A Ghanaian-registered non-governmental organisation, the African Center for Parliamentary Journalism and Research (ACPJR) has asked the leadership of Parliament, to punish severely, its members who fall foul of the Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament.
In a press release signed by the Executive Director of ACPJR, Mr. Harrison Kofi Belley, the ACPJR noted that, it had observed with utter dismay the variance in Parliament handling acts of disrespect and contempt of Parliament, by Members of Parliament (MPs) and non-Parliamentarians.
According to the ACPJR, Parliament has over the years been reluctant and lenient, with MPs who are found guilty of contempt of Parliament, while persons who are non-Parliamentarians are punished severely; a situation the ACPJR said has not helped enough in taming recalcitrant MPs.
The press statement followed the decision of Parliament to reprimand Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central who has been found guilty of contempt of Parliament, by the Privileges Committee of Parliament, a decision the ACPJR described as not deterrent enough.
The ACPJR noted that, the Assin Central MP’s description of Parliament as ‘cheap’ and ‘useless’, is not only contemptuous but have the tendency of eroding public confidence in the institution, a more reason why the Member of Parliament, should have been punished severely.
The ACPJR added that, the mere reproof of the MP is a mockery of Parliament and a bad precedent, which is likely to open the floodgates for indiscipline by members of the House.
By: Davis Nii Attuquaye Clottey | Voltaonlinegh.com |
Volta Region Cricket Association’s School League has clearly defined its format after week 6 matches were honored at the Ho Sports Stadium on Saturday, February 23, 2019.
The 15 over, Single Round Robin Under 12 Schools’ League which began on Saturday, January 19, has two groups of 5 in each category (boys and girls) with Group ‘A’ consisting of Ho Kpodzi Basic, Anglican Basic, Fiave EP, Methodist and Housing MA. Group B also has Mawuli Basic A, Dome RC, United MA, Heve Basic and Bankoe RC as winners in each group clash for the finals.
This robs off earlier reports and table released portraying a round robin for all 10 teams.
In the group ‘B’ 3rd matches played over the weekend, Bankoe RC, who were to play their first match ever in the league failed to show up and dashed 2 points to their opponents, United MA.
Mawuli’s tie against Heve which came off was however exciting to watch as each won a match.
Mawuli won toss in the girl’s game and chose to field. Heve scored 84 runs for 1 wicket in 15 overs with a wonderful partnership between Praise Avorli and Lydia Nugloze. Praise scored 41 runs, off 41 balls, not out while Lydia scored 28 runs, off 22 balls. Mawuli in the second innings managed 64 runs for 1 wicket in 15 overs of which Esther Dosu scored 24 runs off 32 balls, not out and Richlove Adatsi scored 16 runs off 26 balls, not out. Heve then won by 20 runs.
It was payback time in the boy’s game as Mawuli, batting first after Heve won toss and chose to field, scored a 100 runs, for 8 wickets in 15 overs, with Richard Dzah scoring 21 runs off 16 balls. Heve could have limited the batting performance of their opponents with their effective fielding but to the arrangement of the bowlers. Bless Nyarko, in the bowling figures, took 3 wickets, gave away 10 runs in 3 overs with an economy rate of 3.3. Sewornu Zatey also took 3 wickets, gave away 12 runs in 2 overs while Kingsley Amegah took 2 wickets, gave away 10 runs in 3 overs.
Heve, who needed 101 runs from 90 balls, were limited to score 43 runs, for 7 wickets in 15 overs as Mawuli won by 57 runs. Xorlali Tutor (younger brother of Kennedy Tutor, now under 17 regional product), took 2 wickets and gave away 6 runs in 3 overs.
For the positions, Group B Girls’ table has United MA at the top with 6 points, Heve following with 4 points, Mawuli with 2 points, while Dome RC and Bankoe RC lying 4th and 5th with no point.
The boys’ log has Mawuli leading with 6 points, closely followed by United with 4 points, Dome RC 3rd with 2 points whereas Heve and Bankoe RC lie at the bottom 2 with no point.
Group A matches comes off next Saturday at the Ho Sports Stadium at 8am with match 4 ties.
The only regional school’s league in Ghana is exclusively sponsored by the Ghana Cricket Association with the Regional Association calling on corporate bodies support.
Former President John Dramani Mahama will lead the National Democratic Congress (NDC) into the 2020 elections justifying the prediction of pundits that he remains by a petering distance, the party’s most marketed candidate.
He runs away with 95.24% of the vote, leaving six others to squabble over less than 5% in a poll that involved about 330,000 NDC voters.
His obscure and distant challenger Prof. Joshua Alabi managed only 3,399 representing 1.516% of votes cast while the man said to have mentored Mahama in politics, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin placed third with 2,313 (1.032%).
NDC return, Goosie Tanoh, finally got a shot at his most cherished political ambition but polled 2,038 votes (0.909%) to place fourth.
Ekwow Spio-Gabrah placed fifth with 1457 votes (0.650%), Sylvester Mensah managed 932 votes (0.415%) with Nurudeen Iddrisu securing 513 votes (0.231) to place sixth and seventh, respectively.
To understand the size of his victory, John Mahama won by a larger percentage contesting six others than he won when he stood unchallenged in the 2015 NDC Presidential primaries.
In that 2015 YES/NO vote, he won 95.1% of the votes in a poll in which the ballot paper had only his picture. John Mahama beat every other contender in their own constituency except Alban Bagbin.
Meanwhile, the camp of Augustus “Goosie” Tanoh has expressed disappointment following the humiliating defeat suffered by their candidate in the presidential primaries.
“The results we’ve seen so far would suggest that we have lost. You go into a competition with the object of winning. It is not the outcome that we are looking for,” Kyeretwie Opoku, the Campaign Coordinator Mr. Tanoh told Joy News Kwesi Parker-Wilson at the NDC headquarters which also served as the national collation centre.
Deputy Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), William Kwasi Sabi has disclosed that his Ministry was working on a document which will usher in a whole new way of project implementation in the country to serve the interest of the larger public.
Hon. Sabi among other things mentioned that the document, National Monitoring and Evaluation Policy which is currently at the draft stage, would help in improving decision making, efficiency and effectiveness in project implementation across the country.
According to the Deputy Minister, the new policy would be drafted in a way to address concerns of transparency and public accountability that people raise when it comes to execution of government projects.
“It’s not like you alone keeping the resources to yourself and knowing what to do, somebody else is also following up to see what you’re doing. So, things become open.”
“By the policy, you’re compelled to provide information to a designated officer on what you’re doing and therefore, you can’t hide anything from other people,” he added.
Mr. Sabi said this in an interview with journalists on the sidelines of a 3-day workshop at Sogakope, South Tongu in the Volta Region to review a draft document on National Monitoring and Evaluation Policy.
The workshop was open to those who took part in the initial drafting of the document as well as technocrats from the civil service, academia among others to deliberate on how best to firm the draft document.
Some participants at the workshop
Mr. Sabi hinted that subsequent to the review at Sogakope, the country would be zoned into three: northern, middle and southern zones for validation workshops to allow for thorough study and further inputs into the draft and make more people feel part of the development process of the document.
He stressed that the new policy would serve as the standard for M&E in the country to end the era when something as crucial as M&E which helps to improve on performance by achieving results through current and future management of outputs, outcomes and impact, was left to different entities including development partners.
“We can’t leave a whole national monitoring and evaluation to some kind of bit and pieces at different points. We want to have a national policy on monitoring and evaluation for whoever is coming up with monitoring and evaluation in the country to have some policy to follow.”
The name we give to a thing or phenomenon determines our attitude towards it. A good example is the contentious designation of some guerrilla groups as either “freedom fighters” or “terrorists”, depending on one’s political and ideological outlook.
The designation of such groups leads to consequences. Freedom fighters win respect and admiration while terrorists are condemned and persecuted.
There is a moral and psychological gamesmanship going on with the designation of the groups of young men allegedly armed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC). The media and politicians refer to them as vigilantes, and the term appears to have stuck because even the police use the same term for them.
Are they vigilantes? The Cambridge English Dictionary defines a vigilante as “a person who tries in an unofficial way to prevent crime, or to catch and punish someone who has committed a crime, especially because they do not think that official organisations, such as the police, are controlling crime effectively. Vigilantes usually join together to form groups”.
Is that what is happening here? What crime are they preventing which is beyond the capacity of our security forces? By calling them vigilantes we are being complicit in creating a lie. We know that these people are not trying to stop any crime. The time has come to call this thing by its correct name.
So what are they? Some people have suggested that they be called or described as thugs but that does not sufficiently capture the essence or motive of their activities, even if they act thuggishly. They are illegal paramilitary formations. Paramilitaries behave like military forces without authorisation and/or recognition.
Even if they are not yet full blown paramilitary formations they are well on their way. Most paramilitaries begin this way; protecting political bosses and territories, protecting ballot boxes, small scale quasi-military operations, and the like. The danger is that paramilitaries often become bigger than their sponsors meant them to be; most times the politicians find them beyond their control. They are sowing the wind and shall reap the whirlwind.
Historically, paramilitaries don’t stay within the bounds of the political competition that gives birth to them. They eventually develop other means of survival such as drugs, kidnappings, illegal mining, money-laundering, “land-guardism” and trafficking.
This is the real nature of the beast we are dealing with in Ghana. Those who fought for democracy did not envisage at any point in the struggle that the outcome would place our nation in such danger. Out of greed and selfishness the two political parties are creating monsters that may be difficult to tame.
Let us call this thing by its proper name. Vigilante conjures pictures of harmless, selfless defenders of the law and communities. This is a misnomer in this situation. The most serious consequence of this misnomer is that the political parties have nurtured or tolerated them without GUILT for so long that no amount of official denial can cut the umbilical connection between these groups and the two political parties.
The Inspector General of Police, David Asante-Apeatu has asked the political parties to denounce these paramilitary groups, but that is not how militias are disbanded. Those within the parties whose strengths depend on these groups will neither denounce nor disband them. Those who can easily denounce them usually lack the power to disband them.
The state must muster the political will to disband these groups. In the absence of any (credible) opinion poll, but judging from the media and social media, perhaps well over ninety per cent of Ghanaians want these groups to be outlawed and disbanded therefore, the political will exists. The process must start with calling them by their correct names. It makes it easier to identify their true character and intent.
NB: Writer is President of Ghana Association of Writers (GAW) and former Chairman of National Media Commission.
Astute Ghanaian poet and surgeon, Prof. Ladé Wosornu has called on government to place value on local languages else attempts to get citizens especially the younger generation to accept and cherish their mother language would amount to naught.
This value, according to Prof. Wosornu, would mean examining pupils and students on the Ghanaian languages during their final Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and West African Senior Secondary Education Certificate Examination (WASSSCE) respectively.
The essayist believed this to be the remedy to concerns that some youth shy away from speaking their mother tongue in favour of the official language, English saying, the realisation that “they will be examined on their mother tongue during the final examination will force them to master it and the only way out is through constant speaking of the language.”
Prof. Ladé Wosornu was speaking to Voltaonlinegh.com on the sidelines of the commemoration of the 2019 International Mother Language Day (IMLD) at Bureau of Ghana Languages (BGL) in Accra.
As part of the observance, BGL in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and, UNESCO on Thursday, organised an event dubbed Sanegbaa (Ga language) meaning “conversation” to emphasise the importance of Ghanaian languages and their contributions to the development of the country.
The all-day-long event saw celebrated Ghanaians lead conversations on the use of Ghanaian language in various areas of endeavours including film-making, writing, formal education and music.
Other activities on the day included story telling led by, By the Fireside’s Grace Omaboe popularly known as Maame Dokono. Also, musical performance by the legendary Amandzeba Nat(ive) Brew, poetry and drama which featured great talents.
Presentation of citations during the event
Renowned playwright and film producer, Mr. Kwaw Ansah who touched on filmmaking disagreed with claims that many movies in Ghana are rated substandard because they were made in Ghanaian language citing penetration of movies made in Indian languages of Ghanaian markets as examples.
He identified problems such as unprofessionalism, apathy, impatience and desire for money to be the factors responsible for the production of some of the films he described as “damaging to our values.”
He observed that “we have the potential” to project Ghana to the world and cautioned producers not to fake identities as “the people you write about should be able to relate to your story.”
Other speakers on the day underscored the need for protection and preservation of the diverse Ghanaian languages which collectively define us as Ghanaians.
The speakers also spoke against exalting one language above another or others as according to them, this could spark tribal conflicts, thus, endangering national unity.
Also present at the celebration were Minister of Tourism, Catherine Afeku, Abdourahamane Diallo, Head, Accra UNESCO office, Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng, President, Ghana Association of Writers, staff of BGL among others.
IMLD is a worldwide annual observance being marked since February 21, 2000 to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity. The 2019 Day was themed, “Indigenous Languages Matter for Development, Peace Building and Reconciliation”.
A non-governmental organisation (NGO) interested in education in rural Ghana, Adanu and its partners including the Morsaic team, USA have commissioned a six-unit classroom block at Adaklu Hehekpoe Salvation Army Basic School in the Adaklu District of the Volta Region.
The commissioning on Wednesday, formed part of a bigger project, HAPPI (Hehekpoe Adanu Pilot Project Initiative), launched some years ago to develop the school into an ultramodern one and provide holistic early childhood education to the pupils.
The commissioning of the six-unit classroom block on Wednesday
Aside the new block which will serve as classrooms for primary1-6, construction of classroom block for crèche, a library and sanitary facilities (WASH program) were earlier undertaken.
Headmaster of the school, Francis Dunyo in an address, thanked God for the “momentous day in the life of the school and community” saying, the journey “has been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs.”
Mr. Dunyo lauded Adanu’s commitment to developing education infrastructure in rural communities noting, the new building “is yet another manifestation of Adanu’s continued resolve to bridge the urban-rural education gap.”
“All these interventions have in many respects, contributed significantly to the positive paradigm shift the school is currently experiencing and pupils are now happy to be associated with the school. No wonder the school enrolment figures have increased considerably,” he added.
Classroom block for the Kindergarten
He however, called for support in ”cladding the existing pavilion to house the proposed ICT and Science laboratories” indicating that the school had been promised some 25 computers to stock the ICT lab with.
Founder and Executive Director of Adanu, Richard Yinkah was grateful to the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, the District Assembly, the Salvation Army Secretariat, the community and all through whose collaborative effort the project was successful.
Mr. Yinkah disclosed that his organisation has been existing for the past 17 years to help provide education infrastructure in schools in rural communities and would continue with the good work.
He advised the citizenry especially members of beneficiary communities to develop the right attitude and support to facilitate early completion of such projects for the benefit of all.
MP for the area, Kwame Agbodza expressed his readiness to always support such projects to improve on education which he described as the most important of the needs of the area based on its implications on the quality of life of his constituents.
Hon. Agbodza charged missionary organisations who own schools to do more lamenting that most of them with reference to the Salvation Army Church were not doing enough to support the schools and proposed the need for a change of name in future should the situation not improve.
Current structure for the upper primary classes
Deputy Regional Minister, Maxwell Blagodzi underscored the need to promote community mobilisation and asked people to support such projects to help cut cost for more development projects to be brought to the areas.
Mr. Blagodzi pledged government’s support for calls by earlier speakers including construction of a road from Hehekpoe to link the district capital, Adaklu Waya and, facilitating test transmission of two radio stations in the district.
Pupils of the school who spoke to Voltaonlinegh.com, said the project was a relief to them because classes under sheds would move into the new building while the junior high pupils currently studying under tree would use the sheds as their classrooms.
Volta Regional Minister handing over the Legislative Instrument on the Anloga District Assembly to Torgbui Sri III.
By: KALD & Albert Kuzor | Voltaonlinegh.com|
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa on Tuesday inaugurated the newly created Anloga district assembly in the Anlo constituency, bringing to 18 the total number of local assemblies in the Volta region after the carving out of the Oti region.
The district, which was inaugurated alongside five new others nationwide, was carved out of the current Keta municipality and established under Legislative Instrument (LI) 2372 of 2018.
The coming into being of these new assemblies also brings the total number of Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the country to 260.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Regional Minister at the inauguration ceremony held at the forecourt of the Anloga Shopping Centre, President Akufo-Addo, indicated that, his government was offering a new approach to doing things to drive the agenda for change, growth, job creation and prosperity for all.
This, he noted will certainly be achieved by bringing governance to the doorsteps of the people which will ensure effective and efficient decentralization through grassroots participation, better planning and improved service delivery in local communities.
According to the president, “The assemblies are an integral part of my vision for economic and social transformation provided in the coordinated programmes of economic and social development policies 2017-2024, which I presented to the parliament of Ghana,” adding, he was determined to fully meet the constitutional imperative to ensure the accountability of local government authorities.
He however urged stakeholders in the new district to support the assembly to ensure rapid development of the area.
Torgbui Sri III at the inauguration of the new Assembly
The Awoamefia of Anlo, Torgbui Sri III, who was elated about the elevation of the Anlo traditional capital, to a district status, commended the president and his government for granting an age long desire of the chiefs and people of Anlo.
He noted that though the creation of the Anloga district was long overdue, its coming into being now would propel the needed socio-economic development of the area and assured the assembly of the unflinching support of the traditional authorities of Anlo.
Togbe Sri III however, urged the President to expedite work on the Keta Harbour project and also appealed for construction of some key access roads within the new district to ease transportation in the area.
A Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Collins Ntim said procurement processes have begun in earnest to supply the needed logistics and office equipment for a smooth takeoff of the assembly.
He added that, contract will soon be awarded for the construction of an office complex for the assembly, as it operates in parts of the Anloga Shopping Centre in the interim.
Mr. Ntim also applauded Togbe Sri III, for maintaining peace and order in the area and advised them to remain united for development.
On his part, the Keta Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr. Seth Yormewu noted the splitting of the municipality into was in order, as it was becoming herculean administering the two constituencies of Keta and Anlo under one assembly effectively.
He acknowledged the support of all stakeholders during the struggle for the new district and lauded the President for giving meaning to the request last year.
The MCE thanked the Awoamefia, the Regional Minister, the NPP Regional Chairman, Mr. Makafui Woanyah and the two Members of Parliament for working assiduously to achieve this feat.
MP for Anlo, Mr. Clement Kofi HUmado, told voltaonlinegh.com on the sideline of the ceremony that, the creation of a separate district for the constituency was a dream come true and charged the constituents to bring all hands on deck for the forward march of the district.
The inauguration ceremony which witnessed a downpour was graced by past and present government functionaries, including the Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Mr. Maxwell Blagodzi, Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr. Kofi Dzamesi, as well as constituency and Regional officers of the governing NPP led by the chairman, Mr. Makafui Woanyah.
The Central Tongu Constituency Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Cartious Enyonyoge Kojoga Aziedu has called for decentralisation of the annual State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Mr. Aziedu asked the current government to make a policy that enjoins regional ministers as well as the metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) to replicate the annual event to the citizenry in their respective jurisdictions on the successes chalked and challenges faced in their term of office.
The NDC Communications Officer who was speaking on Sogakope-based Radio Tongu’s morning show on Monday and monitored by Voltaonlinegh.com, said if the government of Ghana was able to make a policy that decentralises SONA to the regional, metropolitan, municipal and district levels, it would enhance transparency and good governance at the local levels and afford citizens to understand exactly what their leaders are doing.
He added that such a platform could be used to explain the real problems facing the districts or regions and how the solutions to the problems are prioritised.
His comments came barely hours for the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to deliver his third SONA in Parliament to Ghanaians on Thursday.
Mr. Aziedu said such a policy will give the Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa for example, an opportunity to brief citizens on the security situation as well as other important issues in the region while the South Tongu DCE, Emmanuel Louis Agama will also make use of such a platform to explain to citizens of the district, the puzzle surrounding issues including management of premix fuel in the area.
Adaklu Dorkpo D/A Primary School in the Adaklu District of the Volta Region has been plagued with infrastructure challenges including classroom building, teaching and learning materials.
Established in 2006 by the Ghana Education Service and with classes from Kindergaten 1-primary 4, the school continues to face challenges that affect teaching and learning.
Speaking to the headmaster, Mr. Frank Kekpa, he complained about the numerous challenges in the school to the extent they had to go to other schools for teaching and learning materials before teaching their pupils.
Mr. Kekpa said the school lacks classrooms and furniture for pupils adding that, the situation had compelled pupils to bring chairs from home for studies to be conducted under trees, forcing school to close any time it threatens to rain.
Mr. Kekpa revealed that a non-governmental organisation, Jake Reddekop realised their plight and provided furniture for use.
According to him, that however, was another burden as there were no classrooms to pack them in after closing and the children still had to take them to and from home each day to avoid the furniture from being stolen when kept in the open.
The headmaster mentioned that the school is also faced with lack of teachers disclosing that the school had just 3 teachers including himself.
He also identified the bad road leading to the community as another challenge affecting the school.
“Worse of it is the road leading to our school gets flooded and muddy during raining season which makes learning and teaching difficult during the rainy season.”
Mr. Frank Kekpah therefore, appealed to the authorities to come to their aid to save the school from collapse.
