BUREAU OF LOCAL GOVERNANCE
(BuLoG)

P.o. box SE 2740, Kumasi.

We appreciate the Government for the fight against Covid 19 within this period of months in Ghana, by H. E. Akufo Addo’s government and also thanks to individuals and organisations for supporting the government.

However, out of 260 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDA’s) in Ghana (ghanadistrict.com), about 95% of them are running the MMDA’s within this period of Covid 19 without the MMDA’s approval which are contrary to the Local Governance Act 936.
i.e. President directed Minister of Local Government to liaise with the MMDA’s (newsghana.com.gh) and section 12 of Actct 936, with the MMDA’s to make sure things are in place for the people within their respective District.

According to the 1992 Constitution article 242, and Act 936, section 5, MMDA’s refer to elected and appointed assembly members, MMDCE’s and MP’s within the specific District Assembly.

Since the President through the Minister of Local Government refer issues to the MMDA’s, a chunk of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive’s (MMDCE’s) are using the MMDA’s resource haphazardly without the recourse to assembly approval, and at the end of the day, they may come out and tell the Assembly that such an amount have been spent.

Meanwhile, in the wisdom of His Excellency , who knows the right thing be done, he normally goes to parliament for any movement he moves so far as the approval on Covid 19 issues are concerned.
i.e. restrictions law (citinewsroom.com), 1 billion to be spent on covid 19 activities in Ghana (starrfm.com.gh).

Commander in Chief is making use of lay down procedural, why his appointees are not using the laws, rather internationally spending and ignoring the assembly members, and not calling the “emergency meeting” per order 3, (7) (d) to address this pandemic Covid 19 and also taken the assembly members through the Covid 19 education.

Finally, if the MMDA’s refused to call the emergency meeting, the assembly members should rather through the order 3(7)(b) of the Model Standing Orders for MMDA’s should activate the order above and not to sit down for MMDCE’s to disrespect the authority been vested in them.
If Honourable Assembly Members are not able to activate the order above, the AM’s should be blame with any larceny of the MMDA’s.

Thanks.

Signed.
Nana Kwame Obeng Akatii
0244207544
(Executive Director)

Cc:
Office of the President, Accra.

Office of the Speaker of Parliament, Accra.

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Accra.

MMDA’s.

All Media House.

31st March, 2020.

Directive for people to stay indoors appears to have sunk in well with residents of the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi as people desert even the busiest streets. The streets were indeed far from busy, evidently empty on Monday.

The streets were much quiet than normal after the government announced a 14-day lockdown in Greater Kumasi and parts of Greater Accra to contain the spread of COVID 19 which takes effect from March 30, 2020.

The normally busy traffic route of the Tech and Anloga Junction was almost empty with few vehicles plying it.

The human traffic and long queues at Tech Junction lorry terminal were absent.

Only a handful of trotros and taxis were stationed waiting for passengers.

Also, the traffic-prone Atonsu and Labour Roundabout roads were all traffic-free.

Most shops have been closed in compliance with the lockdown directives.

Whilst most people are complying with the st ay at home directives, few ones are still on the streets.

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The novel coronavirus pandemic is set to cost Ghana GHS9.505 billion, according to Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister.

This will be 2.5 percent of Ghana’s revised GDP.

“Speaker, the total estimated fiscal impact from the shortfall in petroleum receipts, shortfall import duties, the shortfall in other tax revenues, the cost of the preparedness plan, and the cost of Coronavirus Alleviation Programme is GHS9,505 billion,” he said when he appeared in Parliament today, Monday.

Ultimately, there will be a “fiscal gap of GHS11.4 billion,” the Minister added.

Import duties, for example, will fall short of target by GHS808 million for the 2020 fiscal year, the minister indicated.

The effect of the virus on the economy will worsen because Ghana just began a two-week partial lockdown of Accra, Tema, Kumasi and Kasoa.

The pandemic will also take a toll on Ghana’s GDP growth.

Mr. Ofori-Atta said a preliminary analysis of the impact of the virus “on the real sector shows that the 2020 projected real GDP growth rate could decline from 8 percent to 2.6 percent with an outbreak and 1.5 percent with a partial lock-down.”

The Minister also explained that “the overall fiscal deficit will increase from the programmed GHȼ18.9 billion to GHȼ30.2 billion, which will be 7.8 percent of revised GDP.”

“The primary balance will correspondingly worsen from a surplus of GHȼ2,811 billion (0.7 percent of GDP) to a deficit of GHȼ5.6 billion (1.4 percent of GDP),” he added.

Mr. Ofori-Atta also announced that the GHS1 billion Coronavirus Alleviation Programme will be funded from the Ghana Stabilisation Fund.

The Minister is also seeking the support of Parliament to amend the relevant laws to lower the cap of the Stabilisation Fund from $300 million to $100 million to enable the government scoop the excess funds to bridge the gap created by the economic impact of the pandemic.

Mr. Ofori Atta said the equivalent of the $100 million announced by the President to help with Ghana’s handling of the virus is ready.

“I wish to assure that money has been secured and is available to be disbursed in accordance with public financial management procedure

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Today is the birthday of the President of the republic of Ghana. He is 76 years today.

H.E Akufo-Addo has been the president of Ghana since January 2017 and previously served as Attorney General from 2001 to 2003 and as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2007 under the Kufuor led administration.

As we celebrate him today; aborsticnewsroom.news.blog wishes him fare well in the rest of his life and courage to win this battle in this hard time.

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The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has stated that food vendors within local communities are allowed to cook and sell for their customers to take away while observing social distancing in order to control the spread of the Coronavirus.

He made the statement at a Minister’s press briefing at the Ministry of Information on March 29, 2020, as a response to queries on the imposition of the restrictions to control the spread of the deadly pandemic within the country.

“It is allowed for vendors to cook and sell for patrons to take away … What is prohibited is the provision of services for people to seat, congregate and eat … As much as possible, social distancing must be observed at such places,” he said.

According to Oppong Nkrumah, food vendors are only allowed to sell to people within their locality, but he again emphasized that the food items should be packed for them to send away to reduce congestion.

“The Waakye seller at a junction can do some small waakye for people in the community to buy, but social distancing must be observed there. Buying and selling of cooked food should be based at the local communities. You are not allowed to have people sitting down; whether it’s a restaurant or chop bar,” he added.

Oppong Nkrumah also mentioned that the task force/security deployed to ensure that the lockdown is maintained will be on the lookout for food vendors who do not obey the directive.

“The security, as they are working within the local communities are aware of this, and with discretion know how to handle it,” he stated.

He however cautioned people who do not trade in food items to keep their shops closed as directed by the government.

“Dealers in non-food items are expected to have their shops and their stores closed. Cooking of food for sale is not prohibited,” he concluded.

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The Ghana Tourism Authority has issued guidelines for hotels, restaurant and night clubs amid the partial lockdown which will take effect at 1am on Monday 30th March 2020.

The GTA said this at a press briefing organised by the ministry of information, to clarify issues concerning the partial lockdown announced by the president.

The president on Friday 27th March in his address to the nation, imposed restrictions on movements at certain parts of the country identified as hotspot to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. The places where the restrictions were imposed includes Accra, Tema, and Kumasi.

However some essential services including members of the security agencies assigned lawful duties; staff of electricity, water, telecommunications, e-commerce and digital service providers; members of the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary; production, distribution and marketing of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, medicine, paper and plastic packages; staff of VALCO were however exempted from the restrictions.

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Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ketu South in the Volta Region, Mr Edem Elliot Agbenorwu, has revealed that 14 Ghanaians and two foreign nationals who entered Ghana illegally this week have been quarantined at a designated facility in the municipality.

He said the 16 persons were aided by commercial motor riders through the over 25 unapproved routes along the Ghana-Togo border but were handed over to the Municipal Assembly by personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

Mr Agbenorwu told the Ghana News Agency that, “the two foreigners are Nigerians and the 14 Ghanaians were returning from UK, U.A.E, South Africa and America via the Airport in Lomé, Togo.”

He said due to the development, the Municipal Security Council had banned commercial motor activities along the unapproved routes.

“The Military will assist the Ghana Immigration Service at these unapproved routes and will deal with any commercial motor rider for insubordination,” he told GNA.

The report detailed that, travellers were allegedly using unapproved routes at Zukope, Akporkploe, Apedido, Fihokope and Aveyiborme to cross to and from Togo at night and dawn after the main Aflao-Lome border was closed as part of measures to contain the spread of the Coronavirus disease.

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Spain’s coronavirus death toll rose by 838 cases overnight to 6,528 the health ministry said on Sunday, marking the highest daily rise in fatalities.

The total number of those infected rose to 78,797 from 72,248 on Saturday.

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The formal president of Ghana John Dramani Mahamma has released his one month salary to support the fight of covid 19 in Ghana.

A press statement was avail and signed by his special aid Joyce Hawa Mogtari to the public 29th march 2020.

Formal president assured the country to exhibit togetherness and obedience to the measures to overcome the pandemic disease.

The country should comply to the preventive measures , to avoid spread the virus.

This situation will come to and end one day , he added

The current and formal presidents are exhibiting massive support to the fight on corona virus .

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The health ministry in Dunkwa on offine together with the police service has jammed traffic at Dunkwa toll booth checking the temperature of passengers travelling from kumasi to western religion.

The health officers stopped all cars coming from kumasi or obuasi to check the temperature and sanitize every passenger.

Also they pen down every persons information before they are allowed to continue their journey to their destinations.

this will help to fish out the affected people out and able to contact trace the contact people they insisted.

many people are travelling to different places because of the partial lockdown on Kumasi and other three cities president announced yesterday in the nation address on covid 19 .

The exercise take place at Dunkwa toll booth, Saturday 28th march 2020.

Ghana has 137 cases of covid 19 , with four dead and one recover according to Ghana health service statistics .

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