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Afenyo Markin urges Majority to stop displaying placards against Ken Ofori Atta in Parliament
Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo Markin, has appealed to members of the Majority caucus to stop displaying placards bearing the name and image of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta on the floor of Parliament and describing him as corrupt.
His appeal followed concerns raised by the Council of Elders of the New Patriotic Party and members of Mr Ofori Atta’s family over how his image was used on placards during the recent State of the Nation Address in Ghana.
Addressing the House, Mr Afenyo Markin explained that no court has found the former finance minister guilty of corruption and therefore cautioned against actions that could damage his reputation.
He indicated that although political disagreements are normal in Parliament, deliberately printing and displaying Mr Ofori Atta’s pictures in a negative manner, especially when the attention of the world was on the chamber during the address, was inappropriate.
Mr Afenyo Markin therefore appealed to the Majority leadership, particularly the Chief Whip, to ensure that such actions are controlled or stopped in the future to maintain peace in the House.
He revealed that the Council of Elders of his party had summoned him to ask what steps the caucus was taking in response to the incident.
The Minority Leader also acknowledged concerns raised by a member of Parliament who is a relative of the former finance minister and had persistently drawn attention to the issue in the chamber.
He stressed that Mr Ofori Atta remains a human being with a family and reputation that should not be unfairly attacked.
Mr Afenyo Markin added that he did not intend to litigate the matter but was making a respectful plea to the Majority leadership to end what he described as the continued persecution and attacks on the former finance minister’s name in the chamber.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Abena Osei Asare has expressed concerns about the failure of the Administrator of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) Mr. Paul Adjei to honour invitation of the Committee to assist in dealing with abandoned projects cited in the 2024 Auditor-General’s report.
She emphasised that some of the projects have been abandoned for more than 20 years and it kept reoccurring in the Auditor-General’s report yearly, stressing that the GETFund Administrator could assist by prioritising these projects.
However, he has failed to personally appear before the Committee since the commencement of the Committee’s public hearing in the 9th Parliament.
According to the 2024 Auditor-General’s report on Pre-University Educational Institutions, nine (9) Institutions with 16 projects awarded by the GET Fund Secretariat had been abandoned/delayed for a period ranging between three (3) and 28 years.
Some of the affected schools include Adanwomoase Senior High School (Boys and Girls dormitory abandoned for 12 years), Atoa Senior High School (Home Economics Block abandoned for 27 years), Beposo Senior High School (Dinning Hall and Kitchen Complex abandoned for 10 years and lastly KNUST Senior High School (Three storey classroom block abandoned for 20 years).
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Energy continued its oversight responsibilities with a working visit to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) yesterday.
Chairman of the Committee, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, said the visit formed part of efforts to familiarize members with the Authority’s operations and to explore ways Parliament could provide the necessary support.
He explained that the NPA’s work is focused on regulating Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector, a critical area for national energy security.
Mr. Bedzrah noted that the Committee is particularly interested in assessing whether the country has adequate petroleum stock to meet demand.
He noted that rising geopolitical tensions, including the ongoing US–Iran conflict, could have adverse effect on Ghana’s energy supply and pricing.
He further disclosed that the Committee intends to engage closely with the Authority on a proposed new petroleum bill.
According to him, a draft of the legislation will be reviewed and possibly presented to Parliament under a certificate of urgency.
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