Parliament pays tribute to late Cynthia Boakye, member Parliamentary Press Corp

Members of Parliament on Thursday expressed concern about the health and welfare of members of the Parliamentary Press Corps, as three members passed away in less than a year.

The last one being the late Cynthia Agyapomaa Boakye, 29, who worked for New Statesman newspaper and whose demise, immediately after the House went on recess for the Easter break on April 2012, was a shock to members including the members of Parliament.

They expressed their condolences to the bereaved family.

The Members expressed these concerns after Mrs Osei-Opare Frema, Member for Ayawaso West Wuogon, read a glowing tribute on the floor of Parliament in honour of Cynthia Boakye.

She said the late Journalist was dedicated to her duty and had made an impact with the news items that she wrote and were published by the paper, adding that her death was a great loss.

She called on members of the press corps to constantly undergo medical check-ups and urged Parliament as an institution to assist the press corps with medical services.

Mr Isaac Asiamah, member for Atwima-Mponua, said Parliament should periodically engage the press corps to know their challenges and that their welfare should be of concern to the House.

He said there was the need to allocate an office space for the press corps at the Job 600 building, which is still ongoing to facilitate the work of members of the Corps.

He said the press was very important to Parliament because without them anything said and done in the House would go nowhere and the larger majority of Ghanaians would not be informed.

Mr Asiamah also appealed to the House Committee to work out a special policy to cater for the training needs of members to upgrade their professional skills.

He appealed to members to assist the two year old boy left behind by Cynthia Boakye.**