Debates of 21 Jun 2005

MR. FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:15 a.m.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Hon. Members, are there any corrections to be made to the Votes and Proceedings of Friday, 17th June 2005? Page 1 . . . Page 8. No corrections? We also have the Official Report for Friday, 10th June 2005. Hon. Members, if you have your copies, may we go through that as well.
Ms. Akua Dansua 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, mine is not a correction but a question as to how Questions numbered 35 and -- [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Hold on until we finish with the corrections.
Ms. Josephine H. Addoh 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am sorry to take you back to page 5 of the Votes and Proceedings. I was absent with permission but it has been recorded here as absent.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
All right,
the Clerk's Office should take note and effect the relevant correction.
Mr. Haruna Iddrisu 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker,
at page 3 of the Votes and Proceedings, I was absent with permission but it has been reported that I was present.
Mr. A. U. Abdul-Razaq 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker,
page 3, I was absent with permission on Friday; I was at Akosombo, but it has been recorded that I was present.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
You were
absent?
Mr. Abdul-Razaq 10:15 a.m.
Yes, I was absent.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
His name
should be deleted from those who were present then. We also have with us the Official Report for Tuesday, 14th June 2005. Any correction on that?
Mr. Abdul-Razaq 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I was rather absent with permission. I attended a Committee Meeting at Akosombo.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
What you want to add is that you were on official duty. That will be taken care of. At the moment we are dealing with the Official Report for 14th June 2005.
Mr. Stephen Kunsu 10:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, column 908, a statement I made was misquoted. When you look at the second paragraph, it begins like this - “Mr. Speaker, Ghana's need for pleasure depends principally on vegetation.” That was not what I said.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
What did
you say?
Mr. Kunsu 10:15 a.m.
I said - “Mr. Speaker,
Ghana's economic development depends principally on . . . ”
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Ghana's
what?
Mr. Kunsu 10:15 a.m.
“Economic develop-
ment”.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Instead of
“Ghana's need for pleasure”?
Mr. Kunsu 10:15 a.m.
Yes, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
That is a serious mistake, is it not? So the Hansard Office should take note and effect the relevant corrections. “Ghana's economic development depends principally on vegetation as more than 60 per cent of the people . . .” Please, what correction do you want to make because the whole sentence is not very right. What did you say?
Mr. Kunsu 10:15 a.m.
“Mr. Speaker, Ghana's
economic development depends prin- cipally on vegetation.”
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Then
Mr. Kunsu 10:15 a.m.
The rest are correct. The
“need for pleasure” should go away.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:15 a.m.
That
brings us to the end of corrections of the Votes and Proceedings for the records and for the Official Report as well.
Hon. Members, we have first of all some correspondence from the Office of the President. It was dated June 17, 2005, but I am supposed to read it for the benefit of the records and for our own benefit. Indeed, it was sent to the House but it was at the weekend and therefore let me read it now:
coMMUNIcATIoN FRoM
THE PRESIDENT 10:15 a.m.
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA 10:15 a.m.
OFFICE OF PARLIAMENT 10:15 a.m.
PARLIAMENT HOUSE 10:15 a.m.
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT 10:15 a.m.
STATE HOUSE 10:15 a.m.
Ms. Akua Sena Dansua 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would want to find out why Questions numbered 35 and 36 which were originally slated for today have been shifted to tomorrow, Wednesday.
Mr. A. o. Aidooh 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, let me apologise to the hon. Member who was supposed to ask these Questions. The Minister had to travel and before he travelled, he arranged that we should reschedule these Questions for tomorrow; so she should accept my apology.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
So that is
what the Business Committee has done.
Mr. E. K. D. Adjaho 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, when the Business Committee programmes business for the House, is it possible for one individual to just change it without
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Hon. Deputy Majority Leader, do you want to react to that?
Mr. A. o. Aidooh 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, these Questions were supposed to be asked and answered today. The information got to us by last Friday that the Minister would not be available -- and in fact -- [Interruption.]
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Hon. Kunbuor, are you rising on a point of order? The hon. Member is answering the question; so would you hold your peace for a while?
Mr. A. o. Aidooh 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy that the hon. Member who is supposed to ask the Questions has accepted the apology. That is not the normal practice but in the circumstances that we found ourselves, that was the best we could do.
Mr. Speaker, there is no point scheduling the Questions today when the Minister would not be present. In fact, the Minister informed us of his absence. I think that would be all right for us.
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Your answer is quite reasonable; we will accept that. But hon. E. T. Mensah, would you also react to that?
Mr. E. T. Mensah 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I heard my good friend inform this House that the Question was postponed to tomorrow because of the absence of the Minister. What about the numerous Deputy Ministers at the Ministry of Education and Sports?
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Well, as an explanation has been given, that it was for the convenience of this House that it has been arranged, I think we should all accept it and make progress on that. I will listen to you, hon. Kunbuor.
Dr. B. Kunbuor 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to get your guidance on this matter. What is the priority of a notice of a Question that has been given to a Minister in relation to the other commitments of the Minister?
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
You wanted my direction or you wanted to ask me a question?
Dr. Kunbuor 10:25 a.m.
Your guidance, Mr. Speaker.
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Hon. Minister for the Interior, you want to assist the Chair, I believe?
Papa owusu-Ankomah 10:25 a.m.
I just want to inform the House that Ministers place high priority on the Business of Parliament. If Ministers are unable to attend, it is due to urgent and pressing reasons; it is not an expression of discourtesy to the House and
I just want to make this position clear to all hon. Members.
Normally, before Ministers fail to attend upon the House to do business, they liaise with the Leadership. So if any Minister is unable to attend, it is not out of discourtesy.
Furthermore, as Ministers , we endeavour to personally attend upon the business of the House, particularly when it relates to Questions because we know that sometimes the Deputies may not be able to give unequivocal answers to supplementary questions after the answers have been given by the Minister. So Mr. Speaker, I just want to make this position clear to the House.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
I think we have dealt with this matter.
Dr. Kunbuor 10:25 a.m.
Yes, Mr. Speaker. I guess he was responding to the statement that I made -- [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Yes. He was assisting the Chair to respond to the question you asked of the Chair.
Dr. Kunbuor 10:25 a.m.
Yes, but it looks like he was not very clear. I was asking specifically for your guidance on whether the Business of this House takes priority over other commitments.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
I do not think that is the impression he wants to create. That is not the Chair's understanding of what he said --[Interruption.]
Dr. Kunbuor 10:25 a.m.
That is the impression
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Do not drag me into this, hon. Kunbuor -- [Laughter.] I think we are all right with that.
Papa owusu-Ankomah 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I did not want to belabour this point but if that was the impression gathered by the hon. Member, then I wish to state that that was not the impression I intended to convey. Next time, I would try as much as possible to anticipate any misim-pression that has been conveyed so that we all understand what we mean by what we say.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Hon.
Members, let us continue and make progress. At the moment, we have a couple of Statements that the Chair has allowed. First of all, we will take one Statement from the hon. Member from Builsa North constituency (Mrs. Agnes Chigabatia).
STATEMENTS 10:25 a.m.
Mrs. Agnes A. chigabatia (NPP -- Builsa North) 10:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this most important event, Father's Day which falls on 19th of June every year.
Mr. Speaker, the importance of this day
Mr. Stephen Kunsu (NDc -- Kintampo North) 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate Fathers' Day, we must express gratitude to God for entrusting us into the hands of our parents or fathers. By entrusting us into our fathers' hands, they are expected to be responsible for our upkeep as family heads and other things. Fathers who have lived up to expectation must be elated and inflated with pride today as the whole world is honouring them. Such responsible fathers are those who were able to play the important roles as family heads, inspirers, role models and protectors.
We must all salute our responsible fathers whose toil and tender care have brought us to this level. We must realize that our fathers went through very difficult times in an attempt to seek our comfort. Also, things have not been easy at all for them. If they were to tell us the ordeal they went through in bed before their wives opened the gate of sesame for them, we would accord them the necessary respect that is due them.
As sons and daughters, Mr. Speaker, we must respect our parents so that practical interpretation can be given to the biblical command in Exodus chapter 20, verse 12.
Mr. J. K. Hackman (NPP -- Gomoa West) 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement on the floor.
These days we have fathers who believe that fatherhood is just a matter of throwing out money to children and their kids instead of actually nurturing them to face the world and become responsible citizens of our society. We have witnessed cases whereby fathers are being held responsible for wrongful behaviour of their children. What I want to say to good fathers is that they should contribute to the nurturing of their children to help them to face the world when they are not here.
Some fathers think it is just important to throw money always to children without teaching them how to face the world when they are not available. I urge such parents to refrain from that and rather prepare the children to know how to even do businesses and also contribute to social development. I congratulate the hon. Lady for making the Statement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Ms. Josephine H. Addoh (NPP -- Kwadaso) 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to add my voice to the Statement and congratulate all fathers because I believe that till recently, fathers were the breadwinners for all homes. Inasmuch as women are trying to fight for our rights, inasmuch as we are trying to be breadwinners now, they have been doing
it. Though we really know that they sometimes neglect their duties, we can never say that men have not looked after our children.
We all had fathers who took care of us. Some men are still doing that but maybe quietly. Some men do not have those petty, petty jobs that can help them do the job that they are expected to do. So in certain ways, women try to fill in the gap for them but I must say that we appreciate whatever they have been doing for our children. We love them for doing that and we hope they would continue to be doing that. We encourage them to continue doing that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Sefwi Akontombra constituency
Mr. Herod cobbina (NDc -- Sefwi Akontombra) 10:35 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to make this Statement on the challenges of the new constituency, Sefwi Akontombra. I stand before this House on behalf of the people of Sefwi Akontombra constituency in the Western Region.
Mr. Speaker, Sefwi Akontombra constituency shares borders with Sefwi Wiawso, Juabeso, Suaman and Aowin constituencies.
The constituency area is covered by a large stretch of the Satoma-Sui Forest Reserve which divides the whole constituency area into two settlement parts. The first covers over thirty-three towns and villages centred around Nsawora- Edumafua before the Forest Reserve and the second part begins outside the reserve centred around Akontombra covering over thirty towns and villages. This forest reserve contributes to the sustenance of the country's rain forest and ecology.
Mr. Speaker, Akontombra constituency is a predominantly agricultural one
Mr. Herod cobbina (NDc -- Sefwi Akontombra) 10:45 a.m.
producing cocoa, coffee and food crops. Other economic activities are mainly in the extractive sectors, minerals and timber. Almost all the bigger timber firms in the country hold concessions and are logging daily; (Suhuma and B.L.L.C. Company) are two of such companies. There are attractive tourist sites in the constituency such as the Bopa falls. The Bopa falls is one of such attraction that need to be developed to enable the constituency and the entire country derive maximum benefit. Also about two-thirds of cocoa produced in Sefwi Wiawso district is from the Akontombra constituency.
Mr. Speaker, the real challenges of my constituency stems from the slow pace of infrastructural development and the reasons are clear. Akontombra constituency is still part of Sefwi Wiawso district making the district one of the largest and as such Government resource allocation to the district has been woefully inadequate to cover the district's numerous development aspirations thus affecting the Akontombra constituency.
Mr. Speaker, the only trunk road linking Akontombra-Sefwi Wiawso- Juabeso and Suaman constituencies is often cut off from the rest of the country. In this regard, the Akontombra-Wiawso trunk road needs to be reconstructed and tarred to make it motorable.
Mr. Speaker, the River Tano Nsawora Bridge was built in 1931 and is currently very wobbly and dangerous. Part of the bridge has been damaged by timber trucks that ply the road and has been hanging almost two years now. I am calling on the Government to take immediate steps to rebuild the bridge across the Tano River at Nsawora.
Mr. Speaker, the feeder road network
in Sefwi Akontombra constituency can be rightly described as the worse in the region. Government must as a matter of urgency open up the area with more feeder roads and culverts and improve existing ones which have now become death-traps. I am specifically referring to the Kramokrom-Kordjour-Kwaku Attah- Bopa Shed-Meserenyame-Kabieasue- Mesiba roads.
Mr. Speaker, Akontombra constituency has no telecommunication facilities; the total area is not covered.
Mr. Speaker, it is sad to note that only three, Akontombra, Nkrah and Nsawora out of the many communities in Akontombra constituency that have qualified under the various Self-Help-Electrification Programmes have electricity. Akontombra constituency needs electricity from the Government to boost economic activities in the constituency.
Mr. Speaker, the quest for potable drinking water for the people is paramount; Akontombra constituency needs over sixty boreholes and small town water system for towns like Akontombra, Nsawora and Ackaakrom.

Mr. Speaker, the state of the only Day Senior Secondary School in Akontombra constituency is appalling. This school, established ten years ago to absorb products of Junior Secondary Schools in the catchment area of the constituency needs an administration block, additional classroom blocks, a book shop, a library block, master's bungalows, a school bus, telephone and internet facilities.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to appeal through you to the Minister for Education and Sports to consider Akontombra Senior Secondary School under the GETFund
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Yes, hon.
Member, are you on a point of order?
Mr. Ndebugre 10:45 a.m.
Yes, Mr. Speaker. I
heard the hon. Member - my very good Friend refer to an institution as “UST”. There is an institution called Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) of which I was an illustrious student. I do not know whether he was referring to that institution. If he is referring to that institution he should say
so in memory of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Thank you very much.
capt. Effah-Dartey (rtd.): Mr. Speaker, I do not know whether you will rule on it as a point of order or not. I think all of us in this House know that “UST” refers to “KNUST”. But Mr. Speaker, if because he wants me to acknowledge that he is an aluminus of KNUST and hence that is his point of order, I am sorry for referring to it as UST. I am a proud aluminus of University of Ghana, Legon where I studied Law.
Mr. Speaker, I am appealing to the people of Akontombra that they should take serious interest in Local Government, in the Akontombra Town Council. Mr. Speaker, I think that looking at Akontombra, if the people pay their taxes, especially property rate - considering the number of buildings in Akontombra if they are all able to pay their property rates, the people pay their basic levies and the market women also pay market tolls and the town council is doing its duty - Mr. Speaker, I believe strongly that within a period of five years, the town will get a facelift.
I agree with the Member of Parliament for the area that there must be Central Government intervention. I believe the New Patriotic Party Government has promised to do and will continue to do it. We should rejoice in the fact that we are a positive change-oriented administration and we are moving on.
So Mr. Speaker, I associate myself with the Statement and congratulate him. I am really unhappy that he did not say thank you to the Electoral Commission for making that place a constituency; but that is beside the point. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:45 a.m.
I will take
two more contributions on that.
Mr. S. M. E. K. Ackah (NDc -- Suaman) 10:55 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to associate myself with the Statement. Mr. Speaker, I am very glad that when the hon. Colleague (Capt. Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey) who spoke last was contributing, he made mention of the strenuous efforts he had to make before he could get to Akontombra when he was invited there. Mr. Speaker, that is the bare picture.
Indeed, you get to the area -- and it is not Akontombra alone -- I share a common boundary with Akontombra and as the Statement indicated, the condition there is predominant; it is found in all these areas -- Suaman constituency on Aowin Suaman, Akontombra and Juabeso. As the Statement was read, hon. Members heard that it is a forest reserve area and with such a forest range, we anticipate that when the rains set in, the roads are going to be very, very poor; and indeed, the roads are very, very bad.
Mr. Speaker, this is an area where a lot of the cocoa which is the backbone of the country's economy is produced. Invariably, and so ironically, this is the area where the roads are worse, I would say, in this country. There are no tarred roads, not even an inch of a tarred road in any of these constituencies. Mr. Speaker, it is very, very bad. You go to other social amenities and they are also not existing.
Mr. Speaker, things are very alarming there. Sometimes, you wonder whether people in that area are really part of Ghana. Mr. Speaker, Governments have come and gone. This is the time of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government and the area is still contributing effectively

[CAPT. EFFAH-DARTEY (RTD.)] to the economic development of this country. We want to plead that the fair share of all amenities that are going to all the other places must also be extended to these areas.

As I speak now, Mr. Speaker, my constituency is cut off from the rest of Ghana because the roads are all blocked. Here we are, articulated trucks, mummy trucks evacuating cocoa to the harbours and so on are plying these routes and yet they are the worst you can meet. Mr. Speaker, nothing could save the area apart from tarring these roads because the forest range is so wide and the rains are very heavy there.

That is not the end of it. The schools there were just some of these newly created secondary schools, they need a lot of amenities, masters' bungalows and because of the roads and all these amenities are lacking,

when you post people or transfer people there they do not want to report to the area so that life there can be enhanced.

Mr. Speaker, these amenities and challenges that have been enumerated are very, very vital and I support the Statement and wish the Government would turn a very positive eye to that place and help us also develop.
Minister of State, Public Sector Reforms (Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom) 10:55 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to broaden the concern a little bit because I too have had the opportunity to go not just to Akontombra but also to Juabeso and other areas within the vicinity of the constituency.
Mr. Speaker, it is actually very surprising, as you go even through your own constituency towards the area that we are speaking of; you can find that if we are talking about cocoa, the bulk of Ghana's cocoa is indeed coming from that broad area. If we are talking about timber, the bulk of Ghana's timber is also
coming from that broad area. It abounds with food crops. Rice is produced there and all manner of other food crops come through the area. But the residents find it necessary to transport a lot of their food crops and food produce to Kumasi rather than to Sekondi and Takoradi because of the very, very poor condition of the road network in the area.
So I am speaking on behalf of the people in that whole broad area. You could even extend it to other areas of the Western Region where it appears as if, as we have been shifting through and going through the development in this country, perhaps, we have looked at other areas and not quite paid as much attention to the Western Region as we should. Even when we are talking about the development of oil and gas in this country, a lot of our good prospects are being looked at from the Western Region.
So it is important to consider the Statement made not just in the narrow confines of the constituency that the hon. Member has talked about but we should broaden it a bit. Within the first Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS), yes, some recognition was given to it and I think some projects were initiated; but as we are now talking about accelerating growth, for me, it is important that we pay good attention to one of the most productive areas in the country.
So Mr. Speaker, I wish to associate myself with the Statement made by the hon. Member.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 10:55 a.m.
Hon. Members, I would also take another contribution from the hon. Member for Jomoro, Lee Ocran -- [Interruption.]
Mr. Lee ocran (NDc -- Jomoro) 10:55 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is said that “if you are sick or you have a problem and you do not talk about the problem, nobody would

sympathize with you and help you”; and I am happy that my hon. Friend from Sefwi Akontombra has spoken of the problems of Sefwi Akontombra.

Not long ago in this House, Mr. Speaker, a similar Statement was made about Sefwi Wiawso constituency. We are all aware how Sefwi Wiawso constituency was proclaimed. The issue of Sefwi Akontombra should be worse because Sefwi Akontombra until very recently happened to be part of the Sefwi Wiawso constituency and it is still part of Sefwi Wiawso District. Sefwi Akontombra happens to be the rural part of Sefwi Wiawso constituency so if Sefwi Wiawso has more problems then you can imagine what problems Sefwi Akontombra constituency has got.

This is a constituency without a single tarred road; only three settlements in Sefwi Akontombra have got electricity. There is no secondary school worth the name to talk about. In fact, in 1979, I visited there as an official of the Government of the time and I was surprised to see a French national exporting timber all the way near Sefwi Akontombra and he thought that he was still in la Cote d'Ivoire because there was no security service detailed to prevent him from entering our territory. This can show you how remote the place is.

I therefore wish to associate myself with all the sentiments that have been expressed by hon. Cobbina from Sefwi Akontombra. I think that Sefwi Akontombra has the population, has the resources to be declared a district. The district has a focal point of development and if that area is given that status at least, Sefwi Akontombra as a town would be developed as a district capital and some of the facilities that we are talking about would be provided.

This happened to Juabeso when Juabeso was created a district and now Juabeso is progressing. When you go

there you can see roads being built, streets being tarred, electricity being provided and I want to associate myself with the sentiments expressed by the Member of Parliament for Sefwi Akontombra so that the Government would look at the law and try to create Akontombra into a district to bring development to the area. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:05 a.m.
That brings us to the end of this particular Statement. We move on to another Statement this time around from hon. Kenneth Dzirasah on the setting up of the SPA Health Farm in Sogakope.

Holy Trinity SPA and Health Farm at Sogakope
Mr. Kenneth Dzirasah (NDc -- South Tongu) 11:05 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to throw the searchlight on a medical-tourism institution which is located in my constituency, the first of its kind in the country.
This facility should be of interest to hon. Members and other individuals like us who carry the problems of society even into their bedrooms.
Mr. Speaker, the SPA and Health Farm is a special clinic that is concerned with problems of stress, pressure of work, fatigue, body shape, beauty, the desire to relax, problems of drinking, over- consumption of stimulants such as coffee, tea, cola drinks, addictions, smoking, poor sleep, overweight, lack of rest, emotional problems or people who may not have such problems but who just need a quiet and serene environment to recuperate. These are people who rarely have symptoms of illness but yet simply
Mr. Kenneth Dzirasah (NDc -- South Tongu) 11:15 a.m.
Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to associate myself with this very important Statement made by a senior Member of this House.
Mr. Speaker, this reminds us once again that tourism is a very important part of our economy. It is not only important but it has a great potential for increasing the foreign exchange earnings of this country. Just last week we talked about tourism and we talked about various aspects of it. Today the hon. Member has drawn our attention to a very important aspect of tourism, which is medical tourism.
It is an area of tourism which is very attractive throughout the world. There are many important people in this country who have gone out for medical treatment in known hospitals worldwide, that is, in London, Johannesburg, Washington and others. People have gone for medical treatment just because such hospitals attract people throughout the world. It is therefore important for us to be talking about one other aspect of tourism today.

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. Member

who made the Statement has said, health through water is very important and it relates also to the use of water to promote our own health and to promote tourism. And this, Mr. Speaker, reminds me once again of the all-important Weija Irrigation Project which was designed to provide farms in the Weija Irrigation Area. Maybe, if it had been properly developed, that could have also given us another opportunity for agro-tourism, because agro-tourism is also very important in so many other countries.

Mr. Speaker, a country like the Dominican Republic earns a lot of foreign exchange through agro-tourism. For that
Alhaji M. A. Yakubu (NPP -- Yendi) 11:15 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to support this Statement. Mr. Speaker, I consider this Statement very important and I am just wondering how many of us here have given a very serious thought to this Statement. I heard an aside comment when he was making it as to whether he was carrying out an advertisement. Well, hon. Ken Dzirasah might be a strong advocate to attract tourists to his constituency but I think there are many more important aspects of this Statement.
Mr. Speaker, let me congratulate hon.
Ken Dzirasah on making this Statement and sharing what he has learned from a visit to the medical centre. He has
exhibited such knowledge that I was tempted to think that was not a lawyer speaking; that was a doctor speaking; and I think this is the way to enhance our knowledge.
Mr. Speaker, seriously speaking, the health matters that this farm clinic will address are things not far away from us. Many Ghanaians, most especially Members of Parliament do not take certain things seriously and yet what they can bring onto us are very serious matters. Exercises, dealing with stress, I believe there are many of us in this House who when asked about what type of exercises they do for good health the answer is going to be nil. But there are some who take these exercises seriously and I would like us to take seriously the wake-up call that he has given in his Statement; even if we do not go to Sogakope we must heed the very useful information that the Statement has brought up.
Mr. Speaker, we have no idea what negative impact our eating habits, our lack of exercises, our burying ourselves in work without relaxation have on our blood circulation generally and which, when they develop, are very serious matters. Yet when you go to health facilities, as he has listed, that you can find in Sogakope, you will find that you will be dealing with potentially very serious health hazards which are inexpensive but when you let them develop you will spend fortunes and you may not be able to recover fully.
Mr. Speaker, we should show interest in
health matters. Just a couple of days ago there was this discussion on the television and a doctor showed easily how you can deal with stress by a simple breathing technique; that when you relax your body thoroughly and then you take a very slow breathing you will get such feeling of relaxation that you have never thought of.
So I think that hon. Members should lead the way, being the people's representative, in showing that regular exercises, adopting these simple health exercises will enhance our health so that our constituents will follow suit.
Mr. Speaker, while we may underrate
our facilities in our own country, others do not. Recently, Steve Wonder, the ace musician brought his daughter to this Sogakope health farm for treatment for three weeks. They went back very satisfied. And the Tsunami disaster, a lot of the victims were taking SPA treatment which will be very effective in dealing with their condition after that event. So I think rather than just looking at the Statement as a strong advocacy for the hon. Member's constituency to attract tourists, I think that we should look at it as a very, very important eye-opener for us as Members of Parliament, so that we may improve upon our health status and also lead our people to improve upon their health status.
Mr. Joe K. Hackman (NPP -- Gomoa West) 11:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Member for making the Statement, especially in the area where he talks about the colour of our own bedrooms and offices. I think most property owners in this country do not see the need to use an architect in the design of their homes. The colour of their walls, their ceilings, even the lighting factor and how natural lighting enters the room as well as natural ventilation can affect our health is something that the building designers call the sick building syndrome. These are issues that can contribute seriously to the stress levels of our health.
I have seen many property owners who are not prepared to spend even ten
BILLS -- FIRST READING 11:25 a.m.
PAPERS 11:25 a.m.
Mr. Abraham ossei Aidooh 11:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, in the absence of further business, I beg to move, that we adjourn proceedings to tomorrow morning at ten o'clock.
Mr. E. T. Mensah 11:25 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I beg to second the motion.
Question put and motion agreed to.
ADJoURNMENT
The House was accordingly adjourned at 11.35 a.m. till 22nd June 2005 at 10.00 in the forenoon.