New female MPs settle for business

ALTHOUGH there are only 30 women out of the 275 members of Parliament, the women have already started making waves in the House as Mrs Ama Pomaa Andoh, Member for Juaben, made a statement on the Floor about e-waste on Friday.
According to her, recycling 100 per cent of the metal obtained from ore could reduce environmental load to one three-hundredth the load created by mining.
Her statement, which attracted a lot of comments in the House, said if e-waste was properly managed and recycled by trained rural youth in Ghana, a lot of the metal inside these electronic devices could be recovered through conventional means instead of through ‘galamsey’.
She therefore called for the necessary attention to be given to the rural youth, especially the youth in the Juaben constituency, through the creation of green jobs through responsible recycling.
Speaking to other female MPs before the House adjourned sitting on Friday for two weeks to enable the reconfiguration of the Chamber of the House to comfortably accommodate the additional 45 new seats that have been added to the existing 230 seats, the Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Ms Patricia Appiagyei, in an interview, said she was so far impressed with what she was seeing in the House.
A former Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Ms Appiagyei said her expectation from the House was met in the last week when the House sat.
Comparing the assembly level to the House, she said she saw a totally different set-up as the House was more organised and had more quality people in terms of their versatility and exposure.
She was also impressed that the new women in the House have not allowed themselves to be intimidated, commending Mrs Andoh for showing the way.
According to her, most of her colleague female MPs have adopted a calm disposition as they observe proceedings in the House.
With her experience from the district assembly level, Ms Appiagyei said she had a lot to offer  her people.
According to her, she would champion the cause of her constituents to ensure that the promises that she made to them were fulfilled.
Her major concern, she said was however, in the area of education and the economic well-being of her people, saying  she would strive to help better the lot of the people in that direction.
Her aim was to learn a lot from the more experienced hands in the House. She again said she wanted to gain more experience as a first timer in the House to ensure that she could also make meaningful impact on others in future. 
Another MP, Ms Freda Prempeh, MP for Tano North, said so far she had been impressed with the proceedings in the House. Her expectation of what Parliament was had been met.
Although she said their first week in the House had been slow in terms of debating  issues, she was of the conviction that things would pick up when the House resumed from the two-week break.
Also a former Assemblywoman, Ms Prempeh saw Parliament as an upgrade of the District/Metropolitan and Municipal assemblies, saying that she was hoping to contribute to more interesting debates on the floor of the House.
Her expectations from the House, she said, were high as, according to her, she was hoping to see a fair, balanced and objective debate devoid of partisanship from all members.
She was also looking at championing the cause of her constituents by ensuring that they got their fair share of the national cake.
The most pressing issue that she said was dear to her heart was looking for support for the only physiotherapy assistant and orthotics institute located in her constituency.
According to her, the school, which is the first of its kind in the country, was established about two years ago with an aim of teaching young people physiotherapy and orthotic care.
Also, she expressed the hope to improve road infrastructure, quality education, potable water and good health care to help improve the living conditions of the people.
Another female MP, Ms Florence Rachel Appoh, said the House was different from what she expected.
According to her, due to the entrenched partisan nature of the country’s politics, she was expecting to see a hostile House where parties would be divided on issues but so far, she had been impressed.
Apart from the seating arrangement in the House, she said nothing differentiated them  and therefore she felt at home.
A former Women’s Commissioner at the Pentecost University, Ms Appoh said she was particularly impressed with the Speaker of the House, Mr Doe Adjaho, who she said made the proceedings lively and comfortable for her as a first timer.
Also a founder Member of the Tertiary Institution Network (TEIN), she said she was looking forward to lobbying for more infrastructure for the Gomoa Central constituency in the Central Region. She added that empowering women in her constituency was also one of her priority interventions.
She was also looking at liaising with financial institutions to support women in her constituency, who are mostly vegetable farmers, so that they could expand their farms.
An accountant by profession, Ms Appoh said she hoped to contribute to debate on the floor of the House especially on financial issues.
Aiming to join the Public Account Committee due to her auditing background, she said she would be useful to the committee in the area of research and would also debate on women issues in the House.