Mr. Speaker, the hon.
Member should know wanzam. [Laugh- ter.] Mr. Speaker, one of the other causes may be ear-piercing. These days, you see young men going round with some equipment piercing the ears of men and not even the women; and the women also have additional piercing all round the ears -- [Interruptions.] Nobody ever cares to ask whether such equipment are sterilized.
So I would like to call on the Ministry of Health to bring legislation to this House so that the activities of these people could be properly regulated. Otherwise, we may put up the billboards, we may supply the condoms but we may be treating only part of the cause leaving out the other major causes of the disease.
Mr. Speaker, with these few words, I would like to commend the maker of the Statement.
Expression of Appreciation by MP for Nkoranza North
Maj. Derek Oduro (retd.): Mr. Speaker, I thank you sincerely for giving me the floor to make my maiden Statement in this august House. [Hear! Hear!] The few days I have spent in this House have portrayed to me the cordial relationship that exists among hon. Members who, apparently divided with their diverse opinions about issues, are only contributing to democracy and good governance.
As a new Member, I have already been overwhelmed by the warmth and cordiality that greeted my first appearance in this House, and the enthusiasm with which I was accepted in my capacity as the Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my deepest appreciation to all of you for the wonderful reception that, for me, will forever remain the foundation for my interaction with hon. Colleagues.
As this is my first address to this House, I would like to use this forum and the opportunity to express my gratitude to the chiefs and people of Nkoranza for the peaceful election and the confidence they have reposed in me by electing me as Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North.
They deserve this gratitude because they have kept faith with the ruling party, recognizing and appreciating competence on the part of the present leaders of the country. Mr. Speaker, I say a big thank you to Nananom, my elders and the people of Nkoranza, on behalf of the New Patriotic Party.
Now, on behalf of Nkoranzaman, I would also like to thank my predecessor (hon. Nana Amoateng) who, through the ruling Government, initiated the improvements that our communities enjoy today. For a long time, the area had no tarred roads. As I speak to you, the construction of the Nkoranza-Jema Nkwanta road, the Pinihi-Manso stretch and the Tankor-Fiema road are underway.
We are grateful for this. We are also grateful for the schools and teachers' bungalows in some of the communities. Our prayer is that development shall reach all the rest of the communities so that they will also have a share in the national cake.
As a Member of the Republic's
Legislature, Mr. Speaker, I also have responsibilities that are national in character; and I am sensitive to these responsibilities. Therefore, on behalf of the people of the entire country, I would like to express the nation's gratitude to the ruling Government for coming so far within a short space of six years.
Nkoranza led the way in the setting up of a health insurance policy scheme. Today, we are proud that the Government has extended this health delivery system to the entire country to replace the old cash and carry system. I concede that at the national level, there have been teething problems, particularly, adminis-trative bottlenecks. I hope that all stakeholders will pull together to fix the identified hiccups.
The people of Nkoranza have for a long while tasted the goodness of the health insurance scheme. The nation stands to benefit from it. We are also pleased with the Capitation Grant and the School Feeding Programme that have increased enrolment in basic schools in the constituency from 58 per cent to 72 per cent within the last one year.
Once upon a not-too-distant time in
the past, the Nkoranza area used to be a vastly forested area which had several cocoa farms. Today, most of the forest cover is gone, giving way to savannah foliage which itself has come under serious threat because of the yearly ritual of wildfires. Today, this nation is having serious problems with power generation and much of the problem is attributable to deforestation which itself is substantially caused by bushfires.
To sustain our water bodies and ensure
that posterity after us can have water for their everyday needs, it is necessary to ensure that the wooded areas along our water courses are protected against farming activities and felling of trees. The environment of Nkoranza which is a very important food producing food area is degenerating, and I want to use this opportunity to appeal to those people who delight in setting fires to the bush in the dry season to put a stop to this.
If this is not done and pursued at the highest level through effective sensitization of the populace, the result could in the very near future be cataclysmic for the country, not only in the area of food security, but also in access to potable water, power generation, and ultimately on the quality of life in the country.
It is my belief, Mr. Speaker, that in the years ahead, the people of Ghana would remain steadfast in their support for the wind of positive change that is blowing across the country, and support the Government in its transformation of the country into a haven of peace and prosperity.
Once again, I thank you, Mr. Speaker,
