Speaker laments non-release of funds to security ministries

Speaker laments non-release of funds to security ministries

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin is furious with Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta for failing to release the entire budgetary allocation made to the security ministries in 2022.

The Speaker spoke while Parliament was considering the budget estimates for the Ministry for Defence on Monday.

According to the Speaker, it is unacceptable that the Finance Ministry will release less than 20% of goods and services allocation to the Defence Ministry.

“The security agencies are one of the priority areas of government but this is not what is reflected in the performance of 2022. It’s sad when I read and saw that approximately 81% of the budget of goods and services has not been released to the Ministry of Defence,” he said.

“It is not for this House to be continuing to appeal to the Ministry to release, we are in charge, we legislate, we pass the laws on taxation, they are to implement. If they are failing to do it, we have to take them on and not be appealing to them,” he added.

“I think that we should take this as the last occasion we will tolerate this from the Ministry of Finance. We don’t want to have this again.”

Mr Alban Bagbin also tasked the Ministers for the Interior and Defence to liaise with the Finance Minister to fix these issues, warning that the development could impact negatively on the country’s peace and security.

“I think that you Interior and Defence Ministers will take this up to the Ministry. You will have to come back again. We need to equip the security agencies to be able to deliver our safety and security, without safety and security, this country cannot develop,” he stated.

….SPEAKER….

Organized Labour to embark on indefinite strike

Organized Labour has declared its intention to embark on an indefinite strike from December 27, 2022.

This was made known by the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Yaw Baah, during a press briefing on Monday.

He explained that the strike is due to government’s decision to introduce a debt exchange programme.

According to him, the strike will be in force until the government exempts pension funds from the planned debt exchange programme.

Labour Unions present at the briefing were; the Ghana National Association of Teachers l, the Ghana Medical Association, the University Teachers Association of Ghana, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association of Ghana and the Teachers and Educational Workers Union.

Vice President of the Coalition of Concern Teachers Association (CCTA), Enock Abrokwa Asante speaking to Lovin C on Silver fm Omanbapa morning show said, they won’t sit aloof and allow the government touches their pension fund.

According to him, just as the Secretary General of TUC, Dr. Yaw Baah said, they will embark on a strike on December 27^th, 2022.

…..ABROKWA FIRST…..

Enock Abrokwa Asante again said, they expect the government to have a dialogue with them before their deadline.

….ABROKWA SECOND….

 

Minority demands upward adjustment of feeding grant for prison inmates

The Minority in Parliament has tasked the Interior Ministry to see to the immediate increase of the feeding grant for prison inmates which currently stands at a paltry ₵1.08 pesewas per day.

The Caucus said government cannot continue to feed prison inmates with such a paltry amount, a figure they described as woefully inadequate.

Contributing to the debate to approve the allocation to the Interior Ministry, Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, James Agalga, said the current feeding grant does not reflect the current inflationary trends.

According to him, he will like to make a special request to the Ministry of Finance that something urgently needs to be done about the feeding rate for prison inmates because at this moment inflation in respect of food items is over 100% and yet the figures allocated to the feeding of our inmates simply does not reflect the inflationary trends in respect of foodstuffs in our country.

The former Deputy Interior Minister tasked Mr. Ambrose Dery to see to an increase in the grant.

He added that, “On this note, I would like to urge the Minister for Interior to ensure that these figures are revised. In the meantime we know the prisons maintain farms, they could liaise with the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that the Prison Service benefits from the Planting for Food and Jobs programme.”

….HON. AGALGA….

Road crashes, deaths reduce but NRSA wants further improvement

For the first time in decades, road crashes, deaths and injuries have reduced consistently for 11 months. With barely a month to the end of the year, statistics from the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) show that deaths from road crashes reduced by 18.2 per cent — from 2,654 in 2021 to 2,171 between January and November this year.

Within the same period, road crashes reduced by 7.2 per cent — from 14,734 in 2021 to 13,675 this year.

Additionally, there is a marginal improvement in the number of people who sustained injuries in road crashes as 14,239 were injured this year compared with 14,393 in 2021.

Pedestrian knockdowns also reduced by 9.6 per cent from 2,693 in 2021 to 2,435 this year.

In terms of vehicles, the statistics showed that 23,529 cars were involved in road crashes as against 25,130 within the same period last year, representing a 6.4 per cent reduction in the number of vehicles involved in the crashes.

A breakdown of the figures indicated that 7,925 commercial vehicles were involved in road crashes this year compared with 8,791 last year, representing a decline of 9.9 per cent.

The Director-General of the NRSA, David Osafo Adonteng speaking to the media during a Legislative Instrument Workshop at the Parliament house said, although there is improvement in road crashes, deaths and injuries.

According to him, the progress was not enough to achieve the target of halving road crashes and related deaths by 2030.

…DAVID ADONTENG….

 X’mas celebration: See Something, Say Something should be our mantra – Bawumia 

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has called for an effective collaboration between civilians and the security agencies to combat crime and flush out criminal element in the country.  

He said for Ghanaians to maintain a safe and peaceful community, it was imperative to report suspicious characters and activities in the communities to the security agencies for prompt response. 

According to him, they must all be guided by the mantra: “See Something, Say Something”. 

Vice President Bawumia gave the advice when he reviewed the parade and commissioned graduating officer cadets of the Ghana Prisons Service at the Prisons Training School in Accra. 

There were 203 officer cadets, comprising 157 males and 46 females. 

Dr Bawumia encouraged the public to be more conscious of suspicious activities within their communities and workplaces and charged every Ghanaian to be observant and report any unusual activities to the security agencies. 

“The Ghana Prisons Service is an integral part of the security architecture of this country and also an important facilitator to criminal justice delivery,” he said. 

“Therefore, the interdependence of the various components of the criminal justice system gave compelling reasons for government to equitably resource those components to function effectively,” the Vice-President stated. 

…DR. BAWUMIA….

 

 Don’t compare NPP Executives to ours- Fmr. NDC MP

Former Member of Parliament for Kumbugu Constituency who doubled as the Spokesperson for Asiedu Nketiah’s Campaign team, Ras Mubarak has disclosed that, the newly Executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are experience and capable of winning the 2024 general elections for the NDC.

At the end of the election, the immediate past General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah unseated Samuel Ofosu Ampofo to become the new Chairman of the largest opposition party in Ghana while former Minister and MP for Ketu South, Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey, won the second most hotly contested seat and become the General Secretary and in the National Organizer contest, Joseph Yammin polled 3,730 votes to defeat Joshua Hamidu Akamba who had 2,035.

Ras Mubarak comparing the NDC Executives and the NPP Executives said, NDC Executives have the needed requirements and experience to win any elections.

Speaking to Lovin C on Silver fm Omanbapa morning show said, Chairman Stephen Ayensu Ntim of the NPP is a no match for Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Justin Frimpong Kodua and Fiifi Fiavi, in political likewise, Fiifi Fiavi has a upper hand on the NPP General Secretary.

He continued that, the National Organizer of the two parties, i.e, Henry Nana Boakye and Joseph Yamin, clearly people will see that the NDC are miles away.

He added that, their executives have served on various government rolls and have proven beyond doubt that, they can do the job.

.…RAS MUBARAK….

Founder and Leader of United Front Party (UFP), Agyenim Boateng, aka, Gyata Ba comparing both the NPP and NDC government said, the NDC are miles ahead than the NPP in term of infrastructures.

.…GYATA BA….