Debates of 27 Feb 2008

MR. SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker 10 a.m.
Order! Order! Correction of Votes and Proceedings, Tuesday, 26th February, 2008. Pages 1. . .17. Hon. Members, we have the Official Report for Tuesday, 29th January, 2008. [No corrections were made in the Votes and Proceedings and the Official Report.]
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 10 a.m.
MINISTRY OF AVIATION 10 a.m.
Ms. Gloria Akuffo 10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, as the honourable House may be aware, Ghana Airways Co. Ltd. (GH) has been in liquidation since 22nd June, 2005.
Total creditor claims were estimated at US$200 million as against a realizable asset value of US$32 million.

In view of the huge deficit, Government undertook to support the settlement of creditor claims subject to validation and Parliamentary approval.

So far, inflows in the course of liquidation process stand at US$36.6 million made up as contained in paragraph 5 of the Answer paper.

Breakdown as follows:

US$'M

a. Cash on hand at date of liquidation -- 0.4

b. Assets Realization -- 29.7

c. Cash Funding from GOG

-- 6.5

Validated secured creditor claims amount to US$26 million whilst unsecured claims stand at US$62 million and preferential creditor claims of about US$4 million. US$3.8 million of the secured creditor claims have been settled as against US$11.3 million of unsecured claims.

Severance awards payments to former Ghana Airways (GH) employees is categorized into two groups. The first group involved 47 pilots and flight engineers who have been fully settled at a total cost of US$1.4 million

Mr. Speaker, the second group which is made up of general staff and cabin crew number 1,199. Out of this, the official liquidator has processed payments totalling about US$1.9 million to 1,024 ex-employees representing about 85 per cent of this group.

The remaining 175 former employees, approximately 15 per cent of qualified claimants of the second group are yet to be awarded severance pay. Of this number,

20 former staff have refused to accept their severance awards offered by the official liquidator on the basis that their severance entitlements should be calculated upon salaries they were earning when they were posted overseas as opposed to the official liquidator's offer which was based on local salary scales.

The official liquidator (OL) has rejected that position on the ground that once these workers had been repatriated to Ghana at the expense of the official liquidator they reverted to their local salary scales in accordance with laid down practice when Ghana Airways was in operation. The official liquidator nonetheless continues to engage that category of workers with the view of reaching an amicable resolution of the severance awards.

Government undertook to provide a total funding of US$6.5 million payable in two tranches of US$2 million and US$4.5 million respectively to enable the official liquidator settle severance entitlements of the second group. The first tranche of US$2 million has been paid to the OL and it forms part of disbursements that have so far been made to severance awards entitlements. The second tranche of US$4.5 million is due for payment this year and it is yet to come in.

The claims of the remaining 155 former workers are yet to be resolved since validation is still in progress.

Mr. Speaker, in 1997, Airways Catering Limited (ACL) then subsidiary of GH became autonomous. Consequently, those class of ACL workers who were at post prior to its autonomy qualified as GH former employees and have therefore been processed and paid severance awards.

Subsequently, a group of ACL workers who were employed after ACL became autonomous have also made a demand on the OL for payment of alleged severance awards to them. The demand has been rejected since they were not GH employees at the time of liquidation.

The OL will continue with the settlement of severance awards as soon as it receives further inflows including the second tranche of Government funding of US$4.5 million.
Mr. H. Iddrisu 10:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, from the Minister's Answer, about 175 former employees of the defunct Ghana Airways representing 15 per cent have still not had their severance awards paid to them. I know Minister, is concerned about the plight of the affected former employees. I want to find out from her, when will the award be made payable to the 175 persons?
Ms. Akuffo 10:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, as I have explained it is subject to validation. Perhaps I must add that in the course of the liquidation there have been a number of problems. Validation involves the person coming forward providing proof of having worked for the company and also the amount that they are entitled to. There have been a lot of wranglings over entitlements because as I have already explained there are some who are claiming that they ought to be paid what they were earning when they were posted abroad, which should not be the case. That is part of it.
Some have also not been able to agree on what has to be paid them. There are others who have died as a result of the liquidation process. There are issues of people having to come forward to prove
Mr. H. Iddrisu 10:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, from the Minister's Answer, is it right to suggest that Ghana Airways at the time of its liquidation left an indebtedness of US$168 million?
Ms. Akuffo 10:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I have said that at inception the estimated indebtedness to creditors stood at US$200 million.
Mr. H. Iddrisu 10:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, may I refer you to page 11, paragraph 3 of the Minister's Answer where she indicated that the Government was supposed to make a total payment of US$6.5 million payable in two tranches of US$2 million and US$4.5 million. In her own Answer, she said dealing with the first group, she said they spent US$1.4 million. They
additionally spent US$1.4 million on the second group bringing total expenditure to US$3.3 million. How does she reconcile that with Government's US$2 million release.
Ms. Akuffo 10:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, there is the need to distinguish between payments that Government made in support of other creditors and that which were made in support of severance. In the case of other creditors, the Government matched it by 100 per cent. For example, if it was to pay US$1 million to a creditor and Government added that one that is separate. So the severance is separate. It is when you put all the contributions together that it comes to the number you are speaking of but in respect of severance it has paid only US$2 million.
Mr. Sallas-Mensah 10:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to find out from the Minister who are the official liquidators of the former Ghana Airways Limited.
Ms. Akuffo 10:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the official liquidator is the Registrar-General and it has its advisors as PriceWater House and Coopers Ltd.
Mr. Edward Salia 10:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to know from the hon. Minister why there is such a variance between the expected value of assets to be realized and the actual amount that they have realized.
Ms. Akuffo 10:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, at the beginning, the estimated value was even pegged at US$20 million but as the process went on it was realized it could be US$32 million. My understanding is that at the beginning, it was roughly estimated at bottom line US$20 million but as the process went on and it was reviewed, the figures went up.
Mr. Salia 10:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, considering the variety of assets that Ghana Airways owned, is it not the situation that the
realization of assets was poorly done, that they could have gotten much more than they have disclosed so far?
Mr. Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Hon. Member, you will realize that this does not arise out of the Question, but if she has the answer she may give it.
Ms. Akuffo 10:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am not in a position to make such a judgement. As far as I know, a lot of industry has gone into the liquidation process and that even accounts for the long time that it has taken. In my assessment as a lay person, I think that the best has been put in; I will not be able to say that it has not been properly done.
Mr. Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Minister for Aviation, thank you very much for appearing before the House to answer this Question. You are discharged.
Minister for Education, Science and Sports, is he in the House?
Question number 1033, hon. Raymond Tawiah, Member of Parliament for Yilo Krobo?
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, 10:10 a.m.
SCIENCE AND SPORTS 10:10 a.m.
Minister for Education, Science and Sports (Prof. Dominic Fobih) 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is the policy of Government to upgrade at least, one senior high school in each district to a model status. The programme is however, being implemented in phases as I have said before in this House. Phase I of the
Minister for Education, Science and Sports (Prof. Dominic Fobih) 10:20 a.m.


programme has almost been completed. Work on the second phase of the upgrading pro-gramme comprising 25 senior high schools are at various levels of completion.

Yilo Krobo Senior High School is among the schools selected for the upgrading programme and may be included in the next phase of the programme.
Mr. Tawiah 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would like the hon. Minister for Education, Science and Sports to give this House the assurance that Yilo Krobo Senior High School will be upgraded.
Prof. Fobih 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the assurance is based on our dependence on sufficient budgeting. That was why I said it is included in the selected list. But as we move from the first phase to the second phase it may be considered in terms of the amounts available in the budget in subsequent years.
Mr. Clement K. Humado 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to know from the Minister how many phases in all comprise the programme.
Mr. Speaker 10:20 a.m.
This is not a supplement question.
Nii Amasah Namoale: Mr. Speaker, the hon. Minister said Yilo Krobo “may be included”. Will he be kind enough to change it to “will be included”?
Prof. Fobih 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, my assurance is that it is among those schools selected for upgrading, but as we are phasing them depending on our resources potential, we have said that when we come to the first phase, then all the other schools similar to the category of Yilo Krobo will be considered. But I cannot be definite that it will be the first or the second in the list.
Black Stars Participation in 2006 World Cup (Monies Received)
Q. 1041. Mr. Haruna Iddrisu asked the Minister for Education, Science and Sports how much money was received from Government, individuals and corporate sources for the Black Stars' participation in the 2006 Germany World Cup finals and how much monies were
disbursed.
Prof. Fobih 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, various individuals and organizations made contributions before, during and after the FIFA 2006 World Cup Tournament in Germany.
Total contributions realized are shown on the table below:
The above money includes the FIFA Prize Money of $4.9 million, equivalent to GH¢4,549,807.99 which was paid after the tournament. Also included is an amount
Prof. Fobih 10:20 a.m.


of $937,620, received from FIFA prior to the World Cup tournament (equivalent to

GH¢853,234.20).

$2.5 million of the $4.9 million was transferred to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning as part of refund of monies advanced by the Government to the Black Stars.

The table below also shows how the rest of the monies were disbursed:
Mr. H. Iddrisu 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, may I before I proceed to my first supple- mentary, crave your indulgence to refer you to article 176 (1) (a) and (b) of the Constitution and with your permission, I
P. 12 -- A
TABLE 10:20 a.m.
TABLE 10:20 a.m.
Prof. Fobih 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the moneys were to be first of all paid for expenditure on the tournament and that was why the disbursement shows that a lot of expenditure has been made. So without making the expenditures we could not have paid the moneys outright. It is only the remaining amount which we paid into the Consolidated Fund, that is the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning account.
Mr. H. Iddrisu 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, my question was specific. I want to find out from the hon. Minister whether moneys received for and on behalf of the Government were paid into the Consolidated Fund.
Prof. Fobih 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am told that the moneys were paid to FA and therefore it was not government money as such -- [Interruptions.]
Mr. H. Iddrisu 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I beg to disagree -- [Interruption.]
Mr. Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Please, ask a question.
Mr. H. Iddrisu 10:20 a.m.
I am asking a question. Were the moneys that were received by the FA, received for and on behalf of the Government of Ghana? [Interruptions.]
Mr. Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Order! Order!
Prof. Fobih 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, the moneys were paid to FA and therefore they were paid to the -- [Interruptions.] I said the payments were made to FA and after deductions, the balance was paid to FA.
Mr. H. Iddrisu 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, my question is specific. Did the FA receive the moneys for and on behalf of the Government and people of Ghana?
Prof. Fobih 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the answer is no.
Mr. Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Question 1047.
Some Secondary School etc (Buses)
Q. 1047. Mr. Albert Kwasi Zigah asked the Minister for Education, Science and Sports, when the following schools in Ketu South Constituency would be provided with buses:
(i) Some Secondary School
(ii) Three Town Secondary School
(iii) St. Paul's Secondary School.
Prof. Fobih 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is the policy of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports to ensure that all schools have buses to enhance their smooth operation. Already, an order has been placed for the procurement of 200 buses. However, due to budgetary constraints, the Ministry has phased the procurement of buses and hopes to

complete the exercise within two years. The two schools are to be considered alongside others.
Mr. Zigah 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, may I know from the hon. Minister which of the three schools are those two schools to be considered.
Prof. Fobih 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, all the senior high schools would be considered.
Mr. Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Hon. Minister, have you answered the question?
Mr. Zigah 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I asked the question on behalf of three schools and he said two. And I was trying to ask him whether he can mention those two that he is trying to consider. But I could not hear him very clearly. If he can come again with his answer.
Prof. Fobih 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, sorry I am not clear about his question that is why -- [Interruption.]
Mr. Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Hon. Minister, the question related to three schools but your Answer indicated that only two schools were to be provided and he wants to know which of the three you consider to be two.
Prof. Fobih 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the first is Some Secondary School and we thought that one was a mistake. So I am saying that the two schools -- Three Town Secondary School and St. Paul's Secondary School -- These are the schools I am referring to.
Mr. Zigah 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, these vibrant schools have very good academic standings. What was the merit that his Ministry used to arrive at those two?
Prof. Fobih 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the criterion is that it is a policy of the Ministry to
ensure that every senior high school has a bus for its school operations. That is why the two schools being senior high schools are also under consideration like all others.
Mr. Alexander N. Tettey-Enyo 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want to know from the hon. Minister whether he is aware that Some Secondary School is a real and existing secondary school in the Volta Region just as Three Town Secondary and St. Paul's Secondary.
Prof. Fobih 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, yes, I am aware but I thought the spelling here is “Somi” and not “Some”. That is my feeling.
Mr. Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Question 1048?
Osudoku Senior Secondary Technical School
Q. 1048. Mr. David Tetteh Assumeng asked the Minister for Education, Science and Sports, when the Ministry would provide a bus for the Osudoku Senior Secondary Technical School.
Prof. Fobih 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is the policy of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports to ensure that all schools have buses to enhance their smooth operations. Already, an order has been placed for the procurement of 200 buses. However, due to budgetary constraints, the Ministry has phased the procurement of buses and hopes to complete the exercise within two years. Osudoku Senior High Technical School will be considered alongside others in the allocation of the buses.
Mr. Assumeng 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, currently there is only one Science resource bus that serves Ghanatta Senior High School, Ningo Senior High School and the Osudoku Senior Technical School. I want to know from the Minister whether he will consider the Osudoku Senior Technical School among the twenty beneficiary
Prof. Fobih 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, we will consider Osudoku Senior Technical School as I have said and all other secondary schools that are in the area.
Mr. Assumeng 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, due to financial constraints, 200 buses will be arriving for the Ministry and I just want to know from the Minister if among the 200, the school in question will be considered since it is in phases.
Mr. Speaker 10:30 a.m.
Right. Question 1050?
Donkorkrom Ghana Education Office Accommodation
Q. 1050. Mr. Joseph Tsatsu Agbenu asked the Minister for Education, Science and Sports, when the Ministry would release funds for completion of the Ghana Education Service office accommodation at Donkorkrom.
Prof. Fobih 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the project is ongoing. It was awarded on contract on 18th August, 1999 and was due to be completed on 18th February, 2001. However, the project has been delayed as a result of budgetary constraints and price fluctuations. 77 per cent of works have been completed so far and an amount of GH¢20,000 has been allocated for the project in the 2008 budget. Additional funds will be allocated in the 2009 budget to complete the project.
Mr. Agbenu 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want to find out from the hon. Minister when the amount of GH¢20,000 budgeted for this year will be released to the contractor.
Prof Fobih 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the GH¢20,000 in the 2008 Budget which

has been approved by Parliament recently is in the process of being disbursed. The process has been initiated, but I cannot be definite when work will start. As he knows we go through procurement processes.
Mr. Agbenu 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want the hon. Minister to know that this structure has been there for a long time and therefore the basement of the building is weak. If funds are not found immediately to have it completed, there may be danger. I want to find out whether the Government cannot have any other source to have this building completed this year.
Prof. Fobih 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, we realized that the contract was awarded in 1999. And 1999 to date is quite a long period. But as we have explained, we have managed to get GH¢20,000 for the project this year and we are in the process of looking at our GETFund budget. So if it is approved and we have some leeway, we will add on to the amount that is already allocated.
But in the absence of that, we are saying that by 2009, it is our plan to finish the project.
Mr. Agbenu 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want the hon. Minister to know that the Ghana Education Service (GES) staff is occupying the first floor which is heavier than the basement, which is weak. In case there is any disaster, will the hon. Minister be happy with that?
Mr. Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Are you asking a supplementary question?
Mr. Agbenu 10:40 a.m.
Yes, I am asking the same question. I am saying that GES staff is occupying the first floor of the building, and I am asking the hon. Minister whether he will be happy to be informed that the top has collapsed because it is heavier than the basement. Will he be happy about that?
Prof. Fobih 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is not
a question of being happy about the structure but it is the question of the availability of funds. It is just out of our concern that we have also made provision for it this year. And we have laid out plans that by 2009, that is next year, we hope to be able to complete it. So I think there is enough demonstration of our concern in this since it is a 1999 project.
Mr. Hodogbey 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, under normal circumstances, when a project is being started, it is assumed that the money is encumbered for the project. In this particular case, do they start the project before looking for money to complete it or the money is encumbered?
Mr. Speaker 10:40 a.m.
This is not a supple- mentary question.
Question number 1054 -- Hon. Ernest Kofi Yakah, Member of Parliament for New Edubiase?
Mr. Abayateye 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member is in his constituency and he has asked to seek your permission and ask the Question on his behalf.
Mr. Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Permission granted.
New Edubiase Senior Secondary School (Administration Block)
Q. 1054. Mr. Alfred Abayateye (on behalf of Mr. Ernest Kofi Yakah) asked the Minister for Education, Science and Sports, what plans the Ministry had to construct administration block and new dormitories for the New Edubiase Senior Secondary School.
Prof. Fobih 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Ministry has an elaborate plan to improve and provide facilities in all senior high and secondary/technical schools which are not included in the model school programme. Every year, provision is made
in the Ministry's budget including that of GETFund to cater for senior high schools. In allocating resources, emphasis is always placed on deprived secondary schools, e.g., the community schools with major infrastructure deficits.
In the 2007 budget, as with the previous budgets, for example, basic infrastructure such as classrooms, dormitories, science laboratories and libraries, et cetera were improved or provided in one hundred and three (103) out of about two hundred and fifty (250) deprived secondary schools. In the 2008 budget, provision has also been made for similar works.
The 2008 GOG budget does not cover New Edubiase Senior High School. However, the Ministry has plans to consider the school alongside others when the GETFund programme for 2008 is being considered by the House.
Mr. Abayateye 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. Minister says that in the 2008 Government of Ghana (GOG) Budget, nothing has been provided for New Edubiase Senior High School but they are trusting to have something from the GETFund. If what they expect from the GETFund also does not materialize, what will be the fate of New Edubiase?
Mr. Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Please, what is your question?
Mr. Abayateye 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. Minister says that they have plans to consider the school alongside others when the GETFund programme for 2008 is being considered. And I am asking when will the GETFund programme for 2008 be considered so that New Edubiase will know its fate.
Prof. Fobih 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I have said here that GETFund resources supplement Government of Ghana budget on education, and therefore, where there

are schools that the Government of Ghana Budget does not cover maintenance or new constructions, we try to make provision for such schools from the GETFund accounts whenever this is possible. That is why I am saying that when we come to GETFund allocations, we are considering schools not catered for in the main Budget -- the GOG Budget -- it will be considered alongside others but not in isolation.
Mr. Abayateye 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister, he quoted 250 schools of which 103 have been catered for. He also said provision has been made for similar works in 2008. Knowing the state of New Edubiase, why was it left out of the 2008 GOG Budget?
Prof. Fobih 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, interestingly, New Edubiase Senior High School is my school. I taught there. It was a training college and converted late into a secondary school. So I know the status of that school. Though, it is not the best we expect but it is equally better than some other schools. So that precisely answers why some schools may have been considered now.
Mr. J. Y. Labik 10:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want to find out from the hon. Minister -- in his Answer he said 103 projects were catered for in the 2007 budget. May I know whether these 103 projects that had been catered for had been completed? And if they are not completed, is the money for this year going to be used to complete the 103 projects or the remaining 147 schools would be catered for in that budget?
Mr. Speaker 10:40 a.m.
Which i s your supplementary question?
Mr. Labik 10:40 a.m.
First of all, I want to find out if the money for this year is going to complete the 103 projects or it is going to go into the new projects of the 147
schools left.
Prof. Fobih 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, my Answer suggests that these were improved or provided for in the previous budget and the budget for 2008 is a provision for new ones that were not considered.
Mr. Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Question number 1056, hon. Owusu-Mainu, Member of Parliament for Atebubu-Amantin?
Alhaji Issifu Mohammed 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, my hon. Colleague is in the constituency and has asked me to ask the Question on his behalf with his permission.
Mr. Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Has he instructed you?
Mr. Alhaji I. P. Mohammed 10:50 a.m.
Yes, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Then go ahead.
Atebubu and Amantin Senior High Schools
Q. 1056. Alhaji I. P. Mohammed (on behalf of Mr. Emmanuel Owusu-Mainu) asked the Minister for Education, Science and Sports, what plans the Ministry had put in place to upgrade Atebubu Senior High School and Amantin Senior High Schools into model schools.
Prof. Fobih 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is the policy of government to upgrade at least one senior high school in every district to a model status. The programme is however, being implemented in phases. Phase I of the programme has almost been completed. Work on the second phase of the 25 senior high schools chosen are at various levels of completion.
The Atebubu Senior High School is one of the schools selected for upgrading to model school status and may be included
Prof. Fobih 10:50 a.m.


in the list of schools to be selected for the next phase of the programme, that the third phase of the programme.

Amantin Senior High School will be included in the general programme being implemented to improve facilities in schools.
Alhaji Mohammed 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, according to the hon. Minister work on the second phase of the upgrading programme comprising 25 senior high schools are at various levels of completion. So my question is, when does he think the second phase would be completed?
Prof. Fobih 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the completion of the second phase depends on adequate resources and every year we try to make provision for the work to be completed. So we are on and I cannot be definite whether it would be totally completed this year but we hope to do as much as possible to get that completed.
Alhaji Mohammed 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, since the Atebubu Senior High School is in a very deplorable condition, would the hon. Minister consider doing some little rehabilitation works on some of the structures pending the time the Government would get enough money to do complete rehabilitation?
Prof. Fobih 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I have said that those included in the two phases of the upgrading I have special budgets for them but the others which may be either in the line or not totally included because it is only one in the district and there could be several senior high schools in the district. But whether they are even chosen as a model school for the future development or not, we make provision for improving the infrastructure.
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, throughout the hon. Minister's Answers, he continues to associate government's policy with upgrading of at least one senior
high school in each district. Mr. Speaker, I would want to find out from him what is the level of commitment to this policy when ever since the beginning of the programme even the first phased schools have not been fully completed.
Mr. Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon. Member, you may wish to come properly. This is not a supplementary question.
Alhaji M. M. Mubarak 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, in paragraph 1 of the hon. Minister's Answer, he said that the phase one of the programme had almost been completed. May the hon. Minister tell this House what is hindering the completion of the first phase.
Prof. Fobih 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I said almost and by that interpretation, it means that only few finishing touches are being done. We would start commissioning them and most of them the students have already moved in. So it is not just a major aspect of the work left but just small touches here and there.
Absorption of Yilo Agogo Communtiy Secondary School
Q. 1059. Mr. Raymond Tawiah asked the Minister for Education, Science and Sports if Government had any plans to absorb the Yilo Agogo Community Secondary School in the Yilo District into the Government Senior High School system.
Prof. Fobih 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, to qualify for consideration for absorption into the public education system, a private school must fulfil a number of conditions after the school has submitted an application for absorption.
Some of the basic conditions include for the information of my hon. Colleague:

i. The school must have been registered by the Director of Education in the region where the school is located.

ii. The provisional certificate of registration issued by the Regional Director should bear the date of registration as well as a registration number which is unique to the particular school.

iii. The school should show evidence that it can enrol at least eighty (80) (that is two streams) of SHS form one students annually.

iv. No school housed in rented or temporary structures is considered for absorption.

v. The school lands must be vast enough to allow for future expansion.

vi. Important land documents like the deed of conveyance, site plan, indenture; et cetera must be available; and

vii. No matter the status (boarding or day) of the school the following must also prevail;

(a) An adequate drainage system to ensure good sanitation and healthy environment.

(b) An effective waste/rubbish disposal system.

(c) Facilities for storing water.

(d) Facilities for alternative power supply.

Yilo Agogo Community High School

will be considered for absorption into the public system if an application is received and if it fulfils the above conditions.
Mr. Tawiah 10:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, Yilo Agogo has all these facilities the hon. Minister has enumerated, so would he consider bringing it into the Government's school system.
Mr. Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon. Minister, thank you very much for appearing to answer these Questions; you are discharged.
MOTIONS 11 a.m.
Mr. Speaker 11 a.m.
Chairman of the Committee, you may wish to wind up.
Chairman of the Committee (Mr. F. A. Agbotse) 11 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, let me start with the last statement made by the hon. Minister about Worawora being a settler town and that they did not have a land. This was a specific statement made by the hon. Minister when the Committee met at the Local Government Training Institute. If he is withdrawing it, let him say so. But it was a specific statement made and
all members of the Committee and those who sat in are witnesses to that statement.
There was a query by the hon. Member for Zebilla, hon. Ndebugre about one of the Instruments having passed before we brought the Report to Parliament. That statement is not true. The hon. Member who is a very good lawyer and an Engineer, in counting did not take into consideration article 11(7) -- Sitting days of Parliament and not just all days. He added Monday to his calculation and that is why his Instrument passed earlier than what the Committee said it would pass by a certain date.
Mr. Speaker, we have looked at the
Mr. A. O. Aidooh 11 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. Mr. Speaker, at the meeting the Chairman informed us that there would be a recommendation for the withdrawal of the two Instruments. Mr. Speaker, the three of us could not have taken a decision for the House.
Mr. Agbotse 11 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, we want peace in the newly-created districts. As I stand here now, I hold in my hand a petition addressed to Mr. Speaker -- [Inter-ruption.]
Mr. A. O. Aidooh 11 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. Mr. Speaker, last week I made this point that in handling L.I.s, Parliament and its committees must know their limit. We cannot go into matters of

policy in handling L.I.s. We have to look at the form and nature of the L.I. Mr. Speaker, the context can be attacked on grounds of unreasonableness but I think that the Committee is going too far.

Mr. Speaker, we must leave matters of purely Executive nature to the Executive and look at the form of the L.I.s and ascertain whether it conforms to the parent enactment in such matters. But we do not have to go beyond that and attack it on the basis of policy.
Mr. Agbotse 11 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, we have studied article 11(7) and know exactly what it is saying. We asked that the two should be annulled in accordance with article 11(7). Our report stated that it should be annulled but from the discussion we had with the hon. Minister and Leader of the House, we decided that because of peace the hon. Minister should come and withdraw the Instruments. It is not a question of not knowing what is demanded by article 11(7).
Mr. Speaker, as I am standing here now, there is a petition addressed to Mr. Speaker which has been referred to the Committee through me. In that petition there is attached a writ from the court questioning the creation of the Biakoye District Assembly and the siting of the capital.
So instead of peace which we wanted, the case is gone to court for litigation. They are asking for an interim injunction stopping the hon. Minister from inaugurating the district on the 29th of February as has been planned. This is our stand.
But Mr. Speaker, let me take the opportunity to thank all hon. Members for their contribution including the Leader of
the House and ask that we should vote for the acceptance of the Report in full.
Mr. Speaker 11 a.m.
Chairman, do you need
more time to consult because you want this House to adopt the Report in full, but it appears there is a bit of a problem; the hon. Minister does not accept that?
Mr. A. O. Aidooh 11:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the recommendation from the Committee appealing to the Minister to withdraw two Legislative Instruments (L.I.s) that kind of recommendation is not binding on the Minister. It is an appeal. And so the House can go ahead to adopt the Report as it is. Mr. Speaker, the Minister could have waited and should not have withdrawn the L.I. on Friday, 22nd February, 2008. After this Report has been adopted, he can decide not to act on the recom-mendation or come back and withdraw the Instrument at another date.
So Mr. Speake r, i t i s j u s t a recommendation and we can go ahead and adopt it. The Minister may come the next day and say “I have come to withdraw the L.I…” In fact, Mr. Speaker, the one that is not withdrawn can be revoked eventually. So there is still an avenue. But Mr. Speaker, these simple answers cannot fetter the House in its approval of the Report, so you may go ahead and have the Question put.
Mr. Speaker 11:10 a.m.
All right, thank you very much indeed.
Mr. Kwadwo Adjei-Darko 11:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, in any case, I would want to draw hon. Members attention to the fact that all the Instruments came into being yesterday apart from what I withdrew, and that is the Gomoa East.
Mr. Kwadwo Adjei-Darko 11:10 a.m.


Question put and motion agreed to.

Resolved:

That this honourable House adopts the Report of the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation on Local Government (District and Municipal Assemblies) (Establishment) Instruments, 2007.

The State of the Nation Address, 2008

Motion:

That this House thanks His Excellency the President for the Message on the State of the Nation which he delivered to this honourable House on Thursday, 14th February 2008.
MR. FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
Ms. J. H. Addoh (NPP -- Kwadaso) 11:10 a.m.
Thank you Mr. Speaker, for this oppor- tunity to contribute to the motion on the floor of the House ably moved by hon. Mrs. G. E. Kusi, Member of Parliament for Tarkwa Nsuaem, and the Deputy Majority Whip.
Mr. Speaker, please permit me to point out that the State of the Nation Address, the performance of the Government and the performance of the sitting President are intertwined and any attempt to separate them creates confusion and in the final analysis becomes impossible.
Mr. Speaker, I therefore join the House to thank the President for his respect for our Constitution, his sense of duty, the
work done so far, his passion to save for Ghana what is Ghana's and his love for maintenance.

Mr. Speaker, time will not permit me to delve into the area of road construction. But Mr. Speaker, I would like to put on record that this Government under the administration of President Kufuor has built more roads, once again, I repeat Mr. Speaker, has built more roads and Ghana has seen more roads under this administration than any other period in the history of Ghana.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to seize this opportunity again to thank President Kufuor and his administration for the Kwadaso Constituency roads and the Bole-Bamboi road which are all under construction. Mr. Speaker, I happened to use the Bole-Bamboi road some two years ago and I know that now that this road is being constructed the people of Bole and Bamboi and all stakeholders will ever be grateful to this administration.

Mr. Speaker, in the area of human resource development, this Government has a very good legacy, a legacy for maintenance to construction.

Mr. Speaker, you may not believe what I am going to tell you -- [Interruptions] -- Yaa Asantewaa Secondary School, not only one of the best girls secondary schools in Ghana, but Yaa Asantewaa School, one of the best schools in Ghana has to make do with a toilet facility we
Ms. J. H. Addoh (NPP -- Kwadaso) 11:10 a.m.


call, permit my language whiitum. Mr. Speaker, the school's toilet facility broke down almost 20 years ago and it had seen no refurbishment. Thanks to this present Government.
Mr. A. W. G. Abayateye 11:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I have a point of correction. She said the Yaa Asantewaa Secondary School had a problem with the toilet and I want her to come properly because my daughter was there, and she completed in 2003 and there was no problem with the toilet. So if she can come well -- [Interruptions.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:10 a.m.
So what correction do you want?
Mr. Abayateye 11:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, she was saying that the school's toilet facility had a problem and it was only two years ago that she got it corrected; and I am saying it is a bit misleading, because my daughter completed that school in 2003 -- [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:10 a.m.
And your
daughter did not inform you?
Mr. Abayateye 11:10 a.m.
I was part of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). I was going for their meetings and there was nothing like that -- [Laughter.]
Ms. Addoh 11:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, thank you once again for the opportunity. I am the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso Constituency in the Ashanti Region where
you can find Yaa Asantewaa Secondary School. And I am saying that they have a toilet facility, but not the flash toilet. In these modern days girls in a secondary school are using toilets, the type locals call, excuse my language, whiitum. That is the information. They use the toilet facility but not the flash type. That is the point I want to raise here, that we should always maintain what we have. That is the point I want to raise -- refurbishment.
Mr. Speaker, in the area of human development, this Government has done so much and I wish Ghanaians will recognize and for that alone bring the NPP Government back to power. That is my personal opinion, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the Government for the
past 7 years has been able to construct 440 classroom blocks across the country at the basic level. All rural districts have benefited from the provision of teachers' accommodation. Mr. Speaker, I want us to know what we have and what we can maintain so that we go on.
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Hon. Ayariga, do you have a point of order?
Mr. Ayariga 11:20 a.m.
That is so. Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member just made a false and misleading statement. She stated that His Excellency President Kufuor's Govern- ment had occasioned tremendous increase in human development. Mr. Speaker, that is not true, because I have here the Human Development Report of the UNDP for
2007.
Mr. Speaker, at page 49, it indicates clearly that data available indicates that since 1995 there has been a steady improvement in human development in Ghana. The human development index for Ghana rose from 0.531 in 1995 to 0.568 in 2002 and decelerated slightly to 0.540 in 2006. Mr. Speaker, it is therefore, not true that under His Excellency President Kufuor's Government, human development has improved in Ghana.
Ms. Addoh 11:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member is right to some extent. The deterioration is on our own performance. The level that we brought it to went down a bit. That is what he read and he may have to take that on board. That is the explanation. Mr. Speaker, with your permission I go on.
Mr. Baah-Wiredu 11:20 a.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, the Network Herald said that the national poverty line stood at 39.5 per cent in accordance with 2004 data. Our friends were distributing or showing this Paper all over -- [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon. Members, please, let us have some order.
Mr. Baah-Wiredu 11:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, this is the Trades Union Congress (TUC) document, and it says that according to the latest Ghana Living Standards survey conducted by the Statistical Service in 2005 and 2006, the average incidence of poverty in Ghana reduced from approximately 52 per cent in the early 1990s to 39.5 per cent in 1998 to 28.5 per cent in 2005.
Mr. Baah-Wiredu 11:20 a.m.


So our hon. Friends cannot mislead us. It has reduced -- [Interruptions.] But they had all the resources and misapplied them. They were even beating their Vice President. They are misleading everything -- [Interruptions.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon. Minister, it appears that you are speaking at cross-purposes. The hon. Member did not talk about poverty alleviation. He talked about human resource develop- ment, and I believe they have sorted themselves out. They have agreed.
Mr. Baah-Wiredu 11:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is part of it, because they are deliberately misleading this House. They have indicated that even this 28.5 per cent or 39.5 per cent relates to 2004 data and when they knew that it was 1998, 1999. They are misleading all of us. The reduction is 28.5 per cent at the end of 2005 and 2006 discussion. So the human development obviously there has been an improvement.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon. Ayariga, I will give you the floor again.
Mr. Ayariga 11:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, I think he is confusing the poverty figures with the human development index. But even then Mr. Speaker, the Human Development Report for 2007 also indicates at page 49 that available data points to the fact that for 2006, Ghana scored 37.3 per cent which signifies that one out of every three Ghanaians was deprived in terms of a healthy life, knowledge and a decent standard of living. This has worsened from 34.2 per cent in
1998.
Mr. Speaker, so even for the human poverty index, Ghana has depreciated from a figure of 37.3 per cent in 2006, when in 1998 it was 34.2 per cent. Mr. Speaker, even the human poverty index

of the UNDP clearly shows that we are decelerating. So I do not know where his figures are coming from.
Mr. Baah-Wiredu 11:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the annual progress report, page 16 for the year 2006 indicates otherwise. Mr. Speaker, when the UNDP prepared their report, they said that the “available data” and that was 1998, 1999 data. The latest that we have got is 2005 and 2006. What he is saying does not represent 2006. So he is misleading the people of this country.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon. Member, continue your presentation.
Ms. Addoh 11:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am just trying to explain that as we all know, any country's most important resource is the human resource and that is why I am dwelling on education at this point to point out what this Government has done for the people of this nation. Mr. Speaker, apart from what has been said so far, universities have enjoyed infrastructural development and expansion in the provision of lecture halls and halls of residence. Mr. Speaker, I would not like to go into all that because of time.
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:20 a.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, I thought my hon. Colleague was in the House a short while ago when the hon. Minister for Education, Science and Sports admitted in this House, that the model schools which started almost five years ago, only one had been completed
and commissioned and that all the rest both the phases one and two were at various stages of completion. And if she talks about that then she is misleading the House.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon. Gidisu, what do you have against what she said?
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, my point is that if Government sees the creation of model schools as a policy, ever since they started the model schools construction, they have not been able to complete them fully, and commissioned them, even the phase one. So for her to be taking that as an achievement, is a very gross misleading of the House.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon. Gidisu, you are out of order; let her continue.
Ms. Addoh 11:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, these schools have modern laboratories, classroom facilities and boys and girls dormitories. The following schools have enjoyed these facilities: Tamale High School, Bawku High School, Bolga High School, Whidiem, Shama, among others; they have all enjoyed these facilities. The point I want to put across is that Mr. Speaker, the passion of this Government to open avenues for children of this country to acquire knowledge to help themselves in future and to help this nation is a giant step forward in developing the educational system in this country -- [Interruption.]
Mr. J. Y. Chireh 11:20 a.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, I just heard the hon. Member mention Tamale and Bawku High Schools. I do not know whether she is meaning Tamale Secondary School and Bawku Secondary School.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:20 a.m.
This is not
Question time, hon. Member.
Ms. Addoh 11:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, with your permission, I would like to continue.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleading and I have the conviction that under the admi-nistration of Nana Akufo-Addo Danquah, we are going to see more schools refurbished. Education in his term would enjoy so many facilities. This is the good work. I pray that Amaniampong Secondary School which was built 40 to 45 years ago, which has been neglected over the years and deteriorating so much, would be part of Nana's job he is going to do in that direction.
On this note Mr. Speaker, I thank you very much and I thank hon. Members for their attention.
Mr. Haruna Iddrisu (NDC -- Tamale Central) 11:30 a.m.
Thank you Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to associate myself with the motion and to thank H. E. the President for presenting the State of the Nation Address and to make a few remarks. Mr. Speaker, I would limit myself to matters of the economy, matters of good governance and finally on security issues.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that after any careful and diligent perusal of the content of the State of the Nation Address of His Excellency the President, one will come to only one irresistible conclusion that he was very high on his initiatives and in particular his achievements and very low on what one may regard as his failures or challenges in the last several years of his administration, in particular the last eight years.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to pick on the
Mr. Haruna Iddrisu (NDC -- Tamale Central) 11:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, my greatest disappoint- ment with the President and for which I hope that he would try to live up to as a legacy is -- Mr. Speaker, may I refer you to the State of the Nation Address for 2005 when H. E. the President said this and with your indulgence I quote:
“In addition to legislations recently enacted, the Right to Information Bill which guarantees the citizen's right to relevant public information and the Whistle Blower's Bill will bring the fight against corruption and graft to a new level”.
Mr. Speaker, a very well made statement by the President in 2005. Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed that at the close of his tenure, with very few months to go no comment whatsoever was made about the Freedom of Information Bill or the Right to Information Bill. I do not want to believe that it has taken the President more than two years to give meaning to what he pledged in 2005 and I think that it is important that we get this legislation passed as part of the several mechanisms we would use in the fight against corruption and graft. So I am personally disappointed.
Mr. Speaker, may I further refer you to the State of the Nation Address, 2002. Under the Legislature, I am also disappointed that when it came to President, the President found a convenient route and

it was that money which was sourced for Job 600 that had been diverted elsewhere and therefore he could not embark on strengthening Parliament and ensuring that hon. Members of Parliament have offices.
Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang 11:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank you. I believe that my brilliant nephew this time is completely off target. The President said that he knew that there were funds available to construct and to finish Job 600 and that was why he was hopeful that they would do it. But much to his disappointment, the money had been diverted and that is a fact. It is a fact that cannot be contested. The Finance Minister here can testify to that, that it was misapplied. And so if it had been misapplied he cannot say that the President found a convenient way out of it.
That notwithstanding, he has now gone over -- and it takes time -- and gotten another facility for us to do it. The Majority and Minority Leaders are on the committee; and we all happen to be there and it is going to be done. So I do not think that he can mislead the House by thinking that the President did not make any effort to find the money.
But in the scale of priorities because that money was there, what we should be asking ourselves is, why did the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government misapply the funds? That is what we have to ask ourselves and that is what he said.
I think he is completely misleading us, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. H. Iddrisu 11:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. Owusu-Agyemang has very sincere and useful thoughts about the progress of this country but unfortunately, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates did not find it fit to make him continue with the legacy of President Kufuor. Nonetheless I appreciate his comments and I will take it on board. He would have readily continued with some of the undone issues, the unfinished business; he would have gone ahead.
But Mr. Speaker, if the hon. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang had allowed me, I have just referred you to the State of the Nation Address, 2002, I am sure his intervention would not have been necessary. Mr. Speaker, listen to what H. E. the President said about the Legislature and I am quoting:
“Mr. Speaker, like the other arms of Government, the Legislature has had its problems. It is a matter of deep regret that honourable Members of this august House still do not have offices to work in. I know your frustrations because I was twice a Member here. . .” (Mr. Speaker, I am particularly interested in this sentence.) “Work on the refurbishment of Job 600 is progressing steadily. . .”
Mrs. Gifty Ohene-Konadu 11:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, my point of order is that the hon. Member is referring to the wrong document. We are commenting on the State of the Nation Address for 2008, not
2002.
Mr. H. Iddrisu 11:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I have heard the Deputy Minister. I did not know that if a Minister was appointed in 2002 she will not be relevant as Minister in 2008. I still find my comment as useful as possible.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Hon. Haruna, you are eating away your time.
Mr. H. Iddrisu 11:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I was saying that when the President wanted to develop railways he found money for them. Indeed, as we speak the conditions of service of Members of Parliament have not been properly determined. The conditions of our predecessors who are on retirement now were not being properly determined. When you say commitment to the Legislature, these are the high points you should -- [Interruption.]
Mr. Simon Osei Mensah 11:30 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order, to draw my Colleague's attention to the fact that the President has done something to secure money for this purpose. And Mr. Speaker, with your kind permission, I beg to quote from page 33.
“Mr. Speaker, I was aware at the time of a loan facility of USD 25 million waiting to be utilized. It was only later that I learnt that the loan had been diverted to an apparently more urgent purpose by those who secured it. But I am happy to report that fresh resources are in hand for the refurbishment of Job 600 for use by MPs.”
Mr. Speaker, I end and I am sure Mr. Speaker is aware and the Leadership of this House, are also aware of this facility. So to create the impression that the President and the Government had done nothing to secure any facility to refurbish
the Job 600 is an erroneous impression. We are trying to correct the errors that they made. We have come to correct the errors they made for them to imitate from us the good policies and systems we put in place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Hon. Haruna, now continue.
Mr. H. Iddrisu 11:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I had referred to the words of the President in the year 2002. It is interesting if the President even in the year 2002, at the time he was making this comment, did not know what had happened to the US$25 million supposed to be used for a project. It is significant in many respects. But I am simply saying that let him demonstrate a genuine commitment to strengthening this House as a sister in ensuring good governance in this country.
Indeed, there is no institution, better positioned than Parliament to do so. And I am saying that let us have the commit- ment of the Executive in order to be able to attain that.
Mr. Osei-Mensah 11:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, once again I rise on another point of order. My hon. Colleague once again has misled this House and the general public. He is saying that the Government would have to demonstrate a clear commitment -- Please, let us get outside through the Members/staff entrance and look at the structure on the right side. Is it not a commitment? Who did it? Was it the NDC Government? Mr. Speaker, he should not -- [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Hon. Member, you are out of order. Hon. Haruna Iddrisu continue.
Mr. H. Iddrisu 11:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, in mentioning our national development, the ability of the Ghanaian citizen to access food, clothing and shelter is very important and I am concerned that good initiatives by the President -- I remember him speaking in the years 2002/2003 of his commitment in dealing with housing to ensure that public workers have access to affordable housing.
We are in the last era and the last year of his administration, and with your permission let me just refer you to some sweet promises the President made; and I am wondering whether that has been abandoned or we can count on it that it is one of the several things that he would consider doing this year. With your permission, Mr. Speaker, I am referring to the State of the Nation Address for the year 2005.
“Meanwhile there is a private sector initiative for the construction of initial 10,000 units of houses nationwide and this is expected to commence this year.”
He went further.
“Mr. Speaker, a SSNIT/Malaysia housing programme to provide some hundred thousand units countrywide is also coming on stream.”
I would like to ask, what has happened to this worthy initiative of the President? I want him to be associated with this as a legacy that indeed, he initiated and completed housing programmes for the purpose of dealing with a major housing deficit that his Government recognizes. I do not think that between the year 2005 and now, commencement of work is
Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang 11:40 a.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, I know that the hon. Member of Parliament for Tamale South who just spoke is always full of acidic comments, but whatever it is, this time I do not expect him to -- Let us stick to the fact because I do not want to engage him in any other semantics.
Mr. Speaker, only the day before yesterday, your Committee on Works and Housing paid a visit to the sites where these initiatives are taking place. Obviously, nationwide, at various stages of completion, we have close to 6,000 units. If he had gone round with them, or if he had checked -- His own Committee verified it; it was on television -- that at least there are quite a sizeable number finished; they have started painting and it is ongoing.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Hon. Haruna, prepare to land now.
Mr. H. Iddrisu 11:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I have said that the President has initiated very many laudable initiatives and my concern is the sustainability and in particular the completion of those initiatives. I am
disappointed that none of the very many housing projects have been made available for use by the Ghanaian public even as he enters the last stretch of his administration. That is the point I am making in relation to housing.
The President further promised that there would be Presidential Special Initiatives on cotton, oil palm and many others. As we speak, I am not aware of any initiative, presidential as it may be, on cotton except to report a major decline in the volume of cotton that has been produced in the last few years. I think that the President must walk the talk when he makes those significant statements in no mean a document than in his State of the Nation Address.
We were also promised that there would be diversification of crops such as rice, soya, cashew and cotton. Not much has been achieved in that area and I think that it is important that one makes reference to it.
I was particularly disappointed that the President did not find it fit to make even a passing comment on the European Partnership Agreement, our relationship with Europe in relation to the agreement that we have had to sign, even though it had serious implications for the economy of Ghana. Any basic student of economics understands what an improvement or a decline in your terms of trade means for you to be able to balance your balance of payments and other things.
I think that we have come to a major threshold as a country in renewing an economic relationship with Europe as to which volume of our exports would go in and which volume of theirs would come in and its implication. I did not see
a comment of it in the State of the Nation Address. Therefore, I do not accept the argument that this State of the Nation Address was comprehensive enough.
On law and order and security, there was mention of increases in the police strength -- significant increases and we accept that. But there has been an upsurge in violent crime, especially armed robbery and murder which is threatening security, in particular Suhum. Ghanaians living in Suhum are today living in fear. The President ought to have acknowledged that times are not too pleasant for the people of Suhum who certainly are part of the Ghanaian population. That is not the best. Even in Accra, we have had cold murders, and he ought to have recognized that.
On the major trash points of ethnic conflicts, regrettable and unfortunate as they are, whether Anlo, Dagbon, Sefwi or Ga Mashie, the President should have said “I am concerned as the Chief Executive of the land, about this development and its implication on our nation's peace and stability.”
Conspicuously lost in the State of the Nation Address was reference to many of these major flash points which in my view, should have attracted the attention of His Excellency the President.
Finally, I said I would land on the economy. The President went further in marking himself -- you know he sets the questions, he is his own examiner and gives himself kudos on the performance of the economy -- He goes further to say that the economy is resilient and strong. Which economy? Only a few days ago, Fitch moved this economy away from positive to stable in terms of their assessment of the economy.
Mr. Baah-Wiredu 11:40 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, from 1982 to the year 2000 they were never subjected to any of these ratings. Let the hon. Member who just spoke tell me whether it is Standard and Poors, Moody or Fitch whichever one actually vetted them. They never had any rating during the course of the twenty years -- it was zero rating -- [Interruption.] What we have got is a signal that yes, our responsibility -- [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Hon. Minister for Finance, you are out of order.
Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang 11:50 a.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, I think that really, in all seriousness, in this House we must speak with a bit of decorum. It cannot be said by my hon. distinguished Friend that the President marked himself, he sets his own questions and answers them. It is unacceptable. I think that we have been here in this House long enough to understand that you make reference to the Head of State in very - It is not a joke to say that he has marked himself, he sets his own questions and then he answers them. He cannot say that of the President. The hon. Member is completely out of order.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon.
Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, that is no point of order.
Mr. Joe Danquah 11:50 a.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, our hon. Colleague
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon. Member, please allow hon. Haruna Iddrisu to conclude.
Mr. H. Iddrisu 11:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I was on the economy. There is no doubt that in terms of macro-economic indices they have made gains. The problem has been its sustainability. Single digit inflation has remained illusive to this Government, consistently over the period. If they are challenging it, they should challenge it.
Fiscal deficit for 2006/2007 projection per the Budget Statement went over the bar, exceeded what they targeted and it had serious implications for the economy. What I expected the President again to do was to have given a report on the level of the nation's indebtedness.
Mr. Baah-Wiredu 11:50 a.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, he is talking about commercial loans. In 1997 they borrowed US$12 million at 12 per cent from South Trust Bank of Alabama for Mrs. Cotton. Mr. Speaker, they also borrowed at 12½ per cent for the Dimples. So, 12 ½ per cent and 8 per cent, which is the better? I have the data from 1960 to 2007 and we shall go through all those details and see who borrowed and at what rate.
[Interruption.] Mrs. Cotton's loan was at 12 per cent interest.
Mr. Baah-Wiredu 11:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, we shall debate this and the data is there. At the end of 1992, the total debt was $4.4 billion. At the end of 1999 it had risen to $8.4 billion and then it came down to $6.3 billion and now it is $4.4 billion for the entire external debt.
For the total debt, I think, the 2000 figure was 7.4 and this figure is 8.2. So Mr. Speaker, [Interruption.] Yes, I am giving them the figures. At the end of 2000, the public debt was 7.4 and at the end of 1992, the public debt was 4.3. So they added 3.1 billion. At the end of 2007, the figure is 8.2 and at the end of 2000, it was 7.4.
So we have added 0.8. If there is any one of them who has got this figure to challenge what I am saying, he must come forward and we are prepared to deal with them. [An hon. Member: And what has the money been used for?] And what we used the money for? And if the money is for the Bui Dam, I think it is for a good purpose. [An hon. Member: Look at the stadia, you are profiting from the stadium.] [Interruption.] For Mrs. Cotton - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon.
Member, please. There is an hon. Member on the floor and we need to listen to him in silence. If we are not careful we will allow the debate to degenerate into a shouting bout. I would allow any hon. Member who has a point of order to make his point but definitely, we should not be shouting across.
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, I thought you were about to finish but I have seen the hon. Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning on his feet for quite some time.
An hon. Member -- rose --
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon. Member, would you take your seat?
Prof. Gyan-Baffour 11:50 a.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentlemen on the other side and especially the hon. Member are throwing dust into people's eyes.
The quantum of the debt is not what is relevant. [Interruption.] They should listen. Because they do not have that mind that is why they are saying that. The debt as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is what matters. Let me give them the figures.
In 2000, the debt as a percentage of the GDP was 188 per cent. The debt that we inherited from them as a percentage of the GDP was 188 per cent. Now, we have gone down to 43 per cent and they can look at it there. They should look at the graph, it is going down, from 188 per cent to 43 per cent. [Raising the Budget Statement for 2008] That is what matters; it is not the quantum.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon. Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, we cannot even see what you say we should look at.
Prof. Gyan-Baffour 11:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is on page 48 of the printed copy of this year's Budget Statement and what you can see from there is that the percentage of the debt as a percentage of the GDP is actually moving. That is how economists calculate the extent to which the debt is affecting the economy and not the quantum. So they have to bear that in mind.
Again, Mr. Speaker, when we say that the economy is resilient what we mean is that when there is an external shock the economy can withstand that, and bringing it to stability means that the economy was able to absorb the shock. That is why it is being stable. So they should not be using these kinds of terminology when they really do not understand what the underlying implications are.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, now you can have the opportunity to end your contribution.
Mr. H. Iddrisu 11:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would have to - [Interruption.]
Mr. Okerchiri 11:50 a.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, we want to find out how many minutes more is left for him.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon. Majority Chief Whip, you are completely out of order.
Mr. H. Iddrisu 11:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think that for want of time I would ignore except those comments that are relevant. At least, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) did not go to a hair barbering shop in search of a loan and it has not come here looking for ¢1 billion, whether from CNTI or IFC, they have done it.
Mr. Speaker, my comment is on the economy. Let us restrain ourselves to the
economy.
Mr. Speaker, the President himself, consistently supported by his hon. Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, has said that for us to attain middle income status, this economy must grow consistently at 8 per cent GDP per annum. I am afraid that Ghana's vision and the President's vision to assist us to attain middle income status by 2015 may become a mirage. I have heard reference to poverty per the millennium development goals.
Today, reference is being made to 1990 as if the MDGs were set in 1990. They were set in 2000. So when they are using years as their base and benchmark, they should not drive backwards 10 years in order to say that poverty declined from 57 per cent to 28 per cent and therefore they have halved poverty. What have they done between the period 2000 when the MDGs were accepted by the United Nations and made the basic standard for the assessment and attainment of development? I think that it is important that we situate ourselves.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, you have less than a minute to complete.
Mr. H. Iddrisu noon
But Mr. Speaker, the Ghanaian workers deserve better whether they are teachers, whether they are doctors, whether they are nurses. It is not increases in minimum wage, let us
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker noon
Hon.
Minister, are you rising on a point of order? He has already concluded his contribution.
Mr. Baah-Wiredu noon
Mr. Speaker, on the wages issue, I think we need to say a little bit. Mr. Speaker, I just want to say that at the end of 1993, a Certificate ‘A' Teacher was receiving -- [Interruption.] So that means there has been a considerable improvement in that. But Mr. Speaker, he must come back. Mr. Speaker, he has just been misleading the people of this country and he must come back.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker noon
I was
listening to you. I wanted to give you a minute. [Interruption.] He was informing the House, maybe about some relevant matters. Let us all listen. This is a debate. I will allow you. I would not mind giving you the opportunity to do so.
Mr. Baah-Wiredu noon
Yes, Mr. Speaker, I
Mr. First Deputy Speaker noon
Hon.
Mr. H. Iddrisu noon
Mr. Speaker, I
think that it is important that the hon. Minister in quoting figures appreciates the difference between nominal increases and real increases. The volume of goods and services that ¢10,000 could buy in 2002 certainly cannot be afforded today in 2008. So when they talk about nominal increases ask yourself, how much a gallon of petrol did sell in 2002. How much does it sell today?
So I think that the hon. Minister must appreciate the debate. All the figures they are sharing with me they could have given a summary of it for the President to include in his State of the Nation Address so that the President would have shared with the Ghanaian public our state of indebtedness. Opi pi pim pim was a crime. Today it is not

and they do not even want to talk about it.
Mr. Baah-Wiredu noon
Their minimum
wage was buying only 20 loaves and now it is buying about 80.
Mr. Simon Osei noon
None

Bosomtwe): Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity granted me to contribute to this motion that this august House thanks His Excellency for the State of the Nation Address that he delivered to this House.

Mr. Speaker, before I start I beg to quote from page 2 of the printed copy of the Address.

“My abiding principle has always been to leave a place better than I found it. Mr. Speaker, on balance, Ghana has been doing progressively well under my watch, and enjoying tremendous goodwill both from within and from the international community, as a result of the performance of the government over the past seven years.”

Mr. Speaker, I am going to support this

by tackling the just-ended Ghana 2008 football tournament, talk about the macro economy and the energy sector and finally some of the dilapidated structures which we have changed.

Mr. Speaker, during this tournament,

everybody could witness the excellent infrastructure put in place by the President and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government. The four stadia that have been built are all of international standard, world class standard.

Mr. Speaker, to make some reference to the NDC, in their 1996 Manifesto, they said on page 50 that they were going to put up at each regional centre a Wembley type of stadium and at each district capital an El Wak type of stadium. At the time they

were leaving, Mr. Speaker, how many had they built? Zero. [Some hon. Members: Oh!] Bolded zero. Mr. Speaker, they were unable to build even one.
Mr. Mahama Ayariga 12:10 p.m.
On a point of

Nii Amasah Namoale: On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, I want to correct the hon. Member. Yes, the stadium is beautiful; it is nice, it is up to international standards but you cannot purchase a ticket for VIP and enter the Popular Stand. I bought a ticket for the Popular Stand, and even in the Popular Stand, you cannot sit anywhere. If you have an orange ticket, you go through an orange gate. So Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member does not

know. He was not at the stadium, so he is misleading the House and Ghanaians.
Prof. Mike Oquaye 12:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, respectfully, the House is being so seriously misled. There must be an intervention. Mr. Speaker, it looks like this is a case of the cap and taking to wear. Mr. Speaker, but apart from that my hon. Friend on the other side speaks about someone being so people minded that he goes to sit at a particular place. Mr. Speaker, may we therefore say that their present candidate is not popular for populist oriented - [Laughter] -- He does not care about people; he has no concern for the people unlike the previous leader, and that is why he went and sat among the VVIPs, otherwise he had better stop.
Mr. Osei-Mensah 12:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, I never mentioned any name but I am surprised that the hon. Member for Bawku Central, hon. Mahama Ayariga is giving a name and face to what I said. I said some people, and even he mentioned one name. So he should mention more names so that I recognize them.
Mr. Speaker, I want to go ahead. Mr. Speaker, because of the successful organization of the tournament and the sterling performance of the Black Stars and the excellent work of the Government by providing the various amenities for the Black Stars to perform, now people are trying to take advantage of the success story. Mr. Speaker, it has even helped some people to rekindle and reunite their relations.
Mr. Speaker, they have been taking pictures with their relations. They never ended there; they have gone ahead to profit and profit from the success of the NPP Government which they never contributed a pesewa to. And they are selling posters - [The hon. Member shows a poster.] --
Mr. F. A. Agbotse 12:10 p.m.
On a point of
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Hon. Agbotse, you are out of order. Nobody in this House is joking. Take your seat.
Mr. Osei-Mensah 12:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I never said the former President, J. J. Rawlings is selling the posters. What I am saying is, as part of the success story of the excellent organization of Ghana 2008 Tournament, one of the success stories is that it has been able to unite some people and their extended families. They took pictures, and they never ended there. They have extended profiting from it, and these are being sold on our streets. And let us go along the streets; they are there. And I bought it today; they are there to show you that they are profiting.
Ms. Akua Dansua 12:10 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Hon. Akua Dansua, the hon. Member never indicated that there had been a fight between - [Interruption.] Reunited does not mean that before then there was a fight. So let him continue.
Ms. Dansua 12:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, what he said meant that there was a fight between the former President and his extended family - [Uproar] - He should address the main issue and stop being a clown. We are not joking in this House.
Mr. Osei-Mensah 12:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I never said that anyway.
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Hon. Members, do not, please. Hon. Member, will you take your seat? Let us have some order here. And do not interfere with the PA system. The hon. Member is on his feet so let him continue. You want to apologize on behalf of some people.
Mr. Okerchiri 12:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, we realize that we are all human beings and sometimes we are overtaken by emotions. I heard my sister, hon. Akua Dansua referring to the hon. Member as a clown. In fact, I thought that it was mentioned in the heat of passion. But she has repeated it indicating that she consciously wants to refer to the hon. Member that way. She must withdraw; it is very unparliamentary.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Hon. Akua Dansua, did you really say that he
Ms. Dansua 12:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I said he is behaving like a clown which is not the same as he is a clown. They are two different things. He is behaving like a clown.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Hon. Akua Dansua, you are wrong. It is an unparliamentary language to use. The hon. Member who was on his feet had not in anyway indicated to this House that he was clowning. He was contributing to a debate, maybe, he was gesticulating but that does not make him a clown. I think you are wrong in referring to him as a clown. I therefore, ask you to withdraw.
Ms. Dansua 12:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I will withdraw on condition that he also withdraws the statement he made about former President Rawlings - [Uproar.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Hon Akua Dansua, I have heard you say, you will withdraw. You cannot put any condition on that. You have not raised a point of order against the hon. Member for me to rule on it. All that has been brought for me is that the language you used was unparliamentary, not deserving of a leader of this House.
Ms. Dansua 12:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I withdraw but I expect him to behave better than he is doing now.
Mr. Osei-Mensah 12:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is better I ignore her because we were cultured from different homes. While some people were being nursed others were being reared. So I will ignore her and then continue.
Mr. Speaker, I move onto the macro economy. I picked the football from the introduction and I am now going to the next stage which is the macro economic
aspect.
Mr. Speaker, the macro economy also supports what the President said on page 2 of the State of the Nation Address. And definitely, he is going to leave this country far, far better than what he met.
Mr. Speaker, I will start and pick some of the macro economic indicators to elaborate and support the point that the President said on page 2.
Mr. Speaker, let us look at inflation. In 2000, inflation was over 40 per cent. Mr. Speaker, with strenuous effort, with good policies, now inflation has come down to about 10 per cent.
Mr. Speaker, what about exchange rates? Mr. Speaker, the exchange rate those days had serious diarrhoea - [Laughter] - In the year 1981 the exchange rate to the dollar was ¢2.80 to $1. Mr. Speaker, in 1993 before we started this our democratic dispensation - under the 1992 Constitution, the exchange rate had moved to ¢2.80 to ¢437.10.
Alhaji M. M. Mubarak 12:20 p.m.
On a point
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon.
Member, this is a debate. I think you should not be denigrating this House and people contributing on the floor of the House who have not offended the Standing Orders. Please, if you do so you yourself undermine your own integrity
and the respect the public should have for this House.
Alhaji Mubarak 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon.
Member, you are out of order. Take your seat.
Mr. Osei-Mensah 12:20 p.m.
Thank you Mr.
Speaker. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, he could not make any point.
Mr. Speaker, what I said was that in 1981, the exchange rate of the cedi to the dollar was two cedis eighty pesewas to the dollar. And as at 1993, it came up to four hundred and thirty-seven cedis ten pesewas to the dollar. And when they left power in 2000 it was around seven thousand. Mr. Speaker, we thank God that the people of Ghana in their own wisdom voted them out and they are going to vote them out again. They will be there, perpetually there -- In 2008, they are going to lose, they will not come and spoil the economy.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon.
Member, you have less than a minute to wind up.
Mr. Osei-Mensah 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker,

now, if you go to the banks you can have between 15 and maybe 25 per cent, the highest. And Mr. Speaker, the banks are moving from office to office begging people to come for facilities. That is the economy the NPP Government has managed for this country.

Mr. Speaker, an hon. Member said that our performance was inconsistent. Mr. Speaker, I want to draw his attention and Mr. Speaker, I will use only the GDP rate to show the inconsistency in their management of the economy. Mr. Speaker, between 1993 and 2000 that they left power, the eight-year period they were able to achieve their target for GDP only twice and the twice the one they equalled was in 1993 and they exceeded in 1996. Mr. Speaker, I am going over the figures.

The target for 1993 was 5 per cent and they achieved 5 per cent -- they equalled. In 1994, 5 per cent, they achieved 3.8 per cent, in 1995, 5 per cent, they achieved 4.9 per cent. In 1996, 5 per cent they achieved 4.2 per cent. That was the only time within the eight years they exceeded. Mr. Speaker, go to 1997, 5.5 per cent, they had 4.2 per cent. In 1998, 5.8 per cent, they had 4.6 per cent. In 1999, 5.9 per cent, they had 4.4 per cent. Mr. Speaker, in 2000, 4 per cent, they had a woeful performance -- an abysmal 3.7 per cent. Mr. Speaker, look at this cyclical trend. They are saying ours is not steady.

Mr. Speaker, let us move on to the performance of the NPP Government to show how steady the growth has been. The trend is upward moving. Mr. Speaker, in 2001, we budgeted for 4 per cent, we achieved 4.2 per cent. In 2002, 4.5 per cent, we achieved 4.5 per cent. In 2003, 4.7, we achieved 5.2, per cent. In 2004,
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon.
Member, are you rising on a point of order?
Alhaji Abukari 12:20 p.m.
Yes, Mr. Speaker. Mr.
Speaker, the hon. Member who is a banker and a board member of a prominent bank is seriously misleading this House and this country.
Mr. Speaker, the ordinary people of Ghana are not interested in statistical figures. They are interested in what is in their pockets and what the money in their pockets can buy -- The purchasing power of what is in their pockets. Can they compare it to what they could buy with their salaries or what their growth is today? That is what he should be saying. How much is a gallon of petrol? How much is a ball of kenkey today? That is what he should be talking about. So Mr. Speaker, he is misleading the whole country.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon.
Member, you are out of order.
Mr. Baah-Wiredu 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, my
hon. Friend knows that we are 230 hon. Members in this House. 115 of us is 50 per cent. So if anybody quotes that it is 50 per cent, the basis is right because we have the numbers. And if he wants to know what the amount of money, for example, a minimum wage can pay for or buy at the end of 2000 and the end of 2007, I think the data is here. Even in the case of bread their minimum wage could buy only 20 loaves and now it can buy 58 loaves of bread -- [Hear! Hear!] So, Mr. Speaker, I think the data is ready -- [Inter-ruptions.]
Mr. Speaker, the Ghana Statistical Service has got all the relevant data and
so we can debate this with all the relevant information around for us to move on because it is revenue and then spending. Whatever has gone up, the other side has also gone up appreciably. So Mr. Speaker, my hon. Friend has completely misled all of us. The data is here and we can compete and we can discuss and I throw him the challenge and we can do it here.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Will you
now conclude.
Mr. Osei-Mensah 12:20 p.m.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, they could not make any points but if the hon. Member who is my Friend wants tutorials, he should come to me for tutorials on responsiveness of micro economy to macro economic stability. And when he comes here he will understand it and I will tell him the basis why we are not receiving that responsiveness.
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon. Ayariga, he was going to land but you still want to come in.
Mr. Ayariga 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is still important even at this late stage to correct misleading statements. Mr. Speaker, we very often refer to -- and I am referring to NDC -- We refer to the depreciation in the cedi in our critique of macro economic policy. They are using a dollar that is far, far weaker than the dollar of 2000 in their assessment of the current exchange rate.
Mr. Speaker, it is not in doubt that today the dollar as it is, is far, far weaker and it is exchanging at a higher rate in relation to the Euro Japanese Yen, and in relation to all other major currencies.

Mr. Speaker, you cannot use a very weakened and limping dollar of today and compare with the dollar of 2000 and boast that you have been able to stabilize the dollar and that the exchange rate is stable. In any case, it is not true; the figures you see written on the forex bureau, it is not the same figures for which the value is actually being exchanged when you enter the forex bureaux.
Mr. Osei-Mensah 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, that is even another erroneous statement that has been given. The figures you see on the board of the forex bureaux - [Inter- ruption.]
Mr. J. B. D. Adu 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, my hon. Colleague is showing gross ignorance of how world trade is conducted. This is because all commodities are priced in the dollar and therefore, if our basis is the dollar, there is nothing wrong with that. Whether it is gold, it is coffee, cocoa or oil, they are all priced in the dollar. In that sense, when you have a basis as the dollar,

there is nothing wrong whether it is weak or it is strong. We should not show such gross sheer ignorance.
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
You want to make a point? Do you have any problem with the words he used?
Alhaji Abukari 12:30 p.m.
Yes, Mr. Speaker. He said he shows gross ignorance - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Ignorance of the forex bureaux system? Is that not what you said?
Mr. J. B. D. Adu 12:30 p.m.
Yes, Mr. Speaker.
Alhaji Abukari 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, he is showing gross ignorance of the procedures of this House.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
You are out of order. I honestly do not find anything wrong with what he said and I think in this House we should allow for some of such robust language, particularly if it is not insulting. If he is referring to a colleague that he does not know what he is talking about with respect to exchanges and so forth, I do not consider that to be an abuse and that I believe is what he said. It may be robust but definitely, it does not offend our Standing Orders.
Alhaji Abukari 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, my main argument is that the hon. Member on the floor is from his side of the House; he did not ask for your permission to take some time from him - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
I definitely allowed him.
Alhaji Abukari 12:30 p.m.
And the hon. Member did not allow him any time out of his time.
So he has no business attacking an hon. Member on this side of the House.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
It is a debate and you can refer to any contribution that either side has made in the course of the debate, it does not make any difference - [Interruptions.] Please, let it flow and allow him to continue.
Alhaji Abukari 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, are we taking it that it is now allowed for anybody to get up and contradict - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
When anybody gets up and he or she catches my attention and I allow him or her to take the floor, it is perfectly in order, just as I have just allowed you to speak out of turn and not even on a point of order. So please, continue.
Mr. Osei-Mensah 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I want to touch on energy briefly. We were in this House when the Minister for Energy, hon. Joseph Adda came to this House to brief us on the contingency plans the Government had put in place both for the short-term, medium-term and long-term to arrest the energy crisis.

I want my senior Colleague for North Dayi, Ms. Akua Sena Dansua to lead the chorus. She would say: “We thank President Kufuor, we thank President Kufuor,” and then the men counterparts would say: “We have power, we have
Ms. Dansua 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, you see what I said earlier on that the man is behaving like a clown; he is repeating it. You see what he is doing.
Mr. Osei-Mensah 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I will ignore her and I would want us to start the chorus: “We thank President Kufuor, we thank President Kufuor,' then the men counterpart would start: “We have power, we have power.” Then the people of Ghana would know that the toy generators are giving them power.
Capt. Effah-Dartey (retd): On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, the Deputy Minority Whip used an expression and I want your guidance. She said the hon. Member is behaving like a clown and I do not know whether that should go in the Hansard that an honourable, elected Member of this House is behaving like a clown; whether it is a parliamentary language so that in future if she conducts herself in such a way that she falls under such a description, I would be able to appropriately assign that description to her.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
I had earlier on ruled; in fact when she used a similar word I told her to withdraw. Of course, she did; she repeated it and I feel very sorry that she continues using those words, particularly when she is a leader of this House.
Indeed, what the other colleague who was on the floor said and I am being honest with her, I found nothing wrong with that. All that he is doing is that maybe, he has raised his voice a little higher. He is making an argument and his argument is that there had been a time when hon. Members had agitated to the extent of even
knocking their tables about power. I do not remember; I was not here. But if he did say so and people behaved that way and he is referring to that, there is nothing wrong with that.
Several Members - rose -
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon. Members, please, would you take your seats? The Chair is addressing you. What he said, I followed his line of debate and I sincerely find nothing wrong with what he said. On the other hand, hon. Akua Sena Dansua interjected and rather said that her hon. Colleague is behaving like a clown. I feel it is not good language. But now that somebody else from the other side has brought this to our notice and he is seeking the direction of this House, I would again ask Akua Sena Dansua, to please withdraw.
Ms. Dansua 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, before I withdraw I must say that I am also appalled at the way the hon. Member has behaved and I expected that the Chair would draw his attention to it and ask him to do the right thing, but the Chair has not done it. Whatever it is I am sorry, I have withdrawn, but he should be careful next time. [Interruptions.] [An hon. Member: Is it a threat? Then she should also be careful.]
Mr. Ayariga 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, this is an opportunity to contribute to the debate.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Are you contributing?
Mr. Ayariga 12:30 p.m.
Yes.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Wait. He

has not yet finished.
Mr. Ayariga 12:30 p.m.
He said he had finished.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
In conclusion, let him say the last words.
Mr. Osei-Mensah 12:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am winding up and I want my senior hon. Colleague to be decorous next time before I retaliate with maybe serious offensive language.
Mr. Speaker, this Government has come to rehabilitate, renovate, modernize, upgrade what others came and they neglected, ran down to such dilapidated state, that national assets and liabilities were eye-sore. For example, Mr. Speaker, we have been able to removate the Kumasi City Hotel to a modern excellent hotel facility - [Hear! Hear!] Mr. Speaker, talk about the Peduase Lodge; it was left just like the Job 600 has been left and we are struggling for office accommodation.

Mr. Mahama Ayariga (NDC - Bawku
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
What is your point of order?
Mr. K. A. Okerchiri 12:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think that we are all supposed to, as it were, contribute to the debate to thank the President but from the way my hon. Friend, the Member for Bawku Central started, it looked very well that he was going to respond to the contribution by - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
And what is wrong with that?
Mr. Okerchiri 12:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, we must be mindful about that. Once that is done, then the focus is going to be on the individual - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
You are out of order, Majority Chief Whip.
Mr. Ayariga 12:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want to begin the debate by referring to the Country Economic Memorandum Vol. 3 of the World Bank, titled Ghana, Meeting the Challenge of the Accelerated and Shared Growth. Report No. 40934GH. This is the World Bank report on Ghana. At page 20 of that document and with your permission, let me quote paragraph 1.45. It talks about poverty trends in Ghana
and it says:
“The record of poverty reduction of Ghana over the last fifteen years is remarkable yet it may be useful to put this record in perspective with Ghana's long term record. It is worth recalling that at the time of its independence in 1957, Ghana had a vibrant economy. The country was a world leader in cocoa which created along with gold and timber receipts an enviable external reserve and facilitated the implementation of policies promoting stable price inflation and sustaining economic growth.
However, a deteriorating sectoral monetary and f i sca l pol icy environment combine with a series of wealth external shocks led to a political and economic instability during much of the sixties and seventies. During that period, GDP per capita declined continuously. This mixture of high inflation, negative external reserves, bad policies, declining cocoa pro- duction and price, severe droughts and political instability led to a major social and economic crisis by 1980.”
Mr. Speaker, it goes on to say that 12:40 p.m.
“rough estimates have suggested an important increase in poverty during the period of turbulence of the 70s and 80s. In particular, per capita food production declined by some 30per cent, education attendance and quality also declined significantly, manu-facturing production decreased tremendously. By the early 1980s, low food availability and rationing to long queues in order to get a necessity of life led to rationing. Obviously, that miserable environment led to a brain drain of doctors. At that time estimates suggest that Saudi Arabia
had more Ghanaian medical doctors than Accra and most teachers and many more families headed to Nigeria which was experiencing an oil boom.”
Now, this is what the World Bank says about the 1980s which is being castigated here. In 1983, the Government launched the Economic Recovery Programme in an attempt to turn around the economic situation. This Programme aimed at first stabilizing the economy through a series of wide ranging reforms. Initially, the reforms had been a clear success, as inflation fell from 122 per cent in 1983 to around 10 per cent in 1985 and GDP Growth per capita rose from a negative 7.1 per cent to 1.5 per cent. Since then the growth per capita has been positive.

Capt. Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (retd): On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member for Bawku Central is misleading the House. He is quoting from a report that indicates according to him, that in 1983 there was negative growth and also percentage inflation of over 100 per cent. The question is, at that time who was in power?
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
I am not sure that is exactly what he said.
Capt. Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (retd): Mr. Speaker, that is what he read.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
I believe he was not putting his contribution in that sequence. The other thing that he was talking about was not reference to 1983 thereabouts, unless of course I am wrong. Hon. Member for Bawku Central, can you correct us?
Mr. Ayariga 12:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member was not listening. I cited extensively a Report of the World Bank which depicted the declining deteriorating economic condition in this country beginning from the late 1960s up to 1980 when the World Bank itself described the situation as a crisis one. And I am using the statistics to show the miracles that were once performed by the PNDC to move inflation from 122 per cent to 10 per cent in only two years. The miracle that was performed in micro economics - [Interruption.]
Mr. Kofi Frempong 12:40 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member is seriously misleading the House. He has forgotten that it was this same Government that he is talking of whose time the cedi depreciated by 100 per cent. Has he forgotten that this same Government it was during their reign that somebody's hotel, a complete hotel was pulled down? It was this same Government that collected poor women from their homes and stripped them naked and lashed them.
Mr. Lee Ocran 12:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member is dressed like a bailiff and he is inside the House here. He should not be here.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon.
Member for Ahafo Ano South, my attention is being drawn to the fact that you are not correctly dressed.
Mr. Kofi Frimpong 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am wearing an African wear just like the hon. Member for Shai-Osudoku. When they were beating women - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon. Frimpong, honestly, I am also looking at your dressing and I would not allow you to contribute.
Mr. Ayariga 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Yes, hon. Member for Bawku Central, continue. But before you do so, the hon. Minister for Defence seems to be on a point of order.
Mr. Kan-Dapaah 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, as we are all aware, our hon. Friend is one of the best lawyers that we have in this country and we all appreciate how good he is. But I believe he is demonstrating that probably beyond law and when it comes to economics, he has some way to go and I just felt I should help him. But it is important for me to recognize that I like how good he is as a lawyer. Mr. Speaker, when the hon. Member for Bawku Central speaks, the country listens because everybody has come to respect him, so it is important that he is consistent at all times.
Mr. Speaker, when one goes to the secondary school, the certificate that they give to one is based on one's perfor- mances at the examinations in form five. The final year that one is leaving is when they give one a certificate and it is based on one's performance on that date. To come and say that when they were in form one, they were getting grade ‘As,' when they were in form two, they were getting grade
‘As' but it was only when they got to the final year that things were bad. I do not think he is quite giving the story as it is.
Mr. Speaker, we are all aware that at
the time of departure the macro economic indicators at the end of 2000 were very, very bad. I do not think it is appropriate for him to give the impression that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was able to leave this country with a good macro economic record. They should never claim any credit for it. Probably, in 1992 they made some gains and we congratulate them for that. But if one looks at the records, from the 1990s up to the end that they left, in the year 2000, the inflation rate was over 42 per cent; interest rate was over 52 per cent; the highest in the world.

Some hon. Members - rose -
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon. Members, the hon. Minister rose on a point of order. The rules in this House are that when somebody is on a point of order, we do not entertain any other point of order.
Hon. Member for Juabeso, you did not listen to what the hon. Minister was saying?
Hon. Ayariga, continue.
Mr. Ayariga 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hon. Minister for Defence's admiration. But when one finishes a secondary
Mr. Baah-Wiredu 12:50 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member has made a very good point by picking the inflation rate over a period of time probably from the 1980s and others. That is very good, that now we have recognized that indicators are very, very important and they represent value. But we should never ever forget that we condemned Nkrumah that he brought only a flag and a national anthem. But in 1960 - [Interruptions.]
Some hon. Members: Source?
Mr. Baah-Wiredu 12:50 p.m.
They do not know; they should keep quiet. They should keep that one to themselves.
In 1960 the inflation rate was 0.9 per cent. Mr. Speaker, in 1966 it was - 1.9 per cent. In 1967 it was 2.9 per cent. I am just trying to indicate that at least, we must recognize the role of all other regimes that have actually managed this nation. This is because once we accept these things then, we all have to recognize that there was no need to put them on the sticks and shoot them.
Mr. Ayariga 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think I will not respond to the hon. Minister for Finance and Economic Planning. Obviously, he is citing very important statistics from his personal diary. I do not know whether it is an approved source in this House.
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon. Deputy Minister, you have been up for a while. Do you have a point of order?
Mr. Osei-Ameyaw 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps, it will be interesting for the hon. Member for Bawku Central to tell us from the statistics - the data he is holding - from regime to regime, from Nkrumah's time, and then move to the Busia regime, then go to Acheampong's regime and then come to Rawlings' regime in 1979 and then work his way to 2000 and let us see the exchange rate and the inflation rate - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon. Deputy Minister, you are out of order. The hon. Member is deciding which way and how he wants to make his contribution in this House. Of course, you cannot impose it on him. Definitely, when it is your turn, you can provide the House with those statistics but for now, allow him.
Mr. Ayariga 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am not an economist but I know that if somebody meets inflation at 122 per cent and ultimately leaves with an inflation of even 45 per cent as the hon. Minister for Finance and Economic Planning has put it, in relation to somebody who met the inflation at the so-called 45 per cent, leaving it at even 14 per cent, the person who moved it from 122 per cent to 45 per cent obviously, ordinarily, has performed better than the person who moved it from 45 per cent and left it at 14 per cent. This is basic. This is trite knowledge. So let us make progress - [Interruption.]
Capt. Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (retd): Mr. Speaker, my problem with the hon.
Mr. Ayariga 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I just hope that they will allow me to make progress.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon. Member for Jomoro, are you rising on a point of order against the hon. Member for Bawku Central?
Mr. Ocran 12:50 p.m.
Yes, Mr. Speaker. Mr.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon. Frimpong, we have tolerated you. Indeed, when you are not properly attired, you are supposed to be walked out. But we would have tolerated you if you had continued to remain at the backbench but you have now taken a front seat. I think I will direct that the Marshal walk you out of this Chamber.
Mr. Kofi Frimpong 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am in my political suit.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon. Frimpong, I have ordered that you should be out of this House. The Marshal is supposed to see you out of the Chamber. - [Interruptions.] Well, he could remain at the backbench. We would ignore him.
So hon. Member for Bawku Central continue.
Mr. Ayariga 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the report chronicles deteriorating economic and social conditions beginning from the late 1960s to the 1970s and then concludes by saying that this mixture of high inflation, negative external reserves, bad policies, declining cocoa production and price, severe droughts and political instability led to a major social and economic crisis by early 1980s.
Mr. Speaker, what this report is saying is that the economic crisis of the early 1980s which saw an inflation figure of 122 per cent and a negative Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of negative seven per cent was not the cause of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) but that the crisis between 1960 and the late 1970s generated that economic
Mr. Osei-Ameyaw 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member is seriously misleading this House. He asserted from the report that political instability was one of the major factors that caused the problems of this nation. Who caused the political instability - [Interruption] - He said the early 1980s. Mr. Speaker, he used the words “early 1980s.”
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
Hon. Lee Ocran, do you want to raise a point of order?
Mr. Ocran 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is a point of correction.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
He is on a point of order.
Mr. Ocran 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, he is polluting the atmosphere with ignorance. He was nowhere to be found, he was a kid at that time.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
Hon. Osei-Ameyaw, you have made your point. Hon. Ayariga, continue.
Mr. Ayariga 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would not spend much time referring my hon. Colleague to the fact that the first coup d'etat was in 1966.
Mr. Speaker, the President in his Address did indicate that it is his policy to leave anything that he finds, any environment that he finds himself in a better condition that he had met it. Mr. Speaker, it is a very laudable principle and I urge all leadership of this country to emulate that principle. But Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, this principle is not consistent with the condition in which His Excellency the President is going to leave the three northern regions in Ghana.
Mr. Speaker, let me refer you to a number of statistics that are contained in the Human Development Report of 2007 and the World Bank Report and the Ghana Statistical Service. Mr. Speaker, I have taken a number of social indices. Mr. Speaker, I am taking a number of indicators as a basis for this statement that I have made.
I am looking at a number of indicators and if we take access to basic education, according to current statistics from the
Mr. Ayariga 1:10 p.m.
Whilst the Upper East Region has 61.9 per cent access and Upper West has 67.1 per cent access, the national average access to basic education is 93.2 per cent in urban areas and 81.0 per cent in rural areas. Mr. Speaker, there is a clear disparity between the national average and the current access to basic education of the three northern regions.

Capt. N. Effah-Dartey (retd): Mr. Speaker, the hon. Member for Bawku Central is trying to use data to establish that President Kufuor's legacy as far as access to education in the three northern regions is concerned, is not the best and that it is worse than he came to meet it. But Mr. Speaker, it is an undisputable fact that over the past seven years, conflicts in these areas have seriously affected the presence of teachers.

This is a fact hon. Ayariga must not forget when he is talking about access to education. Mr. Speaker, when we are talking about access to education, even in today's daily newspapers, reports indicate that because of the upsurge of the conflict in Bawku, schools have closed down. This is the report.

So Mr. Speaker, if he is looking at access to education, that is to say availability of schools where there is conflict, the question he should ask is, how do you get the access? Mr. Speaker, it is a fact and I am challenging anybody to prove me wrong, that when the New

Mr. Speaker, if he is saying we have reduced access to education; his facts are erroneous, I do not know where he had these facts. The statistics on the ground, the physical structures on the ground show that NPP has done far more for the three northern regions than any previous administration of this country.
Mr. Ayariga 1:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, if we were

Capt. N. Effah-Dartey (retd): Mr.
Mr. Ayariga 1:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, this is an honourable House, I have given statistics, I have cited the Human Development Report of the UNDP, I have referred you to the World Bank's Country Economic Memorandum, I have given you pages, et cetera. Indeed, earlier in the day when I cited them, the hon. Minister for Finance and Economic Planning wanted to know my source, so I gave it to him. He perused through it and indeed I have promised to give him a copy tomorrow. [Interruption.]
Mr. Baah-Wiredu 1:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, on
a point of order. Mr. Speaker, my hon. Friend on the floor should know that the book was launched by Professor Gyan- Baffour. I have my copies, more than 30 copies. Unlike him who brought his copy here, I have not brought mine and that was why I called on him. So Mr. Speaker, the point is that basically, from 1957 to now, there has been a lot destabilization. In 1979, they pulled a lot of things down, a lot of things were not sold.
Mr. Speaker, even people's shops -- [Interruptions] -- That was the experience because of which we should not have shot others; it is from that experience that we should not have seized people's money, that we have Citizens Vetting Committee -- ¢50, we asked people how did they get their money, that was the source of destabilization.
Mr. Ayariga 1:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the
Mr. Osei-Ameyaw 1:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. Mr. Speaker, hon. Ayariga is once again misleading the House. Mr. Speaker, he said that in the President's State of the Nation Address, he indicated that when he comes to a place and finds the place in a particular position, by the time he leaves he would have improved it. Hon. Ayariga said that when the President came, access to basic education in the two regions was 69.1 in the Upper East and 67.1 in Upper West and the national average is 93 per cent.
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
Hon.
Member, hon. Osei-Ameyaw was on a point of order and I think we need to appreciate that. Are you rising on a point of order against a point of order?
Mr. Tawiah 1:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am not
standing on a point of order?
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
What
is it?
Mr. Tawiah 1:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, we do not
form a quorum and I just want to draw your attention to that.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
If you
want to draw my attention you should be on your feet then I would call you. But you should not just interject; it is not proper. I appreciate that because there is no quorum you want us to terminate the debate for now. We would do so but I want hon. Ayariga to finish before. I think I have listened to you enough; wait for your turn.
Mr. Ayariga 1:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, when we come to access to secondary education, the current national average is 43.3 per cent but the northern regions have an access to secondary education rate of only 15.5 per cent. Mr. Speaker, when we look at access to quality health care, the Upper East Region has seen -- [Interruption.]
Mr. J. H. Mensah 1:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, on
a point of order. Mr. Speaker, as the hon. Member on the floor has finished quoting his educational statistics, I would like at this point to appeal that this matter of disparity and so on is of some political sensitivity. The hon. Member has not given us any figure showing how the situation has changed under President Kufuor. All he has done is to give us figures about terminal rate of access to education and by implication that the situation has become bad under President Kufuor. Mr. Speaker, that must be carefully guided against because the disparities before President Kufuor came into office were even greater than these figures.
Therefore, the wrong use of figures would tend to cause some untoward political damage and I appeal to him to use his statistics very carefully and also to tell the House what has actually happened in those seven years in the three northern regions as he has cited both in basic education and in secondary education. And if he wants some statistics, hon. Tettey-Enyo is sitting very close to him, he can get some statistics from a former Director of the Ghana Education Service.
Mr. Ayariga 1:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, if only my
hon. Senior Colleague and Senior Minister in this House and perhaps my grandfather would give me the space, I would show to him that -- [Interruptions.] Mr. Speaker, let me just give you one statistic -- I am on healthcare and I would give him the statistic so that he would see the movement. [Interruptions.] Mr. Speaker, if he wants access to education I would

Capt. N. Effah-Dartey (retd) -- rose
-- 1:10 p.m.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:10 p.m.
Hon.
Effah-Dartey, catch my eye and do not interfere with the public address system.
Mr. Ayariga 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, on the
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
I am
giving you one more minute, I have given you enough time.
Mr. Ayariga 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, they made
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Are you
debating with me over it? You are eating away your time. You can continue, one more minute.
Mr. Ayariga 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, mortality
Mr. J. H. Mensah 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker,
again, let me appeal to my hon. Friend, he has been in this country. Just a few days ago, the Director of Medical Services of the Northern Region had cause to warn us all that the excessive use of alcohol by pregnant women in those areas has caused the maternal mortality to increase from 25 to about 34 during the last year. [Interruption.] It does not matter.
What I am saying is, if he is going to use those statistics, he must provide an explanation which is fair and supported by evidence. If the Director of Medical Services is himself explaining the changes in maternal mortality by factors not due to the policy of Government but drunkenness of pregnant women, then the hon. Member must advise himself properly.
rose
Mr. Ayariga 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, my hon.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Hon.
Minority Leader, are you on a point of order?
Mr. Bagbin 1:20 p.m.
That is so, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Against?
Mr. Bagbin 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, he is on a
point of order and I am on the same point

of order.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Please, I
have given you the floor, continue.
Mr. Bagbin 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, my senior
Colleague, senior in age, not in Parliament is fully aware that drunkenness is just a system of frustration -- [Uproar.] It is expression of frustration and that is caused by the environment, the conditions within which you work and that those conditions are a determinant of governance. It is governance that determines those conditions and that is what is happening now - [Inter-ruptions.]
It is not today that we have had people from that area, they have been there for centuries. How come that it is now that the drunkenness is the cause of maternal mortality? So Mr. Speaker, it is important for my Colleague to accept it. He should look at the figures because that is what hon. Ayariga is drawing his attention to. Hopelessness and despair are leading to drunkenness.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
The point
is made, hon. Ayariga continue.
Mr. Ayariga 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, in addition, I will recommend - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
50
seconds more.
Mr. Ayariga 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I will
recommend to my hon. Senior to take a look at the 2007 UNDP Report. It is indicated that hypertension is becoming increasingly a cause of death in this country as a result of the frustrations of the harsh economic conditions.
Mr. Speaker, let me indicate that in the area of access to credit, the Northern Region has only 3.5 per cent; Upper East
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Yes, the
original mover of this motion, I believe you are on a point of order; what is your point?
Mrs. Kusi 1:20 p.m.
Thank you Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want the hon. Member to quote in context. Mr. Speaker, just as the Senior Minister said, if he is saying that the Northern Region is not getting progress he should tell us where they were and where they are. [Interruptions.] Mr. Speaker, what he said was not true, he is misleading this whole country -- [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
What
is not true?
Mrs. Kusi 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the figures
that he gave in Education.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
The
figures are wrong, is that what you are saying?
Mrs. Kusi 1:20 p.m.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, I have
the Annual Progress Report of the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy of this country. Mr. Speaker, we have been mentioning poverty all this time. Mr. Speaker, on education in the Northern Region, what we found was that it was 26 per cent. It increased to 29.28 per cent in 2003; and further increased to 30.80 per cent in 2005. So you would see that it has been gradually increasing. Therefore if he comes here to say that in the Northern Region nothing is happening, he should quote from context.
He should tell us what it was, what this Government has been able to achieve and the percentage increase that this Government has added. He just cannot come here and say it was this per cent, it is this per cent without reference to what it was when we came to power. Mr. Speaker, he should quote properly and he should quote by reference to what it was and what it is now. We have at least increased it by 5 per cent.
Mr. Ayariga 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, let me wind up by drawing the attention of His Excellency the President to the fact that major agricultural sectors in the North have either collapsed or nearly collapsed. In particular, the cotton industry and rice production have also generally decreased considerably and all that is creating wider disparity in terms of the economic conditions of the South in relation to the North.
Mr. Speaker, I want to end by quoting from the World Bank 2007 Country Economic Memorandum, page 5, para- graph 1.15 and it says:
“Perhaps more important than the urban rural divide, there is also concern that the Northern part of the country is being left behind in the growth process.”
This is what the World Bank Report is saying, that perhaps more important than the urban rural divide there is also concern that the northern part of the country is being left behind in the growth process.
In the case of the urban savannah, it seems well documented that these areas remain very poor. In rural areas, where there was a large drop of poverty in the coastal and forest areas, the drop was against smaller and rural savannah.
The report continues at 1.16 to state emphatically, that the evidence shows that the Northern savannah areas which is by far the poorest of the ecological zones, has been left behind in the national reduction in poverty.
It states that this has resulted in an increase in the share of the poor living in rural savannah areas, from 32.6 per cent in 1991/1992 to 36.6 per cent in 1998/1999 to 49.3 per cent in 2005/2006. Hence, today, while the rural savannah areas in 2005/2006 accounted for only ¼ of the population, they account for half of the poor in this country.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
Your last sentence. I have not given the hon. Member the floor yet.
Mr. Ayariga 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I will conclude on the note that his last year in office, and indeed the resources that are available, should be committed at least to trying to ameliorate the conditions in the northern part of the country.
Mr. J. H. Mensah 1:30 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, before he lands, I want to put it on record that the statistics he has quoted do not prove the point he is trying to make, that His Excellency President Kufuor's reign has left the North worse off. All the statistics he quoted prove that the rate of progress has not been the same in all parts of the country, and it is so wicked to misuse statistics.

Mr. Speaker, I have said on the floor of this House before that when we were learning statistics, we had a joke, that there are three forms of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics, which are wrongly quoted. Mr. Speaker, I am telling the hon. Member and the House that the figures he has quoted and purposed to use to prove that the situation of the three northern regions have worsened, those figures do not support any such preposition and this is a very, very unfortunate and irresponsible way to use statistics in this House.

I am doing this, for the sake of the whole nation. We do not want to end up like Kenya, where some people envy others and they kill each other. Mr. Speaker, I am warning the hon. Member to be careful in his use of words and statistics.
Mr. Ayariga 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am concluding on the note that the World Bank, quoting statistics from the Ghana Statistical Service, has indicated that there has been an increase in the share of the poor living and rural savannah areas from 32.6 per cent in 1991/1992 to 36.6 per cent to 49.3 per cent. I am not saying it. Mr. Speaker, this is the World Bank's report and they have emphatically - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
On that note are you concluding?
Mr. Ayariga 1:30 p.m.
Yes, my last word. And they have emphatically stated in paragraph
1.16
“that the evidence shows that northern savannah areas which are by far the poorest ecological zone has been left behind in the national reduction in poverty even though poverty was reducing generally across the country.”
Mr. Speaker, so the evidence is there and that is what I am saying. President Kufuor has left it worse off than he saw it.
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
Hon. Member, do you also want to add to it, or you want to make your contribution?
Mr. Bagbin 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think that hon. J. H. Mensah in his frenzy made a sweeping statement that should go corrected. To say that when somebody is making effort, also to be given the due share is to show envy and that that was what led to the Kenyan crisis is a very dangerous statement. It is a dangerous statement in the sense that - [Interruptions.] It is not any wicked manipulation of figures - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
Hon. Minority Leader, you did not quote him, you tried to paraphrase him. He did not say so exactly.
Mr. Bagbin 1:30 p.m.
Talking about mani- pulation of data, is a different issue from saying that the killings in Kenya were as a result of envy of others. That somebody putting across a case that in sharing the national cake we have been left behind, is being interpreted to mean envy of others is a dangerous statement. [Interruptions.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
Hon. Bagbin, it appears to me that it is your own interpretation of what he said. But allow him to also make his point clear.
Mr. Bagbin 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I have no problem in you saying that it is my interpretation. But the way he made it, if it is not clarified, it will be a dangerous statement. That is what I am saying, that it must be clarified, that we do not envy those who are above us with wealth. But we are talking about equality, equity. You are not worth more than me.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
Hon. J. H. Mensah, do you have anything to say before we bring the proceedings for the
time being to an end?
Mr. J.H. Mensah 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I do not want to detain the House, much longer, but Mr. Speaker, we have to be very, very careful and circumspect in these matters. Mr. Speaker, it is all right to say that I am poor, I have not got as much money as he has. But if I give the impression that it is he who is making me poor, that is a different matter and the interest of national unity and solidarity requires that we should discuss the progress of various parts of this country objectively.
If the hon. Member had said that somebody had deprived the North of resources in order for the South to get on, then - Mr. Speaker, that is why I am saying we must be very, very careful and circumspect.
Mr. Speaker, the statistics he has quoted, that the share of the poor in the savannah areas have increased, does not mean anything about whether the condition of poverty in the North has improved or deteriorated. That is what I am saying.
If he wants some lessons in statistics and their interpretation, he should go and ask his friends who are on his own side to interpret the statistics to him so that he is careful in what he says on the floor of the House instead of giving the impression that in this country some people are cheating others. And what I said about Kenya was that, that impression that some people are cheatings others is what has led to disaster. We must not create that disunity, and factiousness in this country, especially not on the floor of Parliament of Ghana.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
Hon. Members, on that note we come back tomorrow and continue. Could you move that we adjourn?
Mr. Okerchiri 1:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think
that we have done quite a lot for the day and there are Committee Sittings. I would therefore beg to move for adjournment.
Mr. Bagbin 1:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, let it be on record that the case of Kenya arose as a result of electoral rigging, not envy of each other. That was what happened. I second the motion.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Hon. Minority Leader, are you seconding the motion?
Mr. Bagbin 1:40 p.m.
Yes.
Question put and motion agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT 1:40 p.m.