Tuesday Briefing: Bulletproof cars delivery, cash-for-seat debate walk out, deposit insurance

For those who have been busy throughout the day, here are the stories which made the headlines today. 

1. Bulletproof vehicles: We saved money, retooled police after renegotiating contract- Hamid

Government is patting itself on the shoulders for renegotiating a contract the Mahama led government entered into for the procurement of luxury vehicles for the presidency. Information Minister Mustapha Hamid says government decided to buy 34 of the vehicles, nine short of what was originally intended by the Mahama administration, and rather bought 100 Toyota Corolla vehicles for use by the police service all at a cost lower than what the NDC government agreed with the suppliers of the vehicles.

2. Minority slams 'partial' Speaker, says Parliament is not his property

The Minority in Parliament has dissociated itself from the cash-for-seat report that has been laid before the House, venting its frustration on the Speaker. The opposition lawmakers say Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye has been opposed to the investigation into the cash-for-seat scandal despite constituting a Special Investigative Committee. Addressing an emergency news conference in Accra Tuesday, shortly after walking out of Parliament, Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu said they will not allow the Speaker to dictate the pace in the House.

3. Deposit insurance will protect your money – BoG Governor

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison says the steady growth in the number of financial institutions makes the development of a system that will guarantee the safety of depositors very critical. He noted that the increasing complexities of the financial sector in recent times require, more urgently, that an insurance scheme, together with the tightening up of the bank’s supervisory role is, put in place. “Banks are getting into consolidated arrangements with affiliates in capital markets, insurance firms, those engaged with real estate companies…these are all part of the complications we see in the financial system. “So we can have the most prudent application of banking rules, have the most effective oversight over the financial sector to anchor stability but then, you also need that deposit insurance scheme to provide the additional safety net to boost confidence in the financial sector especially for small depositors,” he said.

4. We honoured NPP's request to buy bulletproof vehicles- Apaak

A former presidential staffer is accusing the government of being dishonest in the purchase of brand new luxury cars for use by the presidency. Clement Apaak claims the 43 bulletproof vehicles ordered by ex-president John Mahama few days before his exit were procured at the request of the incoming Akufo-Addo administration. “They made it clear the type of vehicles, the make of the vehicles, the type of functions that vehicles were supposed to perform were all decided by the then incoming NPP government. If today they have seen it fit, in spite of the obvious attempt to malign the erstwhile president Mahama NDC led government after we had seen the need to accede to their request because of our belief that governance is a continuum then what they can do is to apologise to ex-president Mahama,” he said.

5. ‘You have no monopoly over insults’ – Haruna Iddrisu bares teeth at Mensah Bonsu

The Minority leader has served notice to his Majority counterpart, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu he will pay back in equal measure all the insults he hurled at him over the cash-for-seat saga. Haruna Iddrisu has told the Majority leader he has no monopoly over insults, threatening to retaliate in “commensurate if not in excess” at the appropriate time. Fuming while addressing an emergency news conference minutes after the Minority boycotted a sitting, the leader of the opposition lawmakers said he will not allow anyone to walk all over him in the House.

6. Commercial drivers, ICU, Petroleum Chamber to protest over fuel hikes

Commercial drivers and members of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) are expected to hit the streets Wednesday, to demonstrate against the rising fuel prices in the country. According to them, the last five months have seen a persistent increase in the prices of petroleum products with corresponding hardships these increases often come with. The Unions say they will embark on a peaceful protest in Accra to pile pressure on the government to heed their calls.

7. Cash-for-seat probe exonerates Alan Cash

Trades Minister, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, who has been accused of using the Presidency for profiteering has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the cash-for seat probe. The committee report presented to parliament ahead of a debate on it found no evidence to support the claim first made by Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mohammed, who is Asawase NDC MP. Muntaka Mohammed alleged that the Trades and Industry Ministry provided support for a private event organiser which sold seats to anyone interested in sitting close to the president at an awards dinner for expatriates.

8. Fire destroys School feeding supply, 7 shops at Suame

Food items belonging to the School Feeding Programme at Suame in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, have been destroyed after a fire tore through the storehouse. The Tuesday fire also ravaged seven shops and two vehicles owned by some artisans near a mechanic enclave in the area, Luv FM’s Erastus Asare Donkor reported. The items worth hundreds of cedis belonged to the Nuru Islamic Basic School that is under the programme, the reporter said. The cause of the fire has not been established, but there are claims a food seller nearby is to blame for the incident.

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