Debates of 3 Feb 2005

Hon. Members, I wish on my own behalf and on behalf of this august House to welcome His Excellency Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor, President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces.
As hon. Members are aware, his Excellency the President is here to deliver a message on the State of the Nation in Accordance with article 67 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana. Hon. Members, it is my pleasurable duty to invite His Excellency the President to deliver his Address. Your Excellency, the House.

Hon. Members, in accordance with Standing Order l58, I wish to convey to His Excellency the President the gratitude of the House. And also in accordance with the established practice, a formal communication will be forwarded to His Excellency the President in the course of the next few weeks after this House has debated thoroughly the Address of His Excellency the President.
Hon. Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, kindly give us indications regarding the adjournment of this House.

Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, that this House do adjourn. Mr. Speaker, it is definitely necessary that we have to see the President off but by the practice we found the other day, it became necessary that the Leadership of the House had to be with the President until he takes leave of us. In line with that it will be necessary for us to have the formal motion for the adjournment before we see the President off, of course, reminding hon. Members that we shall remain until the President and our visiting dignitaries do take leave of us in line with the approved procedure. Consequently, I beg to move that this House do adjourn till next week, Tuesday at 10.00 in the morning. I so move.

Mr. Speaker, it is nice to have His Excellency the President with us today and to receive the Message on the State of the Nation. Mr. Speaker, the practice however has been reviewed with what is being proposed today. Mr. Speaker, we would have preferred that His Excellency the President was properly seen off before we adjourned the House. Mr. Speaker, together we are going to have, in my respectful view, a disorderly adjournment.
But it is not part of me to oppose the adjournment. I believe that we will try as much as possible to conduct ourselves in such a way that His Excellency will see a befitting send-off from this House, together with His Excellency the Vice President and His Lordship the Chief Justice and all the dignitaries gathered
here today.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that His Excellency received - [Interruptions] - Mr. Speaker, my hon. Colleagues are yet to improve on the culture of tolerance. We do not often get this opportunity with the President and I hope that the way the House conducted itself when he was delivering his Address is the same that should be extended to other Colleagues in the House just like how we allowed the Majority leader to move the motion. So Mr. Speaker, without holding His Excellency the President now in the House, I beg to second the motion.

Question put and motion agreed to.