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Bagbin threatens Chairmen of Parliamentary Select Committees over delayed reports
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has threatened to cite Chairmen of Parliamentary Select Committees with delayed reports for contempt.
This comes after the Chairman of the Trade, Industry and Tourism Committee, Carlos Ahenkorah and the Minister for Trade and Industry, K.T Hammond on Monday accused the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Kwaku Kwarteng of failing to consider and report to the plenary on tax waiver requests for factories under the One District One Factory Policy since the Speaker made a referral to the committee in 2021.
Recently, the Ranking Member on the Trade and Industry Committee, Yusif Sulemana revealed that there is currently over GHC5 billion request before the Finance Committee with an additional GHC7 billion likely to be presented by the government to Parliament for approval for cronies in the trade industry.
Reacting to the matter, the speaker, Alban Bagbin, said the committee must report to the house for onward action.
“My attention was drawn to one of them some time ago, and I spoke to the chairman of the committee. If you have any concerns, report to the house. But we cannot refer matters to a committee, and the committee on its own decides that it will not report to the house, and that ends the matter. That is unacceptable.”
“We may in future be compelled to take contempt cases against some of your people, and as leaders you also know that they disqualify themselves from holding some positions. When you are chair of a committee, and you are not performing, the standing orders allow the leadership to recommend for replacement,” he said.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
