According to him, being appointed Chairman of a Manifesto committee is not a full-time job.

To Mr. Atta Akyea, that should not be a reason for the Member of Parliament for Suame to leave his current position as Majority leader.

His comment comes in the wake of the resignation of the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who has been subsequently appointed as the Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Manifesto Committee.

Many argue that, he resigned to have more time for his new role in the campaign ahead of the December general elections.

But Mr. Atta Akyea, speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Thursday said, he is opposed to any decision to change leadership at this time.

“When you leave your leadership role, you can still go ahead and do your manifesto job. This is not a sufficient reason to resign from your current position,” he said.

The move, the Abuakwa South MP noted, could potentially sow division within the party.

“I am very disappointed he [Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu] didn’t even consult before resigning. Many people have confidence in his leadership,” he bemoaned.

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According to him, the Supreme Court’s ruling has clarity and is grounded in constitution, as such; there should be no uncertainty as to how parliament should proceed on the matter.

“The second matter is the unclarity, then I ask myself, on many occasions he the speaker has called on the table to expunge what a member might have said, how is it done? How is it done? On many, many occasions. So how is it done? So if they say that his name should be expunged and you say that well you find it difficult, I disagree with you. I think there’s clarity,” he said on JoyNews’ PM Epress.

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, had expressed uncertainty regarding the clarity of the court’s order following his reversal of an initial decision after initially ordering that parliament retains the name of James Gyakye Quayson on its books.

This was after the Supreme Court recently made public the full reasoning behind its decision to declare the Assin North MP’s victory unconstitutional.

On May 17, the apex court ruled that Mr Quayson should be expunged from parliament’s records as a Member of Parliament.

But speaking in the house on Thursday, Mr Bagbin explained that “the order did not say the Speaker should expunge [Gyakye Qyayson].”

“It did not say any Member of Parliament or clerk should expunge [the name], it says the institution called parliament. So that institution must carry out the order. The only way the institution can carry out the order is for the institution to reason together. And that is only done in a sitting where the opportunity is given to members to think through it,” he told the parliamentarians.

However, reacting to the Speaker’s statement, the Majority Leader said it was baffling that the issue should cause some uncertainty in the House.

“One, as far as I am concerned, the ruling of the Supreme Court is predicated on Article 97(1)(e) which says ‘ a Member of Parliament shall vacate his seat in parliament if any circumstances arise such that if he were not a Member of Parliament would cause him to be disqualified, or be ineligible for election under Article 94 of this constitution.’

“It had to do with his owing allegiance to another country other than Ghana which by his own submission was blunt that he didn’t owe any allegiance to any other country apart from Ghana. But subsequently it comes out. So on account of that the people believing that he didn’t owe allegiance to any other country, they voted him.

“It comes out that he did owe allegiance to another country other than Ghana , on account of that the courts have ruled that he was therefore ineligible to have contested and so this then kicks in. this thing has arisen, it’s been found out that you were not qualified to contest, so when they said that you ought not to have been a Member of Parliament ab initio, there’s a reason why they’re saying that if you were not a Member of Parliament you cannot then be described as a former Member of Parliament,” he said.

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He said this when presenting a business statement on the Floor of Parliament. He said the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta’s briefing to the House has been rescheduled due to the address.

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This will be the president’s fourth address to the nation on measures being taken to curb the spread of the dreaded coronavirus in Ghana.

Meanwhile, Minority spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has urged the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu must appear before the House to brief them on the reported cases.

Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, has revealed that his position as Majority Leader in Parliament has left him with no social life.

According to the Majority Leader, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Suame constituency and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, he has a daily tight schedule which permits him little or no time with the family.

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“My son, who was around 7, some time ago, told the President they don’t see me so he should allow them more time with me. That is the reality because I arrive late when they are asleep and leave very early,” he said.

Speaking in an interview on Nhyira FM’s Kuro Yi Mu Nsem show, the Minister said he creates space for other activities despite his schedule because he must step ahead as a leader.

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“You don’t have a social life, especially as the Majority or Minority Leader because your party is in power and you are the Leader of the House so you need to coordinate closely the activities of the Members of Parliament,” he said.

Commenting on how he is able to contribute often on the Floor of Parliament despite his schedule, he added: “I don’t leave parliament early because I always have people looking for me from the constituency, in an out of parliament but I try to create a two-hour space for myself each day to go through policy documents because as a Leader, I believe you must be a step ahead in order not to lead your people into a ditch.”

Source: Adomonline.com | Gertrude Otchere

In various interviews to assuage public anger, which greeted the announcement, Mr Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu gave the following reasons to justify the $200m investment.

1. The distance between the majority MPs and the minority MPs is too short and a minister can easily throw a blow or slap another minister when things get heated.

Audio: Ghanaian MPs least paid in West Africa – Nii Lante Vanderpuye

2. Because of the way the place is not protected …. someone can easily enter the chamber and pour acid on the speaker.

3. Last time, because of easy access, a gentleman entered the chamber looking for his mp and he couldn’t find him, he tried committing suicide.

4. Today, there are so many MP’s who sit beside the column who cannot be identified by the speaker. They cannot catch the speakers eye so even when they get up, the speaker cannot identify them.

5. It is also about time for parliament to get its own chamber after customising the State House for its work since 1992.

6. There is no parliament anywhere in the world where we have the public having direct access to the members in the chamber.

7. Parliament as an institution since Independence has not had any dedicated facility and it’s the only arm of government that has not had its own edifice.

8. The current chamber impedes the state’s ability to provide security for MP’s.

9. The walkways are congested and the worst could happen in an event of a stampede.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu is worried about public bashing following the debate on the proposed new 450-seater parliamentary Chamber.

“As a person I may have my own ideas but I belong to the collective and so what I do out there is to put out information as to how it became necessary to engage in this exercise. It has nothing to do with me,” he said.

Addressing a press conference on the matter which has become a matter of public interest, the Majority Leader could not fathom why Ghanaians are attacking his personality instead of discussing the real issues.

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“It is most unfortunate and most uninformed that people are not discussing issues but they are attacking the personality of Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu. If the information is not standard, you can argue on that but don’t attack the personality,” he said angrily.

Social media – Facebook and Twitter – have been inundated with harsh criticisms against Parliament and its leadership in connection with the new proposed Chamber.

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Mr Mensah-Bonsu, who has been vocal in justifying the need for a new Chamber, told Accra-based Citi TV on Wednesday that: “Parliament, since independence, is that one arm of government that has not had a purpose-fit facility built for it, so, this is not a decision we are making today.

“The reason the Board is considering this is because of the myriad of challenges confronting the current Chamber.”

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He insisted that the move to build a new Chamber is not an Executive decision but was taken by Parliament as an institution.

Source: Adomonline.com | Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy

The Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, has laughed off claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that government’s One-Village-One dam policy has been a failure.

“I think the NDC does not even understand the meaning of a dam and so their idea of a dam is the reason they are likening it to Akosombo dam. It’s laughable and sad because they don’t understand, they are ignorant. Even if they understand it, then they are doing it out of propaganda and it’s bad,” he told Accra based Neat FM, monitored by Adomonline.com.

The NDC has described the dams as dugouts and unfit for the purpose for which they were constructed.

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“It has now emerged that in place of the small-scale irrigation dams the New Patriotic Party (NPP) promised the people, what they have provided so far can best be described as dugouts or excavated ponds. In the Upper East Region for instance, government is said to have completed about 40 of these so-called dams (excavated ponds and dugouts) out of the 140 they were allocated in the year 2018,” the NDC said in a statement.

Responding to the claims, Mr Mensah-Bonsu noted that only four out of over 300 ongoing dam constructions have become a matter of concern due to their nature.

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He opined that the Akufo-Addo administration’s socio-economic performance will put the country on the path of growth as the government is on course to deliver promises made during the campaign.

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Suame, said the NPP administration believes in promoting pro-poor socio-economic policies to improve the lives of Ghanaians.

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He criticised the NDC for failing to provide alternative solutions to the country’s problems.

Mr Mensah-Bonsu said in the next two or three years, Ghanaians would appreciate the Akufo-Addo government’s initiatives.

Source: Adomonline.com | Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy

According to him, the behaviour put up by the Minority Members of Parliament was appalling, adding that it was not cultural for honourable members to be involved in such acts.

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“I was outside the country with the President on an assignment when I heard what the minority MPs had done in parliament. In fact, that was appaling and the least said about their conduct, the better. It is not part of our culture to attack widows in our country and we need to condemn it,” he stated on Okay FM monitored by Adomonline.com.

Members of Parliament on the minority side, on Tuesday 5th February 2019 staged a walkout during the newly elected Member of Parliament.

Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed led the boycott of the swearing-in in order to solidarize with the victims of the violence that occurred at the La Bawaleshie polling centre during the election.

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The minority, in turn, displayed placards with the inscription “bloody widow”.

But Mr Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, said even if the men didn’t see the emotional trauma accompanying widowhood, at least the female MPs should have empathised with Madam Lydia Seyram Alhassan without being political.

According to him, Ras Mubarak’s protest of the high cost of fuel and the economic hardship under President Akufo-Addo was only aimed at scoring cheap political points.

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He was particularly critical of the MP’s decision because according to him, President Akufo-Addo has no control over the cost of fuel.

“It’s unfortunate to see my colleague MP going that path. I don’t see him as highlighting any plight. You have a V8 and you chose to ride a bike to parliament house and you want us to believe that you did that because Ghanaians are suffering.

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“I don’t see it as an achievement. Ras Mubarak, what you did yesterday was just cheap populism. In fact, if you claim you rode all the way from your home to parliament house, why didn’t you sweat,” he queried on Okay FM monitored by Adomonline.com.

Ras Mubarak, on Tuesday, embarked on a 17km journey from his house to Parliament where he represents the people of Kumbungu.

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He said his action was to demonstrate against the government over the economic hardship in the country.

But the Suame MP urged Ras Mubarak and his colleagues in the NDC to engage in constructive criticisms instead of seeking unnecessary attention.

Majority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu has explained why the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye has ordered all Members of Parliament to reconvene on Monday, September 24.

Listing some items on the agenda, Mr Mensah-Bonsu said the meeting would see parliament deal with the controversial AMERI deal.

He said Parliament did not consider the amendment of the AMERI deal before its recess because the request for further information about the deal is critical.

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Mr Mensah-Bonsu said parliament was yet to receive details on the cost of the amended AMERI agreement brought before them for ratification by the government and deal with the controversies surrounding the deal.

Members of Parliament have been recalled from recess by the Speaker, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye to an emergency sitting to help consider what he says is an “urgent Parliamentary business.”

Parliament is expected to sit for five days beginning 24th to 28th September 2018.

The House adjourned sine die on July 28th 2018 and was expected to reconvene in October for the next sitting.

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“In exercise of the power conferred on the Speaker by order 42 (3) of the Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana, I, Right Honourable Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye, Speaker of Parliament, do hereby direct that Parliament shall, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, be recalled from recess to sit from Monday, the 24th day of September 2018, at ten o’clock in the forenoon each day, at Parliament House, Accra, to consider among others, some urgent Parliamentary business,” a memo to the MPs directed.

But the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs said parliament will also touch on the Right to Information Bill which has been laid before Parliament.

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He revealed that the Bill has since been referred to the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of Committee of Parliament after Cabinet fully approved the Bill.

“The recall has become necessary for us to deal with pressing issues such as the controversial AMERI deal. We have to review, for the second time, the new Ameri deal which was not passed before going on recess. We would also look at the RTI bill, the Minerals Fund bill and others,” he said on Accra based Okay FM Monitored by Adomonline.com.

“I suspect that very soon people will begin to hear about the workings of our dear Martin Amidu [Special Prosecutor],” he was confident.

Speaking at the party’s National Delegates Conference in Koforidua, the Eastern Region capital on Saturday, the Suame legislator revealed that the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, and his team are actively working to deliver on the promises of the party.

READ: EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: 2018 NPP National Delegates Conference underway

The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs noted that democracy must yield tangible results and deliver prosperity to the governed otherwise the governed would lose trust in the government.

He urged delegates at the party’s National Delegates Conference to vote for candidates who can promote the interest of the party.

Vote wisely

“The fundamental considerations that each of us [delegates] should have are the following: 1. Has the contestant rendered good service to the party? 2. Has the constant best promoted and defended and would defend and promote of the party?” he said.

LISTEN: AUDIO: We want to be in power for 60 years – Freddie Blay

He wants only diligent members of the party to be given the mandate to run the party’s affairs at the executive level.

Touching briefly on some of the achievements of the Parliament under the current Nana Akufo-Addo-led administration, he said key bills have been passed to deepen good governance.

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“By Tuesday next week, we would have passed the Legal Aid Bill and same day…we will start the consideration of the much-awaited Right to Information Bill and certainly before Parliament adjourns on July 26 2018, we would have finished the passage of the Ghana Integrated Bauxite and Aluminium Authority Bill 2018 among others,” he announced.

Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, had condemned National Chairman aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Stephen Ntim, for accusing acting Chairman of the party, Freddie Blay of vote buying.

According to him, since they are both working for the growth of the party, it is important that he concentrates on the development of the party instead of throwing salvos at his opponent.

In his estimation, Mr. Ntim is only creating unnecessary tension within the party.

READ: HOT AUDIO: Freddie Blay asks NDC to emulate his 275 bus purchase move

“I believe that in an election, there will always be a winner or a loser but a competition within a party like ours always has to be healthy. And that is why I urge Ntim to rather concentrate on how he will help grow the party instead of bashing his opponent.

“I believe is just creating unnecessary tension and has to be stopped,” he said on Accra-based Okay FM as monitored by Adomonline.com.

Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu’s comment follows the accusation by Mr. Ntim that Mr Blay was engaging in vote buying.

He said Freddie Blay’s procurement of 275 new buses for party executives in each constituency is an attempt to influence delegates who will show up to vote in the party’s upcoming national executive elections on Saturday.

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Blay on Wednesday took delivery of the buses in honour of his campaign promise to get them distributed to constituencies to help them finance their activities.

But Stephen Ntim, who is contesting Freddie Blay said at a press conference that the move is disingenuous.

“If you are really in love with your party or any organization that you belong to, you don’t wait till a situation arises where you need favour from the people before you say I’m giving you a bus. If you do that, it amounts to vote-buying. Why is it that during the 2016 campaign he didn’t bring 275 pickups, not even buses, but wait for the time when you say ‘vote for me and get these buses’? That amounts to vote-buying,” he said.

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But Mr Mensah-Bonsu urged the party members to work tirelessly for the party and subscribe to the very things that unite them in order to strengthen the party.

“Members must work to bring the party together. When we are done with elections, what will be needed now is to bring all hands on board to work in the best interest of the party so they need to take note” he urged.

He was not exactly enthused with the habitual absenteeism and has urged members to make it a point to always be present for the business of the House.

The Majority Leader was confirming concerns raised by the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu, who described as “embarrassing” the act where Members of Parliament come in to sign and go back without taking part in parliamentary duties in the chamber.

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According to Mr Osei Owusu, when MPs didn’t have offices, they would come early, sit at the coffee shop and wait for proceedings to begin.

He observed that since they were provided offices, they come in to sign and go back to sit in their offices.

‘Becoming unbecoming’

The First Deputy Speaker was reacting to concerns raised MP for Lambussie Karni Constituency, Edward Dery, that the number of members in the chamber on Wednesday, May 30, was not up to one-third.

Mr. Dery said MPs’ absenteeism is “becoming unbecoming” and urged the Speaker to do something about it as they will not continue to tolerate it.

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Mr Osei Owusu, who is also MP for Bekwai Constituency, was worried most MPs are breaching the Constitution and the legislature’s Standing Orders, especially Standing Order 16 with impunity.

That particular Order requires that “a member shall not absent himself during a meeting for more than 15 sittings without the permission in writing of the Speaker. Any member infringing this order shall have his conduct referred to the Privileges Committee”.

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He urged them to change their attitude towards work as they may not be happy if action is taken against them.

In his contribution, Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said the continuous absenteeism undermines public confidence in MPs.

He, therefore, urged members to be punctual to enable them to transact business.

• The NDC government planned to change the names of GITMO 2

• The Yeminis were detained at the Guantanamo Bay for 14 years after they were linked to terrorist group, Al-Qaeda

• They were released as part of US government’s plan to shut down the facility.

• Their stay in Ghana ended on January 6, 2018.

• The NPP government has said the men have been granted a refugee status without its knowledge.

It has emerged that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) government planned to change the names of the former terror suspects, known to Ghanaians as GITMO 2.
Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu who disclosed this on Adom FM’s Morning Show “Dwaso Nsem” Thursday said the then Mahama administration also secured the two detainees Ghanaian passports.
Read Also: Gitmo 2 saga: Minority accuses gov’t of breaching constitution, disrespecting Supreme Court
This decision, he noted has tied the hands of the ruling government and makes it impossible for government to send the two Yemenis away from Ghana.
“There is no way the two detainees will be deported because they are now refugees of the country. When we took over power, it was revealed that the Mahama administration wanted to change their names so they can be part of us. They have secured them Ghanaian passports”, he revealed.
Listen to Osei Kyei

Government says it is unable to immediately execute plans of repatriating the two Guantanamo Bay detainees who have been in Ghana for the last two years because of their refugee status.
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Charles Wiredu has recently indicated the Ministry was surprised to discover that the past NDC regime granted the two US detainees refugee status before the end of their mandatory two-year stay in the country.
“With their new status as refugees, it will be difficult to send them to another country when they have not flouted Ghana’s laws”, he added.
Related article: Gov’t planned to send Gitmo 2 to Morroco until NDC shocker
The two Yeminis – Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby – were resettled in Ghana in January 2016 following an agreement between the John Mahama government and the Barack Obama led-U.S. administration.
Commenting further on the issue, Mr Kyei Mensah Bonsu who doubles as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs questioned why a former Foreign Affairs Minister, Hannah Tetteh failed to attach such documents in her handing over note to the newly elected NPP government.
Mr. Osei Kyei Mensah believes the previous administration took a hasty decision without envisaging the implications to the nation on the exit plan for the two detainees.
According to him, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey will, next week, bring the agreement before the house for ratification.

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