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General News on Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Source: dailyguidenetwork.com
2019-04-30
Prof. Mike Oquaye – Speaker of Parliament
Parliament suspended for an indefinite period the draft law on vigilance and related offenses, 2019, which was presented to the House on April 11, 2019 by the Attorney General under a certificate d & # 39; emergency.
After the introduction of the bill just a day before the Parliament adjourns for the Easter holidays on Friday, April 12, the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye, informed members that the House would be recalled for consideration and adoption in because of its urgency. the invoice's.
Therefore, the Speaker asked the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, which was to consider the bill before considering it, to use the two-week period prior to the recall for consultation. and public participation for: the bill stands the test of time.
However, when the President of the majority, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, recalled the House, announced that the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs had asked for more time for stakeholder consultations because of the importance Bill.
He added that the Parliament also considered it necessary to integrate the results of the commission set up by the Peace Council chaired by Rt. The Reverend Prof Emmanuel Asante will invite the political parties to solicit their contribution to the bill. .
In his view, Mr. Asante's commission did not conclude his consultations with the political parties and therefore insisted on the need for the legislator to wait for a certain period of time to allow for exhaustive consultations to allow the Chamber to to do a better job.
The Speaker said that Parliament could introduce a bill that would withstand the test of time.
With the reminder, the Parliament will focus instead on other very important financial agreements, such as the tax exemptions related to Synohydro and the draft law on companies, 2019.
He is expected to rise on Friday 3 May and resume on 28 May for the second plenary session of the third session of this Parliament.
During the weeklong recall, Parliament will also consider a $ 220 million prepayment agreement between the government, through the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNP) and GermCorp Commodities Trading. SA for the energy sector, as well as a tax of 351.9 million GH. exemption on materials and equipment for the construction and rehabilitation of certain roads and interchanges in the country.
The new bill, promised by President Akufo-Addo during his speech on the state of the nation to Parliament on February 21, aims to dissolve political vigilance and suppress all activities of these groups self defense in the country and also land guards.
However, Haruna Iddrisu, leader of the minority, is not satisfied with the recall, saying that members have come to understand that the purpose of the reminder was to review the draft law on vigilance and related offenses, but different agenda was introduced.
"Mr President, we must make it clear that we are not an extension of the executive and that the executive must know that the deputies will have to be in their constituency in order to interact with their constituents", a- he said, ready to deal with Parliament's business during this period.
Peduase Talks
Professor Emmanuel Asante, President of the National Peace Council, instructed the two main parties to put the national interest first.
The understanding, he continued, should guide their submissions for the dissolution of the self-defense groups.
Speaking at Peduase Lodge, the venue for talks between the NPP and the NDC, he told party representatives, "As we try to understand our individual and collective roles in eliminating vigilance and all its ramifications, I urge you to consider the following: we owe it to our people to respect the values and aspirations that drive our ancestors to fight for the freedom we currently enjoy and that we probably take for granted … Our political leaders especially the NPP and the NDC, have the responsibility to contribute to these aspirations. "
In its response, the NPP expressed support for the views of Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, adding that he was ready to work with the relevant stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the problem.
NPP National President Freddie Blay said the challenge of vigilantism must be met to save the country from its negative impact.
NDC National President Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, for his part, invited stakeholders to show commitment to the cause.
"It takes human beings to find solutions. The bill itself and its adoption will not be a panacea for the challenges we face. What I believe we should do is to speak frankly and honestly about the situation … If we approach it aesthetically, we will of course find another day that the situation devours us, "said Ofosu Ampofo.
In a joint statement issued later by the NPC and the two parties, "after an open and comprehensive debate, the parties agreed on the immediate scope of the dialogue. In this regard, the parties agreed to begin discussions on the elimination of vigilance with other key stakeholders and experts. These stakeholders should include representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs), security agencies and religious organizations. "
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