority was of the opinion that the Minority should have allowed the leadership of the House to deal with the matter, instead of taking a unilateral decision.
Mr Tia said what the Minority had done amounted to bending the hand of Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary to submit to its demand, saying that “that is rather unfortunate”.
He explained that since the matter bordered on the democratic right of an individual, a statement should have been made on the floor of the House to enable as many MPs as possible to speak their minds on the issue.
The outgoing Deputy Majority Leader, therefore, appealed to the Minority to rescind its decision and come back to the House to continue with business.
The Speaker, Mrs Bamford-Addo, also asked the leadership of the Majority to dialogue with their counterparts in the Minority to ensure that they came back to continue with the business of the House.
In another development, despite the boycott by the Minority, the Majority continued with the business of the day, during which the House ratified the petroleum agreement between the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), on the one hand, and Afen Energy Ghana Limited, Gulf Atlantic Energy Limited and Mitsui E & P Ghana Keta Limited, on the other.
The agreement is in respect of a further exploration work in the Offshore Keta Contract Area.
Earlier, during the press conference, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu had said the Minority was persuaded by the National Anthem to “resist oppressor’s rule”.
“This is our collective resolve,” he said, and appealed to the authorities to cause Nana Darkwa to be immediately released, adding that the Minority was seeking an urgent response to its request.
Meanwhile, in response to the action of the Minority, the Majority Caucus immediately held a press conference after the adjournment of the House, during which the outgoing Majority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin, repeated the appeal for the Minority to rescind its decision.
He stated that having been a Minority Leader for eight years, he recognised the right of the Minority to stage a walkout but announced that at the time of the Minority’s press conference Nana Darkwa had been granted bail.
“The boycott was, therefore, unlawful and unjustifiable,” he said, and called on the House to continue with the consensus building approach that had become part of the culture of the House to ensure the entrenchment of the country’s parliamentary democracy.
Friday, February 19, 2010
GEMP takes off in 3 Northern regions
Page 15, Feb 19, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology has began the implementation of a five-year Ghana Environmental Management Project (GEMP) in the three northern regions to improve on land management practices in the area.
Through the assistance from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an agency of the ministry, they are implementing the programme, which also aims at conserving water and farm lands to increase food production, generate incomes and reduce poverty so that indiscriminate and deliberate bush fires that lead to land degradation could be mitigated.
The Sector Minister, Mrs Sherry Ayitey announced that in response to a question posed by the Member of Parliament for Offinso North, Mr Augustine Collins Ntim who wanted to know what measures were being put in place to address the problem of desertification arising from perennial bushfires in the Trans-Savanna areas in the country.
She added that the 24 selected districts in the three northern regions, which fall within the Trans-Savanna areas were receiving funds to grow economic trees such as cashew and mangoes.
Mrs Ayitey added that the ministry was also pursuing a continuous environmental education in communities and schools to create awareness among the people.
“We have re-activated the District Environmental Management Committees and the Community Environmental Management committees to facilitate sensitisation and educational programmes at the district and community levels throughout the country,” she stated.
The minister said that the Ghana National Fire Service and NADMO had a comprehensive training programme at the Community Fire Volunteers, which had been formed in several communities in these regions.
Mrs Ayitey noted that bushfires had the potential to wreck havoc on the economic development of the country, especially in the Trans-Savanna areas by inducing desertification adding that district assemblies were being encouraged to enact bye-laws on bushfires to enable the courts to punish potential offenders.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology has began the implementation of a five-year Ghana Environmental Management Project (GEMP) in the three northern regions to improve on land management practices in the area.
Through the assistance from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an agency of the ministry, they are implementing the programme, which also aims at conserving water and farm lands to increase food production, generate incomes and reduce poverty so that indiscriminate and deliberate bush fires that lead to land degradation could be mitigated.
The Sector Minister, Mrs Sherry Ayitey announced that in response to a question posed by the Member of Parliament for Offinso North, Mr Augustine Collins Ntim who wanted to know what measures were being put in place to address the problem of desertification arising from perennial bushfires in the Trans-Savanna areas in the country.
She added that the 24 selected districts in the three northern regions, which fall within the Trans-Savanna areas were receiving funds to grow economic trees such as cashew and mangoes.
Mrs Ayitey added that the ministry was also pursuing a continuous environmental education in communities and schools to create awareness among the people.
“We have re-activated the District Environmental Management Committees and the Community Environmental Management committees to facilitate sensitisation and educational programmes at the district and community levels throughout the country,” she stated.
The minister said that the Ghana National Fire Service and NADMO had a comprehensive training programme at the Community Fire Volunteers, which had been formed in several communities in these regions.
Mrs Ayitey noted that bushfires had the potential to wreck havoc on the economic development of the country, especially in the Trans-Savanna areas by inducing desertification adding that district assemblies were being encouraged to enact bye-laws on bushfires to enable the courts to punish potential offenders.
Avoka made Majority Leader
Page 17, Feb 18, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
PARLIAMENT yesterday gave its approval to seven people nominated by the President for ministerial and deputy ministerial positions.
The House gave its approval when members unanimously endorsed the 17th Report of the Appointments Committee of the President’s nominations for ministerial and deputy ministerial appointments.
Those whose nominations were endorsed by the House were Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare designate; Mr Martin Amidu, Minister of the Interior designate; Mr John Akologu Tia, Minister of Information designate, and Mr Alban S.K. Bagbin, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing designate.
The rest are Mr John Gyetuah, Minister of State designate for the Presidency; Mr Moses Mabengba, Northern Regional Minister designate, and Mr Inusah Abdulai Fuseini, Deputy Minister of Energy designate.
The Chairman of the Appointments Committee, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, however, explained that the nominee designate for Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mahama Ayariga, would be considered in a separate report to be submitted to the House in due course.
He explained that the committee was satisfied that the nominees had fully met requirements of the Constitution and, therefore, recommended their nomination to the House for approval.
Contributing to the debate before the approval, the Member of Parliament for Sekondi, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, congratulated the nominees on their new positions and expressed the hope that they would bring their experience to bear on the governance of the country.
He said he expected Mr Bagbin in particular to deliver by introducing bold decisions to solve the perennial water problem that cropped up in some parts of the country from time to time.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah expressed the displeasure of the people of the Western Region at the fact that nobody from that part of the country was currently in the Cabinet of the President.
His assertion, which was reiterated by the MP for Essikado/Ketan, Mr Joe Ghartey, was, however, disputed by the MP for Mfantseman East, Mr George Kuntu-Blankson, who stated that the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, hailed from the Western Region.
The Minister of Communications and MP for Tamale South, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, said the appointment of the new ministers would add new impetus to the governance of the country and help the President to achieve his ‘better Ghana’ agenda.
He noted that although the government was doing a lot, its achievements had not been properly communicated to the people and expressed the hope that the incoming Minister of Information would be able to communicate the achievements of the government to the people.
When he caught the eye of the Speaker, a former Minister of Information and NPP MP for Okere, Mr Dan Botwe, said the perception by the Executive that the ministry should be a propaganda wing of the government was wrong.
He noted that it was because of such perception that ministers appointed to the ministry did not stay there for longer periods.
Mr Botwe said while he was going through the profiles of ministers of Information over the years, it came to his notice that some even lasted for only one month and attributed that high attrition rate to the perception that the ministry was a propaganda tool and that a minister who did not ascribe to that perception got the sack.
He appealed to the government to properly equip agencies under the ministry, such as the Ghana News Agency and the Information Services Department (ISD), to enable them to properly disseminate government’s information and collect feedback from the people for the government.
The MP for Zebilla, Mr Cletus Avoka, commended the Appointments Committee for a good work done and noted that the nominees were qualified to be appointed as ministers to assist the government to achieve its objectives.
For his part, the Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, commended the nominees for their appointment and expressed the hope that they would use their experience in the House to contribute to the achievement of the government’s set targets.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
PARLIAMENT yesterday gave its approval to seven people nominated by the President for ministerial and deputy ministerial positions.
The House gave its approval when members unanimously endorsed the 17th Report of the Appointments Committee of the President’s nominations for ministerial and deputy ministerial appointments.
Those whose nominations were endorsed by the House were Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare designate; Mr Martin Amidu, Minister of the Interior designate; Mr John Akologu Tia, Minister of Information designate, and Mr Alban S.K. Bagbin, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing designate.
The rest are Mr John Gyetuah, Minister of State designate for the Presidency; Mr Moses Mabengba, Northern Regional Minister designate, and Mr Inusah Abdulai Fuseini, Deputy Minister of Energy designate.
The Chairman of the Appointments Committee, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, however, explained that the nominee designate for Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mahama Ayariga, would be considered in a separate report to be submitted to the House in due course.
He explained that the committee was satisfied that the nominees had fully met requirements of the Constitution and, therefore, recommended their nomination to the House for approval.
Contributing to the debate before the approval, the Member of Parliament for Sekondi, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, congratulated the nominees on their new positions and expressed the hope that they would bring their experience to bear on the governance of the country.
He said he expected Mr Bagbin in particular to deliver by introducing bold decisions to solve the perennial water problem that cropped up in some parts of the country from time to time.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah expressed the displeasure of the people of the Western Region at the fact that nobody from that part of the country was currently in the Cabinet of the President.
His assertion, which was reiterated by the MP for Essikado/Ketan, Mr Joe Ghartey, was, however, disputed by the MP for Mfantseman East, Mr George Kuntu-Blankson, who stated that the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, hailed from the Western Region.
The Minister of Communications and MP for Tamale South, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, said the appointment of the new ministers would add new impetus to the governance of the country and help the President to achieve his ‘better Ghana’ agenda.
He noted that although the government was doing a lot, its achievements had not been properly communicated to the people and expressed the hope that the incoming Minister of Information would be able to communicate the achievements of the government to the people.
When he caught the eye of the Speaker, a former Minister of Information and NPP MP for Okere, Mr Dan Botwe, said the perception by the Executive that the ministry should be a propaganda wing of the government was wrong.
He noted that it was because of such perception that ministers appointed to the ministry did not stay there for longer periods.
Mr Botwe said while he was going through the profiles of ministers of Information over the years, it came to his notice that some even lasted for only one month and attributed that high attrition rate to the perception that the ministry was a propaganda tool and that a minister who did not ascribe to that perception got the sack.
He appealed to the government to properly equip agencies under the ministry, such as the Ghana News Agency and the Information Services Department (ISD), to enable them to properly disseminate government’s information and collect feedback from the people for the government.
The MP for Zebilla, Mr Cletus Avoka, commended the Appointments Committee for a good work done and noted that the nominees were qualified to be appointed as ministers to assist the government to achieve its objectives.
For his part, the Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, commended the nominees for their appointment and expressed the hope that they would use their experience in the House to contribute to the achievement of the government’s set targets.
Oil revenue not panacea for country’s growth
Page 15, Feb 18, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mr John Lipsky, yesterday told Parliament that unless Ghana’s fiscal affairs were managed carefully, even austerely, oil revenue would not be able to make real difference in growth, job creation and living standards.
He said it was thus important for the country to prune its budget deficit down, adding that it was important for the country to stabilise its indebtedness and bring it down to a manageable level.
Addressing the Committee of the Whole of Parliament as part of his two-day visit to the country, Mr Lipsky noted that there was the need for sound financial management so that future oil revenues could support an expanded public investment programme.
“Investment spending at current levels simply cannot deliver the quality of infrastructure- from power to roads- that is needed to boost economic growth,” he said.
Mr Lipsy said while oil resources could finance these investments, that would require a disciplined non-oil budget.
He said unless the country could mobilise more revenue and better contain recurrent spending costs, a fiscal deficit of the magnitude Ghana had been recording recently would absorb all of its future revenues, leaving nothing for increasing capital expenditure.
Mr Lipsky said the challenge for policymakers and legislators was to ensure Ghana’s future by encouraging a rich and active debate on the merits of sound budgeting and best ways to wisely use the country’s prospective oil wealth.
He said that should be the central economic policy challenge for the country some time to come, stating that the IMF looked forward to a close and productive dialogue with Ghanaian authorities to ensure a healthy and prosperous country for future generations.
On the recent global recession, Mr Lipsky said though Africa was far from the epicentre of the crisis, Ghana and other countries in the region were hit hard by its aftershocks.
He explained that falling global demand reduced prices for many commodity exports and resulted in slumping sales for many non-traditional exports.
Mr Lipsky said the response of the IMF to the financial crisis was to ensure that low-income countries had rapid access to IMF financing in order to strengthen their balance of payment to help them to avoid the sort of contradictory economic impact that would only make the downturn more severe.
Thus, last year alone, the new IMF lending to sub-Saharan Africa was up almost five-fold from 2008, reaching US$5 billion.
He said Ghana had benefited considerably from the IMF’s new policies, adding that one of the largest IMF operations in Africa in 2009 was the $600-million three-year arrangement with Ghana.
Mr Lipsky later answered questions from MPs and told the House that sourcing monies from the IMF was not compulsory but an option made by countries to address their economic problems.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mr John Lipsky, yesterday told Parliament that unless Ghana’s fiscal affairs were managed carefully, even austerely, oil revenue would not be able to make real difference in growth, job creation and living standards.
He said it was thus important for the country to prune its budget deficit down, adding that it was important for the country to stabilise its indebtedness and bring it down to a manageable level.
Addressing the Committee of the Whole of Parliament as part of his two-day visit to the country, Mr Lipsky noted that there was the need for sound financial management so that future oil revenues could support an expanded public investment programme.
“Investment spending at current levels simply cannot deliver the quality of infrastructure- from power to roads- that is needed to boost economic growth,” he said.
Mr Lipsy said while oil resources could finance these investments, that would require a disciplined non-oil budget.
He said unless the country could mobilise more revenue and better contain recurrent spending costs, a fiscal deficit of the magnitude Ghana had been recording recently would absorb all of its future revenues, leaving nothing for increasing capital expenditure.
Mr Lipsky said the challenge for policymakers and legislators was to ensure Ghana’s future by encouraging a rich and active debate on the merits of sound budgeting and best ways to wisely use the country’s prospective oil wealth.
He said that should be the central economic policy challenge for the country some time to come, stating that the IMF looked forward to a close and productive dialogue with Ghanaian authorities to ensure a healthy and prosperous country for future generations.
On the recent global recession, Mr Lipsky said though Africa was far from the epicentre of the crisis, Ghana and other countries in the region were hit hard by its aftershocks.
He explained that falling global demand reduced prices for many commodity exports and resulted in slumping sales for many non-traditional exports.
Mr Lipsky said the response of the IMF to the financial crisis was to ensure that low-income countries had rapid access to IMF financing in order to strengthen their balance of payment to help them to avoid the sort of contradictory economic impact that would only make the downturn more severe.
Thus, last year alone, the new IMF lending to sub-Saharan Africa was up almost five-fold from 2008, reaching US$5 billion.
He said Ghana had benefited considerably from the IMF’s new policies, adding that one of the largest IMF operations in Africa in 2009 was the $600-million three-year arrangement with Ghana.
Mr Lipsky later answered questions from MPs and told the House that sourcing monies from the IMF was not compulsory but an option made by countries to address their economic problems.
Govt to compensate landlords
Page15, Feb 17, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE government is to pay a total of GH¢ 2.9 million as compensation to landlords whose property will be affected as a result of the construction of the Sofoline-Abuakwa-Sunyani dual carriageway, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu, has disclosed.
The minister made the disclosure when he appeared before Parliament to answer some questions which had been filed by some Members of Parliament (MPs).
The MP for Atwima-Nwabiagya, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, asked the minister what measures the ministry had put in place to replace the 36 market stores at Abuakwa, which had been earmarked for demolition as a result of the construction of the road.
The MP also wanted to know when the road network in Abuakwa, in his constituency, would be re-constructed.
Replying, Mr Gidisu said the Sofoline-Abuakwa dual carriage project formed part of the reconstruction of the Kumasi-Sunyani road.
He said the Department of Urban Roads had agreed with the Atwima-Nwabiagya District Assembly to replace the market stores, which would be affected by the project, explaining that the assembly was to provide the ministry with a piece of land for the replacement.
Mr Gidisu said the issue of the release of land was being sorted out by the assembly, and expressed hope that the land would be provided in time for the market stores to be re-built before the old ones were demolished.
Mr Owusu-Bio told the Daily Graphic later that beneficiaries of the GH¢ 2.9 million would be landlords whose property would be affected at Suntreso, Sofoline, Kwadaso, Asuoyeboa, Tanoso and Abuakwa.
On the construction of the Abuakwa roads, Mr Gidisu said though there were no immediate plans for the project, it would be considered together with others when town roads were being considered in future.
When it was his turn, the MP for Kwabre East, Mr Kofi Frimpong, asked the minister when the Mamponteng-Ahodwo, Krobo-Wonoo-Asonomaso, Kenyasi-Manhyia-Fawade and the Brofoyedru-Wadie Adwumakase-Aboabo roads in his constituency would be completed.
He also wanted to ascertain what measures were put in place to forestall the persistent knocking down of pedestrians on the Asonomaso Nkwanta-Fawade-Ahwiaa stretch of the Kumasi-Asante Mampong main road.
Mr Gidisu explained that the Krobo-Wonoo-Asonomaso road, which was awarded on contract in 2004 for completion in 2005, could not be completed due to non-performance of the part of the contractor, adding that the contract had been terminated and would be repackaged to be re-awarded alongside others soon.
He added that the contracts for the construction of the Kenyasi-Manhyia-Fawade and the Brofoyedu-Wadie-Adwumakase-Aboaso had also been terminated and would be re-packaged to be re-awarded, subject to availability of funds.
The minister also gave assurance that routine maintenance works would be carried out on some feeder roads in the Asunafo South District of the Brong Ahafo Region this year.
He said in an answer to a question posed by the MP for Asunafo South, Mr George Yaw Boakye, that the 9.0 kilometre Abesewa-Nnenyinaase and the 3.2 kilometre Denyase II-Kobeakrom feeder roads would be programmed for spot improvement this year.
Other feeder roads that had been either programmed for routine maintenance or spot improvement in the area included the 7.5 kilometre Nobekaw-Siana-Debra Camp road, the Ntonso-Asawinso road, the Denyasi No. 1 Junction-Denyasi No 1 road, the Anhwiam-Anhwiam Nkwanta road, the Dodowa-Sikafremogya road and the Amadu Nkwanta-Tetekwao road.
The MP, Mr Boakye, later told the Daily Graphic that there was a need for the current deplorable conditions of feeder roads in the area to be improved to enable both cocoa and food crop farmers to easily transport their produce to marketing centres for sale.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE government is to pay a total of GH¢ 2.9 million as compensation to landlords whose property will be affected as a result of the construction of the Sofoline-Abuakwa-Sunyani dual carriageway, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu, has disclosed.
The minister made the disclosure when he appeared before Parliament to answer some questions which had been filed by some Members of Parliament (MPs).
The MP for Atwima-Nwabiagya, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, asked the minister what measures the ministry had put in place to replace the 36 market stores at Abuakwa, which had been earmarked for demolition as a result of the construction of the road.
The MP also wanted to know when the road network in Abuakwa, in his constituency, would be re-constructed.
Replying, Mr Gidisu said the Sofoline-Abuakwa dual carriage project formed part of the reconstruction of the Kumasi-Sunyani road.
He said the Department of Urban Roads had agreed with the Atwima-Nwabiagya District Assembly to replace the market stores, which would be affected by the project, explaining that the assembly was to provide the ministry with a piece of land for the replacement.
Mr Gidisu said the issue of the release of land was being sorted out by the assembly, and expressed hope that the land would be provided in time for the market stores to be re-built before the old ones were demolished.
Mr Owusu-Bio told the Daily Graphic later that beneficiaries of the GH¢ 2.9 million would be landlords whose property would be affected at Suntreso, Sofoline, Kwadaso, Asuoyeboa, Tanoso and Abuakwa.
On the construction of the Abuakwa roads, Mr Gidisu said though there were no immediate plans for the project, it would be considered together with others when town roads were being considered in future.
When it was his turn, the MP for Kwabre East, Mr Kofi Frimpong, asked the minister when the Mamponteng-Ahodwo, Krobo-Wonoo-Asonomaso, Kenyasi-Manhyia-Fawade and the Brofoyedru-Wadie Adwumakase-Aboabo roads in his constituency would be completed.
He also wanted to ascertain what measures were put in place to forestall the persistent knocking down of pedestrians on the Asonomaso Nkwanta-Fawade-Ahwiaa stretch of the Kumasi-Asante Mampong main road.
Mr Gidisu explained that the Krobo-Wonoo-Asonomaso road, which was awarded on contract in 2004 for completion in 2005, could not be completed due to non-performance of the part of the contractor, adding that the contract had been terminated and would be repackaged to be re-awarded alongside others soon.
He added that the contracts for the construction of the Kenyasi-Manhyia-Fawade and the Brofoyedu-Wadie-Adwumakase-Aboaso had also been terminated and would be re-packaged to be re-awarded, subject to availability of funds.
The minister also gave assurance that routine maintenance works would be carried out on some feeder roads in the Asunafo South District of the Brong Ahafo Region this year.
He said in an answer to a question posed by the MP for Asunafo South, Mr George Yaw Boakye, that the 9.0 kilometre Abesewa-Nnenyinaase and the 3.2 kilometre Denyase II-Kobeakrom feeder roads would be programmed for spot improvement this year.
Other feeder roads that had been either programmed for routine maintenance or spot improvement in the area included the 7.5 kilometre Nobekaw-Siana-Debra Camp road, the Ntonso-Asawinso road, the Denyasi No. 1 Junction-Denyasi No 1 road, the Anhwiam-Anhwiam Nkwanta road, the Dodowa-Sikafremogya road and the Amadu Nkwanta-Tetekwao road.
The MP, Mr Boakye, later told the Daily Graphic that there was a need for the current deplorable conditions of feeder roads in the area to be improved to enable both cocoa and food crop farmers to easily transport their produce to marketing centres for sale.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Inflation under control — Duffuor
Page 15, Feb 12, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE government has been able to bring under control the hitherto chronic imbalances in the country’s fiscal situation, which are the root causes of the persistent high inflation, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, has stated.
He said the fiscal adjustment undertaken thus far had permitted a significant reduction in the debt burden and reduced the risk on debts which had helped to restore confidence in the microeconomics policy.
Answering questions in Parliament, the Finance Minister stated that the success in that area meant that the government would no longer be competing with the private sector on the money market for credit, explaining that, consequently, businesses would no more be faced with the crowding-out effect of the money market.
The NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim Swedru, Mr Joseph Ampomah Bosompem, had asked the minister about the practical measures the government was taking to stimulate productivity and economic growth.
The MP also enquired from the minister measures the ministry was putting in place to reinvigorate the private sector to absorb the teeming unemployed youth, given that there was a freeze on employment.
Those questions, among others, which were scheduled to be answered last week, were rescheduled for this week, since the Minority prevented a Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Fifi Kwetey, from answering the questions on behalf of the sector minister.
Dr Duffuor explained that the government was aware of the fact that public policy setting played a vital role in the achievement of productivity, as it affected the environment in which firms operated.
“We believe that addressing market failures in the areas of infrastructure, innovation and human capital also provides an important avenue for productivity gains,” he said.
He said as a result of sound policies, stability had been achieved, while headline inflation was now moving downwards hitting 15.97 per cent as of December 2009, from 20.7 per cent around June 2009.
Dr Duffuor said the rapid depreciation of the cedi against the dollar had abated, adding that notwithstanding the pressures from the Christmas festivities in December last year, the cedi continued to appreciate against the dollar during the first month of this year.
He said that interest rate on the 182-day treasury bill dropped from 27.96 per cent as of December 4, 2009 to 19.4 per cent on February 5, 2010, while the one-year treasury note also recorded a downward movement from 25.5 per cent to 18.5 per cent within the same period.
Dr Duffour disclosed that the gross foreign reserves of the country had shot up to about $3 billion, which is equivalent to over 2.5 months of import cover for goods and services, as of the end of December 2009, compared with the $2 billion, equivalent to 1.7 months of import cover, recorded at the end of December 2008.
He gave assurance that the government would continue to develop and implement training programmes for key decision makers and policy formulators on the role of the private sector in the country.
On employment generation, he stated that in 2009 alone the government provided financial clearance for the employment of 26,529 new officers into the public sector.
Out of that number, he said, 14,206 were recruited into the educational sector, 11,714 for the health sector and 609 for the remaining ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
Also in the House to answer questions was the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi.
The NPP MP for Asunafo South, Mr George Yaw Boakye, asked him why work on the Norbekaw Irrigation Project had come to a standstill.
Replying, the minister explained that the contract, which was terminated because the contractor could not meet the targets in May 2009, had been repackaged and put on tender for bidding by other contractors already on the field and working on some small farm irrigation projects.
Answering another question, Mr Ahwoi stated that the ministry would facilitate the establishment of block farms and agri-business, explaining that it was anticipated that 150,000 hectares of various crops would be cultivated to create jobs for about 450,000 youth.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE government has been able to bring under control the hitherto chronic imbalances in the country’s fiscal situation, which are the root causes of the persistent high inflation, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, has stated.
He said the fiscal adjustment undertaken thus far had permitted a significant reduction in the debt burden and reduced the risk on debts which had helped to restore confidence in the microeconomics policy.
Answering questions in Parliament, the Finance Minister stated that the success in that area meant that the government would no longer be competing with the private sector on the money market for credit, explaining that, consequently, businesses would no more be faced with the crowding-out effect of the money market.
The NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim Swedru, Mr Joseph Ampomah Bosompem, had asked the minister about the practical measures the government was taking to stimulate productivity and economic growth.
The MP also enquired from the minister measures the ministry was putting in place to reinvigorate the private sector to absorb the teeming unemployed youth, given that there was a freeze on employment.
Those questions, among others, which were scheduled to be answered last week, were rescheduled for this week, since the Minority prevented a Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Fifi Kwetey, from answering the questions on behalf of the sector minister.
Dr Duffuor explained that the government was aware of the fact that public policy setting played a vital role in the achievement of productivity, as it affected the environment in which firms operated.
“We believe that addressing market failures in the areas of infrastructure, innovation and human capital also provides an important avenue for productivity gains,” he said.
He said as a result of sound policies, stability had been achieved, while headline inflation was now moving downwards hitting 15.97 per cent as of December 2009, from 20.7 per cent around June 2009.
Dr Duffuor said the rapid depreciation of the cedi against the dollar had abated, adding that notwithstanding the pressures from the Christmas festivities in December last year, the cedi continued to appreciate against the dollar during the first month of this year.
He said that interest rate on the 182-day treasury bill dropped from 27.96 per cent as of December 4, 2009 to 19.4 per cent on February 5, 2010, while the one-year treasury note also recorded a downward movement from 25.5 per cent to 18.5 per cent within the same period.
Dr Duffour disclosed that the gross foreign reserves of the country had shot up to about $3 billion, which is equivalent to over 2.5 months of import cover for goods and services, as of the end of December 2009, compared with the $2 billion, equivalent to 1.7 months of import cover, recorded at the end of December 2008.
He gave assurance that the government would continue to develop and implement training programmes for key decision makers and policy formulators on the role of the private sector in the country.
On employment generation, he stated that in 2009 alone the government provided financial clearance for the employment of 26,529 new officers into the public sector.
Out of that number, he said, 14,206 were recruited into the educational sector, 11,714 for the health sector and 609 for the remaining ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
Also in the House to answer questions was the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi.
The NPP MP for Asunafo South, Mr George Yaw Boakye, asked him why work on the Norbekaw Irrigation Project had come to a standstill.
Replying, the minister explained that the contract, which was terminated because the contractor could not meet the targets in May 2009, had been repackaged and put on tender for bidding by other contractors already on the field and working on some small farm irrigation projects.
Answering another question, Mr Ahwoi stated that the ministry would facilitate the establishment of block farms and agri-business, explaining that it was anticipated that 150,000 hectares of various crops would be cultivated to create jobs for about 450,000 youth.
Vetting storm that never was...MPs TREAT OWN WITH KID GLOVES• But push Amidu to the wall
Frontpage lead, Feb 11, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Daniel Nkrumah
THE much anticipated heat that was expected to characterise the vetting of the Majority Leader in Parliament and nominee for the position of Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Alban Bagbin, was not to be as he had a virtual walkover in an exercise that lasted barely five minutes.
Two of Mr Bagbin’s colleague MPs — Mr John Akologu Tia and Mr E.T. Mensah — also had it smooth sailing.
But the heat was on Mr Martin Amidu, the ministerial nominee for the Interior, who had to endure a difficult session, during which he was quizzed over his tax obligations by Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the NPP MP for Manhyia, and needed a timely intervention from the Chairman of the Parliamentary Appointments Committee, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, with respect to his tax clearance certificate.
Mr Bagbin, who wore a white smock and a white hat, cut a modest look with his characteristic smile when he appeared before the committee. With an uncommon tale about a lizard and a frog, a song and some Biblical references, he disarmed the committee members and sought forgiveness for his hard-line questioning in the past as a member of the committee.
And his plea appeared to have fallen on good grounds, as his session was surprisingly short.
Mr Bagbin, who had criticised the government in the past, had been put on the spot by Mr Atta Akyea, who wanted to know whether his appointment was not intended to silence him.
In response, Mr Bagbin gave a somewhat assuring declaration: “If I get the opportunity, you will judge me by what I do and what I say. The priority is mother Ghana.”
But the posture of the committee in respect of Mr Bagbin appeared to have drawn the ire of the NPP MP for Abuakwa South, Mr Akyea, who later said in an interview that it was wrong for the committee to have given the Majority Leader an easy ride.
He said he would raise the issue on the floor of the House, stressing that the fact that someone had been a good Majority Leader did not mean he would be a good minister.
He added that it was important to recognise that the Majority Leader would be handling a big purse if given the nod as Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing and, therefore, he needed to be thoroughly quizzed for him to prove his mettle.
Mr Mensah, who has been nominated for the position of Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, was the first of the big shots from the leadership of the House to appear before the committee and his composure was calm.
His appearance started on a quite edgy note after a reference to Team A and Team B ministers appeared to have set the room alight. Yet, the MP for Ningo Prampram was cautious in his response.
“I am coming on board as one of the team players,” he innocently responded to a query posed by the chairman of the committee, but that generated other interests from other members of the committee, instantly bringing into focus the issue of Team A and Team B ministers.
The Minority Leader probed further and quizzed Mr Mensah on whether the person he was replacing had under-performed, but the nominee declined to be led on and responded in the negative, stressing that although he could strengthen the team, that in no way meant that the person he was replacing had under-performed.
Drawing an analogy from what pertained in football, the nominee stated that sometimes a coach might pull out a striker and bring in a defender but that did not imply that the striker had been ineffective.
Mr Mensah dismissed an assertion that he was being put at the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare in order to secure jobs for members of the NDC, pledging to seek the national interest and not the interest of any political party.
Commenting on other national policies and programmes, the nominee stated that if given the nod, he would make a case for the National Youth Employment Programme to be brought back under the ministry.
When quizzed on factors that could help improve productivity, he noted that it was an issue that needed to be addressed through the strengthening of institutions, explaining that in situations where institutions were not well resourced, there could not be any meaningful productivity.
When he took his turn, the Deputy Majority Leader and nominee for the position of Minister of Information, Mr John Tia, was quizzed on issues related to journalistic ethics and standards.
He noted that one challenge was that the National Media Commission did not have adequate powers to sanction offending media organisations and said the upcoming constitutional review must seek to address that.
Mr Tia said another challenge was how to regulate the entry of people into journalism and said it was important to check the system whereby everybody could decide to practise as a journalist.
When quizzed on whether his appointment would not affect Parliament, he stated that as a citizen of Ghana, he was prepared to serve in any capacity the President deemed fit, explaining that although he regretted leaving the House, his nomination provided him the opportunity to acquire experience in another area.
An initially calm Mr Amidu had his composure ruffled by a torrid time of questioning. The former Deputy Attorney- General was involved in a tussle with Dr Prempeh over his tax liabilities from January 2007 to June 2009.
Mr Amidu explained that in 2008 he had de-registered his firm because it was not profitable and had, accordingly, notified the VAT Service and the Internal Revenue Service.
The tax certificate from the IRS read by Mr Adjaho noted that Mr Amidu was not liable to pay tax in 2008, while for 2009 he had discharged his tax obligations.
But that also drew some concerns from Dr Prempeh, who stated that the nominee had done some work for ISODEC in 2008 and since he had been paid some allowance, he was liable to have paid some tax in 2008.
However, the nominee explained that he had worked as a member of a team and that the tax had been deducted by ISODEC at source.
As the argument raged on, Dr Prempeh urged that the issue be dealt with in camera.
Mr Amidu pledged to ensure that the police were well resourced and acted as a very professional body, with no favouritism towards any political party.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Daniel Nkrumah
THE much anticipated heat that was expected to characterise the vetting of the Majority Leader in Parliament and nominee for the position of Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Alban Bagbin, was not to be as he had a virtual walkover in an exercise that lasted barely five minutes.
Two of Mr Bagbin’s colleague MPs — Mr John Akologu Tia and Mr E.T. Mensah — also had it smooth sailing.
But the heat was on Mr Martin Amidu, the ministerial nominee for the Interior, who had to endure a difficult session, during which he was quizzed over his tax obligations by Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the NPP MP for Manhyia, and needed a timely intervention from the Chairman of the Parliamentary Appointments Committee, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, with respect to his tax clearance certificate.
Mr Bagbin, who wore a white smock and a white hat, cut a modest look with his characteristic smile when he appeared before the committee. With an uncommon tale about a lizard and a frog, a song and some Biblical references, he disarmed the committee members and sought forgiveness for his hard-line questioning in the past as a member of the committee.
And his plea appeared to have fallen on good grounds, as his session was surprisingly short.
Mr Bagbin, who had criticised the government in the past, had been put on the spot by Mr Atta Akyea, who wanted to know whether his appointment was not intended to silence him.
In response, Mr Bagbin gave a somewhat assuring declaration: “If I get the opportunity, you will judge me by what I do and what I say. The priority is mother Ghana.”
But the posture of the committee in respect of Mr Bagbin appeared to have drawn the ire of the NPP MP for Abuakwa South, Mr Akyea, who later said in an interview that it was wrong for the committee to have given the Majority Leader an easy ride.
He said he would raise the issue on the floor of the House, stressing that the fact that someone had been a good Majority Leader did not mean he would be a good minister.
He added that it was important to recognise that the Majority Leader would be handling a big purse if given the nod as Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing and, therefore, he needed to be thoroughly quizzed for him to prove his mettle.
Mr Mensah, who has been nominated for the position of Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, was the first of the big shots from the leadership of the House to appear before the committee and his composure was calm.
His appearance started on a quite edgy note after a reference to Team A and Team B ministers appeared to have set the room alight. Yet, the MP for Ningo Prampram was cautious in his response.
“I am coming on board as one of the team players,” he innocently responded to a query posed by the chairman of the committee, but that generated other interests from other members of the committee, instantly bringing into focus the issue of Team A and Team B ministers.
The Minority Leader probed further and quizzed Mr Mensah on whether the person he was replacing had under-performed, but the nominee declined to be led on and responded in the negative, stressing that although he could strengthen the team, that in no way meant that the person he was replacing had under-performed.
Drawing an analogy from what pertained in football, the nominee stated that sometimes a coach might pull out a striker and bring in a defender but that did not imply that the striker had been ineffective.
Mr Mensah dismissed an assertion that he was being put at the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare in order to secure jobs for members of the NDC, pledging to seek the national interest and not the interest of any political party.
Commenting on other national policies and programmes, the nominee stated that if given the nod, he would make a case for the National Youth Employment Programme to be brought back under the ministry.
When quizzed on factors that could help improve productivity, he noted that it was an issue that needed to be addressed through the strengthening of institutions, explaining that in situations where institutions were not well resourced, there could not be any meaningful productivity.
When he took his turn, the Deputy Majority Leader and nominee for the position of Minister of Information, Mr John Tia, was quizzed on issues related to journalistic ethics and standards.
He noted that one challenge was that the National Media Commission did not have adequate powers to sanction offending media organisations and said the upcoming constitutional review must seek to address that.
Mr Tia said another challenge was how to regulate the entry of people into journalism and said it was important to check the system whereby everybody could decide to practise as a journalist.
When quizzed on whether his appointment would not affect Parliament, he stated that as a citizen of Ghana, he was prepared to serve in any capacity the President deemed fit, explaining that although he regretted leaving the House, his nomination provided him the opportunity to acquire experience in another area.
An initially calm Mr Amidu had his composure ruffled by a torrid time of questioning. The former Deputy Attorney- General was involved in a tussle with Dr Prempeh over his tax liabilities from January 2007 to June 2009.
Mr Amidu explained that in 2008 he had de-registered his firm because it was not profitable and had, accordingly, notified the VAT Service and the Internal Revenue Service.
The tax certificate from the IRS read by Mr Adjaho noted that Mr Amidu was not liable to pay tax in 2008, while for 2009 he had discharged his tax obligations.
But that also drew some concerns from Dr Prempeh, who stated that the nominee had done some work for ISODEC in 2008 and since he had been paid some allowance, he was liable to have paid some tax in 2008.
However, the nominee explained that he had worked as a member of a team and that the tax had been deducted by ISODEC at source.
As the argument raged on, Dr Prempeh urged that the issue be dealt with in camera.
Mr Amidu pledged to ensure that the police were well resourced and acted as a very professional body, with no favouritism towards any political party.
Ministry of Education to improve supervision
Page 15, Feb 11, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, has said the ministry is taking steps to improve supervision in public basic schools in the country to ensure that teachers offer their best to enhance academic standards.
These steps, he said, included the review of head teachers’ handbook and School Management Committee (SMC) manual to reflect and strengthen the current monitoring and supervision practices, improving mobility of circuit supervisors with the supply of motorbikes and the collaboration with civil society organisations in carrying out research into school administration and management with the view to exposing the weakness in school supervision.
Answering questions in Parliament yesterday, Mr Tettey-Enyo, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ada, added that the ministry would also strengthen the capacity of district directorates by providing them with vehicles to carry out school monitoring and inspection and establish the National Inspectorate Board.
The Member of Parliament for Asunafo South, Mr George Yaw Boakye, who posed the question, wanted to know what pragmatic steps the ministry had put in place to improve supervision in public basic schools in the country.
He also wanted to know what measures had been put in place to ensure the early completion of the boy’s dormitory at the Kukuom Agricultural Senior High School funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).
The minister explained that currently interviews were being conducted for the recruitment of personnel for the establishment of the National Inspectorate Board.
On the dormitory project, Mr Tettey-Enyo said the two-storey building was awarded on contract in 2007 at a contract sum of GH¢295,891 to be completed within a period of 12 months and explained that towards the end of the contract period, it was observed that the contractor was not working according to schedule because of technical problems and delays in the payment of certificates on the project.
He gave assurance that the ministry, through the GETFund, would expedite action on the payment of outstanding certificates, adding that the project was now scheduled to be completed by the end of October, 2010.
When it was his turn, the MP for Ablekuma Central, Mr Theophilus Tetteh Chaie, asked the minister what the ministry was doing to ensure that facilitators of the Non-Formal Education literacy classes were motivated during and after their services to the various communities.
Replying, Mr Tettey-Enyo said to sustain the volunteer facilitator before, during and after the 21-month cycle of service, the ministry, through the Non-Formal Education Division (NFED), had put in place some measures including award of certificates to the facilitators, regular visits by the regional and district officers and monitoring from the headquarters.
He indicated that the challenge facing the NFED at the moment was inadequate incentives to cover the last batch of facilitators.
Mr Tettey-Enyo said, however, that GH¢30,000.00 had been allocated in the ministry’s 2010 budget under investment for the purchase of incentives for the facilitators.
Also in the House to answer questions was the Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor.
He told the House that the current policy of the ministry was that where there was a mission hospital in a district, the government would support the development of the hospital rather than build another one to compete with it.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, has said the ministry is taking steps to improve supervision in public basic schools in the country to ensure that teachers offer their best to enhance academic standards.
These steps, he said, included the review of head teachers’ handbook and School Management Committee (SMC) manual to reflect and strengthen the current monitoring and supervision practices, improving mobility of circuit supervisors with the supply of motorbikes and the collaboration with civil society organisations in carrying out research into school administration and management with the view to exposing the weakness in school supervision.
Answering questions in Parliament yesterday, Mr Tettey-Enyo, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ada, added that the ministry would also strengthen the capacity of district directorates by providing them with vehicles to carry out school monitoring and inspection and establish the National Inspectorate Board.
The Member of Parliament for Asunafo South, Mr George Yaw Boakye, who posed the question, wanted to know what pragmatic steps the ministry had put in place to improve supervision in public basic schools in the country.
He also wanted to know what measures had been put in place to ensure the early completion of the boy’s dormitory at the Kukuom Agricultural Senior High School funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).
The minister explained that currently interviews were being conducted for the recruitment of personnel for the establishment of the National Inspectorate Board.
On the dormitory project, Mr Tettey-Enyo said the two-storey building was awarded on contract in 2007 at a contract sum of GH¢295,891 to be completed within a period of 12 months and explained that towards the end of the contract period, it was observed that the contractor was not working according to schedule because of technical problems and delays in the payment of certificates on the project.
He gave assurance that the ministry, through the GETFund, would expedite action on the payment of outstanding certificates, adding that the project was now scheduled to be completed by the end of October, 2010.
When it was his turn, the MP for Ablekuma Central, Mr Theophilus Tetteh Chaie, asked the minister what the ministry was doing to ensure that facilitators of the Non-Formal Education literacy classes were motivated during and after their services to the various communities.
Replying, Mr Tettey-Enyo said to sustain the volunteer facilitator before, during and after the 21-month cycle of service, the ministry, through the Non-Formal Education Division (NFED), had put in place some measures including award of certificates to the facilitators, regular visits by the regional and district officers and monitoring from the headquarters.
He indicated that the challenge facing the NFED at the moment was inadequate incentives to cover the last batch of facilitators.
Mr Tettey-Enyo said, however, that GH¢30,000.00 had been allocated in the ministry’s 2010 budget under investment for the purchase of incentives for the facilitators.
Also in the House to answer questions was the Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor.
He told the House that the current policy of the ministry was that where there was a mission hospital in a district, the government would support the development of the hospital rather than build another one to compete with it.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Parliament to vet new ministers
Page 16, Feb 9, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Appointments Committee of Parliament is expected to vet new ministers who have been nominated by President John Evans Atta Mills within the week.
The ministerial nominees expected to be vetted are the Majority Leader, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin for the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr John Tia, Deputy Majority Leader for the Ministry of Information, and Mr E.T. Mensah, the Majority Chief Whip, who has been nominated for the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare.
Also to be vetted is the runningmate of President Mills during the 2000 elections, Mr Martin Amidu who has been nominated to replace Mr Cletus Avoka as the Minister of the Interior.
The rest are Mr John Gyetuah, Deputy Minister of Trade, who has been nominated at a Minister of State at the Presidency and Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Presidential Spokesperson, also nominated as the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry.
The Director of Public Affairs of Parliament, Mr Jones Kugblenu, confirmed this to the Daily Graphic and stated that the vetting of the ministerial nominees had already been published in the dailies to invite memoranda from the general public.
The public is expected to fill the Speaker’s Conference Room, where the vetting will take place to witness the vetting of Mr Bagbin in particular.
For more than eight years, Mr Bagbin, then the Minority Leader, caught national attention with his incisive questions for nominees during sittings of the Appointments Committee.
His nomination for the ministerial position caused a stir due to the sterling leadership he provided to the NDC, both as the Minority and Majority Leader.
Both MPs from the Majority and Minority sides expressed worry over why such experienced legislators could be drafted into the executive, creating a vacuum in Parliament.
He is among the few experienced legislators the country could boast of, having contested the Nadowli West seat in the Upper West Region and won on every occasion.
For Mr Tia, who is a professional journalist, it would be a back-to-base affair if his nomination is approved by Parliament.
Mr Tia is one of the MPs who are serving their fifth term in Parliament and it is expected that he would bring his rich experience as a journalist and veteran legislator to bear on the performance of the Information Ministry.
E.T. Mensah is not new to Ghanaian politics as he served the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive and Minister of Sports during the Rawlings era.
Indeed, the public would be on the lookout to see whether these experienced legislators would be “grilled” as they face their own colleagues or would be treated with kid gloves.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Appointments Committee of Parliament is expected to vet new ministers who have been nominated by President John Evans Atta Mills within the week.
The ministerial nominees expected to be vetted are the Majority Leader, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin for the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr John Tia, Deputy Majority Leader for the Ministry of Information, and Mr E.T. Mensah, the Majority Chief Whip, who has been nominated for the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare.
Also to be vetted is the runningmate of President Mills during the 2000 elections, Mr Martin Amidu who has been nominated to replace Mr Cletus Avoka as the Minister of the Interior.
The rest are Mr John Gyetuah, Deputy Minister of Trade, who has been nominated at a Minister of State at the Presidency and Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Presidential Spokesperson, also nominated as the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry.
The Director of Public Affairs of Parliament, Mr Jones Kugblenu, confirmed this to the Daily Graphic and stated that the vetting of the ministerial nominees had already been published in the dailies to invite memoranda from the general public.
The public is expected to fill the Speaker’s Conference Room, where the vetting will take place to witness the vetting of Mr Bagbin in particular.
For more than eight years, Mr Bagbin, then the Minority Leader, caught national attention with his incisive questions for nominees during sittings of the Appointments Committee.
His nomination for the ministerial position caused a stir due to the sterling leadership he provided to the NDC, both as the Minority and Majority Leader.
Both MPs from the Majority and Minority sides expressed worry over why such experienced legislators could be drafted into the executive, creating a vacuum in Parliament.
He is among the few experienced legislators the country could boast of, having contested the Nadowli West seat in the Upper West Region and won on every occasion.
For Mr Tia, who is a professional journalist, it would be a back-to-base affair if his nomination is approved by Parliament.
Mr Tia is one of the MPs who are serving their fifth term in Parliament and it is expected that he would bring his rich experience as a journalist and veteran legislator to bear on the performance of the Information Ministry.
E.T. Mensah is not new to Ghanaian politics as he served the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive and Minister of Sports during the Rawlings era.
Indeed, the public would be on the lookout to see whether these experienced legislators would be “grilled” as they face their own colleagues or would be treated with kid gloves.
Three energy providers make case for new tariffs
Backpage, Feb 9, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Chief Executive Officer of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Mr Kweku Awortwi, has stated that arrears owed the authority by the government and the low tariffs currently being charged will bring its operations to a halt some time this year if the situation is not fully addressed and resolved.
He has, therefore, called for the settlement of the arrears, in addition to the payment of the right price by consumers, to ensure the payment of the cost of production and the provision of adequate maintenance of the system that had been under-invested for many years.
Mr Awortwi made the call when he, in the company of the heads of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), addressed the media to explain to the public the need for the adjustment in electricity tariffs.
He noted that the VRA experienced increasing difficulty procuring its monthly crude oil needs to run its thermal facilities, explaining that its monthly crude bills of between $30 million and $40 million were not being covered by the current electricity tariff of 6Gp per kilowatt (or 4 cents per kilowatt).
Although the heads of the three institutions who addressed the media refused to tell how much they were demanding as tariff increase, the PURC has confirmed that in all they are demanding a total of 437 per cent increase.
While the VRA, which generates the energy, is demanding a 115 per cent increase, the GRIDCo, which undertakes the transmission of power to the ECG, is asking for 173 per cent, with the ECG, which distributes the power to consumers, asking for a 109 per cent increase.
For his part, the Managing Director of the ECG, Mr Cephas Gakpo, said the company required an average of $180 million to meet its annual investment in order to meet the growing need for electricity in the country.
He explained that the current tariff allowed the ECG to internally generate only $30 million annually to support its capital investment projects, explaining that that would not enable it to satisfy the seven per cent energy demand growth of the country.
Mr Gakpo stated that as a result of obsolete machinery, the company incurred 12 per cent technical losses and an additional 13 per cent commercial losses (electricity theft) and appealed to Ghanaians to assist it to effect the arrest of such perpetrators.
The Chief Executive Officer of GRIDCo, Mr Charles Darku, explained that the peak power demand in Accra had grown from about 110 megawatts in 1990 to about 400 megawatts in 2009, with three lines from the Volta to Achimota continuing to serve that load.
He said the total transformer capacity of Accra was about 415 megawatts, implying that the transformer capacity of Accra had almost been exhausted.
Mr Darku said his outfit had drawn up a five-year capital investment programme to cater for the construction of transmission lines and substations, the installation of transformers and substation equipment and the provision of tools for maintenance and operations.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Chief Executive Officer of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Mr Kweku Awortwi, has stated that arrears owed the authority by the government and the low tariffs currently being charged will bring its operations to a halt some time this year if the situation is not fully addressed and resolved.
He has, therefore, called for the settlement of the arrears, in addition to the payment of the right price by consumers, to ensure the payment of the cost of production and the provision of adequate maintenance of the system that had been under-invested for many years.
Mr Awortwi made the call when he, in the company of the heads of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), addressed the media to explain to the public the need for the adjustment in electricity tariffs.
He noted that the VRA experienced increasing difficulty procuring its monthly crude oil needs to run its thermal facilities, explaining that its monthly crude bills of between $30 million and $40 million were not being covered by the current electricity tariff of 6Gp per kilowatt (or 4 cents per kilowatt).
Although the heads of the three institutions who addressed the media refused to tell how much they were demanding as tariff increase, the PURC has confirmed that in all they are demanding a total of 437 per cent increase.
While the VRA, which generates the energy, is demanding a 115 per cent increase, the GRIDCo, which undertakes the transmission of power to the ECG, is asking for 173 per cent, with the ECG, which distributes the power to consumers, asking for a 109 per cent increase.
For his part, the Managing Director of the ECG, Mr Cephas Gakpo, said the company required an average of $180 million to meet its annual investment in order to meet the growing need for electricity in the country.
He explained that the current tariff allowed the ECG to internally generate only $30 million annually to support its capital investment projects, explaining that that would not enable it to satisfy the seven per cent energy demand growth of the country.
Mr Gakpo stated that as a result of obsolete machinery, the company incurred 12 per cent technical losses and an additional 13 per cent commercial losses (electricity theft) and appealed to Ghanaians to assist it to effect the arrest of such perpetrators.
The Chief Executive Officer of GRIDCo, Mr Charles Darku, explained that the peak power demand in Accra had grown from about 110 megawatts in 1990 to about 400 megawatts in 2009, with three lines from the Volta to Achimota continuing to serve that load.
He said the total transformer capacity of Accra was about 415 megawatts, implying that the transformer capacity of Accra had almost been exhausted.
Mr Darku said his outfit had drawn up a five-year capital investment programme to cater for the construction of transmission lines and substations, the installation of transformers and substation equipment and the provision of tools for maintenance and operations.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Dan Lartey laid to rest
Centre spread, Feb 8, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Henrietta Brocke
IT was a real celebration of life as hundreds of mourners and sympathisers from all walks of life converged on the forecourt of the State House, Accra, last Saturday to participate in the funeral and burial service of the veteran politician, Daniel Lartey.
The casket bearing the remains of the Mr Lartey, 83, who passed away in his sleep at his “Citadel House” residence at Kaneshie, was placed under a decorated tent for the public to file past.
Vice-President John Dramani Mahama led the government delegation to pay their last respects to Mr Lartey, popularly called “Domestication”, the founder and leader of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP).
Also present were the former Vice–President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama; the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood; the Election 2008 flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo-Danquah Akuffo Addo; the Chairman of the NDC, Dr Kwabena Adjei; the NDC Secretary, Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah; the Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu; Members of Parliament (MPs), the Leader of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Mr T.N. Ward Brew, and Mr Ansa Asare of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP).
Others were the Central Regional Minister, Ms Ama Benyiwa-Doe; the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Alex Segbefia, and the NDC National Women’s Organiser, Anita Jemima De-Sosoo.
Preaching the sermon, the Anglican Archbishop of the Cardinal Province of West Africa, the Most Rev Dr Justice Ofei Akrofi, said the best tribute Ghanaian politicians could pay Mr Lartey was to emulate his principle of basing his campaign on issues rather than attacking personalities.
He said aside from making his indelible mark on the political scene in his ‘domestication’ mantra, Mr Lartey never attacked any personality but explained issues.
Dr Adjei, on behalf of the government, noted that the idea of domestication would not be overthrown.
He said Mr Lartey was really self-reliant and self-sufficient and shared his ideology with other political parties for the development of the country.
The government donated GH¢10,000, while the NDC donated GH¢2,000 to support the family.
In her tribute, the widow, Mrs Sarah Lartey, praised her husband for his love, saying, “Your spirit lives on; your words will bring me strength and your promise will fill my heart with peace.”
For her part, the CPP MP for Jomoro, Ms Samia Nkrumah, called on all Nkrumaists to honour the late Lartey by coming under one umbrella.
“So as we bid farewell to an inspired Nkrumaist, we pay tribute to him and all departed pioneers by pledging to forge ahead with the domestication campaign and to unite the Nkrumaist front — the CPP, the PNC, the GCPP and other splinter groups — in order to establish a viable alternative force that will lead our country and people to economic self-reliance without fail,” she said.
The body was later conveyed to the Osu Cemetery for interment.
A former publisher and labour unionist, Mr Lartey's name became a household one following his 2004 mantra of ‘domestication’, the political philosophy of growing Ghana from Ghana, instead of depending on foreign aid and investments.
His political career started in 1969 when he contested the Gomoa East Constituency seat on the ticket of the National Alliance of Liberals (NAL) in the parliamentary election of that year.
In 1972, he was appointed a special adviser to General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong’s National Redemption Council (NRC) government and in 1978 he represented Gomoa-Ewutu-Effutu at the Constituent Assembly to write the Third Republican Constitution.
He was a founder member of the People's National Party (PNP) in 1979 and aspiring presidential candidate of the National Independence Party (NIP) in 1992, losing to Mr Kwabena Darko.
With signs of old age and its attendant ill health, Mr Lartey returned to Ghana on November 29, 2009 after a six-month visit to the United States of America (USA) where he had received medical treatment, but he passed away on Monday, December 28, 2009.
Mr Lartey, who was the 2000 and 2004 presidential candidate of the GCPP, was born on August 1, 1926 at Winneba in the Central Region.
After his elementary education in Ghana, he proceeded to the UK, where he obtained a diploma at the London Chamber of Commerce and Sloan's Shorthand Certificate of Proficiency. He also obtained a diploma in Commerce and Industry from the London School of Economics in 1956.
From 1944 to 1958, Mr Lartey worked with the then United Africa Company (UAC), where he rose to senior management status and was posted to its headquarters at the Unilever House in London.
He established a number of businesses, including Lartey & Lartey Books and Stationery, which later became the nucleus of Ghana Book Supply, Citadel Printing Press and the Federal Stores of Nigeria.
Mr Lartey also established five newspapers — the Citadel Daily, African World, Citadel Sports, The Guardian and The Guardian Sports.
Later in life, he became the Odikro of Gomoa Lome in the Central Region but had to vacate the stool when he decided to engage in active political party activities in 1992.
He left behind six children and his 87-year-old widow, Sarah.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Henrietta Brocke
IT was a real celebration of life as hundreds of mourners and sympathisers from all walks of life converged on the forecourt of the State House, Accra, last Saturday to participate in the funeral and burial service of the veteran politician, Daniel Lartey.
The casket bearing the remains of the Mr Lartey, 83, who passed away in his sleep at his “Citadel House” residence at Kaneshie, was placed under a decorated tent for the public to file past.
Vice-President John Dramani Mahama led the government delegation to pay their last respects to Mr Lartey, popularly called “Domestication”, the founder and leader of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP).
Also present were the former Vice–President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama; the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood; the Election 2008 flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo-Danquah Akuffo Addo; the Chairman of the NDC, Dr Kwabena Adjei; the NDC Secretary, Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah; the Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu; Members of Parliament (MPs), the Leader of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Mr T.N. Ward Brew, and Mr Ansa Asare of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP).
Others were the Central Regional Minister, Ms Ama Benyiwa-Doe; the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Alex Segbefia, and the NDC National Women’s Organiser, Anita Jemima De-Sosoo.
Preaching the sermon, the Anglican Archbishop of the Cardinal Province of West Africa, the Most Rev Dr Justice Ofei Akrofi, said the best tribute Ghanaian politicians could pay Mr Lartey was to emulate his principle of basing his campaign on issues rather than attacking personalities.
He said aside from making his indelible mark on the political scene in his ‘domestication’ mantra, Mr Lartey never attacked any personality but explained issues.
Dr Adjei, on behalf of the government, noted that the idea of domestication would not be overthrown.
He said Mr Lartey was really self-reliant and self-sufficient and shared his ideology with other political parties for the development of the country.
The government donated GH¢10,000, while the NDC donated GH¢2,000 to support the family.
In her tribute, the widow, Mrs Sarah Lartey, praised her husband for his love, saying, “Your spirit lives on; your words will bring me strength and your promise will fill my heart with peace.”
For her part, the CPP MP for Jomoro, Ms Samia Nkrumah, called on all Nkrumaists to honour the late Lartey by coming under one umbrella.
“So as we bid farewell to an inspired Nkrumaist, we pay tribute to him and all departed pioneers by pledging to forge ahead with the domestication campaign and to unite the Nkrumaist front — the CPP, the PNC, the GCPP and other splinter groups — in order to establish a viable alternative force that will lead our country and people to economic self-reliance without fail,” she said.
The body was later conveyed to the Osu Cemetery for interment.
A former publisher and labour unionist, Mr Lartey's name became a household one following his 2004 mantra of ‘domestication’, the political philosophy of growing Ghana from Ghana, instead of depending on foreign aid and investments.
His political career started in 1969 when he contested the Gomoa East Constituency seat on the ticket of the National Alliance of Liberals (NAL) in the parliamentary election of that year.
In 1972, he was appointed a special adviser to General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong’s National Redemption Council (NRC) government and in 1978 he represented Gomoa-Ewutu-Effutu at the Constituent Assembly to write the Third Republican Constitution.
He was a founder member of the People's National Party (PNP) in 1979 and aspiring presidential candidate of the National Independence Party (NIP) in 1992, losing to Mr Kwabena Darko.
With signs of old age and its attendant ill health, Mr Lartey returned to Ghana on November 29, 2009 after a six-month visit to the United States of America (USA) where he had received medical treatment, but he passed away on Monday, December 28, 2009.
Mr Lartey, who was the 2000 and 2004 presidential candidate of the GCPP, was born on August 1, 1926 at Winneba in the Central Region.
After his elementary education in Ghana, he proceeded to the UK, where he obtained a diploma at the London Chamber of Commerce and Sloan's Shorthand Certificate of Proficiency. He also obtained a diploma in Commerce and Industry from the London School of Economics in 1956.
From 1944 to 1958, Mr Lartey worked with the then United Africa Company (UAC), where he rose to senior management status and was posted to its headquarters at the Unilever House in London.
He established a number of businesses, including Lartey & Lartey Books and Stationery, which later became the nucleus of Ghana Book Supply, Citadel Printing Press and the Federal Stores of Nigeria.
Mr Lartey also established five newspapers — the Citadel Daily, African World, Citadel Sports, The Guardian and The Guardian Sports.
Later in life, he became the Odikro of Gomoa Lome in the Central Region but had to vacate the stool when he decided to engage in active political party activities in 1992.
He left behind six children and his 87-year-old widow, Sarah.
Parliament approves loan for Awoshie-Pokuase road
Page 13, Feb 6, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
PARLIAMENT has approved a 30 million euro loan agreement between Ghana and Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) for to finance the Awoshie-Pokuase Road and Community Development Project.
The Awoshie-Pokuase area is a rapidly developing community, as a result of Accra’s urban spill, with an estimated physical growth of more than nine per cent per annum.
The situation has made it difficult for residents to meet service demands of residents regarding transportation, health, education, water and sanitation.
The road construction project therefore aims to promote sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty through employment and income generation opportunities.
The report of the Finance Committee of Parliament indicated that the primary and direct project beneficiaries span across Awoshie, Anyaa, Ablekuma, Amamorley and Ayawaso in the Ga West and South municipalities.
The report added that the total estimated cost of the project, excluding taxes and duties, is 98.67 million euros with AFD providing 30 million euros, African Development Bank (ADB), 62.54 million euros with the government providing a counterpart fund of 6.13 million euros.
It said a a technical team from the Ministry of Road and Highways explained to the committee that the government’s counterpart funds consisted essentially of compensation and resettlement costs and that provision had been made in the ministry’s budget for 2010.
The project would affect approximately 274 persons who own 303 permanent structures, among which are dwelling homes and businesses, and 659 persons who own 715 temporary structures.
While compensation would be provided to occupants and owners of permanent structures who would be displaced, occupants of temporary structures would be entitled to supplementary assistance to aide them in relocating their premises.
The committee, the report said advised the Ministry of Road and Highways to work together to secure the ADF resources in time to ensure that the project did not get stalled midway.
Actual construction of the project, which would last for four years, is expected to begin by the end of September, this year.
Contributing to the ensuing debate on the loan, the Member of Parliament for Weija, Ms Sherry Ayokor Botchway, expressed her joy over the approval ,saying that she hoped that the completion of the project would bring comfort to her constituents.
In another development, the House also gave its approval to a 10 million euro agreement between Ghana and the KFW of Germany to finance the Out-grower Value Chain Fund (OVCF).
The fund seeks to improve the income of the target group, especially small-scale farmers, in an effort to reduce rural poverty as part of the overall goal of Ghana’s Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS II).
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
PARLIAMENT has approved a 30 million euro loan agreement between Ghana and Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) for to finance the Awoshie-Pokuase Road and Community Development Project.
The Awoshie-Pokuase area is a rapidly developing community, as a result of Accra’s urban spill, with an estimated physical growth of more than nine per cent per annum.
The situation has made it difficult for residents to meet service demands of residents regarding transportation, health, education, water and sanitation.
The road construction project therefore aims to promote sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty through employment and income generation opportunities.
The report of the Finance Committee of Parliament indicated that the primary and direct project beneficiaries span across Awoshie, Anyaa, Ablekuma, Amamorley and Ayawaso in the Ga West and South municipalities.
The report added that the total estimated cost of the project, excluding taxes and duties, is 98.67 million euros with AFD providing 30 million euros, African Development Bank (ADB), 62.54 million euros with the government providing a counterpart fund of 6.13 million euros.
It said a a technical team from the Ministry of Road and Highways explained to the committee that the government’s counterpart funds consisted essentially of compensation and resettlement costs and that provision had been made in the ministry’s budget for 2010.
The project would affect approximately 274 persons who own 303 permanent structures, among which are dwelling homes and businesses, and 659 persons who own 715 temporary structures.
While compensation would be provided to occupants and owners of permanent structures who would be displaced, occupants of temporary structures would be entitled to supplementary assistance to aide them in relocating their premises.
The committee, the report said advised the Ministry of Road and Highways to work together to secure the ADF resources in time to ensure that the project did not get stalled midway.
Actual construction of the project, which would last for four years, is expected to begin by the end of September, this year.
Contributing to the ensuing debate on the loan, the Member of Parliament for Weija, Ms Sherry Ayokor Botchway, expressed her joy over the approval ,saying that she hoped that the completion of the project would bring comfort to her constituents.
In another development, the House also gave its approval to a 10 million euro agreement between Ghana and the KFW of Germany to finance the Out-grower Value Chain Fund (OVCF).
The fund seeks to improve the income of the target group, especially small-scale farmers, in an effort to reduce rural poverty as part of the overall goal of Ghana’s Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS II).
Right to Information Bill introduced in Parliament
Page 13, Feb 6, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
AFTER years of public discussions and lobbying by civil society organisations, the Right to Information Bill was finally laid before Parliament yesterday.
The Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Ebo Barton-Odro, laid the bill on behalf of the substantive minister, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu.
The passage of the bill was one of the campaign promises of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The Speaker of Parliament, Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo, referred the bill to the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee of the House after it had gone through its first reading stage.
The right to information is a fundamental human right guaranteed by the Constitution and it is recognised as a right by international conventions on human rights.
Article 21 (1) (f) of the 1992 Constitution provides that all persons have the right to information subject to such qualifications and laws as are necessary in a democratic society.
According to the memorandum covering the 30 page bill, the purpose of the bill is, therefore to give substance to that constitutional provision by providing for (a) access to official information held by government agencies and (b) the qualifications and conditions under which the access should be obtained.
The bill has 66 clauses explaining how information could be obtained, as well as exemptions.
It is expected to be scrutinised by the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee during which some amendments would be proposed before it is sent back to the House for the remaining processes of its passage.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
AFTER years of public discussions and lobbying by civil society organisations, the Right to Information Bill was finally laid before Parliament yesterday.
The Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Ebo Barton-Odro, laid the bill on behalf of the substantive minister, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu.
The passage of the bill was one of the campaign promises of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The Speaker of Parliament, Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo, referred the bill to the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee of the House after it had gone through its first reading stage.
The right to information is a fundamental human right guaranteed by the Constitution and it is recognised as a right by international conventions on human rights.
Article 21 (1) (f) of the 1992 Constitution provides that all persons have the right to information subject to such qualifications and laws as are necessary in a democratic society.
According to the memorandum covering the 30 page bill, the purpose of the bill is, therefore to give substance to that constitutional provision by providing for (a) access to official information held by government agencies and (b) the qualifications and conditions under which the access should be obtained.
The bill has 66 clauses explaining how information could be obtained, as well as exemptions.
It is expected to be scrutinised by the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee during which some amendments would be proposed before it is sent back to the House for the remaining processes of its passage.
Armed Forces Recruitment resumes• 46,124 apply
Frontpage (Lead), Feb 5, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
RECRUITMENT into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), which was suspended last year amidst accusations of impropriety, is to resume next month, the Defence Minister, Lt Gen. J.H. Smith, has told Parliament.
He indicated that 46,124 people had applied to be enlisted by the December 31, 2009 deadline given the exercise which was widely publicised.
The minister told Parliament, however, that only 7,357 applicants met the general eligibility and educational requirements for the recruitment exercise.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkoranza North, Major Derek Yaw Oduro (retd), had asked the minister when the recruitment of new military personnel for 2010 would commence.
The minister explained that invitation letters were being dispatched to shortlisted applicants, saying that would be completed by February 12, 2010.
Lt Gen Smith said candidates who would pass the regional screening exercises on the basis of technical or trade qualifications would be called to Accra for trade tests from March 8 to 19, 2010, adding that those who would pass, including the non-tradesmen, would be called for training after passing a medical examination.
He explained further that it was projected that 800 people would be recruited into the Army, 200 into the Navy and another 200 into the Air Force.
As to whether those whose recruitment was suspended last year would be given priority, the minister declined any comment but stated that every citizen who qualified had the right to apply.
He also indicated that efforts had been made to ensure regional balance and that all applicants who met the required criteria would be offered the chance to serve the country in the GAF.
Answering another question, also posed by Major Oduro, the minister stated that a 482-acre land allocated to the ministry for the construction of accommodation for military personnel had been massively encroached upon, leaving only two acres.
Lt Gen Smith said t the GAF was currently facing very acute accommodation problems which had affected the morale of the troops.
He said the forces, therefore, intended to complete the five prototype buildings which had already been roofed and three other houses which were being constructed to be used to accommodate senior non-commissioned officers.
Responding to further follow-up questions, the minister disclosed that a committee had been formed to come up with recommendations on the encroachment of military land countrywide to enable the ministry to take the necessary action.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
RECRUITMENT into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), which was suspended last year amidst accusations of impropriety, is to resume next month, the Defence Minister, Lt Gen. J.H. Smith, has told Parliament.
He indicated that 46,124 people had applied to be enlisted by the December 31, 2009 deadline given the exercise which was widely publicised.
The minister told Parliament, however, that only 7,357 applicants met the general eligibility and educational requirements for the recruitment exercise.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkoranza North, Major Derek Yaw Oduro (retd), had asked the minister when the recruitment of new military personnel for 2010 would commence.
The minister explained that invitation letters were being dispatched to shortlisted applicants, saying that would be completed by February 12, 2010.
Lt Gen Smith said candidates who would pass the regional screening exercises on the basis of technical or trade qualifications would be called to Accra for trade tests from March 8 to 19, 2010, adding that those who would pass, including the non-tradesmen, would be called for training after passing a medical examination.
He explained further that it was projected that 800 people would be recruited into the Army, 200 into the Navy and another 200 into the Air Force.
As to whether those whose recruitment was suspended last year would be given priority, the minister declined any comment but stated that every citizen who qualified had the right to apply.
He also indicated that efforts had been made to ensure regional balance and that all applicants who met the required criteria would be offered the chance to serve the country in the GAF.
Answering another question, also posed by Major Oduro, the minister stated that a 482-acre land allocated to the ministry for the construction of accommodation for military personnel had been massively encroached upon, leaving only two acres.
Lt Gen Smith said t the GAF was currently facing very acute accommodation problems which had affected the morale of the troops.
He said the forces, therefore, intended to complete the five prototype buildings which had already been roofed and three other houses which were being constructed to be used to accommodate senior non-commissioned officers.
Responding to further follow-up questions, the minister disclosed that a committee had been formed to come up with recommendations on the encroachment of military land countrywide to enable the ministry to take the necessary action.
‘Establish Financial Authority to regulate financial market’
Page 15, Feb 4, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for New Juaben North, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, has called for the establishment of a Financial Services Authority (FSA) and Financial Ombudsman to regulate the financial market in the country.
He explained that the FSA aimed at promoting an efficient, orderly and fair financial market to help retail financial service consumers get a fair deal.
In a statement on the floor of Parliament, the MP said that the Financial Ombudsman’s main task would be to settle individual complaints between consumers and businesses providing financial services such as insurance, mortgages, investments, pensions, stocks, bonds and money transfer.
“The Financial Ombudsman is independent and impartial and although its findings do not prevent one from going to court, in most instances the parties accept its jurisdiction,” he said.
He said his request would necessitate the introduction of a bill to Parliament to establish the two authorities.
Quoting a letter he sent to the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, and copied to the President, Mr Owusu-Agyeman noted that the Bank of Ghana lacked the authority and capacity to ‘chaperone’ the interests of the ordinary Ghanaian or businessman.
He stated that what was required, therefore, was a fresh look at the banking sector and to put in place regulatory mechanisms that would enforce equity and fairness.
Mr Owusu-Agyeman opined that with the present modus operandi of the Monetary Committee, the Bank of Ghana would have no moral authority to play the role of an unbiased, fair and firm regulator in the interest of the people.
He stated that recent global financial situations had underlined the need for an effective regulatory mechanism and also to ensure an effective regulatory voice for the voiceless.
In another development, the Second Deputy Speaker and Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, Professor Mike Oquaye, has expressed concern about the encroachment on lands belonging to the Achimota School in Accra.
“Madam Speaker, one most disturbing news in Ghana today, is what some Ghanaians are doing to a vital national heritage – Achimota School”, he said
In a statement in Parliament, he said following the publication on Friday, January 29 in the Daily Graphic, he visited the school out of national concern.
He said he had learnt that the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) had asked for the closure of the school as the sewerage system had collapsed due to the activities of encroachers who were building on the land in that part of the school, where the entire sewerage system had been channelled.
“ People are building unlawfully on the main channels, causing the system to collapse” he noted, and called on Ghanaians who cared to visit the school to see the broken main lines, gushing of human excreta and liquid waste plus foul stench which engulf the hemisphere”.
He stated that in the late 1980’s, the Board of the School made the tragic mistake of attempting to sell a portion of the school’s land to certain individuals, adding that the board had no legal right to sell Achimota School lands which were by law vested in the Head of State of Ghana.
The Speaker referred the matter to the Ministry of Education for the appropriate action to save the school from the encroachers.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for New Juaben North, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, has called for the establishment of a Financial Services Authority (FSA) and Financial Ombudsman to regulate the financial market in the country.
He explained that the FSA aimed at promoting an efficient, orderly and fair financial market to help retail financial service consumers get a fair deal.
In a statement on the floor of Parliament, the MP said that the Financial Ombudsman’s main task would be to settle individual complaints between consumers and businesses providing financial services such as insurance, mortgages, investments, pensions, stocks, bonds and money transfer.
“The Financial Ombudsman is independent and impartial and although its findings do not prevent one from going to court, in most instances the parties accept its jurisdiction,” he said.
He said his request would necessitate the introduction of a bill to Parliament to establish the two authorities.
Quoting a letter he sent to the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, and copied to the President, Mr Owusu-Agyeman noted that the Bank of Ghana lacked the authority and capacity to ‘chaperone’ the interests of the ordinary Ghanaian or businessman.
He stated that what was required, therefore, was a fresh look at the banking sector and to put in place regulatory mechanisms that would enforce equity and fairness.
Mr Owusu-Agyeman opined that with the present modus operandi of the Monetary Committee, the Bank of Ghana would have no moral authority to play the role of an unbiased, fair and firm regulator in the interest of the people.
He stated that recent global financial situations had underlined the need for an effective regulatory mechanism and also to ensure an effective regulatory voice for the voiceless.
In another development, the Second Deputy Speaker and Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, Professor Mike Oquaye, has expressed concern about the encroachment on lands belonging to the Achimota School in Accra.
“Madam Speaker, one most disturbing news in Ghana today, is what some Ghanaians are doing to a vital national heritage – Achimota School”, he said
In a statement in Parliament, he said following the publication on Friday, January 29 in the Daily Graphic, he visited the school out of national concern.
He said he had learnt that the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) had asked for the closure of the school as the sewerage system had collapsed due to the activities of encroachers who were building on the land in that part of the school, where the entire sewerage system had been channelled.
“ People are building unlawfully on the main channels, causing the system to collapse” he noted, and called on Ghanaians who cared to visit the school to see the broken main lines, gushing of human excreta and liquid waste plus foul stench which engulf the hemisphere”.
He stated that in the late 1980’s, the Board of the School made the tragic mistake of attempting to sell a portion of the school’s land to certain individuals, adding that the board had no legal right to sell Achimota School lands which were by law vested in the Head of State of Ghana.
The Speaker referred the matter to the Ministry of Education for the appropriate action to save the school from the encroachers.
Fifi Kwetey prevented from answering questions
Page 17, Feb 3, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE MINORITY in Parliament on Tuesday objected to the appearance of a Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Fifi Kwetey, before the House to answer questions on behalf of the substantive minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, on some of the economic policies of the government.
Their objection, which was upheld by the Speaker, Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo, prevented the deputy minister from answering the question posed by the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim Swedru, Mr Joseph Ampomah Bosompem.
The MP had asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning what practical measures the government was taking to stimulate productivity and economic growth and another one enquiring about measures being put in place to reinvigorate the private sector to absorb the teeming unemployed youth into the public sector.
The Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, in his objection, stated that since the questions bordered on the core issues of the government’s economic policies, it would be better handled by the substantive minister.
He also explained that the answer given in the last Friday’s order paper, which could not be presented by the Finance Minister, was different from the one that was provided in today’s (Tuesday) order paper.
Not even the explanation by the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr John Akologu Tia, could compel the Minority to budge from their resolve not to allow the deputy minister to carry out the assignment assigned to him by his boss.
Mr Tia also explained that it was a convention in the House for deputy ministers to stand in for their substantive minister to answer question and thereby saw no reason why Mr Kwetey should be prevented from standing in for his boss.
He added that the Dr Duffuor was not in the House because he had joined the President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, to meet some officials of the Millennium Development Account (MiDA) for some discussions.
The Speaker explained that the permission for deputy ministers to answer questions was based on the acceptance of indulgence sought by the Majority Leadership “and since the Minority had requested for the presence of the substantive minister, I rule that the Minister should come to answer the question”.
As if the Speaker’s ruling had totally settled the matter, the House had to spent more time to debate whether the Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, who was also in the House, should answer questions on behalf of his boss, Mr Joe Gidisu.
Although, Mr Tia’s request for him to answer the questions was granted, the shout of no, no, no by the back-benchers of the Majority side compelled him to ask the Speaker to stand down the questions for a later date.
The Minority argued that after the House had granted the request of the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr Tia, to enable Mr Mettle-Nunoo to answer the question, he (Mr Tia) had no justification to request that the questions should be stand down.
Meanwhile, Dr Duffuor had stated that he was prepared to appear before the House to answer the questions next week.
He told the Daily Graphic after the adjournment of yesterday’s sitting of the House that he was unable to appear before the Parliament to answer the questions himself because he joined the President to meet officials of the MiDA.
He said even though he came to the House after the earlier incident, the meeting had almost ended and gave assurance that he would personally come to the House to answer the questions next week.
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE MINORITY in Parliament on Tuesday objected to the appearance of a Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Fifi Kwetey, before the House to answer questions on behalf of the substantive minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, on some of the economic policies of the government.
Their objection, which was upheld by the Speaker, Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo, prevented the deputy minister from answering the question posed by the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim Swedru, Mr Joseph Ampomah Bosompem.
The MP had asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning what practical measures the government was taking to stimulate productivity and economic growth and another one enquiring about measures being put in place to reinvigorate the private sector to absorb the teeming unemployed youth into the public sector.
The Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, in his objection, stated that since the questions bordered on the core issues of the government’s economic policies, it would be better handled by the substantive minister.
He also explained that the answer given in the last Friday’s order paper, which could not be presented by the Finance Minister, was different from the one that was provided in today’s (Tuesday) order paper.
Not even the explanation by the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr John Akologu Tia, could compel the Minority to budge from their resolve not to allow the deputy minister to carry out the assignment assigned to him by his boss.
Mr Tia also explained that it was a convention in the House for deputy ministers to stand in for their substantive minister to answer question and thereby saw no reason why Mr Kwetey should be prevented from standing in for his boss.
He added that the Dr Duffuor was not in the House because he had joined the President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, to meet some officials of the Millennium Development Account (MiDA) for some discussions.
The Speaker explained that the permission for deputy ministers to answer questions was based on the acceptance of indulgence sought by the Majority Leadership “and since the Minority had requested for the presence of the substantive minister, I rule that the Minister should come to answer the question”.
As if the Speaker’s ruling had totally settled the matter, the House had to spent more time to debate whether the Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, who was also in the House, should answer questions on behalf of his boss, Mr Joe Gidisu.
Although, Mr Tia’s request for him to answer the questions was granted, the shout of no, no, no by the back-benchers of the Majority side compelled him to ask the Speaker to stand down the questions for a later date.
The Minority argued that after the House had granted the request of the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr Tia, to enable Mr Mettle-Nunoo to answer the question, he (Mr Tia) had no justification to request that the questions should be stand down.
Meanwhile, Dr Duffuor had stated that he was prepared to appear before the House to answer the questions next week.
He told the Daily Graphic after the adjournment of yesterday’s sitting of the House that he was unable to appear before the Parliament to answer the questions himself because he joined the President to meet officials of the MiDA.
He said even though he came to the House after the earlier incident, the meeting had almost ended and gave assurance that he would personally come to the House to answer the questions next week.
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