Features
Tension in Parliament unnecessary
The legislative arm of government forms an important part of government and aims to play a crucial role in the socioeconomic development of a country. This role is undertaken to ensure that issues relating to law and order are carried out in a manner that seeks to bring about peace and orderliness in all parts of the country.
A major function of the legislative arm of government is deliberation over matters that are of public interest for the good of the nation. This function allows members of parliament to freely discuss issues arising in any part of the state to ensure orderliness for the overall good of the citizenry.
Another major function is lawmaking. Without the appropriate laws, no activity can be properly regulated for the purpose of ensuring decency and the achievement of good results. This is why all the laws of the state are deliberated upon when introduced to ensure that only good laws are passed for the betterment of the country.
All Members of Parliament have been given the power to freely discuss their views when certain issues come up. By allowing free ventilation of views, the MPs are encouraged to touch on every issue of importance. This also explains why all MPs enjoy legislative immunity.
The immunity is meant to protect them from attacks from the public. This protection is important, and this explains why anything said on the floor of Parliament cannot be used against any of the MPs. However, any adverse comment should be made in the House of Parliament, not outside it.
What this means is that if an MP makes adverse remarks about someone at the Accra Sports Stadium or Babayara Sports Stadium in a manner that is unfair to anybody, the person concerned can pick up the matter and sue the MP who made the unfair remark about him or her. The MPs are very aware of this, so they are always measured in the comments they make outside Parliament.
Not long ago, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, had cause to advise all MPs to be careful about comments they make outside Parliament. The Speaker explained, and he was right in doing that, referring to the issue of immunity for parliamentarians. It is hoped that our MPs will take this advice seriously and refrain from defamation or character assassination outside Parliament. We thank the Speaker for this good advice.
In light of the role of Parliament, it can be seen that the MPs are playing a good role in the development of the country. In fact, nothing can move smoothly without their input.
One problem that is of major concern to the public, however, is the needless tension that occasionally characterises deliberations in Parliament. The MPs engage in acrimonious deliberations with one another in a manner that suggests that the world will come to an end in the next five minutes. Attacks on each other may be said to be part of their parliamentary style, but this is still unacceptable, seeing that a noble place like Parliament serves as a good training ground for morality for viewers and listeners of parliamentary proceedings.
Sometimes the real motive for this can be seen as political, where one group of people may want to score political points over members of the opposing side. Such moves are not good and must be avoided at all times.
MPs from all parts of the country are all brothers and sisters who must acknowledge and respect one another as children of God. If this principle is followed by all the MPs, disagreements will arise, but they will be devoid of needless tensions that are destructive to social and political development.
Not long ago, the Minority in Parliament, for example, received instructions from their party leadership not to approve nominations of Ministers brought to them by the President of the Republic. The purpose of this action and directive was said to be that the size of government had been bloated.
This assertion cannot be true because the current number of Ministers is smaller compared with previously, as was experienced under the previous government before the coming into power of President Akufo-Addo.
The deliberations in parliament were delayed and went deep into the night of March 24, 2023. For some of us, this could have been avoided without any tension in Parliament.
At the end of it all, after a hectic session, the Ministers were approved together with the Justices of the Supreme Court.
It became clear that some NDC MPs voted to approve the Ministers whose names were submitted to Parliament. There is a range of 21 to 31 MPs on the Minority side who voted to approve the Ministers.
This has brought about high tensions in the NDC, and some of them have called those MPs traitors. There is a young man who wants to stand as MP in the Bibiani-Ahwiaso-Bekwai Constituency in the Western North Region, and this young man openly attacked his own MPs, claiming that they would fish them out and sack them from the party. If this is what this prospective MP has in mind, then he should know that he cannot succeed in his own party. People are free to make their own choices, even if they belong to political parties that expect them to behave in a certain way. However, attacking and insulting MPs as if they do not have minds of their own is not good and should not be entertained.
On March 24, 2023, the Speaker of Parliament was put in a fix. He tried to play fair to both the Majority and Minority sides. On that occasion, it became clear that the work of the Speaker is not an easy venture to undertake, for which reason we need to pray for him at all times. While praying for him, all the Members of Parliament, together with their party officials, should also take practical steps to promote unity, peace, and tolerance, as well as peaceful co-existence with all political factions in Parliament, so that peace will prevail in Ghana.
The issue of bribery raised by some NDC members against their own Members of Parliament should be dropped because it will only escalate tension within the party. If this advice is accommodated in a peaceful and positive manner, it will bring about peace within the NDC.
Differences in parliamentary debates are always welcome, but they should be carried out within the framework of peace and tolerance for one another.
Email address/whatsApp number of author: Pradmat201@gmail.com (0553318911)
Majority Leader Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu
Minority Leader Dr Cassiel Ato
Speaker Mr Alban Bagbin
Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace. The same report found that managers spend an average of four hours per week dealing with conflict, and nearly 25 per cent of people think their managers handle conflict poorly or very poorly.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you’re trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved, here are seven steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
1. Don’t put it off
Facing conflict head-on is hard. However, waiting too long to address it can negatively impact your emotional well-being, focus, and the entire office environment. If you’re feeling angry, letting that emotion fester can also escalate it over time. This can make you less responsive to other points of view and make it harder to resolve the issue.
The sooner you can address the conflict, the better it will be for you, the person you disagree with, and your entire team.
2. Learn all you can about the problem
It’s important to determine the type of conflict you’re dealing with. Begin by considering the cause of the conflict. For example, ask yourself whether someone said something that upset you or if you have emotions of anger and resentment that stemmed from something that happened.
Then try to identify if it’s a task, relationship, value, or team conflict. Once you know what type of conflict it is, you can work to resolve it with specific tactics for that situation.
If you skip this step, you may waste time or escalate the situation further by trying to address issues irrelevant to the real conflict.
3. Actively listen
Listen attentively when people share their side of the story. Active listening is one of the most valuable professional skills you can possess. This type of listening involves not only hearing what the other person is saying but also listening to understand their point of view.
No matter your role in conflict, it’s easy to begin sharing your opinion with little regard for the other people involved. However, it’s important to learn about all sides of a disagreement to make well-informed decisions before drawing conclusions.
To reach a resolution, you must step back and prioritize listening over talking. Ultimately, that will encourage the other person to do the same when it’s your turn to speak. –source: betterup.com
Today, I focus on the Temple Of Praise Ministries International (TOP Church) in Helsinki, as I continue my description of personalities or institutions and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The TOP Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments that must be made known to the public. 
Some history
The Church was established in Finland in September 2016. Since its inception, it has steadily grown both spiritually and numerically, by the grace of God, as disclosed to me by Mr Matthew Anini Twumasi, the Presiding Elder of TOP’s branch in Finland. The TOP Church has other branches across Africa, Europe, and America.
The Church in Finland was founded with a vision to create a welcoming and dynamic community where people could experience God’s love and grace (see, www.topchurchfinland.org). According to Presiding Elder Matthew, the TOP Church operates within a unique environment where Christianity coexists with what is seen as a largely secular society.
Despite this, he submits, there are significant opportunities for outreach, unity, and demonstrating the love of Christ through service and community engagement.
Activities
Church services at the TOP Church are typically held on Sundays for the main worship. In addition, there are mid-week prayer sessions, Saturday prayer services, and a half-night service held on the last Friday of every month. “We also organise quarterly programs”, Elder Matthew added.
His impression of the Church so far has been positive. “It is a vibrant and welcoming community where members are committed to worship, fellowship, and supporting one another in faith”, he stated.
In sum, Elder Matthew said the Church continues to grow by God’s grace. “We remain hopeful and committed to spreading the Gospel, strengthening the faith of our members, and making a positive impact in society”, he continued.
Achievements
The TOP Church has a number of achievements and achievements. Some of the strengths include strong community bonds, cultural diversity, and deep commitment to spiritual growth.
I also remember that during the COVID-19 period, I heard that the TOP Church was one such bodies that hugely supported its members and others to cope with the situation.
According to Elder Matthew, the challenges facing the church include “adapting to cultural differences, engaging the younger generation, expanding outreach in a secular society, and securing a permanent place of worship”.
Role in the Ghanaian community in Finland
The TOP Church plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the TOP Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
The Church also has mechanisms in place to support its members who are bereaved as a way to commiserate with them in times of death and funerals.
The Ghanaian community has played a vital role in the growth of the Church. Their strong sense of fellowship, dedication to worship, and active participation have helped build a solid foundation and attract others to the ministry, according to Elder Matthew.
Integration
By its activities, the TOP Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society.
This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process.
The role of migrant associations and groups such as TOP Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
