Bagbin sets up 8-member bipartisan c’ttee to probe minority’s charges againt Ofori-Atta
Speaker Alban Bagbin has set up an eight-member bipartisan committee to investigate conflict of interest allegations levelled against Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta by the minority caucus. The ad hoc committee has the minority caucus’ Bolgatanga East MP Dominic Ayine and the majority caucus’ Adansi-Asokwa MP K.T. Hammond, as co-chairs. Mr Bagbin put the committee together on Thursday, 10 November 2022 when the minority caucus moved a motion of censure against Mr Ofori-Atta for mismanaging the Ghanaian economy. The other committee members include Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings and Bernard Ahiafor (from the minority caucus) and Patrick Yaw Boamah, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi and Andrew Agyapa Mercer (from the majority caucau. The committee has seven working days to finish its work and submit a report. “The evidence will be placed before the committee”, Mr Bagbin told the house, adding: “The minister will have the opportunity to defend himself”. “A report will be presented to the house and we will debate that report,” Mr Bagbin noted. In the view of the minority caucus, Mr Ofori-Atta has run the economy down and cannot be trusted to superintend his own mess. The majority caucus, led by Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, however, argued that the law of natural justice provides that the minister is given an opportunity to defend himself against the allegations of reckless borrowing, conflict of interest and gross mismanagement that have led to the unbridled depreciation of the cedi, soaring prices of fuel and foodstuffs, among others. In his recent national address on the economy, President Nana Akufo-Addo said ongoing talk with the IMF for a $3-billion extended credit facility would be concluded by the end of 2022. He admitted the economy was in a crisis but said his government was doing all it could to fiz things. Read the president’s full address below: ADDRESS TO THE NATION BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, ON THE ECONOMY, ON SUNDAY, 30TH OCTOBER 2022. Fellow Ghanaians, good evening. Back in 2020, at the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, I started a regular conversation with you that came to be popularly known as Fellow Ghanaians. It was a time of great fear of the unknown, and the entire world felt at risk. I came into your homes regularly to tell you what the experts were discovering about the virus, and what we should do. Now that we have seen the worst of the COVID-19, I can tell you that there were moments during those times when I was distraught, there were moments when I was in despair about the apparent inadequacy of our health facilities, and there were moments when I wondered if the dire predictions made about dead bodies on our streets would truly happen. But I knew that I owed it to all of us that, as your president, I had to hold my nerve, show leadership and take us out of the crisis. With your help and support, and the great mercies of the Almighty, we can say that we emerged from the ravages of the pandemic with one of the lowest mortality rates globally. In fact, Ghana’s handling of the pandemic won universal acclaim. We could all see in real time the devastation that was being wreaked on economies during the pandemic, but I doubt that anyone imagined the extent of the damage. Our economy, here in Ghana, like many, many others around the globe, was thrown into turmoil. When I said, at the height of the COVID pandemic, that we knew what to do to bring the economy back to life, but not how to bring people back to life, it was not said in jest. We had done it before, and we were on course to doing it again. Ghana’s economy grew by a remarkable 5.4% in 2021, signifying a strong recovery from the 0.5% growth recorded the previous year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, in the last quarter of 2021, our economy grew at seven percent (7%), only for the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the first quarter of this year to aggravate the effects of COVID-19, and plunge the global economy into even greater turmoil from which it has not yet recovered. The whole world has been taken aback by the speed with which inflation has eaten away people’s incomes. Economies, big and small, have experienced, over this year alone, the highest rise in cost of living over a generation; the highest rise in government borrowing in over fifty (50) years; the highest rise in inflation for forty (40) years; the steepest depreciation in their currencies to the US dollar over the last thirty (30) years; the fastest peak in interest rates for over twenty (20) years; and the greatest threat of unemployment in peace time; with over a hundred million people being pushed into extreme poverty. Between the end of 2019 and now, inflation in Ghana has increased by five-fold, in Togo by sixteen-fold, by eleven-fold in Senegal, and by seven-fold in Cote d’Ivoire. In truth, however, the fact that there are petrol queues in France does not make it more tolerable that the trotro price from Kasoa to Circle has doubled in the past one year, nor does it make it any more tolerable that the price of cooking oil goes up every other week. It is important to state that mentioning the increases in prices worldwide is not meant to belittle the scope of suffering here, but simply to help us put things into some perspective, and, hopefully, learn some useful lessons about how other people are coping. Fellow Ghanaians, this is why I am back in your homes this evening to ask for your support, as we work together to get our economy back into good shape. In April, after the Cabinet retreat of the first quarter, and recognising the deteriorating macro economy, my government announced a thirty percent (30%) cut in budgeted discretionary expenditures, and a thirty percent (30%) cut in salaries of the President,
MTN to adjust data bundle prices upward
The leading telecommunication network in Ghana MTN has announced that they will be increasing their data bundle prices effective Monday, November 14, 2022. Meanwhile, the information came without any specification on the quantum of the expected upward adjustment. Subscribers of the famous Telecom who spoke to this platform by way of registering their displeasure said they received the message with massive shock because it is not yet known what the company is up to, especially at this difficult moment. Read the full message below: “Dear Valued Customer, kindly be informed that effective 14th November, 2022, data bundle prices will be revised upwards. Enjoy 50% bonus on bundle purchase (4G only) and remember that MTN Data bundles do not expire. Visit www.mtn.com.gh for more information. Thank you”. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us @0256336062 or Email: apexnewsgh@gmail.com
Tempane Member of Parliament social intervention achievements within 1 year and 10 months
The Member of Parliament for the Tempane Constituency Madam. Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba has listed some of the social intervention achievements she has successfully executed in just 1 year and 10 months in office as Tempane Legislator. Apexnewsgh.com report The Tempane legislator listed her social intervention achievements during an engagement on Apexnews Ghana’s flagship development programme dubbed “SPEAKOUT UPPER EAST REGION” with Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen on Wednesday, November 9, 2022. Meanwhile, in responding to the questions about her achievements and contributions so far since being given the opportunity to represent the people of Tempane? Madam Lamisi Akanvariba explained that for the past 1 year and 10 months she has done a lot of social intervention projects which have deeply impacted the lives of the ordinary in the constituency. “I used my social intervention because I just want to impact the lives of the youth. So, from last year and this year, I have acquired some materials, for instance, sewing machines, and hair dryers to take care of 70 tamed youth that has no job in the constituency”. Even accepting the fact that it is impossible to accomplish all the projects as an MP within two years period, the Member of Parliament also said, she has a lot of plans regarding the Tempane Constituency but unfortunately the current economic constraint coupled with no regular released of MPs Common Fund by the government is making it more difficult to accomplish some of her project plans. “I am interested in the whole constituency,” She saidHowever, below are the social intervention executive across the Tampane Constituency within a period of 1 year and 10 months SOCIAL INTERVENTIONS Supported over 50 disabled with Ghs1000.00 each. Supported over 40 tertiary students with some cash to help pay their fees. Supported accident victims from the constituency with cash to help settle their hospital bills. Some at the Tamale Teaching Hospital and others Komfoo Anokye Teaching Hospital Kumasi. Training over 70 youth across the constituency on both seamstress/tailor and Hairdressing. Cost of training and logistics for training all catered by her. Donated a TV sets and 3 ceiling fans each to all divisional chiefs across the constituency. WATER AND SANITATION Fixed over 35 Boreholes out of the 42 boreholes that were sinked by her late husband and not fixed. Procured additional 20 Boreholes that were to be sinked but the wet season couldn’t allow. She repaired 5 borehole pumps at a cost of 25,000 Ghana cedis and changed one (1) at a cost of 8,500 Ghana cedis. ELECTRICITY Started the operation brighten the constituency, which she fixed over 200 street lamps across the constituency in the first phase. She has gotten three separate contractors working to connect some communities to the national grid Lobbied and secured 1500 poles from minister of energy for the constituency. Lobbied and got an allocation of 15 transformers with some meters for the constituency. HEALTH AND WELL-BEING Donated 100bags of cement for the first phase of Nadigiri CHPS Compound. Donated 100 bags of cement for the first phase of Duadinyediga CHPS Compound. Donated 100 bags of cement for Kpinkpanyong chips Compound rehabilitation Donated 10,000 Ghana cedis for the rehabilitation of Ninsum chips compound Supported Kongo chips Compound with 20 bags of cement for some renovation Donated 10 brand new registered Motor bikes to the Tempane District Health Directorate to augment their transportation challenges. Currently rehabilitating Gagbiri chips compound at 78,000 Ghana cedis Distributed over 10,000 nose mask and hand sanitizer across the constituency during the outbreak of the novel COVID-19. EDUCATION Roofed/renovated Susudi Primary School when it was raided off by storm Roofed/renovated Duadiyediga Primary School when it was raided off by storm Roofed/renovated Ramania Primary School when it was raided off by storm. Last year she organized mock exams for 1200 JHS students across the constituency as well as mathematical sets for same number. She prepared hot meal for 1350 JHS students who wrote their BECE exams this year. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us @0256336062 or Email: apexnewsgh@gmail.com
NDC Regional Election: Out of 36 aspiring candidates, 5 went unopposed in the Upper East Region
The Regional National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Upper East Region is about to go down on Saturday, 36 qualified candidates are contesting various positions in the upcoming internal regional executive elections. According to information gathered by Apexnewsgh.com, out of the 36 aspiring candidates, 5 candidates went unopposed and this includes the incumbent Regional Chairman, Regional Organizer, Regional Treasurer, Regional Deputy Secretary, and Deputy Treasurer. The election is scheduled to take effect Saturday, November 12, 2022 in Bolgatanga the Upper East Regional capital. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com