Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has deferred ruling on Dome Kwabenya legislator Adwoa Safo, who was referred to the Privileges Committee for absenteeism.
The Speaker deferred the ruling following a debate from both sides of the House on Thursday, July 28 2022.
When the motion for the declaration of the Dome Kwabenya legislator’s seat was moved, however, Speaker Bagbin suspended sitting.
When sitting resumed, the Speaker indicated that he would not rush to deliver a ruling on the fate of the legislator.
According to the Speaker, he would deliver his ruling on the matter when Parliament resumes from recess.
He said: “I have consulted the old lady, the old lady has given me some advice and I think that advice is correct. I need time to submit to this House a reasoned written ruling.
“I cannot in the haste of today give you a ruling, in the circumstances, I will urge this House for us to call it a day. In return, I will deliver a written ruling.”
The Dome Kwabenya legislator failed to appear before the Privileges Committee to explain her absence from Parliament for over 15 sittings.
In a report submitted to the Plenary after its sitting, the Committee recommended that the legislator’s seat be declared vacant.
Parliament on Thursday approved a $1.3 billion cocoa syndicated loan to finance the purchase of cocoa for the 2022/2023 crop season by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
The receivable-backed trade finance facility is between COCOBOD and a Consortium of Banks and financial institutions, with the Government of Ghana as the guarantor.
The facility had waiver of Stamp Duty amounting up to GHC6.5 million, which is in accordance with article 174(2) of the 1992 constitution, Section 36 of the Stamp Duty Act, 2005 (Act 689) and Standing Orders of the House.
Mr Kwaku Kwarteng, the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament said the Committee had carefully considered the agreement and the request and finds that the syndicated facility was integral to the successful management of operations related to the purchasing, quality assurance, storage, and export of cocoa by the COCOBOD.
Touching on the late submission of the facility to Parliament, the Chairman said the Committee expressed serious concern about the fact that the instant agreement and request were only presented to Parliament in the final week in which the House was scheduled to rise sine die.
He said Members of the Committee were worried that the House and Members had not been given adequate time to scrutinize the documents on the finance facility and the request for the waiver of Stamp Duty.
“While agreeing that the urgent approval of the instant facility and request is in the national interest, the Committee strongly iterate that going forward, COCOBOD’s annual syndicated facility (and waiver request) should be presented to the House early to afford Members a much longer period to peruse and approve same before Parliament rises sine die.”
The Committee noted that for the 2022/2023 crop season, cocoa production had conservatively forecasted to be 850,000 tonnes, which was based on the trend of cocoa production over the past years and relevant agronomic practices being adopted by COCOBOD.
Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee/Member of Parliament (MP) for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam, said the COCOBOD had a bad balance sheet with the security rate going up.
He said the issues of cocoa needed to be important to all Ghanaians; adding that the Government must ensure that sector does not collapse.
Dr Forson said the sustainability of the cocoa industry depended on the production and that COCOBOD needed the money to survive industry-wise.
He, however, urged stakeholders to pull themselves up in making sure that the sector thrive.
Mr Partick Yaw Boamah, MP Okaikwei Central, said the approval of the syndicated was precise to support the sector to live up to expectation.
Mr Eric Opoku, Ranking Member for Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee/MP Asunafo South, urged the COCOBOD to make resources available to contractors within the Cocoa value-chain.
He also appealed to the Government to ensure that cocoa farmers were paid on time for their produce.
Dr Kwabena Donkor, MP Pru East, who said Ghana had for over three decades been depending on syndicated loans to finance the cocoa crop season, urged the country to wean itself from the syndication.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader, said going forward, COCOBOD must ensure that the submission of the cocoa syndicated loan agreement document to Parliament was done on time to enable Members of the House to could do proper scrutiny of it.
Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader, who said COCOBOD was facing enormous challenges such as high prices of fertilizers and agro-chemicals, also urged Members of the House to approve the cocoa syndicated loan agreement.
Nana Akosua Duaa Asor Brayie II is not the Paramount Queen Mother of the Sunyani Traditional Area, the Boahen Korkor Royal Family, the Mother gate of the three Sunyani royal families, has asserted.
The royal family made up of the Akosua Duaa, Kwantwiwaa, and Nyantakyiwaa royal gates said it had activated a court process against what it described as “unlawful installation,” and that until the case was decided in her favor, “Nana Brayie II ceased to be the Paramount Queen Mother of Sunyani.”
“This is because Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawri II, the Paramount Chief of Sunyani Traditional Area unilaterally chose her as his queen, contrary to the demands of the customs and culture of the Nana Boahen Korkor Royal Family,” the family claimed.
Addressing a news conference in Sunyani on Thursday, the three royal gates said the “supposed Paramount Queen Mother” had not entered the “stool room” for the necessary customary rites to be performed to enable her to take a “stool name” and described her installation as “taboo.”
Flanked by other members of the royal family, Nana Joseph Adjebeng Danquah, the spokesman and head of the Nyantakyiwaa gate, said “it is shocking and embarrassing to observe that, even when she has not been accepted as the Omanhemaa of Sunyani, Nana Brayie II has begun a very tyrannical rule, which, if not checked, can turn Sunyani upside down.”
“The latest of her unwarranted abuses of power that has caused an uproar in Sunyani was ordering some respectable and responsible market women (yam sellers) to lie prostrate before her to apologize for a so-called offense.
“It is very ironic that this act of disrespect for human dignity, and against women, which is unprecedented in the annals of the Boahen Korkor Royal family has been committed by an illegitimate queen,” Nana Danquah stated.
He cautioned the public against dealing with her in the capacity of Omanhemaa until the court case was dealt with.
The Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer for Bono Region, Mad. Emily Ama Oduro, has advised nurses and midwives to avoid abusing social media by twerking and advertising themselves for husbands on such platforms.
She implored them to take advantage of the positive aspects of social media to educate the public on health issues. She was speaking at this year’s International Nurses Day celebration in Sunyani.
This year’s International Nurses Day celebration was under the theme: “Nurses and Midwives: A voice to lead, investing in nurses and respect Nurses right to secure global health”.
The celebration had nurses from Bono, Ahafo, and Bono East (BABE), regions present. A key part of the ceremony saw the nurses light candles in memory of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, who cared for wounded soldiers in the night with her lamp during the Crimean War between 1853 and 1856.
Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the celebration, the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer for the Bono Region, Emily Ama Oduro, expressed worry over some negative attitudes such as twerking in uniform by some nurses and bemoaned that the phenomenon is reducing respect for the nursing profession.
Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer for Bono East, Joyce Eshun, indicated that systems and technology can’t do away with nurses and midwives; however, she believes that nurses need to upgrade themselves and prioritise the needs of their patients.
For his part, the Regional Chairman of the GRNMA in the BABE Regions, Fedelis Atibila, called on Government to take a look at the conditions of service of nurses to help curb the brain drain of nurses.
Certificates were given to nurses who performed creditably in their districts. With Boakyewaa Ako Sara in Sunyani West emerging as the best nurse in the BABE Regions.
Investigations into the July 19, 2022, shooting death of a student from the Oyoko School of Dispensing Optics at Sofoline in Kumasi by unidentified assailants have been intensified by the Suntreso Police in the Ashanti Region.
Kwabena Asumadu, 23, was shot numerous times through the driver’s window of his unregistered Mercedes Benz, striking him in the head and neck.
At around 11:50 p.m., Suntreso Police discovered his lifeless body at the scene of the crime, just a short time after the assault.
But the attackers had already left the area.
According to police sources, the Level 100 student was allegedly attacked while returning from his hometown of Offinso town after dropping off a female companion.
The circumstances surrounding the murder are still poorly known.
The Police have been investigating promising leads that might result in the capture of the alleged murderers.
The Police Intelligence Unit’s access to CCTV material appears to have aided the investigations.
According to the sources, the video could be crucial in the hunt for criminals who are thought to have employed pump action assault rifles throughout their activities.
The deceased’s body was then placed in the mortuary of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for an autopsy.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rallied its rank and filed for an electoral victory in 2024, breaking the eight-year presidential cycle jinx.
The Party said it was mindful of events in 2008 and other historical antecedents where “disunity in the Party” thwarted its desire to retain power.
At a media engagement in Accra Thursday to mark the Party’s 30th-anniversary celebration, Mr. Justin Frimpong Kodua, General Secretary, NPP, said the new leadership would ensure a free and fair process in the Party’s Parliamentary and Presidential Primaries to foster unity.
“When you feel like publicly taking on a Party member, when you undermine a Party fellow member, when you tell yourself you will not go out and campaign or even bother to vote, think of 1979, 2008, and the pain that we went through,” Mr Kodua said.
He added that: “As national executives, we pledge to act us impartial referees in the upcoming elections,” and admonished other executives to do so.
Mr Kodua urged the Party’s supporters and prospective aspirants to refrain from the use of provocative language, character assassination, and other divisive practices in the lead-up to the Party’s primaries.
“In this era of social media, it is important not to wash our dirty linen in public,” he said.
The NPP’s 30th anniversary is on the theme: NPP at 30: Our shared tradition, holding and working together for a prosperous and stable nation.
Founded on 28th July 1992, the NPP is a center-right and liberal-conservative Party in Ghana with the symbol of an African elephant. The Party’s colors are red, white, and blue.
The Party traces its routes to the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), the first political Party in Ghana.
Mr Kodua paid glowing tribute to the NPP’s founding founders from the days of the UGCC, and said the Party was proud of the contributions it had made to the country’s democratic development.
“We, the current adherents are extremely proud of the tradition to which we lay claim and the role that the NPP and its antecedents have played in making the rule of law, multi-party democracy, respect for individual liberties and the pursuit of a liberal economy, the distinguishing factors of the political and economic landscape of Ghana,” he said.
Mr. Kodua said the party was aware of the current economic challenges confronting the country and assured them that the government would work assiduously to “turn things around.”
“We aim to reduce inflation to pre-pandemic levels, keep the national debt at sustainable levels, create jobs, and fund public infrastructure projects, particularly roads and schools,” he said.
Mr Stephen Ayesu Ntim, National Chairman, NPP, congratulated members of the Party for achieving the 30-year milestone and urged them to participate in all activities planned for the celebrations.
He reiterated that the new administration would work closely with the Government to ensure that the Party’s input was considered in decision-making.
Sarah Adwoa Safo has been fired as the minister of gender, children, and social protection with immediate effect by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The President’s decision was made in accordance with Article 81(a) of the 1992 Constitution, according to a statement that was signed by Eugene Arhin, Director of Communications, Office of the President.
According to the announcement, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, will continue in her role as interim minister until a permanent replacement is named.
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has immediately rescinded the appointment of Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, as Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, in compliance with article 81(a) of the Constitution.
“The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, will continue to act as caretaker Minister for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, until such a time that President Akufo-Addo appoints a substantive Minister,” the statement from the Presidency concluded.
Professor Peligah Yakubu Seidu, a former rector of the Tamale Technical University (TATU), has reportedly passed away. At the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the former dean of the faculty of creative arts and technology and retired professor of art therapy and art education passed away on Wednesday evening.
Although the reason of death is yet unknown, sources indicate that he would be buried later today, July 28, 2022, in line with Islamic tradition because he was a devoted Muslim.
In 1994, Professor Peligah graduated from Birmingham School of Art with a doctorate in art therapy. He returned to Ghana after receiving his degree and continued his education at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in Kumasi. In 2006, he was appointed Head of Art Education and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Art.
Later on, Professor Peligah accepted the position of rector at Tamale Polytechnic, which is now Tamale Technical University. Prior to his retirement in 2016, he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Creative Arts and Technology at the Kumasi Polytechnic, which is now Kumasi Technical University.
Prof. Yakubu Seidu Peligah has for many years served on the Islamic University College of Ghana Council (IUCG). He’s also a foundation member of the IUCG, making sure that the IUCG began on a sound footing. His commitment to the IUCG and every other humanitarian course is worthy of commendation.
A tragic car accident near Nithi Bridge claimed the life of a Kenyan doctor, age 28. On Sunday, July 24, medical doctor Mary Mwandisha was driving to pick up an appointment letter for a new position when the sad incident took place.
According to the sad story, Mary only had a 3-month stint working at Lifetime Hospital in Meru County.
Her family is said to have sobbed excessively over the awful loss.
Kimani shared the incident, citing Nationa Africa: “A family in Kilifi is grieving the loss of their daughter, Dr. Mary Mwandisha, who passed away in the Modern Coast Bus disaster at Nithi Bridge on Sunday.
“Mwandisha, 28, graduated with a Bachelor in Medicine from the University of Nairobi in 2020 and was on her way to Taita-Taveta to pick up her appointment letter after a successful interview for a doctor post in the county. “She had worked for three months at Lifetime Hospital in Meru County.”
Reacting, her mother, Ms. Angelina Mwandisha, said: “I am bitter. My daughter had secured a government job and died before she picked up the appointment letter. I love that baby. It is too painful for me because she was the only daughter I had after the death of her sister.”
The sad story of her death has made many sorrowful on LinkedIn as they commented their condolence to the bereaved family.
The Vice Chairman of the Ghana Association of Road Contractors, Mr. Stephen Attasi, has dispelled claims that the collection of road tolls on sections of roads in the country was the cause of heavy traffic on some of these roads.
According to him, these assertions misled the Ministry of Roads and Highways into suspending the collection of tolls across the country.
Mr. Attasi made this comment in reaction to the Finance Minister’s decision to toll some newly constructed roads by way of the Public-Private Partnership agreement in his Mid-Year Budget Review delivered to Parliament on Monday, July 25, 2022.
Speaking on the Ghana Yenson morning show hosted by Kwame Obeng Sarkodie on Accra 100.5 FM on Thursday, July 28, 2022, he said what is needed is the major expansion of many of the roads to ease traffic and not the cancellation of the collection of tolls.
“In some jurisdictions, they are no longer building two-lane roads. The building of two-lane roads has been scrapped, so why should we be here constructing two-lane roads that will eventually result in a head-on collision”? he queried.
He said many countries now are building 12-lane roads—six here, six there—to ease traffic.
He was of the view that road tolls are the way to go even though what Ghanaians pay by way of the toll is minimal.
He said the decision to cancel the collection of the tolls was an ill-conceived one and called on the government to offer an unqualified apology to Ghanaians.
