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Parliament to set up Committee to
look into security concerns
Accra, Jan. 28 Ghanadot/GNA – Parliament is to set up a
committee to look into some security concerns raised by
Members of Parliament (MPs) including the use of the powers
of the occult and sorcery to harm members.
The safety of MPs came up for discussions when Mr Osei
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Minority Leader, in a statement on the
floor of the House, said his seat had been tampered with and
a toxic and injurious substance, lead, had been planted into
the system.
He had earlier, on January 7, this year openly complained on
the floor about his seat.
“It was most uncomfortable and attempted to throw me about
anytime I needed to adjust myself. Thursday, January 15,
2009, when the Estate Department called for its replacement,
it came to be noticed that the seat I had been sitting on in
the Chamber all this while had been tampered with. The
holding system had been removed and had been replaced with
some rather crude lead fabrication.”
The Minority Leader said it was discovered that out of the
230 seats it was only his that had been tampered with.
“Madam, Speaker, I believe in God and not the occult or the
so called powers of mysterious forces of darkness.”
He said incidentally, his office seat had also been tampered
with and questioned who was behind this, the intention and
how the person gained access to the Chamber and his seat.
He called for investigation and said the security of
members, the Speaker and staff of Parliament was at stake.
Mr Alban Bagbin, Majority Leader, said he had also almost
fallen on the same seat previously as Minority Leader just
before the December 7, elections.
I can’t believe in the use of the occult. It will not
happen. We need to investigate. Leadership will meet and
remedy this wrong,” he said.
Ms Cecilia Dapaah, NPP Member for Bamtama, asked for
prayers, saying people have sat on certain seats and had
become paralyzed or died in the process.
“We need prayers for ourselves and leaders so that
witchcraft and occultism will be done away with,” she added.
Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, First Deputy Speaker, said only
yesterday, Tuesday, his attention was drawn by an NDC MP who
had suffered from a similar incident when he soiled his
clothes through oil smeared on his seat.
Mrs Agnes Bamford-Addo, Speaker, called on the leadership to
meet over these matters and set up a committee to
investigate and report back.
Earlier, she informed the House of a communication from
President John Evans Atta Mills on the release of a second
list of ministerial nominees and referred it to the
Appointments Committee.
Below is the list:
1. Ministry of Information - Mrs. Zita Okai Kwei
2. Ministry at the Presidency - Mrs. Halutie Dubie Alhassan
3. Ministry of Finance - Dr. Kwabena Dufuor
4. Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Regional Integration - Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni
5. Ministry of Defence - Lt.Gen. J.H. Smith (Rtd)
6. Ministry of Interior - Cletus Avoka
7. Ministry of Health - Dr. George Yankey
8. Ministry of Employment and
Social Welfare - Stephen Kwao Amoanor
9. Ministry of Water Resources,
Works and Housing - Moses Asaga
10. Ministry of Youth and Sports - Alhaji Muntaka
Mohammed Bubarak
11. Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture - Alexander
Asum-Ahensah
12. Ministry of local Government and
Rural Development - Joseph Yieleh Chireh
13. Ministry of Food and Agriculture - Kwesi Ahwoi
14. Ministry of Roads and Highways - Joe Gidisu
15. Minister at the Presidency - Azong Alhassan
The statement said the President has also nominated for the
consideration of Parliament for appointment as Regional
Ministers.
(i) Volta Region - Joseph Amenowode
(ii) Western Region - Paul Evans Aidoo
(iii) Northern Region - S.S. Nanyina
(iv) Upper East Region - Mark Woyongo
The statement said the list of Deputy Ministers will be
released when Ministers of State have been vetted and
confirmed after due consultation with the Ministers as
required by the Constitution.
GNA
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