The visit follows recent agitation of the staff over the encroachment of developers on lands belonging to the Hospital.

At the time of the visit, some encroachers were seen busily building.

This prompted the joint committee to direct that construction works on the hospital’s lands be suspended immediately.

The Director of the Hospital, Dr Frank Bening, told journalists that the encroachment on the lands of the hospital was only a fraction of the challenges that bedevil the facility.

He said that funding was the greatest challenge owing to the failure of successive governments to allocate the required resources to the facility.

He lamented the current indebtedness of the hospital which he said stands at GHs3.5m.

Dr Bening concluded that, until something was done about the sprawling private development of their land and the financial difficulties facing the facility, a time may come where the hospital cannot live up to its mandate.

He expressed shock at a court ruling two weeks ago that a section of the 344 acres Pantang Hospital land developed in 1967 belonged to a private developer and called on the committee to intervene before the hospital lost its entire space to private developers by the courts.

The Chairmen of the Health and Lands and Forestry Committees of Parliament, Dr Kwabena Twum Nuamah (MP, Berekum East) and Francis Manu Adabor (MP, Ahafo Ano South East) briefed the media after touring the area indicating that parliament were going to invite all stakeholders in land administration to find a solution to the encroachments that has hit the facility.

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By: Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Joint parliamentary committee tours Pantang Hospital appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Constitution enjoins the President to appoint not less than half of his ministers from Parliament.

President Akufo-Addo has been criticized for appointing 110 ministers and deputy ministers which some claimed would over burden the public purse.

Below is the list of the reconstituted committees:

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By: Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Parliament reconstitutes committees appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, he does not believe he is in a conflict of interest position being chairman of the investigative committee, having subjected himself to vetting by the same Appointments Committee that has been smeared by the bribery scandal.

[contextly_sidebar id=”XSuhrNtLJEASCACnh7faRNL3gcVOsvlV”]At the commencement of proceedings to investigate the matter, Joe Ghartey, said “there is a question of conflict of interest of members of the committee as members of parliament investigating their own members and conflict of interest of the chairman who appeared before the Appointments committee. I don’t see any conflict of interest.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t agree with those who think that my sitting as chairman poses a conflict of interest and therefore will not recuse myself,” Joe Ghartey said.

 ‘Constitution of ad-hoc committee’

The Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye with the approval of the leadership of both sides of the House last month, constituted the ad-hoc committee to investigate the bribery allegation brought before the House by the Member of Parliament for Bekwai and Chairman of the Appointments Committee who had been accused of being a conduit for giving some MPs on his committee GH¢ 3,000 each as bribe to approve the nomination of the Energy minister, Boakye Agyarko.

The members of the committee include, the MP for Offinso South, Ben Abdallah; MP for Juaben, Ama Pomaah Boateng; MP for Talensi  and MP for Yilo Krobo Magnus Kofi Amoateng.

It has Joe Ghartey, the Member of Parliament for Essikado-Kentan, who’s also the Minister for Railways Development as Chairman.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post I won’t recuse myself from ‘bribery scandal committee’ – Joe Ghartey appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.