Ghana politics and election news

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has left for Monronvia, Liberia to attend the 51st Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Former President, Jerry John Rawlings, has reiterated the significance of the June 4 revolution in Ghana's history, describing it as a second independence for the country.

A former Presidential staffer in the John Mahama administration, Dr. Clement Apaak, has revealed that 43 new armoured vehicles ordered by the previous government days before leaving office, was upon the demand of the Akufo-Addo government.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has sworn in his first batch of ambassadors to head various Ghanaian embassies abroad. 

The maiden edition of the Annual Revolutionary Lecture Series has taken place at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons Conference Hall in Accra.

The Upper Denkyira West District Assembly has "accepted in good faith" the suspension of its District Chief Executive (DCE), David Appianing by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Member of Parliament for Ofoase–Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, has donated 1,500 mathematical sets to be distributed to all final year Junior High School (JHS) students in his constituency.

The items he explained will be beneficial to the students as they prepare to take the Basic Education Certificate Examination. The gesture is part of his education intervention program in the constituency.

Mr Oppong – Nkrumah wished the beneficiaries success and encouraged them to study and prepare adequately in order to pass the examination, as it is a stepping stone for the next phase of their lives.

The MP also admonished students to refrain from examination malpractices, observe all examination rules and be of good behaviour during the examination period and beyond.

Receiving the items on behalf of the students, Director of Education for Akyemansa District, Elizabeth Korkor Amanor, expressed gratitude to the Member of Parliament for the gesture even as they looked forward to more such support. 

All of 1,204 final year JHS students being presented for the BECE in the Ofoase–Ayirebi constituency would benefit from the donation.

The examination is set to begin countrywide from the 5^th of June 2017.

Former President John Mahama's administration ordered the supply of 43 specialised vehicles worth more than $9m barely eight days to the handing over of power, reports suggest.

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Upper West Denkyira in the Central region, Daniel Appianing has denied reports that he has been suspended from his position.

The minority for the first time in the history of Ghana’s Parliament invoked a half-hour motion on Wednesday, to compel the Finance Minister to answer questions relating to the issuance of the 2.25 billion dollars bond.

The bond which was issued in April by the Finance ministry has seen a lot of criticism from the minority in Parliament, which allege conflict of interest and lack of transparency in the issuance of the bond.

MP for Tamale, Haruna Iddrisu who invoked the motion believes the answers from Ken Ofori Atta should bring finality to the issues surrounding the issuance of the bond.

But what does a half hour motion mean? And how different is it from the usual invitation of government appointees to appear before the house?

In the usual question and answer session, a Member of Parliament asks the speaker to invite the appointee to appear before the house. The speaker solely takes the decision forward the invitation, and when this is done and the appointee appears before the house, individual members are invited to ask their questions. The questions stand in the name of those particular member.

However in a half hour motion, a members moves the motion, and when the speaker accepts, the entire house is asked to agree to the invitation of the appointee, instead of only the speaker making that decision. In this instance, questions to be answered by the appointee stand in the name of the entire house and not an individual MP.

The rules in a half hour motion can be found in standing order 49(1), which are as follows

Half-hour motion

49. (1) On any day on which the Order paper contains the item Half –Hour Motions, Mr. Speaker shall interrupt business thirty minutes before the conclusion of business and

There upon or at the conclusion of business before that time call upon the Member in whose name the item stands to move the Half-Hour Motion.

(2) No amendment to such a motion shall be permitted.

(3) The subject of the motion shall be one for which the Government is responsible, and the right to move the motion shall be determined by ballot under the direction of Mr. Speaker.

(4) The right shall not be allotted to more than one Member for each sitting and at the stated end of the Sitting or the conclusion of the debate before that time Mr. Speaker shall put the Question on the motion without allowing a division.

(5) On the interruption of business under paragraph (1) of this Order, the closure may be moved, and if it is moved or if proceedings under the pertinent Order regarding the closure of debate are already in progress at the time of interruption, Mr. Speaker shall not Interrupt the business until the Question consequent upon the moving of the closure and any further Question relating to it has been decided.

(6) Mr. Speaker shall, as the case may require, either adjourn the House without question put or call upon the Member in whose name the Half-Hour Motion has been set down on the Order paper.

(7) Where the Member is called upon, the Sitting shall be subject to the provisions of Order 41 (Interruption of Business proceedings) and debate may proceed for not more than thirty minutes.

(8) If business is due to be interrupted for a Half-Hour Motion and at that hour a division is in progress, Mr. Speaker shall not interrupt business until he has declared the determination of the House on the division and in such case the debate under paragraph (1) of this Order may proceed for not more than thirty minute.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has in fulfilment of Article 76(1) of the 1992 Constitution submitted his composition of cabinet ministers to Parliament.

The Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress [NDC] Koku Anyidoho has refuted claims that work of the National Executive Committee [NEC] will interfere with that of the Prof. Kwesi Botchwey’s Committee.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been decorated with the highest national award of Liberia, the Grand Order of the Most Venerable Order of the Knighthood of Pioneers.

Former Deputy Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Akudjeto Ablakwa, has entreated Teacher Trainees in the country not to resort to picketing at the ministries as means of getting their grievances addressed.