News
Afenyo-Markin accuses Government of double standards on Anti-LGBT bill
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused the government of being inconsistent in its stance on the anti-LGBT bill, saying those now in power once forced the issue on the previous administration but are now trying to avoid responsibility.
Speaking in Parliament, Afenyo-Markin said there was nothing wrong administratively with how the matter had been handled in the past.
He alleged that the current government used the debate around LGBT rights to gain political advantage during the Akufo-Addo administration but is now backing down because of pressure from international partners.
“You used it to win elections. Now, when your stakeholders, the international community, are warning you, you want to run away. Run to where? You are now in the kitchen, and you feel the heat,” he said.
He recalled that when he was in government, he had pleaded with the then-opposition to manage the issue carefully, but they refused.
Afenyo-Markin said the opposition at the time pushed the bill through Parliament, even during its third reading, despite his concerns.
According to him, these same provisions that the current government once supported are now the ones they are hesitant to defend.
He said this change of position shows the difficulty of governance and the pressure that comes with being in power.
By: Jacob Aggrey
President John Dramani Mahama has held a high-level meeting with the Heads of Security Agencies, Minister for the Interior and Acting Minister for Defence on the ongoing security services recruitment process.
Following a briefing on the process, the President has directed that the number of men and women to be recruited to the various security agencies should be increased from twenty-thousand (20,000) to forty thousand (40,000) over a four year period.
The President has also directed the Heads of the Security Agencies to ensure transparency and fairness in the recruitment process.
Present at the meeting were the Chief of Staff, Secretary to the President, Senior Presidential Advisor on Governmental Affairs, National Security Coordinator, Inspector General of Police Director General Prisons, Director General Fire Service, Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service and the Director General of the Narcotics Control Commission
At the request of the minority leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, officials of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) met with members of the Parliamentary Minority Caucus today.
The engagement afforded the Caucus an opportunity to provide the Fund with feedback on recent economic developments in Ghana.
The discussions were mutually beneficial to both sides as stakeholders in Ghana’s governance.
The IMF delegation was led by Adrian Alter, Resident Representative, accompanied by Mr. Razafimahefa Ivohasina Fizara, Coordinator of AFRITAC West 2 and Mr. Osa Ahinakwah Economist at the IMF Country Office.
Members of the Caucus in attendance were, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, Second Deputy Minority Whip; Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, Ranking Member on Finance; Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Ranking Member on Economy and Development; Kweku Agyeman Kwarteng, Chairman on Budget; Abena Osei-Asare, Chairperson of Public Accounts; and Collins Adomako-Mensah, Deputy Ranking Member on Energy.
Dr. Antoinette Tsiboe-Darko, Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, also represented the Party.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
