Saturday, 14th December, 2019 edition of The Big Issue with sit-in host, Duke Mensah Opoku.

On this edition the show looked at IMANI Africa’s assessment of fulfilled campaign promises by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, the Center for Democratic Development’s survey on what political party Ghanaians are likely to vote for should elections be held tomorrow, as well as the controversial IPAC meeting that saw the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other political parties walk out.

The post The Big Issue, Saturday, 14th December, 2019 appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Speaker was not in his chair throughout the week because he was not available but in my view, that did not in any way affect the smooth running of proceedings as First Deputy Speaker, Joe Osei owusu (NPP MP, Bekwai) and Second Deputy Speaker Alban Bagbin (NDC MP, Nadowli-Kaleo) steered the affairs of the House creditably from Tuesday through to Friday.

On the Floor

Some Ministers who were programmed to answer questions on the Floor of the House did not show up for various reasons including the fact that some of them had to be part of the team hosting President Alassane Ouattara [Ivorian President] who was in the country at the time.

This incurred the “wrath” of the Minority and at different times within the week. Members on the front bench of the Minority such as Chief Whip Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak (NDC MP, Asawase) and Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi (NDC MP,Ketu North) protested the non-appearance of the Ministers on the Floor.

Matters came to a head on Friday [October 20, 2017] when Second Deputy Speaker, Alban Bagbin then in the Speaker’s chair, rejected the explanation of the Majority as to why the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako- Atta (MP, Atiwa West) failed to honour the invitation of the House and did not assign any of his deputies to represent him in answering questions from Alhassan Suhuyini (MP, Tamale North) regarding the roads in his constituency.

Not even the explanation of Majority Chief Whip, Kwesi Ameyaw-Cheremeh (MP, Sunyani East) that the Ministers were at a retreat, could dissuade the note of caution Alban Bagbin gave the front bench of the Majority.

Special Prosecutor Bill

Within the week, the report of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee on the Office of the Special Prosecutor Bill was laid on the Floor of the House.

Ranking Member of the Committee, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini (NDC MP, Tamale Central) insisted in an interview with me that Parliament had the power to carve out the office of the Special Prosecutor by law despite differing legal opinions proferred by respected Senior Law Lecturer at the University Of Ghana School of Law, Dr Raymond Atuguba on the constitutional questions that surround the bill.

Throughout the week, the Employment, State Enterprises and Social Welfare Committee of the House chaired by Kwame Anyimadu Antwi(NPP MP,Asante Akim Central) presented amendments to the Northern, Middle Belt and Coastal Development Authority bills which went through the consideration stage.

NCA statement on the floor of Parliament

The highlight for me on the Floor was the heated debate on Thursday that flowed from the “fiery” speech of Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (NPP MP, Ablekuma West) on the sanctions of the National Communications Authority (NCA).

The Minister’s speech essentially bordered on her outfit’s resolve to bring sanity in the media space by ensuring that the NCA does not renege on its regulatory role through the issuance of sanctions as and when necessary.

The speech elicited a response in equal measure from Minority MPs such as Sam George (NDC MP, Ningo Prampram) who rejected portions of the legal argument from the Minister indicating that the schedule of fees used for the sanctions had not even come to Parliament.

Similar points of view were espoused by Minority Spokesperson on Communications, Alhaji A.B.A Fuseini (NDC MP,Sagnarigu), Mahama Ayariga (NDC MP, Bawku Central)  and Alhassan Suhuyini. The Majority mounted a spirited defence of the Minister’s speech with Alexander Afenyo-Markin (NPP MP, Effutu) defending the actions of the NCA to shut down some radio stations based on points of law and the Electronic Communications Act 775.

The Minister, in conclusion, announced that, she had received some petitions with asking for a reduction of the fines.

Over the weekend, news broke that some of the fines had been halved, an expected reprieve to many media organisations that are drowning in the sheer magnitude of the fines.

AMERI Recision

In August 2017, KT Hammond (NPP MP, Adansi Asokwa) filed an urgent motion for recision of the 510 million dollar AMERI deal for reasons of gross misrepresentation. The speaker’s decision to refer the motion to the Mines and Energy Committee of the House did not sit well with the Minority and thus, they staged a walkout.

Subsequently, the Minority decided to boycott the sittings of the Committee of which two were public hearings in the course of the week.

In K.T Hammond’s  submission to the Committee, he argued that new information available to him suggests that AMERI shortchanged the government of Ghana by misrepresenting some facts, and in the process made “super-normal” profits of 150 million dollars from a power plant the country procured in the heat of the “Dumsor” in 2015.

He further argued that the as the Ranking Member on the Committee who seconded the motion, he owes it a duty to bring the belated information to the notice of the House in a bid to call back the deal or get it rescinded.

Former Power Minister, Dr Kwabena Donkor (NDC MP, Pru East) under whose tenure the deal was brokered, however believed that, calling back the deal through Parliament, is not the best option especially when AMERI was signed off with the blessings of the VRA, which acted as the Technical advisers, and that AMERI till date gives the country one of the most competitive tariffs.

Go to court not Parliament

He argued that, just like most of his other colleagues in the Minority had said, if the deal is bad, it should be terminated through the law courts and not Parliament.

Opinion

The NCA had been dead to its regulatory role in the media space for years, and the sudden quickening of the state body to take up its role through the issuance of the sanctions that affected some 131 radio stations is commendable.

But for the sake of media sanity, there should be a semblance of tampering justice with mercy, at least as the “first warning” as it is said in Ghanaian parlance.

And in no uncommon way, the current leadership of the NCA and the Communications Ministry has shown through the whole sanctions that they are ready to bite the bullet and take the hard decisions to sanitize the country’s media space.

With regards to the AMERI recision proceedings unfolding, it is my view that the Minority should have participated in the hearings at least as a measure of helping grow the country’s democracy.

Just as members of the then Minority were condemned for staying out of the vetting of President Mahama’s appointees in 2013, the current Minority in Parliament, should have joined the proceedings even though they believe it would be a mere formality.

Their decision however, is consistent with their resolve that Parliament is not the appropriate tool to deal with the matter, but rather the courts.

On the matter of coverage of the proceedings of the Committee, the leadership of Parliament must be commended for allowing the media to sit through some of the hearings, notably that of Dr. Kwabena Donkor  and KT Hammond.

But in my view, the public interest would have been better served if the media were also allowed to cover the critical submission of the officials of AMERI. That notwithstanding, the proceedings so far have been enlightening and Ghanaians wait with bated breath, the committee’s full report to the plenary, and how things would unfold from there.

This week in Parliament

With the report of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee on the Office of the Special Prosecutor Bill laid last week, the Committee is expected to present its report, replete with the various amendments and the debate that would characterize the second reading stage, where the policy and principles of the bill are deliberated upon.

Also, if the programme of the House rolls out as scheduled, the Northern, Middle Belt and Coastal Development Authority Bills, are expected to be read the third time and passed.

The Ministers of Energy, Foreign Affairs, Interior, and National Security among others, are expected to appear before the House in the course of the week, in relation to questions from MPs on their respective sectors.

–

By: Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The Writer is the parliamentary reporter for Citi 97.3 FM

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The four-month-old baby is being kept at the maternity block and is reported to be doing well.

The mother had left her in the care of another patient, one Diana, who had gone for antenatal care around 1200 hours on June 10, under the pretext of visiting the washroom and never, returned.

A Public Health Nurse Counselor, Ms Gladys Asamoah told a section of the press that when after about three hours, there was no sign of the mother returning, the patient became suspicious and handed the baby over to a Senior Midwife on duty at the time, Ms Gladys Kwabena.

Mrs Theresa Francisca Amoateng, Senior Nursing Officer said the baby was brought in weak and pale with the weight of about four kilogrammes.

She said voluntary contributions from the nurses and few private individuals had been used to feed her. Others have also donated clothing and pampers.

“The baby is now doing well, progressing steadily with a weight of 4.2 kilogrammes”, she added

She said the authorities of the hospital had already reported the matter to the Department of Social Welfare and were making arrangements to hand her over.

Source: GNA

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