Parliament reconvenes after Easter break

Parliament on Tuesday re-convened from the Easter break, two weeks earlier than the scheduled date, to continue with the business of the House.

The Speaker, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, recalled an earlier appeal, before the House went on recess in March, to members who would be contesting the parliamentary primaries to be regular in the House, so that party’s parliamentary activities would not negatively affect their presence and acidities.

Mr Adjaho also urged the Government Departments, Ministries and Agencies to present their legislative proposals early enough to the House.

On progress of work on the Job 600 Building, which when completed would provide offices for the legislators; the Speaker said he had, with senior members of the House done an inspection and the Leadership would soon give the House a briefing.

Meanwhile, the Speaker in communication from President John Dramani Mahama, informed the House that the President, in consultation with Council of State and the Judicial Council had nominated Mr Justice Yaw Apau and Mr Gabriel Pwamang, for parliamentary consideration for appointment to the Supreme Court of Ghana.

Mr Apau is Appeals Court Judge, and sole Commissioner on the Judgment Debt Commission. Mr Pwamang, a senior lawyer, is a former General Secretary of the People’s Convention Party (PNC).

The nominations are in line with the provisions of Article 144(2) of the 1992 Constitution.

The Speaker has since referred the nominations to the Appointments Committee of Parliament.

By the rules of the House, the Committee would in the next few days meet to draw a programme for their vetting.

A formal notice will then be issued to the public to submit memos on the nominees as to why they should or should not be given job.

Meanwhile, Mr Mark Owen Woyongo, the Minister of the Interior, was in the House to tell Ghanaians what plans the Ministry to provide Ahafo Ano South District with a fire tender.

The question stood in the name of Mr Johnson Kwaku Adu, Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South West.

Mr Woyongo, in response said the District had indicated since March 1998 that it was setting up a Fire Station at Mankraso which had not still materialised.

“The Ghana National Fire Service is ready to provide the district with the fire tender when it meets the major pre-requisite by providing infrastructure for setting up a Fire Station,” Mr Woyongo said.

Mr Cassiel Ato Forson, Deputy Minister of Finance, laid on behalf of his boss, Mr Seth Terkper, a paper to request for a waiver of taxes, customs duties, value added tax, National Health Insurance Levy, Destination Inspection Fees, EDAIF and ECOWAS Levy amounting to GH? 4.7 million on goods and equipment required for the implementation of the Protocol Agreement between Ghana and the African Development Fund on Engaging Local Communities in Reduced Deforestation and Forest Degradation/ Enhancement of Cargo Stock Project.

The 15th Report of the Appointment Committee on the President’s Nominations for Ministerial and Deputy Ministerial Appointments was also laid before the House.

The House also adopted the Report of the Representatives from the Pan African Parliament on the Fifth Ordinary Session of the Third Parliament of the Pan African Parliament held from 13th -24th October, 2014 in Midrand, South Africa.