Author: newsfilegh

The Appointments Committee of Parliament has decided to vet National Security Minister-designate in-camera. This is due to the sensitive nature of some of the questions to be asked Albert Kan Dapaah. Mr Kan Dapaah is the second ministerial nominee of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to be vetted on Friday, January 20. The preliminary session was, however, conducted in the presence of all with Member of Parliament for Bodi Samson Ahi given the final right to ask a question. His question bordered on the recent takeovers of state assets by persons suspected to be members of the ruling party. Chaired…

Ghana’s economy is fundamentally strong, Mr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo Minister-designate has said, but noted that it will only take a disciplined regime to create an economy that can be described as booming. Answering questions at Parliament’s Appointment Committee on Friday, Mr. Osafo-Maafo indicated that the lack of discipline by the previous Mahama-led government exposed what he calls an economy  that was “not in best of shape”. Nonetheless, the Senior Minister-designate assured the nation that the Akufo-Addo-led government has what it takes to turn the economy around, the more reason why the New Patriotic Party was voted into power. “It is doable”,…

Donald Trump is set to be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. The property tycoon won an unexpected victory in November’s election after a controversial campaign. Hundreds of thousands of supporters and protesters are travelling to Washington DC for the event. Thousands of police have been deployed and many kilometres of crowd barriers set up as part of a vast security operation. Addressing supporters on Thursday night at a pre-inaugural concert, Mr Trump pledged to unify America, bring change and make the country great “for all of our people”. Meanwhile in New York, thousands of people…

The Upper West Regional Fire Service has threatened to close down a Goil Gas Station in Wa if management fails to adhere to fire safety measures within a week. The defects at the Station came to light during a training programme organized for fuel station managers and pump attendants to prevent and manage fire disasters. The Fire Precautions Regulations 2003 mandates the Service to ensure that property owners or occupants manage the various risks on their premises through regular training and fire prevention practices. It is against this background that it organized the training workshop. A demonstration was done at…

Mr. Yaw Osafo Maafo, Senior Minister-designate, has revealed he strongly disagrees with the decision to have a 40-year Development Plan for the nation. The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) designed the 40-year-plan which implementation begins in 2018.  The Plan would comprise 10 medium-term plans, each of four-year duration, spanning 10 general elections (2020-2056) and be reviewed every ten years by Parliament to keep it current and relevant. But Mr. Osafo Maafo Friday told Parliament’s Appointments Committee when he appeared before Members that, “I do not believe in planning in excess of 10 years”. He maintained that his view was made “clear”…

Senior Minister-designate Yaw Osafo-Maafo has expressed befuddlement at reports that his position is more or less like a Prime Minister. “That baffles me,” he stressed at his vetting on Friday, January 20. Mr Osafo-Maafo became the first ministerial nominee of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to face Parliament’s Appointments Committee after assuming the seat at the Speaker’s Conference Room Thursday morning. His position had come up on the floor of Parliament after Member for Bawku Central Mahama Ayariga said it was not captured in the 1992 Constitution. The former Youth and Sports Minister followed up with an open letter…

Kumasi has bounced back to life hours after the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, was laid to rest on Thursday night. Businesses and schools within the metropolis, which remained shut on Thursday, have resumed operations as vehicular and human congestion builds up. All business activities in Kumasi came to a halt on the burial day in honour of the final interment of the late Asantehemaa. The central business district of Kumasi was a ghost town as streets were deserted of vehicles and people. Banks, shops and basic schools were all shut in honour of the late queenmother.…

The Senior Minister-designate, Mr. Yaw Osafo Maafo has maintained that the New Patriotic Party government would not think twice in reviewing the Extended Credit Facility arrangement between the government of Ghana and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The country is in the final year of the programme but Mr. Maafo said the components of the agreement are not friendly to the policies of the government as contained in the manifesto of the NPP. The three-year facility was signed under the erstwhile National Democratic Congress government, where the country is expected to benefit US$918 million when it was approved on April 3,…

Ghana deputy captain Andre Ayew is a doubt for the second group game against Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations after coming down with Malaria. Ayew, who scored the winning goal for the Black Stars in a 1-0 win over Uganda, could miss the meeting against the West Africans unless he recovers from the Malaria that has knocked him down over the last 24 hours. Given his growing influence in the team, the West Ham midfielder is expected by Ghana medics to recover fully for the match against the Malians given the stakes. Three points will ensure passage into…

The Appointments Committee of Parliament is taking the issue of tax returns seriously, and so ministerial nominees who are found to have defaulted in filing same risk being disqualified, Sampson Ahi, a member of the committee, has said. “The constitution has stipulated that you should be a Ghanaian before you can become a Member of Parliament and for that matter a Minister of State. Similarly, you are a citizen of Ghana but have defaulted in paying tax or you have failed to honour your tax obligation to the state, if you are found, we will not approve your nomination” he…