Ghana: Handle Report Dispassionately - PIAC to Parliament

 The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has urged parliament to handle its reports on the use of the country's oil revenue dispassionately and without political considerations.

This it said would allow the recommendations to inform policy formulation and improve the sector for national development.

It said due to the partisan manner in which the reports had been handled over the last 10 years, the Committee could not point to even five major directions that had proceeded from its engagement with Parliament although PIAC is supposed to support parliament's oversight responsibilities.

PIAC Coordinator, Mr. Isaac Dwamena speaking to the media said, finding and recommendations that are not complimentary of the government, the opposition picks them up and use them against the government, then the government goes on the defensive and attacks the reports.

According to him, it has become New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) banter until they have to close the meetings. There were no actions that were to be taken from these meetings. Parliament must do better.

He was making a presentation dubbed, "A decade of the management and use of the Petroleum revenues in Ghana" at the engagement with members of the Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ), and other media partners on PIAC's 2021 semi-annual report held in Accra over the weekend.

Mr. Dwamena added that, since PIAC did not have the power to enforce its recommendations, he advocated that in the review of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA), there should be an arrangement for the recommendations of the PRMA to be enforced "so that we see improvement in the use of oil revenue.

…..MR. DWAMENA….

All internal auditors to sync with Internal Audit Service – Bawumia

Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, has announced that all Internal Auditors will soon be brought under the new Internal Audit Service, for effective resource utilization.

He said this at the swearing in of members of the Board of the Internal Audit Agency at the Jubilee House in Accra.

Vice President Bawumia, charged the Board to make optimum use of resources available to them. The Vice President also swore in the Auditor General and the Audit Service Board, tasking them to sustain the fight against corruption.

The Internal Audit Service Agency was established in 2003 with the mandate to coordinate, facilitate and provide quality assurance for internal audit at the Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

He added that, the Agency has the goal of enhancing efficiency, accountability and transparency in the management of resources in the public sector.

Vice President Bawumia said government’s commitment to protecting the public purse saw the establishment of the Office of the Special Prospector, also, there are efforts to restructure the process of internal auditing, and commended the Agency for building risk management structures in public institutions.

…..BAWUMIA FIRST…..

Dr. Bawumia again took a swipe at critics of government’s impassioned drive to digitize the country’s economy.

He stressed that, if they don’t understand that it is a massive economy, then they shouldn’t blame him but rather blame their Sixth Form Economics teacher.

…..BAWUMIA SECOND…..

Africa Education Watch commends GES, Ghana Police for swift action against St. Charles Liwanga R/C JHS headmaster

Education think tank, Africa Education Watch, has commended GES and the Police for the arrest of the Headmaster of St. Charles Liwanga R/C JHS over the drowning of some pupils.

Emmanuel Chinjal is alleged to have sent students, numbering 31, to his rice farm to assist with harvesting.

However, the exercise turned sour when nine of the students drowned in the Oti River following the capsizing of the boat in which they were traveling.

The Headmaster subsequently reported himself to the Police and has since been charged with manslaughter nad has been remanded prison custody.

The District Chief Executive for Saboba District, Bingrini George has also indicated that the District Security Committee is set to meet with the Ghana Education Service to discuss the incident.

Commenting on the development, Executive Director, Africa Education Watch Africa, Kofi Asare expressed his dissatisfaction towards the death of the nine children.

According to him, he wishes to encourage the authorities in the area to prosecute him to serve as a deterrent to others teachers.

…..KOFI FIRST….

He again advised the teachers to learn from what has happened to their colleague and stop sending students to their farms and other personal matters.

….KOFI SECOND……

 

 2021 BECE: Refrain from exam malpractice; it can jeopardize your future – Mayor to candidates

Metropolitan Chief Executive Officer of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Hon. Samuel Pyne has advised candidates sitting for the 2021 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to stay away from all forms of malpractices throughout the exam period.

11, 423 students sat for the BECE in Ashanti region comprising of 55, 825 (50.1%) males and 55, 598(49.9%) females.

Hon. Sam Pyne speaking to the media during his visit to some part of the examination centers commended the authorities for placing everything in order to help the progress of the exams.

According to him, engaging in malpractice has the tendency to jeopardize the future of candidates and hence must be avoided.

He added that, the candidates should write the exams in an honest manner and come out with flying colors and desist from bringing in any foreign materials.

He noted that, these candidates have the opportunity to be part of the “Free SHS” if they come out with flying colors.

….SAM PYNE…..

Some of the candidates also expressed their readiness to face the exams.

.…STUDENTS…..