Debates of 4 Nov 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 for Monday, 3rd November, 2008. Pages 1 . . . 14. [No corrections were made.]
Hon. Members, we do not have Official Report for today.
Majority Leader, what is the position at the moment with the next item?
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs/
Majority Leader (Mr. A. O. Aidooh) 10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, we may begin proceedings with item 5.
Mr. Speaker 10 a.m.
At the Commencement of Public Business, item 5 -- Laying of Papers; Majority Leader, is the Chairman of the joint Committee in the House? [Pause.] Yes, hon. Member for Fanteakwa?
PAPERS 10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker 10 a.m.
Leadership, the next item please?
Mr. Aidooh 10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, item 8.
Mr. Speaker 10 a.m.
Item 8, Chairman of the Finance Committee?
MOTIONS 10 a.m.
Chairman of the Finance Committee (Nii Adu D. Mante) 10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, that this honourable House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Loan Agreement between the government of the Republic of ghana and Export-Import Bank of China for an amount of RMB58,000,000.00 (fifty- eight million Renminbi) (equivalent to US$8,195,000.00) for the establishment of ICT-Enabled Distance Education Project.
rose
Mr. Speaker 10 a.m.
Hon. Member for North Tongu, are you a member of this Committee?
Mr. Hodogbey 10 a.m.
Exactly so, Mr. Speaker. I am very much concerned with item 3, which is a Question and very important. This was the time when hon. Nana Akufo-Addo was the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD and 56 ghanaians were killed. Today when a Question came up the -- [Interruption.]
Mr. Speaker 10 a.m.
Hon. Member, it has been deferred; we will come back to it so do not worry about that. go on, please, Chairman of the Finance Committee.
Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, may I present
to you your Committee's report.
1.0 Introduction
The above agreement between the government of ghana and Export- Import Bank of China was laid in the House on Tuesday, 28th October 2008 and referred to the Finance Committee for con- sideration and report in accordance with article 181 of the 1992 Constitution and the Standing Orders of the House.
The Committee met with the Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, hon. Prof. george gyan-Baffour and officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to consider the document and reports as follows:
2.0 Background
It is a global challenge to make higher education widely accessible and cost- effective, while maintaining quality, in the face of growing demand and limited financial resources. Efforts to address this challenge have spurned innovative strategies and these include open universities, e-learning and virtual education among others. Dual mode universities are emerging in response to needs of both on-campus and off-campus learners.
Information and communication technology has become an important enabler driving these developments.
Mr. Speaker, the government of ghana in its Millennium Development goals and the ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy has given prominence to education and the development of human capital as a key driver in achieving development goals.
Due to these concerns, the National ICT Development Policy has been developed to help engineer an ICT-led

socio-economic development process with the potential of transforming the country into a middle income country.

The University of ghana has a strategic plan, which is consistent with the global and national agenda, and it is aimed at developing world-class human resources and capacities to meet national development needs and global challenges through quality teaching, learning and knowledge dissemination.

Mr. Speaker, in the light of this, the government of ghana has sourced this credit facility from the government of China through the Export-Import Bank of China for an amount of RMB 58,000,000 (equivalent to US$8,195,000) to establish an ICT-enabled distance education project at the University of ghana to be executed by Tsinghua Unisplendour Software Systems Corporation Limited of China.

3.0 Objective of the Project

The objectives of the project among others are to:

1. equip the distance education management centre;

2. extend and reconstruct the current internet centre;

3. equip a multi-function ICTD computer laboratory with the following contents --

Student computer rooms

Multimedia computer room

Data input computer room

WIFI laboratory

4. upgrade and extend the current internet by changing the current

ADSL connection to optical fiber system and connect the faculties and research centres.

4.0 Terms of the Facility

The summary of the terms and conditions of the loan are as follows:

Loan Amount RMB58, 000,000

(US$8,195,000)

Interest Rate 2 per cent (fixed)

grace Period 5years

Repayment Period 15years

Maturity Period 20years

Management Fee 0.50 per cent

Commitment Fee 0.50 per cent

5.0 Observations

The Committee observed that the project will go a long way to enhance access to education as more prospective students, who do not gain admission to the universities, will have alternative mode of education to meet their goals through distance education.

The technical team informed the Committee that the project will help address the challenge of inadequate infrastructure in order to facilitate the meeting of strategic policy objectives (via equitable access, quality and management efficiency).

The Committee was also informed that, under the project, a state-of-the-art communication and network infrastructure

would be constructed at the University of ghana to enhance an efficient e-Education delivery mode on campus and prepare the platform for launching distance education.

Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning informed the Committee that under the project, an effective video conferencing facility would be provided to enhance networking for capacity building of not only students but also staff, as well as providing a platform for building a database for educational resources.

The Committee noted that the project has an e-readiness platform to link up with the proposed national e-Education network of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports for enhancing the distance education policy objective of the university.

The Committee noted that the scope of the works among others, include the:

1. development of information-based teaching network in the University of ghana;

2. installation of technical network on the University campus, and construction of researching/ training offices and education centres;

3. development of a web-based software for managers, teachers/ researchers and students to reach distance teaching/learning;

4. provision of network tuition of Tsinghua University and Chinese learning network sharing system; and lastly, the

5. construction of a software platform to achieve digital environment.

Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Minister informed the Committee that the project is expected to be completed within 24 months after commencement of works.

The Committee was also informed that the credit facility has a grant element of 35.18 per cent from the government of China through the Export-Import Bank of China and therefore it is consessional.

The Committee observed that the project will help train many instructors and also tap into qualified ghanaians abroad. It will also help the University to address the problem of ageing University staff. It will also help increase university enrolment in the country.

The Committee was informed that the payment of taxes, charges and duties which will be incurred under this Agreement is to be waived. The Deputy Minister assured the Committee that a formal request would be presented to Parliament for approval.

6.0 Conclusion

The Committee thus recommends to the House to adopt this report and approve by resolution, the Loan Agreement between the government of ghana and Export- Import Bank of China for an amount of RMB58,000,000 (equivalent to US$8,195,000.00) for the establishment of ICT-Enabled Distance Education Project at the University of ghana in accordance with article 181 of the 1992 Constitution and section 7 of the Loans Act, 1970 (Act

335).

Respectfully submitted.
Mr. P. C. Appiah-Ofori (NPP -- Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa) 10:10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I beg to second the motion. This motion is very straightforward; without

education there is no hope for ghana. It is not everybody who would be able to go to the university but people can stay at home, study and reach the top. So if the government is paving the way for people of that nature to access higher education, the government should be commended. I therefore urge everybody to support this without let or hindrance.

Question proposed.
Mr. E. T. Mensah (NDC -- Ningo/ Prampram) 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to also associate myself with the motion on floor. This is something which is long overdue. My brother, the hon. Member for Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa (Mr. Appiah- Ofori) was talking about the fact that the government has taken the initiative.
Issues about distance education are so important; it has been with us for a long time, and quite often, people who go through distance education are more informed, because those who go through distant education are trained under instructions and they consider certain things as irrelevant, but they are compelled to go through and read every little thing before they are able to understand.
But Mr. Speaker, there is this aspect of the Report which I think can be found at the last page, which says that
“The Committee observed that the project will help train many instructors and also tap into qualified ghanaians abroad.”
When it comes to wrapping up, I would want the Chairman to explain what they mean by that and also “deal with the problem of ageing staff of the University”.
Mr. Speaker, while we are looking at the provision of these facilities for distance education learners, we need to look at our
universities again.

The situation where we have 500 students sitting in a lecture hall, sometimes even a thousand students and they rush to find places to sit is not the best. Something dramatic, something revolutionary has to be done about what is happening on the campuses. Also hostel facilities on the campuses is something -- even though we are not talking about this, it is related.

If we want to deal with the ageing lecturers and lack of incentives for people to become lecturers, we must look at facilities. Quite often, people do not even look at the salaries but the working conditions, the satisfaction that they derive from doing whatever they want to do; having the right tools and materials to address the assignments that they have been given are all very important. So having gone for this, we should try and pursue and get some more credit and create the conducive atmosphere on the campuses.

There should be books in the libraries. These days it has become very fashionable, pamphlets are given out and you have to read and operate within the pamphlet. Sometimes when you meet people who have left the university and you engage them on subjects that they claim to have had First Class, they are found wanting. It is not the best. We should not just be turning out graduates, let us turn out graduates, who would be useful to our society.

With these few words, Mr. Speaker, I associate myself with the motion on floor.
Mr. Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo (NDC -- Wa Central) 10:20 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, this is a rare situation where we take a loan to invest in an area or investment which
does not immediately yield gains. And in respect of this particular instance, it is commendable that we approve such a loan, so as to quicken the process of establishing the ICT Centre of Learning which is an enabler for all distance learning projects throughout the world.
Mr. Speaker, ghana is one country that stands out when it comes to education in Africa. But again, ghana is one country where infrastructure is lacking when it comes to students' needs and students' enrolment into our universities. So the idea of equipping the University of ghana to be a lead agency in this respect, to ensure that people all over the world, including those inside ghana, can have access to the university training and be able to acquire university degrees without necessarily sitting in the classrooms, is a very important step.
This waiver would also enable us to have an important equipment to enable the university to widen its scope and strengthen its capacity to enrol more people. It will also enable a lot of our students to acquire extra knowledge in the ICT industry.
Mr. Speaker, in the world today we cannot run away from it, because the world is moving towards a technology that necessarily is not manual, that necessarily cannot be described as it used to be several years ago.
Today, things are changing and we need to change with the world -- and a country is developed if it has the capacity to have all or majority of its young people educated and that is where we want to see ghana. And so this first step should only be a beginning so that we use it to launch into greater access to education through ICT and again to widen the chances and potentials of our young people to acquire
further education.
Mr. Speaker, let me commend the initiators of this project, but let us also say that we need not see this as an end in itself. In most instances when loans are agreed on in this respect, and equipment like this are acquired, they are acquired without follow-up, monitoring, evaluation and without necessary maintenance and eventually, they break down and we need to acquire more through ways and means of importing equipment into the country.
It is important that we incorporate into it a system of monitoring and a system of maintenance, and in a way that would enable ghanaians themselves to take control of the project so that in the event of the project facing problems, we can have our own technicians to repair it and get it going.
Mr. Speaker, with these few words, I want to support the motion and pray that all other Members would support it as well.
Mr. Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Chairman of the Commit-tee, do you wish to wind up?
Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I am all right with the comments made by hon. Members of the House and I thank them for having made these contributions. I may therefore crave their indulgence to approve of this facility.
Question put and motion agreed to.
RESOLUTIONS 10:20 a.m.
THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE 10:20 a.m.
HEREBY RESOLVES AS 10:20 a.m.
  • [Please, find the scope of works attached as Appendix 1.]
    • Mr. P. C. Appiah-Ofori (NPP -- Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa) 10:30 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, in the second thematic area of the ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (gPRS) programme, the duties imposed on the government is to extend health care delivery to the people of this country. Health care delivery cannot be effective unless hospitals in the country are adequately equipped.
    In ghana, everybody knows as a fact, that apart from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the next well-equipped hospital, which is accessed by the entire public of ghana is the 37 Military Hospital. If people go there and the facilities there are not adequate to take care of them, then we are working for nothing. So it becomes a duty of the government to ensure that the hospital is adequately equipped and this is exactly what the government is doing in order to give effect to the second thematic
    area of the gPRS programme.
    Indeed, the loan is for a short period of time. The interest rate is 5.75 per cent and is deductible on the reducing balance and the repayment period is four years. Since it is urgently needed to give life to the people of this country, irrespective of the fact that the repayment period is very short, we have to give approval so that the hospital will de adequately equipped for the benefit of all the people in this country.
    I therefore second the motion and urge all hon. Members to support the motion.
    Question proposed.
    Mr. Lee Ocran (NDC -- Jomoro) 10:30 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the motion on the floor, but I find it very difficult to understand why rehabilitation and installation of equipment done in the year 2000 should be so obsolete that they need serious rehabilitation or replacement. Eight years in the life of modern equipment is nothing to write home about. Modern equipment lasts and I think in the year 2000, the technology was quite advanced. I think to be asking the same people, that is Hospital Engineering gmbH, to come back to undertake the rehabilitation and installation of new equipment, we must ask our own authorities, our engineers and hospital administrators to open their eyes properly and make sure that the equipment which we are buying will be as new as possible and will be installed in such a manner as to make it work for quite a long time.
    At the same time, I also think that our people should be trained properly. Whether they should be sent to germany or trained locally to maintain the equipment so that in another eight years time, people do not come and sit in this House and approve another loan for purchasing this same kind of equipment. There have been some
    equipment in Korle-Bu and other places that have lasted for over 20 years and they are still being used.
    These are the observations I have.
    Otherwise, we all need 37 Military Hos- pital; we all go there and the hospital should be well equipped so that when we go there we will get the service that we demand.
    With these few words, Mr. Speaker, I support the motion.
    Deputy Minister for Defence (Mr. W. O. Boafo): Mr. Speaker, the last review of equipment installation in the 37 Military Hospital took place in 1999. Negotiation started in 1996 but the actual work was done in 1999 and since then we have not had the opportunity to replace some of these equipment. Most of the equipment are obsolete and maintaining them becomes very expensive.
    In view of the fact that some of these equipment are no more being manufactured by the manufacturers, they have to improvise to get spare parts to replace the worn out ones. And if we do not take steps to have the 37 Military Hospital re-equipped at this stage, it will be a disappointment to the entire nation in view of the fact that, 37 Military Hospital does not serve the military personnel alone. It offers equal services to the civilian population. I can state here that the percentage of civilian population who attend 37 Military Hospital far exceeds that of the military personnel.
    Mr. Speaker, 37 Military Hospital does not only provide health delivery services to ghana alone. As a result of our involvement in peacekeeping operations within the sub-region, 37 Military Hospital has been upgraded to a level IV hospital thereby allowing personnel from other peacekeeping operations, who have some degree of health problem to attend the 37
    [NII MANTE] [MR. APPIAH-OFORI]

    Military Hospital.

    This has elevated the 37 Military Hospital, so far as hospital health delivery is concerned in the sub-region and also to the extent of international recognition. There is the need, therefore, for us to sustain this image of 37 Military Hospital and we can only do so by re-equipping and installing new equipment.

    Mr. Speaker, I would like to invite hon. Members to wholly accept this proposal to enable us maintain and improve upon the operations of the 37 Military Hospital.

    Mr. Speaker, some of the medical staff are at times frustrated by the state of the equipment at the 37 Military Hospital. So with this particular move, we will be able, not only to retain the present staff that we have at the 37 Military Hospital, but equally, to attract a more experienced medical personnel to work at the 37 Military Hospital to upgrade its image.

    Mr. Speaker, 37 Military Hospital has been serving this nation in times of industrial crisis. When all personnel of other hospitals in Accra and the country as such, have withdrawn their services, the 37 Military Hospital will continue to serve the country. And Mr. Speaker, it is necessary therefore, that we endorse this re-equipment so that the few facilities which are left serviceable will not be overstretched in the event of any industrial strike in the country.

    With these few observations, Mr. Speaker, I would like to support the motion.
    Mr. E. T. Mensah (NDC -- Ningo/ Prampram) 10:40 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the motion and in doing so, would like to pose a few questions. On page four of the Report -- Mr. Speaker, I want to read some of them --
    “The Committee was also informed that some of the expected benefits to be derived from the projects are as follows:
    Improved level; of service rendered by the hospital;
    Reduction in the time spent at the hospital;
    Expansion in the facilities in order to take on additional load in times of emergencies”.
    And when you come to the next paragraph,
    “The technical team informed the Committee that under the project, the equipment in the hospital would be modernised to enable the hospital treat more complex and serious ailments”.
    Mr. Speaker, I would like to know from the hon. Chairman of the Committee whether a list of the said equipment was made available to the Committee. I am asking this because I am aware that there are some equipment which are still locked up in the hospital for lack of space. When I had a problem and I was visiting the hospital all the time, nothing was happening until I went out of the country. And when I went out, the equipment that I saw in South Africa were simple equipment.
    I asked of the cost, and just about one million dollars will give you those equipment. And I was treated within three weeks, having spent almost seven weeks here when nothing was happening. So when I got back, I went back to the 37 Hospital there and showed them the list of some of the equipment and they said they had some locked up for lack of space; they had not brought them out yet. So we are talking about simple equipment; not sophisticated ones.

    We do not have Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in this country; so if they are telling us that they are bringing equipment which would make it possible for people not to go out and be treated, we want to see the list whether at least, they have MRI equipment and some of these simple things.

    Then the issue about expanding the facilities in order to take on additional load in times of emergencies. At the time that we were going to have “ghana @ 50 celebrations, I was informed by some of the doctors that they were so sad that our emergency unit had broken down; there was no equipment there and that if any Head of State had had problems during that time, we would have been in trouble.

    What has happened is that they said they needed only simple things to fix them. So they are telling us that they are modernizing the place, they should bring the list, we need to know.

    Mr. Speaker, the expansion, phase II,

    are they going to expand and work on the phase II, is that what they mean by expansion? And do they think the moneys that were talked about would be enough to deal with the rest of the phases which were stopped sometime ago, Mr. Speaker?

    Mr. Speaker, there are more questions than answers and I would want the Chairmen of the Committees on both Finance and Health and the Deputy Minister -- Because I heard Ministry of Health was not involved in this whole transaction. If they were there they would have posed the questions that I am posing.

    We know the problems are there. Simple gloves, a surgeon complained to me that they are counted and given to them. When someone is going to have surgery they count ten gloves, they give them to the surgeon. What is it that we

    are doing? So these problems must be addressed, otherwise, this one would just be window-dressing.
    Mr. Joseph B. Aidoo (NPP -- Amenfi East) 10:40 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, the situation at the 37 Military Hospital as has been captured in this Report is a wake-up call on the country to look at our hospitals and the situations in these hospitals critically.
    Mr. Speaker, if we take the 37 Military Hospital, there is a lot of pressure at the hospital because it is not catering for only the military; it also caters for the civilian population of this country and we have people from all over the regions being referred to the 37 Military Hospital.
    Mr. Speaker, my personal observation is that a review was done in 1999 and 2000 and looking at the equipment auditing, it has come out very clearly that the equipment, that is, a number of equipment at the hospital is obsolete.
    Mr. Speaker, my concern is, how many of our hospitals in the various regions, particularly in the regional capitals have been privileged to have equipment auditing? Certainly, if we are to visit some of these hospitals, say Effia Nkwanta Hospital, Koforidua Hospital, the one in Cape Coast, in Tamale, Ho, indeed, Mr. Speaker, all the regional hospitals, we may be surprised to see that they are maybe over obsolete.
    Mr. Speaker, in that regard and to reduce the pressure on the 37 Military Hospital as well as Korle-Bu and Komfo Anokye Hospitals, I would want to suggest that there should be a nationwide equipment auditing of all our leading hospitals to bring them up to the standard that they are all looking for, so that the regional hospitals could also take care of the needed services that the good people of ghana need, to give relief to 37 Military
    Mr. Joseph B. Aidoo (NPP -- Amenfi East) 10:40 a.m.


    Hospital and the other allied medical centres.

    Mr. Speaker, I am urging hon. Members to support this motion. It is very, very important because life as we know, is so dear and therefore where there is the opportunity for us to improve upon our health services we should not hesitate to do so. With that I support the motion.

    Capt. N. Effah-Dartey (retd) (NPP -- Berekum): Mr. Speaker, I also want to associate myself with the call by my Colleagues that we should support this motion.

    Recently I had an opportunity to go to the 37 Military Hospital and when I went to the X-Ray Department, I was amazed to find as many as over 200 people lined up just for X-Ray exercises. I was so amazed and I was asking myself if this is happening at 37 Military Hospital, then what is happening in the other hospitals?

    Mr. Speaker, I am one person who has always believed that in life hospital and prison are for all of us. Anybody can find himself in any of these two institutions at anytime. Therefore, no amount of money is too much to be spent on improving the conditions, especially of our hospitals.

    We find ourselves occasionally, as my hon. Colleague just said, when you need health care and you cannot find it in your country then no matter the cost, you would fly out and go to seek health care elsewhere outside our borders. Mr. Speaker, the other day a certain medical Doctor was in my office and she was telling me that the Doctors in ghana are equally as competent as Doctors else-where.

    The problem probably may be due to equipment, due to facilities, due to structures and I think that it would be in the interest of mother ghana and for

    all of us if we spend as much money as possible to improve upon the conditions, the structural equipment and the facilities in all our hospitals, it would be for the better in terms of health delivery.

    But Mr. Speaker, one thing I would also want to add is that I do not know whether it happens in the medical industry. But elsewhere the information I have, I stand to correction, is that most of the time when we place some order to buy equipment from outside we are supposed to do due diligence to see whether the equipment is in fact modern equipment, state of the art equipment, equipment that when you buy you can get its use, you would be satisfied with its performance.

    It turns out that some of the equipment that we get are obsolete, decommissioned equipment that are no longer required, repackaged and painted and sent out.

    I think that Mr. Speaker, the amount of money, the taxpayer's money we are going to spend, the loan we are going to take in buying these equipment is so much that we must make sure that whatever we buy, whatever we acquire is state of the art -- according to the books so that --
    rose
    Mr. Speaker 10:40 a.m.
    Hon. Member for Ashaiman, do you have a point of order?
    Mr. A. K. Agbesi 10:50 a.m.
    Yes. Mr. Speaker. The hon. Member is making very, very serious statements and allegations. I think that if he says that when we make order, they repackage obsolete equipment and bring it to this country; that is a very, very serious statement and I wish that he can substantiate it. If not, but it is just something he thinks then, he must withdraw.
    He is making serious allegations, particularly, against the government that when it brings equipment to this country, it is obsolete, it is discoloured and they repackage and bring them to us in this country for which we sign loans to go and buy. If that is what he is saying he should tell us that this is what is happening in the country now and he should substantiate it.
    Capt. Effah-Dartey (retd): Mr. Speaker, I do not know whether my hon. Colleague from Ashaiman was patiently and quietly listening to what I said. I prefaced my statement by saying that I stand to correction. Mr. Speaker, I said so. I said I stand to correction. And having said so, I proceeded to say that some of the equipment -- I did not say every equipment. I did not say every transaction. Mr. Speaker, I do not know the problem of my learned friend from Ashaiman. Mr. Speaker, the point I am making, and indeed, I can give a lot of evidence. I have a friend who bought a machine which was supposed to be brand new, US$200 million. When it arrived in ghana, after just three months of work it turned out to be an obsolete machine which had even been approved by a bank in ghana. What are you talking about, my learned colleague?
    Mr. Speaker 10:50 a.m.
    Hon. Member, please, speak to the motion.
    Capt. Effah-Dartey (retd): Mr. Speaker, thank you for asking me to ignore the point of order by my hon. Colleague. I am urging all agencies involved especially the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, those who are supposed to do pre-auditing to make sure that whatever equipment we are buying to service our nation, whatever machinery we are buying to service this 37 Military Hospital will be state of the art.
    Right now, thanks to hon. Addo- Kufuor's administration, when one goes to 37 Military Hospital it is one of the best in ghana. Even the buildings alone give one the confidence that one is entering into a facility where one would be properly taken care of.
    Now the problem as from this Committee's Report is that their machinery has become almost obsolete. Their machinery are almost non-functional and therefore they need assistance.
    Mr. Speaker, I urge my hon. Colleagues to assist to support this motion so that we can quickly get the hospital refurbished and brought back to its name as one of the most leading hospitals in ghana.
    On this note, Mr. Speaker, I support the motion.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, many hon. Members have contributed favourably to this motion and I believe concerns raised by hon. Members have been well noted by the Ministry. I will therefore crave your indulgence to approve of this facility.
    Question put and motion agreed to.
    RESOLUTIONS 10:50 a.m.
    Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance (Dr. A. A. Osei) 10:50 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, that
    WHEREAS by the provisions of article 181 of the Constitution and section 7 of the Loans Act, 1970 (Act 335), the terms and conditions of any loan raised by the government of ghana on behalf of itself or any public institution or authority shall not come into operation unless the said terms and conditions have been laid before Parliament and approved by Parlia-ment by a Resolution supported by the votes of a majority
    Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance (Dr. A. A. Osei) 10:50 a.m.


    of all Members of Parliament;

    PURSUANT to the provisions of the said article 181 of the Constitu- tion and section 7 of the Loans Act, 1970 (Act 335) and at the request of the government of ghana acting through the Minister responsible for Finance, there has been laid before Parliament the terms and conditions of the Supplemental Financing Agreement between the government of the Republic of ghana and the Hospital Engineering gmbH of the Federal Republic of germany for an amount of €33,173,877.38 for the supply and installation of medical and technical equipment at the 37 Military Hospital, Accra.
    THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE 10:50 a.m.
    H E R E B Y R E S O LV E S A S 10:50 a.m.
    Chairman of the Committee (Nii Adu Daku Mante) 10:50 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, that this honourable House adopts
    the Report of the Finance Committee on the Credit Facility Agreement between the government of the Republic of ghana and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) for an amount of US$30 million for the Self-Help Electrification Programme (SHEP 4) in the Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo Regions.
    Mr. Speaker, I present your Commit- tee's Report.
    1.0 Introduction
    The Credit Facility Agreement between the government of the Republic of ghana (gog) and ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) for an amount of US$30 million for the Self-Help electrification Programme (SHEP 4) in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions was laid in the House on Wednesday, 29th October, 2008 and referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report in accordance with article 103 of the Constitution and Order 171 (1) of the Standing Orders of the House.
    The Committee met and considered the Agreement with the Minister for Energy, hon. Felix Owusu-Adjapong, Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, hon. Prof. george gyan- Baffour, Deputy Minister for Energy, hon. Ampofo Twumasi and technical teams from the Ministries of Finance and Economic Planning and Energy and presents this report.
    2.0 Background
    The government of ghana is im- plementing a National Electrification Scheme (NES) as part of the Poverty Reduction and growth Strategy. The NES originally aimed at providing electricity to all communities in the country over a 30 year period ending in 2020. The Ministry of Energy however intends to accelerate
    the programme for completion by 2015.
    The Self-Help Electrification Pro- gramme (SHEP) is a complementary activity to the National Electrification Scheme (NES). Under the SHEP, communities within 20 km of an existing 33 kV and 11 kV network, who have procured the Low Voltage (LV) poles required for the electrification of their communities, are eligible to be connected to the national electricity grid.
    In order to sustain the momentum of the Self-Help Electrification Programme (SHEP), the Ministry of Energy in September 2001, requested the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Electricity Company of ghana (ECg) to undertake a national survey and feasibility studies of all communities that qualify to be connected to the national grid under the SHEP-4 project. A total of about 2,500 communities were identified as having qualified for the SHEP-4 project.
    The study carried out by the VRA and ECg revealed that an estimated amount of US$480 million (in current terms) would be required to successfully implement the SHEP-4 Project.
    3.0 Purpose of the Loan
    The purpose of the facility is to finance the extension of the national electricity grid to 106 towns and villages in the Brong- Ahafo and Ashanti Regions under the Self-Help Electrification Project
    (SHEP 4).
    4.0 Terms and Conditions
    The terms and conditions of the facility are as follows:
    Loan Amount US$30 Million
    grace Period 5 years
    Maturity Period 20 years
    3 per cent (fixed) Interest Rate per annum
    1.5 per cent (flat Commission on loan amount).
    5.0 Observations
    The Committee observed that currently, an estimated 3,600 communities have been connected to the national grid under the National Electrification Scheme (NES). Access of ghanaians to electricity is currently estimated at 54 per cent.
    The Committee noted that the project will reduce poverty in the beneficiary communities, increase their overall socio- economic development, create small to medium enterprises and generally improve their standard of living.
    The Minister for Energy, hon. Felix Owusu-Adjapong informed the Committee that the project will cover one hundred and six (106) towns and villages in eight districts in the Brong-Ahafo and Ashanti Regions of the country.
    As to how long it will take to complete the project, the Committee was informed that the project will be executed over a three (3)-year period. Billpower Limited of India/Chrispod Limited (ghana) will execute the project with Ministry of Energy exercising oversight respon- sibilities whilst VRA and ECg perform supervision functions.
    The project is expected to provide access to about three hundred thousand (300,000) people to the national electricity grid. Additionally, about 500 direct jobs are expected to be created from the project during the construction period.

    The Energy Minister informed the Committee that government intends to connect every community in ghana to the national electricity grid by the year 2015. He further explained that with the construction of more hydro dams and establishment of more power plants, the country's generational capacity is being increased and this may even lead to the achievement of the electrification objective before the 2015 target date.

    The Committee further noted that government has committed itself to a policy of connecting at least-five communities in each district to the national grid annually. This is to ensure that communities that are incapable of providing the low voltage poles required under the SHEP programme are also serviced.

    Some members expressed worry about the situation where because of lack of transformers or meters, some communities are still waiting for long periods to be connected, even after erecting low voltage poles and getting them wired. They advised the Ministry of Energy to expedite action on such communities to enable them have access to electricity.

    Attachment

    6.0 Conclusion

    In view of the forgoing observations, the Committee finds the Self-Help Electri- fication Programme to be a critical poverty reduction and social infrastructural tool which supports the development agenda of the country.

    The Committee therefore respectfully recommends to the House to adopt this report and approve by Resolution, the Credit Facility Agreement between the government of the Republic of ghana and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID)for an amount of thirty million United States dollars (US$30,000,000.00) for the Self-Help Electrification Programme (SHEP 4) in the Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo Regions in accordance with article 181 of the Constitution, section 7 of the Loans Act, 1970 (Act 335) and the Standing Orders of the House.
    Mr. P. C. Appiah-Ofori (NPP -- Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa) 11 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, if the people of ghana living in the rural areas will enjoy improved quality of life, they need electricity in their communities. If the people in the area would want to establish rural industries, without electricity they would not succeed.
    Mr. Speaker, quality education to be accessed by the people in the rural areas depends on availability of electricity. Indeed, since 2003, when the government started this ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (gPRS) a provision was made in the programme that electricity would be extended to the rural areas.
    Mr. Speaker, this has been on paper for a long time. It appears to me that not many rural areas have accessed electricity. This is because of inadequate financial resources available to the State. Therefore, the need arises that the government goes for loans and this is why we are going for this US$30 million facility. If it is accessed, it is going to assist the people, especially in the rural areas to enjoy improved quality of life. They will be able to establish rural industries and they will be able to do a lot to improve their living standards.
    Annex 2 -- Back of p. 42
    [NII MANTE][NII MANTE]

    Annex 2 -- Page 43 Annex 2 -- Back of p. 43

    Respectfully submitted.

    We as parliamentarians, owe a duty to them to enjoy improved quality of life and so if this is going to contribute to improved quality of life for them then we should give approval for this quickly.

    The loan is repayable in twenty years. Out of this twenty years, five years constitute a moratorium period, that is no payment would be made. Interest rate is 3 per cent.

    I think that since we need it urgently even though interest rate is very high as compared to other facilities they have been able to access. Since we are desperately in dire need of this we should ignore this and give approval so that at the end of the day our brothers and sisters living in the rural areas especially, in the Brong-Ahafo and Ashanti Regions will also live and enjoy improved quality of life.

    But it should not be forgotten that nothing has gone to the Central Region. Dr. Akoto Osei and all those involved, the Ministry of Energy should go and look for more loans and extend this facility to the Central Region before Parliament goes on recess.

    Thank you very much.

    Question put and motion agreed to.
    RESOLUTIONS 11 a.m.
    Minister of State at Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (Dr. Osei) 11 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, that
    WHEREAS by the provisions of article 181 of the Constitution and section 7 of the Loans Act, 1970 (Act 335), the terms and conditions of any loan raised by the government of ghana on behalf
    of itself or any public institution or authority shall not come into operation unless the said terms and conditions have been laid before Parliament and approved by Parlia- ment by a Resolution supported by the votes of a majority of all Mem- bers of Parliament;
    PURSUANT to the provisions of the said article 181 of the Constitu- tion and section 7 of the Loans Act, 1970 (Act 335) and at the request of the government of ghana acting through the Minister responsible for Finance, there has been laid before Parliament the terms and conditions of the Credit Facility Agreement between the government of the Republic of ghana and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) for an amount of US$30 million for the Self-Help Electri-fication Programme (SHEP 4) in the Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo Regions.
    THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE 11 a.m.
    H E R E B Y R E S O LV E S A S 11 a.m.
    Chairman of the Committee (Nii Mante) 11 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, that this House adopts the Report of the Finance Committee on the Financing Agreement between the government of the Republic of ghana and the Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) for an amount of US$500 million to finance the development and construction of the juale and Pwalugu Hydroelectric Power Projects.
    Mr. Speaker, in so doing, may I present to you your Committee's Report. 1.0 Introduction
    The Financing Agreement between the government of the Republic of ghana (gog) and the Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) for an amount of f ive hundred million United States Dollars (US$500,000,000.00) to finance the development and construction of the juale and Pwalugu hydroelectric power projects was laid in the House on Wednesday, 29th October, 2008 and referred to the Finance Committee for consideration and report in accordance with article 103 of the Constitution and Order 171 (1) of the Standing Orders of the House.
    The Committee met and considered the Agreement with the Minister for Energy, hon. Felix Owusu-Adjapong, Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, hon. Prof. george gyan- Baffour, Deputy Minister for Energy, hon. Amporfo Twumasi and technical teams from the Ministries of Finance and Economic Planning and Energy and presents this report.
    2.0 Background
    The juale and Pwalugu hydropower schemes were studied to pre-feasibility
    level in 1993 by Coyne Et Bellier of France under a grant from the French govern-ment.
    The two schemes are considered to be both technically and economically attractive schemes that add to power generation in ghana. They also support the economic and social transformation of the northern parts of the country. Additionally, they have the potential to export power to the neighbouring countries where necessary.
    The schemes are designed for multipurpose uses including power generation, irrigation, fisheries and water transportation.
    This credit facility from Brazil is to fund the entire spectrum of activities required from project development to the construction, commissioning and commercial operation of the two hydropower schemes.
    3.0 Purpose of the Loan
    The purpose of the facility is to finance the development and construction of two hydroelectric power dams at juale and Pwalugu in the Northern and Upper East Regions respectively.
    4.0 Terms and Conditions
    The terms and conditions of the financing are as follows:
    Loan Amount US$500.0 Million
    6-M US Libor (current rate is 4.17%) per annum Interest Rate Interest rate to be fixed after loan signature
    Insurance and Commission 1.0% p.a.
    Chairman of the Committee (Nii Mante) 11 a.m.


    grace Period 5 years

    Repayment 15 years

    Maturity 20 years

    Escrow provision for a yearly Debt service.

    5.0 Observations

    The Committee observed that the general scope of works would include the following:

    a. Update of feasibility studies

    b. Preparatory studies including geological studies, topographic studies, geotechnical studies, and site investigations, among others

    c. Environmental and social Impact Assessment (ESIA) studies

    d. Final detailed design studies including equipment sizing and transmission interconnection arrangements, and detailed draw- ings

    e. Project construction and commis- sioning

    The Committee was informed that the juale and Pwalugu schemes will add ninety megawatts (90 MW) and fifty megawatts (50 MW) respectively to the country's generation capacity.

    The Committee observed that the projects are being supported by Brazil in the spirit of south-south co-operation.

    The total cost of the two projects is five hundred and fifty-five million United States dollars (US$555,000,000.00). BNDES is providing US$500 million whilst the government of ghana (gog) would provide US$55 million as counterpart funding. The gog's contribution of US$55 million would be paid over a period of five years.

    Some members were not happy with the fact that the country was contracting the facility for 20 years at a Libor interest rate. In their opinion, the facility appeared to be a commercial loan.

    The Minister for Finance and Economic Planning explained to the Committee that even though the facility is not as concessional as the country would have wished, it is still cheaper than the one obtained for the Bui Dam project.

    He said power projects usually have commercial use, and therefore, the loan was acceptable.

    It was noted that the government plans to develop modern townships and basic development infrastructure as part of the projects which will form the building blocks of planned metropolises for the project areas.

    Key Features of the Schemes

    Key features of the two schemes are summarized as follows:

    Pwalugu Hydropower Scheme (50 MW)

    This scheme involves the development of a multipurpose hydropower facility on the White Volta River, one of the major tributaries of the Volta River. The scheme consists of:

    An earth embankment dam of 2.3 million m3 in volume and 1.6 km in length.

    A reservoir of 4.2 billion m3 at full supply level. The maximum area to be inundated is 380 km2.

    Installed capacity of 50 MW

    Average annual generation of 145 gWh.

    Rated water discharge of 170 m3/s. Multipurpose operations with significant benefits will accrue from the scheme including irrigation and agricultural development potential of 110,000 hectares.

    Environmental impacts of the Pwalugu scheme include the need to relocate 700 people, inundation of an estimated 380 km2 of land area, health and potential water borne diseases.

    Juale Hydropower Scheme (90 MW)

    This scheme involves the construction of multipurpose hydropower scheme at juale on the Oti River, which is one of the main tributaries of the Volta Lake. The site is located near the confluence of the Oti River and has been studied to the pre- feasibility level. The scheme consists of:

    A 2.6 km, 40-m high composite embankment and concrete dam with a total volume of 3.7 million m3.

    A reservoir of 12 billion m3 at full supply level. The maximum area to be inundated is 1,100 km2.

    Installed capacity of 90 MW.

    Average annual generation of 300 gWh.

    Multipurpose operations with

    significant benefits will accrue from fisheries and water transport.

    Environmental impacts of the juale scheme include the need to relocate about 9,600 people, flooding of agricultural land and potential of water borne diseases.

    The technical team from the Ministry of Energy informed the Committee that the two dams are expected to be completed in a period of five years.

    The Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, hon. Prof. george gyan-Baffour informed the Committee that the agreement requires the government of ghana to make provision for an escrow account into which matching funds and debt service payments shall be made.

    5.1 Tax Waiver

    The Committee noted that the projects are required to be waived of taxes and duties on the machinery and equipment, spare parts, personal effects and materials to be used for the execution of the projects as well as income tax on the contractor and specified expatriate personnel.

    The Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning assured the Committee that an appropriate formal request to that effect would be brought to the House at a later date for consideration.

    6.0 Conclusion

    In view of the importance of the projects to the country's socio-economic development, the Committee recommends to the House to adopt this report and approve by Resolution, the Financing Agreement between the government of the Republic of ghana and the Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) for an amount of US$500 million to finance

    Repayment Security

    the development and construction of the juale and Pwalugu Hydroelectric Power Projects in accordance with article 181 of the Constitution, sections 3 and 7 of the Loans Act, 1970 (Act 335) and the Standing Orders of the House.

    Mr. Speaker, I respectfully submit.
    Mr. P. C. Appiah-Ofori (NPP -- Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa) 11 a.m.
    Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the time the Akosombo Hydroelectric Power or Dam was constructed the population of ghana was about 6 million. The capacity was more than enough for the needs of ghanaians at that time. Today, the population of ghana is about 22 million and Akosombo can no longer adequately serve the needs of the people of this country.
    The need therefore, arises for more of such dams to be constructed and that is the reason why the government is going for this loan to construct this dam to assist the government to provide the electricity needs of the people of ghana.
    The government therefore needs to be commended for a good job done. The loan is for a period or maturity period of twenty years with a moratorium period of five years and repayment period of fifteen years. And the interest payable is very, very little.
    Mr. Speaker, we do not have to lose this because it will help us to alleviate the problems facing the rural folks. If electricity is extended to the rural areas their poverty would be reduced, their health care delivery will improve and they would be able to establish rural industrialization and so on. So I urge everyone here to support the approval of this loan. Thank you very much.
    Question proposed.
    Mr. Kenneth Dzirasah (NDC) -- South Tongu) 11 a.m.
    Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak to the motion and to raise the following issues:
    Mr. Speaker, invariably the con- sideration of loans of this nature are not accompanied by a demonstration of feasibility in terms of the capacity of the Volta or whichever river on which it lies to adequately feed the Akosombo Dam. These are small hydro dams which if we allowed water to flow normally into the Volta what would happen is that, it would facilitate a greater capacity for the Volta River and for that matter the Dam.
    Mr. Speaker, I would suggest strongly that the technical appraisal that should accompany loans like this should give us an idea whether by not constructing these dams whether we cannot sufficiently feed the Volta Lake so that the Volta Lake can supply a lot more water into the Dam to facilitate greater power generation.
    rose
    Mr. Speaker 11 a.m.
    Hon. Member for New juaben North, do you have a point of order?
    Mr. Owusu-Agyemang 11:10 a.m.
    Yes, Mr.
    Speaker. just a little point of order and clarification. I think the theory of damming is eventually the water flowing down and so to a very large extent only a marginal proportion of it is held. I would have thought that once it goes through the turbines and then gives the power, it flows. So it does not dramatically affect the fortunes of the rivers downstream unless in times of drought, of course, in which case, there will be a long drought. So I thought that the hon. Member who just spoke would want to address himself to that issue.
    Yes, indeed, it is important that we
    study the effect of it but at the end of the day I am sure that it would have been taken care of. It is not a dramatic change of the fortunes of those of us downstream.
    Mr. Dzirasah 11:10 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, inciden-
    tally, I live along the Volta, particularly, the lower Volta Basin. So, I am better equipped to analyse the situation than my very good Friend.
    Mr. Speaker, I am being real in this matter. The construction of the Akosombo Dam and its consequent effect on the Kpong Dam is clearly manifested in my constituency. Once you obstruct the flow of a river, you create a dam behind it. Now, it will take several years for water to accumulate behind that dam to be able to pass through the turbines and to feed the river at its lower basin. That period when it has to accumulate, would have a reflection which will be negative on assets and facilities that are at the lower reaches of the dam. That is all the argument I am making.
    I am saying that the technical appraisal of such projects must be made available to this House, so that we can be assured that anytime that such projects come up,
    they come up with optimum benefits to the communities that are lying along the lower reaches of the dam.
    Mr. Speaker, I beg to support the motion.
    Minister for Energy (Mr. Felix
    Owusu-Adjapong): Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the concern of my hon. Colleague who just spoke whose capital is Sogakope. I will want to assure him that the damming we want to do up Volta will not be disrupting the flow of water to his area.
    Mr. Speaker, Akosombo Dam was done first, therefore, the Kpong issue will not come in. The Kpong issue is the residue that comes from Akosombo. But the good thing is that we have at the Ministry a study of all the possible sites where we can make dams. If the House will want to have copies, we can arrange for each hon. Member to have a copy.
    There was proper technical study by a number of agencies including the Volta River Authority (VRA) and as we speak, we have a number of sites selected where in future we can build dams. For example, we have two on the Pra River, one on the Ankobra and one on the Tano River. Even if Pra, we can have two dams there and they have technically been certified, then there should be no problem.
    Mr. Speaker, you may be aware that in the United States of America, in the Tennesse, they have a number of dams on one river. So having a number of dams on one river is not the issue. The issue is how we would develop them, just like we are having the Bui Dam and what precautionary measures we would take to ensure that it does not affect the existing dams.
    [NII MANTE] [MR. DZIRASAH]

    Therefore if it is the information the hon. Member wants, I want to assure the House that I can make those documents available not only for these two dams on the Oti River and the White Volta but on other rivers where in future we may do other hydro project.

    Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Moses A. Asaga (NDC -

    Nabdam): Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this particular motion which aims at a project financing figure of US$500 million for the two hydro projects. Mr. Speaker, the viability of Pwalugu Hydroelectric power has been known and well documented for almost about 30 years ago.

    A number of eastern European countries undertook feasibility studies which indicated that Pwalugu was very viable for a hydro electricity project.

    Mr. Speaker, I think that I am very happy that this dream that we in the Upper Region have been having for long that one day Pwalugu will come on-stream is now being fulfilled. The only thing about the whole motion -- I thought that we would have captured the power output that would have come out of this US$500 million for the two projects.

    That is juale and Pwalugu because in the case of Bui, we were very specific with the power output of almost 400 to 500 megawatts. Here, I have not found it but a Colleague is just correcting me that the power output has been included in the report.

    The next question we need to ask is, is this going to be under VRA or it will also have its own Pwalugu Development Authority like we have at Bui? These are questions we must be asking.

    On this note, I support the motion.

    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, may I thank

    all hon. Members for having contributed to this loan agreement and may I also say that in future the kind of co-operation they have given to this Committee this morning should be adopted.

    Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

    Question put and motion agreed to.
    Mr. Speaker 11:10 a.m.
    Item 15 -- Minister
    for Finance and Economic Planning -- Resolution.
    RESOLUTIONS 11:10 a.m.
    THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE 11:10 a.m.
    H E R E B Y R E S O LV E S A S 11:10 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker 11:10 a.m.
    Item 16 - Minister for
    Communications?
    Mr. Aidooh 11:10 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I understand
    that the Chairman of the Committee intends to have some clauses go through a Second Consideration at this point.
    Mr. Speaker 11:10 a.m.
    So we should stand it
    down?
    Mr. Aidooh 11:10 a.m.
    Yes, Mr. Speaker. Mr.
    Speaker, we can take item 3.
    Mr. Speaker 11:10 a.m.
    Item 3 -- Questions
    - Minister for Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD?
    ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 11:10 a.m.
    AND NEPAD 11:10 a.m.
    Mr. E. T. Mensah 11:20 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I want to know from the Minister whether in his view the President of The gambia is committed to the resolution of this matter which has dragged on for a while.
    Mr. Osei-Adjei 11:20 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, if I understood my hon. Friend well, he is committed through his Foreign Minister because the Foreign Minister signed on behalf of The gambia. So obviously, the President will be committed to what his Foreign Minister has signed.
    Mr. E. T. Mensah 11:20 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, in the Answer of the hon. Minister he mentioned various efforts and various committees set up which worked on this thing and the President of The gambia, I think, felt that there should be a neutral group. He therefore engaged our President and the decision was taken. So my point is that having pushed aside various interven-tions and things having gone this way, does the hon. Minister believe that our President is committed?
    I asked that because the last committee was put in place headed by the President of the ECOWAS Commission himself; the three-man committee, we have not heard anything. So till when are we going to wait? He said we should wait for development, are we going to wait forever?
    Mr. Osei-Adjei 11:20 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, no. As
    I indicated, it is for one and a half months for them to complete the investigations and the reports will be made available to us and the decision will be made from them.
    Alhaji M. A. Yakubu 11:20 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker,
    the author of this Question did move a motion at the Pan African Parliament in South Africa on this same matter and Parliament decided to investigate it by
    Alhaji M. A. Yakubu 11:20 a.m.


    its relevant committee. I want to know whether this was brought to his notice by hon. john Mahama.
    Mr. Osei-Adjei 11:30 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, no, I do not know about this but I hope when the findings are ready, definitely, he would let us have a copy.
    Mr. I. M. Abass 11:30 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, in his
    Question, hon. john Mahama said that he is requesting the hon. Minister to provide him with the findings of the ghanaian investigation team. In the Answer of the hon. Minister, he mentioned the various efforts that were made but did not tell us the findings of the ghanaian team. I want to find out, what were the findings of the ghanaian team that the gambian authorities disputed.
    Mr. Osei-Adjei 11:30 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, if my
    hon. good Friend had listened to my probably very long Answer,I indicated that there was evidence from our committee that suggested that the killings actually took place; we examined the bodies and the bodies had machete and club wounds. It was suggested to us that the killings actually took place but the gambians said that the bodies may have been swept ashore. That resulted in the setting up of our investigation team so that we can establish the facts, but the killings actually took place.
    Mr. J. B. Aidoo 11:30 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, in view of the latest development on this matter, may I know from the hon. Minister whether it is still necessary for ghana to continue to have diplomatic relations with The gambia and why?
    Mr. Osei-Adjei 11:30 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, firstly,
    I think it would be extreme to cut off diplomatic relations with The gambia; it would not solve the problem. We need to resolve the problem and send a message
    to the whole world that we would not sit by for people to be killing our nationals; that is what we want to establish.
    Severing diplomatic relations -- In any case, we do not have a mission there per se. If we had a mission there, we would have withdrawn our Ambassador to show to the gambian authorities that we do not accept the way our nationals were treated. But to say that we would sever relations with The gambia, I do not think it is the solution.
    If you look into history, ghana upon achieving independence actually proclaimed that ghana's independence was meaningless. It was a major foreign policy issue. Therefore, to say that you are going to sever relations with The gambia which is part of the African Union and also part of ECOWAS, means that there is a problem there.
    So let us find a solution and then ask them to compensate the families and get the bodies here to be given a fitting burial and then the rest would be left with the gambians. I think that is the best solution instead of cancelling diplomatic relations with the gambians.
    Mr. Dzirasah 11:30 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, in matters
    like this, evidence tends to be obliterated over a period of time. I would like to know from the hon. Minister whether our Embassy in Senegal has been able to pick up evidence and preserve pieces of evidence which can be used to assist the investigations so that they can arrive at the correct results.
    Mr. Osei-Adjei 11:30 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I think
    we have done that. We have pictures and some pieces of evidence which the investigation team is coming to examine to be able to help them to come to a proper conclusion. So, yes, those pieces of evidence are still there; we have them and we are going to give them to the team to examine and come up with the proper
    conclusion.
    Ms. Anna Nyamekye 11:30 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I
    want to know from the hon. Minister why we still continue to engage in sporting activities with these people when this thing has actually dragged on for well over one year. When all the African heads of State were coming here the man himself in The gambia realised that he did not need to come because they had messed us up. Why are we still doing this?
    Mr. Osei-Adjei 11:30 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, as I said,
    I do not support severing relationships with The gambia. Sports administration is normally governed by a football federation and that should not be taken as a political issue. If you have an issue with somebody, stopping sports relations with them might not be the best idea; so we would continue to engage them. But so far as I am concerned, let us engage them and show them the right way. I think it is better than disengagement. We would not get solutions that perhaps, we want.
    Mr. Asaga 11:30 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, the hon.
    Minister by his body language does not even seem to be remorseful about this whole issue as he is smiling and giggling. I was expecting that he would look so serious and come up with some aggression.
    Mr. Speaker, even by the behaviour of
    the President of The gambia, I thought that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD should have come up with a strong worded language against The gambian President to show to ghanaians that, yes, he is serious with the issue. When is that statement coming up?
    Mr. Osei-Adjei 11:30 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I am
    one person who always keeps on smiling and I think it is good. Yes, we have taken a lot of measures, certain times with
    representation to The gambia. Instead of sending, maybe, a senior ranking Minister, we prefer to send a junior ranking Minister so that it would show them that we are not happy with what is going on. But as I said, we must continually engage them.
    If we disengage, we may not get what we want. But we need to tell the families of these unfortunate compatriots how they were killed and also send a signal to other countries that we are not going to sit down. To disengage means you have nothing; it would not help. So we would continually engage and then talk to them so that we can get what we want to get from them but not infinity.
    It must have a time lapse so that we also get what we want for the families and for the nation and also protect our other compatriots who are outside the country.
    Mr. Speaker 11:30 a.m.
    Hon. Minister for
    Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD, thank you very much for appearing to answer this Question.
    STATEMENTS 11:30 a.m.
    Majority Leader (Mr. Abraham Ossei Aidooh) 11:30 a.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I beg to crave your indulgence and that of the House to pay tribute to our late Colleague, hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Member of Parliament and Minister for Finance and Economic Planning.
    “Lead kindly light, Amidst the encircling gloom
    Lead thou me on!
    The night is dark and I am far from home;
    Lead thou me on
    Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
    Majority Leader (Mr. Abraham Ossei Aidooh) 11:40 a.m.


    “In vain, the shrill, cacophonous sounds from your contorted, terraced faces and bulging, veined, parched throats press against my eardrums;

    I am the eternal bearer of bad news piercing hearts with poisoned arrows for the second and still to be repeated time.”

    Death has stung the nation yet another time. The sting is monstrously venomous, the time most unpropitious, and the victim, most humble, most unassuming, spring- bouncy, variegating-haired son of the soil in whom the nation is well pleased.

    In these days of mountainous carnage and sundry bestialities, death of the high- browed and the high-heeled no longer swell the eyes and waterfall nostrils; yet news of the sudden, unheralded exit of hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu caused the nation to wobble, rubber-legged, as embarrassing questions were hurled at death whose arrogant demeanour in this latest apocalyptic mission-accomplished revealed a dare-you-suggest-what-I-must- do posture.

    The nation stood in horrified stillness; government shook to its foundations and Parliament got glassy-eyed in the theatre of the tangle between the living and the unliving. The beaten path must be beaten again by one most unsuspecting, most unexpected, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, and all became crest fallen. Death has thus punctured the firmament.

    Baah-Wiredu first entered Parliament in 1997. He remained a parliamentarian until the messenger of death came knocking on that fateful Wednesday morning. In opposition, Baah-Wiredu demonstrated

    his prowess as a most daring, diligent, scrutinous, scrupulous, selfless and dedicated Member. Particular-ly, in matters which had financial component, Baah-Wiredu would be seen applying the finest comb to ensure that every strand fell into place; which explains why his brilliance was at full glow at the Finance Committee and the Public Accounts Committee which he belonged to in those days.

    Auditing the Auditor-general's Department which Parliament has eventually caused to be done was at the instance of Baah-Wiredu. The crusade to strengthen the role of Parliament and International Loan Agreements was the efforts of Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu in opposition.

    That Baah-Wiredu would always play

    by the rules was noticeable in the way and manner he handled his Standing Orders and the Constitution. Relevant provisions were underlined in black, blue, green or yellow depending on the implication and the substance.

    Moreover he would, with due alacrity, refer to the relevant provisions at the relevant time. In full flight, he was as spectacle to behold. And when anybody took Baah-Wiredu's copies of those documents, the one was likely to be confused by the side notes and comments which combined to produce Baah- Wiredu's revised standard version.

    In the business of actual law-making,

    which is not one of the very interesting duties of Members of Parliament, Kwadwo distinguished himself. The several amendments he proposed to the several laws that Parliament enacted bear testimony to this.

    A backbencher in the Second Parliament

    of the Fourth Republic, Baah-Wiredu became the first person to be nominated for a Cabinet position, Minister-designate, Ministry of Local government and Rural Development by President Kufuor. Baah-

    Wiredu was to cross over to become the Minister for Education, Science, Youth and Sports after the first reshuffle by the current administration. His diligence, hard work, meticulousness and versatility followed him.

    Destined for high-profiled Cabinet positions, Baah-Wiredu achieved his greatest height under President Kufuor when he was reshuffled to head the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning where he presided over the sustenance of economic stability for the country amidst global economic instability and volatility in many commodity prices that threaten many facets of our economic life.

    A very selfless and unassuming person, he was always quick to bestow credit on his colleagues even for the many landmark feats that were deservingly his. No one ever remembers Baah-Wiredu claiming credit for any achievement. A unique team player whose affable countenance was always an inspiration to his colleagues to give of their very best, our late colleague will be remembered for his unparalleled devotion to duty.

    In both opposition and government,

    hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu's credo had been politics without bitterness. Which explains why he was not merely a friend but a brother to everyone: Minority or Majority; high or low; educated or uneducated; male or female; child or adult; Opposition or government. He had a smile for everyone and was intimate to all and sundry. It was a joy to work with him.

    His exuberant spirit infected and will

    continue to touch many, many ghanaians who in turn will chastise death: “You have done your worst, where is your victory?”

    Knowing that the tears of the immediate

    family will not be enough to ferry Baah- Wiredu, so much weighed down by his good works, to the greater beyond we all join in mourning a truly honourable colleague, a dear one, a distinguished brother, a human being who, to quote William Shakespeare, “all the forces of nature were so well mixed up in him that nature itself might say: “this was a man”.

    We roll out columns of tears with the

    family, particularly, his wife, children and his aged mother but we console them; we mourn with Asante Akim but we urge them to be clear-eyed; we empathise with government for having lost its oxygen- bearer but we urge them to take a breath.

    For us in Parliament, it would be a

    near impossible task not to continue to remember Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu for whom we plead with the Creator to grant a peaceful rest from all the sleepless nights he encountered here on earth, all as part of his contribution to make life better for others.

    Hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, fare thee well, till we meet on the plateau of life after life.
    Dr. B. Kunbuor (NDC -- Lawra/ Nandom) 11:40 a.m.
    Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to share my own sentiments in relation to the death of hon. K. Baah-Wiredu whom I describe by all standards as a very good friend and a Colleague of mine.
    Mr. Speaker, it is, indeed, true that this
    world is certainly not our home. If it were, I am sure hon. Baah-Wiredu will not find another home. We certainly know that as individuals, we never make history but leave footprints on history. Hon. Baah- Wiredu has certainly left very formidable footprints on the parliamentary history of this country and I guess he would be remembered by many for the roles he had
    Dr. B. Kunbuor (NDC -- Lawra/ Nandom) 11:50 a.m.


    played in this House.

    Mr. Speaker, I first met hon. Baah-

    Wiredu in 1989 in a purely professional capacity. I met him again in 1997 when I came from the United Kingdom to do some field work on decentralisation and he was then the Ranking Member for the Local government Committee. We became closer in 2001 when I came to Parliament and more closer in 2006 when I became a Ranking Member.

    In all these encounters, Mr. Speaker, there were two essential attributes of hon. Baah-Wiredu. He was a person that believed in his convictions and expressed these convictions with much emotion. His humility is encountered in three very separate circumstances.

    One of it was when I had to unfor- tunately shout across the floor at him and when we left, he told me, “now I know how to provoke you when you are involved in any debate.” The fact that he showed so much concern and we managed to resolve the difference so that he was very much a very humane person.

    The second time was in relation to how the supplementary Budget will normally be reported since we had some constitu- tional difficulties around it.

    The third was actually the trading in the euro bonds.

    In all these situations, he publicly and privately thanked me for the contribution that I had made.

    I guess that in all these relationships over the period, I admired the way he had related to his Deputy Ministers and his other colleagues who worked with him. We do know that the relationship between some Ministers and their Deputies at the

    Ministries has always been like a third world war. But if you saw how hon. Baah- Wiredu related to his Deputies and his Colleagues, one would say he was more than human.

    Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang

    (NPP -- New Juaben North): Mr. Speaker, as we all grieve for this very dear Colleague, a few things come to mind.

    Mr. Speaker, when hon. Kwadwo Baah- Wiredu would appear in my Constituency unannounced to inspect some projects, he would call me just before he arrived at Effiduase and ask me; “uncle, is the fufu ready and is it a generous portion”? For each and every one of us, he had a special word of appreciation to move us on.

    I remember very well when Peace FM would call him and he would start by saying Komfo-Adu ete sen? And that is the man who everybody described as affable, and indeed, as I said at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, ghana is the poorer for it.

    Mr. Speaker, when we are sorrowful, then if we look deep into our heart, we see in truth that we are unhappy because that which has given us joy and delight has been taken away. The late hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu gave us joy and delight, hence our sorrow when he is no more. Death, perhaps, is the only certainty in life. We, lesser mortals cannot understand why patriots like the late hon. Kwadwo Baah- Wiredu could go ahead of their time, by our own estimation.

    But Mr. Speaker, it is said that good people die young and I remember then the good song by the legendary Richards. Mr. Speaker, we do not understand because -- How can the owl which is blind and only sees in the night unravel the mystery

    of day light? That is the situation in which Mr. Speaker, we find ourselves. Perhaps, as the poet said -- Mr. Speaker, I beg to quote:

    “What is it to cease breathing but to free the breath from the restless tide that it may expand and seek god unincumbent.”

    Mr. Speaker, I have no shadow of doubt and I am sure that this afternoon would be followed by a night that our dear late hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu would definitely see god without any hindrances because he was a good man.

    The State appreciated his contribution

    to the nation in diverse ways and beyond the confines of his own determined assignment as entrusted to him by the Chief Executive of the State. No amount of tribute, no amount of grief would replace this gem of a politician, this gem of an accountant whose trademark it was, as I was said by the Leader of the House, to use red, green and yellow to mark the Constitution, the Budget and every document that he chanced to have read.

    Mr. Speaker, this country is poorer for his departure, but I am encouraged by the fact that when he passed away, both sides of the House and all manner of people not because it is traditional to say good things about departed souls, paid glowing tributes to him as bridge-builder, somebody who would take every issue in his strive to the extent. Mr. Speaker, that even when he provoked the Minority, they all took it in their strides. This is the man who is first and foremost a parliamentarian that we pay tribute to today.

    I am sure that the State honour of a State funeral is very well deserved and that all our hon. Colleagues would be available to pay homage as we send him home and

    to his maker.

    Mr. Speaker, I can only pray that

    the good Lord would give strength and comfort and solace to the bereaved family, children as well as our party to whom he was such a pillar of strength. I remember on the formation of this party, he, hon. Akwasi Osei-Adjei and a few others belonging to the Young Executive Forum did their best to make sure that they encouraged us the older generation to do what it was expected of us.

    We shall miss him but we shall pray for him. Especially to us Catholics, last Sunday was “all souls day” Mr. Speaker, and that was the day that we are supposed then to pray for those in purgatory and those of whom we desire the good Lord to receive by his side so that they would have everlasting comfort. That day Mr. Speaker, I did personally remember my adopted nephew the late hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu and I hope he would forever be remembered.

    Many a time when issues do happen,

    we are full of remorse and sorrow, but all too soon we forget. So I am delighted that the President and the State have found it necessary to name the laptops designed for school children as the “Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu Laptop for Every Child”. I think this would immortalise him and his name would be on our lips for a long time to come.

    Mr. Speaker, we would continue to pray for him and the family. Let resolve in this House that we would have the courage to move on and always remember his contribution to shaping the future of this country, a contribution that he did from the bottom of his heart.

    On that note, I wish to reiterate our condolences to the family and to those of his colleagues who have also paid glowing tributes to him. May the good Lord bless
    Dr. B. Kunbuor (NDC -- Lawra/ Nandom) noon


    and keep him.

    Mr. Moses A. Asaga (NDC --

    Nabdam): Mr. Speaker, thank you for this rare opportunity to pay tribute to our departed brother, hon. Kwadwo Baah- Wiredu. His departure is a big blow to the government and ghana as a whole.

    I serve on various committees with the

    late Minister for Finance and Economic Planning and I saw him to be very diligent, hardworking, honest, humble, approach- able and above all, friendly. As the Deputy Minister for Finance from 1997 to 2000, the late hon. Baah-Wiredu was in opposi- tion but as a member of the Finance Committee, he contributed immensely to the passing of the annual Budget by then. He was very thorough and detailed to the pesewa on government budget.

    When it came to vote on accounts and supplementary Budget, we always had to sit with him to winnow it because the margin of error of 0.1 per cent accepted by me was unaccepted by the late hon. Baah-Wiredu.

    When he became Cabinet Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, he continued with his thoroughness and detailed work and this can be seen as repeated on the markings of the Budget, starting with a black pen, to blue, to green, and when he showed you a red under- lining, it meant you were now in trouble. The late hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu did a lot for the Parliament of ghana.

    Mr. Speaker, the day I heard the news,

    I could not believe it because the last time I saw hon. Baah-Wiredu he was in his usual characteristic way virtually running on the staircase. So I saw him as a very vital personality and therefore, I could not

    believe what I heard. Hon. Baah-Wiredu's departure has now humbled me enough. I had been thinking because I play squash, I am that too healthy.

    But as my senior Colleagues have mentioned death is always a necessary end and it will come when you do not know when it will come. But I also believe that his departure should also send humility to politicians and to the press that every human being is vulnerable and no personality's health issue should be taken prime and be talked about. Those we see walking briskly could be those who are rather sick other than those we claim they are sick.

    I remember the very day that hon. Baah-Wiredu's departure was mentioned, there was a caption in the press saying that Prof. Atta-Mills probably was dying but it was rather the converse. People may not agree with me but we must all be humble with ourselves, we must all continue to pray to god and we must all continue to appreciate everybody in society.

    Mr. Speaker, as hon. Hackman Owusu- Agyeman has already mentioned, we, those of the Catholic faith know that he is in purgatory and we would want to continue to pray for him for his onward journey to Heaven. May god bless hon. Baah-Wiredu's soul so that when we all depart we shall meet him in Heaven.

    Deputy Minister for Finance and

    Economic Planning (Prof. G. Y. Gyan- Baffour): Mr. Speaker, the hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, the Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North and Minister for Finance and Economic Planning has been absent with permission since the first day of the Third Meeting of the Fourth Session of the Fourth Parliament of the Fourth Republic. He sought permission to be at Peace with his Maker.

    Mr. Speaker, born on june 3, 1952 in Agogo, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu started his secondarey education at the Kumasi High School in 1967 and obtained the gCE (Ordinary Level) Certificate in 1972. He had his Sixth Form education at Prempeh College, also in Kumasi, and proceeded to the University of ghana in 1974, obtaining a BSc degree in Adminis- tration (Accounting Option). He then did a four-year course with the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICA) qualifying as a Chartered Accoutant in 1985.

    He worked in various positions with

    the now defunct ghana Airways, the Volta River Authority (VRA) and as a Senior Consultant and Finance Manager at Ananse Systems In addition, he was a partner in Asante, Wiredu and Associates, an accounting firm, prior to becoming a Member of Parliament.

    In the First Parliament of the Fourth

    Republic in 1997, he became the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North. In 2001, he became the Member for Parliament for the second term with his Party being in the majority and the ruling government. He was the first Minister to be named and was slated for the Ministry of Local government and Rural Development.

    After serving in that portfolio for about two years with superb distinction, he was made the Minister for Education, Youth and Sports. It was under his tenure as Minister for Education, Youth and Sports that he lobbied for and ghana won to host

    CAN 2008.

    In 2005, he was made the Minister for

    Finance and Economic Planning. As an accountant by profession, the purse of this country was entrusted, indeed, and in his own words in “good hands”. He

    was meticulous in his management of the purse. He always ensured that there was a balance between expenditure and revenue; he was always conscious of the need to reduce fiscal excesses; he consis-tently made explicit his desire for a linkage between fiscal action and economic outcome.

    He was always eager to personally and physically inspect projects that he was paying for on behalf of government. He was not a Finance Minister who sat on his desk and only managed fiscal policy. He was on the railway lines to see that the resources released were used efficiently and effectively.

    He was at hydroelectric dam sites to

    see what the progress of implementation was and was even involved in selection of the site for the Bui City that he so passisonately championed. He walked 7 to 8 miles in the bush in the night less than 3 months ago to see the sites for the mini camps to be constructed on Rivers Prah, Ankobra anad Tano.

    This was Baah-Wiredu, a practical

    Finance Minister, a Finance Minister whose passion was not only about managing financial tools to ensure that the budget targets were met, but a Finance Minister who believed in the use of finance for development, the use of finance for benefiting the rural poor, the use of finance as a tool for ensuring the growth of this economy.

    He handled the economy of this country

    so well that in spite of the turbulence in world economies in the last two years, ghana's economic fundamen-tals are stronger now than ever before.

    He was a symbol of economic diplomacy in ghana. He was at every major international meeting relating to finance and the economy. In Washington, in London, in Doha, in Maputo, in
    Dr. B. Kunbuor (NDC -- Lawra/ Nandom) 12:10 p.m.


    Ouagadougou, you name it, Kwadwo was present telling the story of ghana's economic success and coming back with new ideas about how to do it better.

    I remember he went on one of such trips and upon his return decided that instead of reading the entire budget, he will read an excerpt and that he will use power point presentation alongside. He brought innovation not only in the substance of the budget but in the style of presentation. In all this, he believed strongly in ghana. As he often said “this is the only country we have.” So he entered this Chamber to present his budget waving the flag of ghana.

    Mr. Speaker, I worked with hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu for 3½ years. Hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, the Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North and the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning was a man who in one short life time touched the lives of so many and personified so many value attributes. He loved his fellow men and women at times even more than himself.

    He was humble, respectful, affable, outgoing, honest, sincere, caring, loyal and above all selflessly dedicated to duty. He was so much consumed with the desire to leave more on this earth than he took from it. In meeting this desire, he was always on the move, on the run, doing things at lightning speed. He himself described this attribute of his as “overspeed”.

    Mr. Speaker, he loved his fellow men and women so much. It is well known that he died from surgery complications. He died of prostate cancer. Let me quote the late hon. Baah-Wiredu on the floor of this House on this prostate cancer as he read probably the last Budget -- the 2008

    Budget. Paragraph 880, page 244 of the 2008 Budget and with your permission, I beg to quote:

    “Mr. Speaker, the Ministry will promote greater awareness of early detection of breast and prostate cancer. In line with this, government will introduce a programme for breast and prostate cancer screening including the provision of subsidy for monogram done in public and private hospitals for all ghanaian women from the age of 40 years and above and for prostate cancer screening for men of 50 years and above that are registered under the

    NHIS.”

    Mr. Speaker, that is hon. Baah-Wiredu at his best. While he knew he was dying from prostate cancer, he was trying to save his fellow men from suffering the same fate.

    Mr. Speaker, he was so humble that he did not discriminate between people at the top and those below. He listened to the messenger just as he listened to the Chief Director. He ate where the ordinary people ate -- at times he preferred eating at “chop bars” to eating in standard restaurants.

    Mr. Speaker, he is so honest that he on several occasions returned “gifts” sent to him by individuals who felt that he had helped them. His reason was simple, “I did not help you, I performed my duty and you deserve what you got from my work.” He was so respectful, concerned and caring that each time he came back from a trip he would go to every office in the Ministry to literally greet his staff and find out how they were doing in his absence.

    He will end up in my office or the office of the Minister of State, sat down, told us all what happened during his trip and asked us about what happened in the

    office since he left. He would always end up with “kose, kose” meaning sorry for the heavy load that we had to bear in his absence.

    His selfless devotion to work was well known by all. He will go to work very early and will be the last to leave. Even when he was scheduled to fly out of the country at 11.00 p.m. he will stay in the office till 8.00 p.m. or even 9.00 p.m. So it happened on the 11th day of September, 2008 when he left the office for the last time at about 8.00 p.m. when he was to go to johannesburg at about 11.00 p.m. for a scheduled medical treatment. He had a successful surgery on the 16th of September 2008 and died of post-surgery complications on 24th September.

    This is the life journey of hon.

    Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, the affable, honest, selfless and I must add the “action man” from Agogo in the Asante Akim North Constituency. He passed through this cosmic space and those of us who were lucky to cross his path, especially my colleague, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and myself will forever be grateful for the opportunity he gave us to share part of his life with him.

    We will forever be inspired by his love for humanity, his concern for the down- trodden, his dedication to duty and his unflinching service to god and country.

    His beginning, I am told was humble

    and so was his near fairy tale life, and so was his sudden and sad end. May his soul rest in everlasting peace.

    Mr. Speaker, he left the shores of this country, strong and fit in the cabin of a plane but his mortal remains after a few days in a morgue in South Africa were returned to ghana in the cargo compart- ment of South African Airways, en route to

    ghana, the land of his birth, the land that he so loved that he literally gave up his own life in service to this country.

    Mr. Speaker, even at the point of death,

    he told his poor and miserable wife that he was worried about not having enough time to prepare for an impending meeting in Washington. So was his humble beginning, so was his near fairy-tale life and so was his sudden and sad end.

    Mr. Speaker, let us all from the left, right and centre get ready to receive the motionless body of the man who was always in motion on Thursday at the forecourt of this House to pay him our last respects.

    Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
    Mr. E. T. Mensah (NDC -- Ningo/ Prampram) 12:10 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I rise to also pay tribute to hon. Baah-Wiredu and share the concerns and the sentiments expressed by my hon. Colleagues.
    Mr. Speaker, let me begin by a prayer
    of Moses, the man of god, stated in Psalm
    90:12 --
    “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
    Mr. Speaker, I met hon. Baah-Wiredu in
    1997 when we both entered Parliament and we got to know each other as Methodists. So from there on, whenever we met, he either greeted me “For Christ, We Live” or MHB 651 because we found one day that we both loved that song. There was a programme at the Banquet Hall and the leader of the choir came to me -- hon. Baah-Wiredu was sitting around the same table with me -- and said I should name my favourite song and I mentioned MHB 651 and he also said that happened to be his favourite song. So we greeted each other by either “For Christ, We Live” or
    MHB 651.
    Mr. E. T. Mensah (NDC -- Ningo/ Prampram) 12:20 p.m.


    So Mr. Speaker, I want to crave your indulgence to read the first and last verses of the song numbered 651 of the Methodist Hymn Book in memory of hon. Baah-Wiredu:

    “Hark! hark my soul; Angelic songs are swelling.

    O'er earth's green fields and oceans wave-beat shore.

    How sweet the truth those blessed strains are telling.

    Of that new life when sin shall be no more.

    Angels of Jesus, Angels of light, singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night!”

    And the last verse:

    “Angels, sing on, your faithful watches keeping;

    Sing us sweet fragments of the songs above

    Till morning's joy shall end the night of weeping,

    And life's long shadows break in cloudless love.”

    Mr. Speaker, a lot has been said about hon. Baah-Wiredu. We have met at various committees. When he was the Minister for Local government and Rural Development, I happened to be in that Committee. And in private we shared a lot. He said I had been in charge of Accra for ten years, so I knew a lot and we shared a lot.

    The last time before the last conference, we discussed the problems that we were having with the Metropolitan Assemblies and the fact that we were rather giving them more money and the other District Assemblies. So he asked that we meet and we met. I gave him certain outlines that

    if we were serious, government would make sure that these Assemblies, Accra for example, should be on its own and even lend money to government. So he said he was going to come back so that we worked out some of the details for him to bring on board this time round.

    Then I had a call -- First I got the invitation to go to the Third World High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness. I was busy somewhere but he called me and asked me where I was and I told him I was in Koforidua. But he said he wanted me to come and join him at the conference. So I came. I, the Chief Director and others sat through until the last day. And on the last day, after the conference, he moved straight to me and hugged me and thanked me for supporting him.

    We will miss hon. Baah-Wiredu.

    Hon. Baah-Wiredu has created a vacuum that would be difficult to fill. A lot has been said already; I do not want to go over the things that have been said.

    When he went to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, we talked together and wanted to know who and who, what was happening at the Ministry and I told him what he should do as far as soccer was concerned and we were so close before be moved on to the Finance Ministry.

    Baah-Wiredu, as has been said, was a statesman; he was not a dyed in the wool -- New Patriotic Party (NPP) or National Democratic Congress (NDC) or whatever. We saw ourselves as Members of Parliament and friends and he understood the issue of having political class; we discussed it.

    Mr. Speaker, I end here by wishing Baah-Wiredu a peaceful rest.

    Minister of State (Ms. Cecilia Abena

    Dapaah): Mr. Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to express our condolence to the family of the late hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, especially his ageing mother, his wife and children. I believe sincerely, that hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu is now numbered amongst the saints in Heaven and he would be listed amongst the great and famous men of this nation. What he was able to achieve with the 56 years that the good Lord endowed him with on this earth, shall forever be remembered.

    There are people who may live hundred years and will not or cannot achieve what this young man was able to achieve. And as a Methodist, I am happy that the Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs quoted from Methodist hymn Book 612, with the last line reading “One step enough for me”. I believe this will aptly describe the character of hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu.

    I know and we all know, that he was easily satisfied; he did not need chips on his shoulders to prove that he was good; he did his work without rancour, without complaining and everybody could walk up to him. And I would dare say that instead of problems going to him, he would rather go and find out what problems people had and I noted that especially during our housing projects.

    He would always have the proactive energy to come to us, either at the Ministry or meet us in Parliament and asked us, how we were doing with the housing project, how we needed to sell the houses early for him to recoup his money. Kwadwo Baah- Wiredu was always on top of his work, and I am really saddened that he did not live to see the water project that Konongo would have in due course. I hope that when the

    administrative papers are ready and we bring them to Parliament, all of us would honour him by giving our approval to this project. It was so dear to his heart.

    Mr. Speaker, I want to touch on the effect of his death on the nation; the young, the old, children, people who knew him, people who had never even set eyes on him were saddened and were broken hearted. Why? It was because of his unique ways of doing things.

    To agree with Frank Sinatra, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu did things his own way; he did not have to jump and shout to be effective, as I have already said, and he did achieve a lot for this nation. I know that his favourite meal or one of his favourite meals was fufu and he had a special bowl in my home in Kumasi; he would be sorely missed. We have a proverb or a saying in Twi and Mr. Speaker, with your permission I beg to quote:

    “Obiara bewu, na nea wo bewu ama no.”

    To wit, that everybody would die. But the one who would take care of you or whatever would happen after your death, is the problem. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu by his deeds has lived and died for this nation; he has lived and died for his constituency; he has lived and died for his family and for all of us and I wish to place on record that we shall forever be eternally grateful to his dear mother for sacrificing him to this nation.

    Nii Adu Daku Mante (NPP -- Klottey Korle): Mr. Speaker, the late Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu was not only a Colleague but a friend.

    Mr. Speaker, I was walking in the streets of New York, when I decided to call the Consular one Wednesday morning to brief me on the itinerary of the President who was on official visit to the United
    Mr. E. T. Mensah (NDC -- Ningo/ Prampram) 12:20 p.m.


    States. Mr. Speaker, in the course of our interaction, he broke the sad news to me. I became speechless and eventually had to leave, cancelling all my other programmes for the day.

    Mr. Speaker, some weeks before his untimely death, whenever we met in the Chamber, he said to me: “Chairman, do you know that you have to leave an impact on society before you die?” Then I said, “Yes, I know.” Mr. Speaker, Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu was affable and friendly; he would not allow you to wait in his lobby. Each time I called on him, he asked his secretary, let the Chairman come in and he made me part of his meetings. Mr. Speaker, that was Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu.

    Mr. Speaker, each time we met in the corridors he would greet me in the ga language: Te oyoo tee? meanwhile, robbing his palm on my bald head and cracking jokes. Soon thereafter, Mr. Speaker, we plunged into serious business, discussing about Bills and loan agreements before the Committee.

    Mr. Speaker, whenever we finished a committee meeting or he saw his Bill through, he gave me thumbs up whilst he sat in his chair. That was Kwadwo Baah- Wiredu, that was a Minister I loved so much. In fact, he made me so proud when I became the Chairman of the Finance Committee. There had been occasions that he had invited me to Washington and I followed and he introduced me each time we met in any function; he would want to introduce me as the Chairman of the Finance Committee. Mr. Speaker, that was Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu. I have nothing much to say, than to say that, he was so simple and very friendly.

    May his soul rest in perfect peace, may the good Lord also protect his wife, children and his entire family.
    Mr. E. K. D. Adjaho (NDC -- Avenor/Ave) 12:30 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, in 1997 I had the privilege of working with the man whose tribute we are paying today on the Public Accounts Committee. Mr. Speaker, he was the Vice-chairman of that Committee to the then Minority Leader, hon. j. H. Mensah. Mr. Speaker, he was very meticulous when it came to figures and he would never get them wrong. He was very diligent, very jovial, very affable and the one who will always run away from trouble.
    Mr. Speaker, but what this House ought to remember him for, in my view, was the role that he played to demystify the disbursement of Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) funds, in the country.
    Mr. Speaker, in the last Parliament, the issue of HIPC funds was a big political issue and when he became the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, I submitted a memorandum to him holding the view that HIPC funds were public funds and therefore, it must be brought under the purview and scrutiny of this honourable House.
    Mr. Speaker, I copied that memorandum to the Majority Leader who was then the Deputy Majority Leader because the substantive Majority Leader at that time, was not available.
    I copied to him at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning the memorandum and you referred this matter to Leadership for us to look at. The following day, he came back together with Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, and he said, “Doe, bring your draft, let us look at it”. The Deputy Majority Leader said, “bring your draft, let us look at it so that we could achieve compromise”.
    Mr. Speaker, I brought a draft, the then
    Deputy Majority Leader also brought a draft and it was from that day that the issue of the utilization of HIPC funds and the role of Parliament in relation to that fund was demystified and never became a political issue.
    Mr. Speaker, in my view, he has restored Parliament in relation to that fund as the keeper of the purse. He has, in that single decision and role that he had played, strengthened this House in relation to public funds.
    Mr. Speaker, I believe if many of us in public office could play that particular role, there are a lot of things in this country that we split our hairs over which we would never be splitting our hairs over and he had shown the way in that direction.
    I believe that his death is a big loss, not only to his family, but to this House and the country as a whole. We can only hope and pray that his soul rests in perfect peace.
    Minister for Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and PSI (Papa Owusu-Ankomah) 12:30 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, on such occasions when one has to pay tribute to a good friend, one is often times, lost for words.
    As for the good deeds of the late hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North and Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, many of my hon. Colleagues who contributed earlier have said more than enough. The fact that he was one who endeared himself to the entire nation was demonstrated by the depth of emotions that were expressed when news of his sudden death was made public.
    But of course Mr. Speaker, when a person dies, what we ought to ask ourselves is, what lessons can we learn
    from that death? For me, the greatest lesson that I have learnt from the death of our dear friend is that, in life if one has to do something, one has to do it now. There is no need to wait.
    The life of hon. Baah-Wiredu was such that one was always wondering why he was always in a hurry. Why he would throughout the day -- Why he would go to great lengths to discharge a duty which someone else could do in his absence? The likes of Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu are what we need in our nation at a time when there is so much cynicism.
    At a time when people want to know what is in it for them, his life as a public servant demonstrated that indeed, we can always contribute something to the country and it is in this light that I say adieu, farewell to a dear friend. A friend who was so modest even to a fault. A friend, who at his personal expense and comfort will not even take benefits due him as a public servant. Someone who always saw to the welfare of others than himself.
    It is my prayer that his wife and his children will take comfort in the fact that indeed, even though he was a father and a husband, he was more a son of ghana.
    Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, da yie . Kwadwo, damirifa due. May the Almighty god keep you in His bosom till we meet again.
    Mr. Kojo Armah (CPP -- Evalue- Gwira) 12:30 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, one of the most difficult assignments that this Parliament of our Fourth Republic is undertaking is paying tribute, indeed, saying goodbye to a friend so well loved, so large in his character and so well remembered by everybody.
    Mr. Kojo Armah (CPP -- Evalue- Gwira) 12:40 p.m.


    Mr. Speaker, since 24th September, 2008 when the news came to us in Wa, during the Road Fund forum that our friend, hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu had passed away, nobody could really believe it and it is amazing and indeed, a tribute to his character that since that time the newspapers have not ceased putting in one advertisement or the other from this company or department or that Ministry, remembering hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu.

    Mr. Speaker, I first got to know hon. Baah-Wiredu when he was with his own company, Wiredu and Associates and was eating in my wife's restaurant at Asylum Down. He ate very sparsely. I remember he liked fufu with dried fish. He never liked the red ones. We talked a bit about politics but our friendship was not that intimate.

    In 1997 we met in this House all sitting

    on the opposition benches. He sat where hon. Pelpuo sat and I sat in front of him. Mr. Speaker, I remember those times very well; anytime there was a debate whether it was on the Budget or whatever, Baah- Wiredu will say “Kojo, give me the article in the Constitution or the Standing Order number so that I can also add my own to it and we put it forward”. Or when I was speaking, he will say, take this figure and add it to your English and we go forward. Mr. Speaker, he always had a bag in which he had atlases, maps, past Budget Statements, the Constitution and everything in it and anytime he opened that archive, something came out. Those interactions among us actually made us richer; I learned a lot from him and until he departed this earth always said that I taught him how to move motions and how to cite articles. It was very hilarious but at

    least, we also learned something.

    Mr. Speaker, in 2001 I was out of this Parliament but became a District Chief Executive and had the good fortune of working under him as my Minister for Local government, Rural Development and Environment. Again, he became larger in my life because he instituted a monthly forum on District Chief Executives and in those times he will tell us what to do. He encouraged us to establish markets because he thought markets were good income generating activities for all towns.

    He put forward the idea of inter-district trading and always gave the example of those of us on the coast sending fish to Techiman and then bringing yam and maize to our women on the coast.

    He encouraged us to look at composite budgeting; he encouraged us to do inter- district collaboration as far as certain projects were concerned so that it would be easier for each one of us. He encoura- ged District Chief Executives to establish personal relations with their neighbouring office holders so that you could consult and then make your problems known to each other, for shared solutions to these problems.

    In those times, Mr. Speaker, I again got very personal relations with Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu and we saw the other part of him as a human being. Twice I was out of my district on inspection; I came back and saw him lying in the hall on my sofa or that long seat very deep in the night. So I asked the Minister what he was doing and he said “I have come, if there is anything let us eat and talk”. He was so unassuming, very personal and he made you feel like a human being.

    Indeed, not long ago, he was in my constituency and we were talking about problems and I mentioned the construc-

    tion of our mini stadium to him. He asked us to go and see what was happening. When we got there, as usual, in his canvas shoes he played fifteen minutes football with the young ones practising on the field and then promised them he would help us complete the field.

    Mr. Speaker, Mr. Baah-Wiredu will come unannounced and then make you feel very comfortable with him. I will also remember him as somebody who prepared us to get the Budget ahead of time in November in accordance with the Constitution. He was somebody who also promoted a lot of the things that we are doing now; the first day is true when he became the Minister for Education, Science and Sports. He also encouraged all of us to do what was to be done as early as we could.

    Mr. Speaker, the newspapers have said a lot about him, affable, honest, hardworking, dedicated to his work, a family man and all those superlatives, they are all well justified. And it will not be of any consequence for us to add more to them. We can only miss him.

    In this House everybody will remember when he entered this House and started going round patting people at their back and then asking questions. The Chairman of the Finance Committee, being a ga said it well when he said Baah-Wiredu will say te oyoo tee; he did not say that, he said tete. That is the only ga that he could speak. Tete, and he will pass on. He was back- patting and very affable to everybody.

    Mr. Speaker, we will miss him for as long as we continue to be in this House, and I will believe and crave that one of the things that we can do to immortalize him, is to ask for his copy of the Constitution and look at all the marginal notes that he

    made -- red, blue, black -- whatever ink he got each of them had a meaning so that the future generations of this House will know how to be diligent, study the Constitution to enhance our work in this House.

    All of us will miss him. I believe he will rise to glory; I believe people will immortalize him as we go along and we can only pray for his family, pray for his aged mother and pray that as we prepare to inter him, the good Lord will have him in the good part of His kingdom. May he rest in peace, Mr. Speaker.
    Minister for Energy (Mr. F. K. Owusu-Adjapong) 12:40 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I have come to know hon. Baah-Wiredu since 1997 when we all entered Parliament.
    We had a lot of things in common when it came to positioning the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to a situation where we could be considered as the best Party in this country. He was very practical and therefore we could achieve a lot within a very short time. Luckily, we won the next election; he was made a Minister so was I. Therefore, at Cabinet meetings we used to strategize to see how best we could advance this country faster than people will think.
    Mr. Speaker, permit me to give you two instances where his contributions helped this country to achieve what otherwise was going to be a disaster. The two stadia in Accra and Kumasi had been partially demolished at a time when agreements had not been concluded; the Bills of quantities were not immediately available. I had been made the Chairman of this Committee to ensure that we got the two properties completed in time to host the CAN 2008.
    He worked tirelessly and ensured that whatever we expected the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to do,
    Minister for Energy (Mr. F. K. Owusu-Adjapong) 12:40 p.m.


    he got his Colleagues Deputy Ministers to support and finally we got the project completed ahead of schedule.

    Mr. Speaker, just some few months before his death, we had a project we were going to do together. just before the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Conference in Sekondi, he had told me, why did we not take advantage and visit the proposed four mini-dams on the Ankobra, Tano and Pra Rivers. His wish was that perhaps in a month's time, we should do sod-cutting. I gave him an idea of some pre-activities we needed to conclude before we did the sod-cutting.

    He said having given him this information, why did I not go and do the inspection so that the next time we meet he could rely on my judgement and we move forward. I agreed and my in-formation was that for seventeen hours, this gentleman of ours, this hon. Member visited the four sites, one on Ankobra, two on Tano and three on Pra. In one case, they got lost and that was what made it to seventeen hours. Perhaps, I should have agreed for us to do the sod-cutting without those pre-activities.

    He was in haste and a haste to achieve something good for the dear country. Perhaps, one thing we may need to do is how fast we can work on it so that at least all the contributions he had made towards the development of these four mini hydroelectric power projects will not be in vain.

    But Mr. Speaker, I want us to have one lesson. Two, three years ago or thereabout, we advised ourselves that because we would be compelled to work very hard beyond the normal eight hours people are expected to work, perhaps, we also look at how we maintain the health of our people. And for that reason a suggestion was made that at least once a year we should have

    a thorough medical check-up of all hon. Members of Parliament.

    Mr. Speaker, from the information we are getting we need to look at it seriously so that his death will remind us that we need to keep the health of hon. Members of Parliament.

    With this, Mr. Speaker, I join all other Colleagues in wishing Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu farewell and hope that as a Catholic he will be with the good Lord in Heaven, not in purgatory.
    Minority Leader (Mr. A. S. K. Bagbin) 12:50 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the oppor-tunity to add my voice to the glowing tribute being paid by hon. Members to a very good Friend who has once again reminded all of us of the frailty and the vulnerability of all of us human beings.
    Mr. Speaker, the news of the sudden departure of our Colleague, the late hon. Baah-Wiredu was not just shocking but it was also, I must say, quite painful. It took a lot of our effort to control our emotions. We had to contend with the realities of life, but sometimes we keep on asking ourselves what this whole life is about.

    We all know hon. Baah-Wiredu to be very simple, very humble, very friendly and a workaholic and that is why issues are being raised as to the cause of death, whether it was through stress, too much work or whatever. But Mr. Speaker, what we are all confronted with is the reality that he has suddenly departed and we are left with a void.

    I used to openly joke with him and in fact, on a number of occasions, on this floor, referred to him as Konongo Kaya

    and he will retort by calling me Nadowli Kaya. He was really a good friend and his loss is not just to his family, the family including us in this Parliament, but to the whole nation. I hope and pray that we will all learn lessons from it. There are always lessons to learn; even though death is a necessary end, there are always lessons for all of us to learn.

    We hope and pray that the bereaved family will get over the grief and move on with life. We also hope that our colleagues in the Ministry will come together and be more solid than they were with his leadership so that the finances in terms of not only money but even policy formula- tion can still go on unabated.

    It is really sad and sometimes one is struck so much that it is difficult to find words, but we have lost a loving friend and we hope and pray that the good Lord will receive him and put him at the right place where we all believe one day we will meet to celebrate the life that we have left on earth.

    Baah-Wiredu was a gem. At Public Accounts Committee, it showed clearly, as a Minister, he exuded it and at the end of the day, we are all weeping for having lost him. And I believe that that is what we should all commit to doing, that at the end of the day, our departure will leave a mark, a mark that will be indelible in the hearts of people and that we have led good lives, we did a great job and nobody will be doubting in his mind that we are at the bosom of our Maker, the Almighty god. It is with this, I can only say, may his soul rest in perfect peace.

    M r. F re d d i e B l a y ( C P P - - Ellembelle): Mr. Speaker, all that honestly need to be said about our departed Colleague has already been said but I thank you for giving me the opportunity because I also want to add my name in the

    Hansard that, when the time came for us to pay the tribute, I also had that opportunity.

    I, just in a couple of minutes ago, turned round and spoke to my very dear friend, hon. Ken Dzirasah - has he made any contributions on the floor - he said no and I asked why? His answer was that, he was quite emotional and he wanted to keep his balance and if he decided to make any contribution, he might break down in tears. I nearly agreed with him, but I said no, I will also make a little contribution.

    Mr. Speaker, just like many other hon. Members here, I only came to know him in 1997 when we came to Parliament. And for a brief moment, anytime that Baah- Wiredu got up to make a contribution on the floor concerning any issue, my attention was caught up very rapidly because I realized he was almost a walking encyclopaedia of facts and figures, I mean historical facts and figures.

    As has been said, if you saw whatever book he was holding, he made several notes: Constitution, Standing Orders, Budgets that had been read in the past. So I am trying to say that he even started before he became a Minister. I knew that he started as far back as 1997 when indeed it had been pointed out he was the Vice- Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.

    He was indeed selfless. Hon. Papa

    Owusu-Ankomah has just said that the man was in a hurry. Maybe, consciously or unconsciously, he knew it will soon come. It is a reality; we are all bound one way or the other to go. There is nothing you can do about it, but his has been shocking and the sentiments that have been expressed, not only on the floor of the House but by many who have contributed in the newspapers and elsewhere and the whole nation, show that it is difficult for
    Minority Leader (Mr. A. S. K. Bagbin) 12:50 p.m.


    us to come to terms with the way he has departed.

    Some have said that he was a perfect gentleman, selfless and honest. I simply wish to call him a patriot. Yes, indeed, hon. Doe Adjaho did say so that in his contribution and efforts towards nation building, he was transparent, ready to listen to people, ready to argue; he loved debates on the floor. And I was happy to see him rise and even make punches at the Minority but he was ready always to take some.

    I do remember that we spent a few days in Sidney together, then my admiration for him, I realized, was that this man was not just a gem but was a rare gem Maybe, that is the way he was bound to go.

    The Minister for Energy had just said that the man was ready to talk about things in a hurry, about dams, visiting sites and cutting sods to make sure things - he was in my constituency several times. He travelled when I was tired; he wanted to go to the remotest school. Talk about Kotompani, he was talking about -- he knew about names like Teleku Bukazo, everywhere else he could mention it. I was wondering from where the energy that he was getting, for things that he was doing and little did I know that maybe, he was --

    There was one early morning at about 6.30 a.m, I just saw somebody had driven into my yard because he was staying just behind me and before I could say jack, he had come with some documents relating to some facts and figures about things that we were arguing or we were debating here in this House. My wife and I were shocked at his enthusiasm and commit- ment. He had raised the bar, the bar was very difficult for all of us to meet it and maybe, that was what life was all about for some individuals of that character.

    I want it to be on record and in history that, when people were saying very good things about Baah-Wiredu, you gave me the opportunity also to make that kind of contribution. I join others to say that May he rest in peace and may the good Lord take care not only of him, but the number of children that he has left behind. May he rest in peace.
    Mrs Gifty Eugenia Kusi (NPP -- Tarkwa Nsuaem) 1 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the tribute in honour of hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu.
    In most Akan societies, the joy of every mother is for your son to bury you. My heart goes out to Madam Yaa Fra, also known as Madam Yaa Ateape, mother of hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu who buries her son. A son with a difference, a unique son, who is loved by all.

    Mama, may your tears dry up because the whole nation is doing your crying for you. I want to encourage you to do your crying in the rain. I am sure you have remembered the day of your labour, the birth pains, the pains that crying can never subside. May god increase you, hold you up and be with you.

    Mrs. Baah-Wiredu and her children, you should not cry too much because your brothers and sisters share with your sorrow. May the good Lord be with all of you and uphold you so that you can contain your sorrow.

    Hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, our role model, our colleague parliamentarian, our brother, our everything, may god be with you till we meet again. You have the habit of cheering all of us up, those of us who came new to Parliament for any good contribution that we made.

    I remember the first day that I made a Statement on the floor of this House, you cheered me up and you said, “Mr. Speaker, I think the young lady needs commen- dation for that wonderful Statement”. This encouraged me to go on in this House, to ensure that whenever I have the opportunity, I would do my best. I was really looking to you, the way you comported yourself, the way you did your things, and I was trying to copy. Hon., you have really left us in this state that words cannot describe.

    May the good Lord protect you and guide you till we meet again.

    Minister of State, Ministry of Finance

    and Economic Planning (Dr. A. A. Osei): Mr. Speaker, one of the unspoken rules in the Ministry is that because we are a team, when we get up to speak in Parliament we speak with one voice. Prof. gyan-Baffour has spoken on behalf of the Ministry so I will not say any more.

    I just want to thank all our hon. Colleagues for the support they have given to us. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
    Mr. Speaker 1 p.m.
    Item 6 on the Order Paper -- Motions -- Minister for Parlia- mentary Affairs.
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, if we may take item number 16, that is a short one, and then we come to item number 6.
    Mr. Speaker 1 p.m.
    What was the problem with item 16 because we had to defer it?
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, we had to defer it because it was supposed to pass through a Second Consideration Stage but the Chairman who was supposed to have led it was not in the Chamber at the time. He is now
    here and I believe we can go through it very quickly and then we come to item number 6.
    Mr. Speaker 1 p.m.
    Item 16, the National Communications Authority Bill, the Third Reading.
    Mr. Kojo Armah 1 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I crave your indulgence to move that, item 16, the National Communications Authority Bill be taken through a Second Consideration Stage.
    Mr. Speaker 1 p.m.
    Which clauses are you referring to?
    Mr. Armah 1 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I would refer first to clause 5(4) and then we go to clause 25 (4).
    Question put and motion agreed to.
    BILLS -- SECOND 1 p.m.
    CONSIDERATION STAGE 1 p.m.
    Chairman of the Committee (Mr. Kojo Armah) 1 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 5 (4), delete “The Board shall perform the function and exercise the powers of the Authority” and substitute it with this sentence:
    “The Board shall ensure the proper and effective performance of the functions of the Authority.”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 5 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Chairman of the Committee (Mr. Kojo Armah) 1 p.m.


    Clause 25 -- Procedure for decision- making by the Authority.
    Mr. Armah 1 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 25, subclause 4, delete “or modify”. So the sentence would read:
    “For purposes of this section, significant, substantive or procedural decisions including the decision of the Board to adopt
    (a) the Electronics Commu- nications Act, Regulations and guidelines. . . .”
    Mr. Speaker, we think it is not proper for a decision of the Board to amend on Act.
    Mr. Adjaho 1 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I want to follow what he is trying to make. The only aspect that I got is that something is not constitutional and that the Board cannot amend or modify an Act of Parliament. I want to know the new rendition. It is not coming out so he should let us know. After the amendment, what would the new rendition read like, so that we are very clear in our minds as to what we are voting for.
    Mr. Armah 1 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, if you go back to clause 25 (1):
    “In the exercise of its functions under this Act and the Electronics Communications Act, 2008, the Board shall observe reasonable standards of procedural fairness, act timeously and observe the rules of natural justice when making significant, substantive or procedural decisions that affect a person.”
    Subclause (4) tries to explain that particular clause. It says that:
    “For purposes of this section,
    significant, substantive or procedural decisions include a decision of the Board to adopt or modify the Electronics Communica-tions Act.”
    And that we are saying, is unconsti- tutional because a Board decision cannot amend an Act. So we are dropping the words “or modify” and simply saying that:
    “The Board decision will include the decision of the Board to adopt the Electronics Communications Act, regulations. . . .”
    So the words, “or adopt” or “modify” have been removed from that sentence.
    Mr. Aidooh 1:10 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I was the person who raised objection to this clause. In my view, this clause deals with procedure for decision-making by the Authority. Mr. Speaker, my proposal is that the whole of subclause 4 is not necessary and what we have to do, in my view is to delete the words “significant, substantive or procedure” from clause 25 (1) (c).
    Mr. Speaker, this problem is brought about because they are trying to define these words “substantive” and others. If the Board is making a decision that affects a person, the person is entitled to hearing, whether it is “procedural”, “substantive” or “significant”. So these words in my view are not necessary.
    So I propose that the words “significant, “substantive” or “pro-cedure” are deleted from clause 25 (1) (c), after that the whole of clause (4) goes away. It will then read as follows:
    “In the exercise of its functions under this Act and the Electronic Communication Act, the Board
    shall observe reasonable standard of procedural fairness, act timeously and observe the rules of natural justice when making decisions that affect the person.”
    So all those words “substantive”, “significant” are not necessary. So I pro- pose that we take on my amendment and plead with the Chairman to withdraw his amendment.
    Mr. Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Deputy Minority Leader what do you say?
    Mr. Adjaho 1:10 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I think
    that the hon. Majority Leader's position is better as far as this Bill is concerned and I support his amendment
    Mr. Armah 1:10 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I think my
    Minister wants to make a point there, I am yielding to him.
    Dr. Aggrey-Ntim 1:10 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, we would like to suggest that we will take the two proposals into account and when we delete the word “modify” the objective is served by the proposal as has been made by the Majority Leader and it will be useful to take into account these two and see whether we should actually cancel out the word “modify” or delete “making significant or substantive procedural decisions”. And on the basis of that I think the two actually bring out the meaning -- either of the two and we would like to suggest that if we do one of the two, the objective would have been achieved and it is up to this House to suggest -- [Interruptions.]
    Mr. Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Minister, let us have your views on this. So Chairman, what do we do?
    Mr. Armah 1:10 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, in the light of what the hon. Minister has said, I think
    we will agree to the proposition of the Majority Leader supported by all of us. Mr. Speaker, the new rendition will be clause 25 (1):
    “In the exercise of his functions under this Act under Electronic Communications Act, the Board shall observe reasonable standards of procedural fairness, act timeously and observe the rules of natural justice when making decisions affecting a person.”
    Mr. Aidooh 1:10 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, the other
    one is to delete subclause (4).
    Mr. Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Is that not the case?
    Mr. Armah 1:10 p.m.
    That is so. We delete the whole of subclause (4).
    Mr. Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Right.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 25 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Item 16 hon. Minister?
    BILLS -- THIRD READING 1:10 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker 1:10 p.m.
    Do we now take item 6 -- Motion? Minister for Parliamentary Affairs?
    MOTIONS 1:10 p.m.
    Minister for Parliamentary Affairs (Mr. A. O. Aidooh) 1:10 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, that notwithstanding the provisions
    Minister for Parliamentary Affairs (Mr. A. O. Aidooh) 1:10 p.m.


    of Standing Order 80 (1) which require that no motion shall be debated until at least forty-eight hours have elapsed between the date on which notice of the motion is given and the date on which the motion is moved, the motion for the Second Reading of the Parliamentary Service (Amendment) Bill may be moved today.
    Mr. Adjaho 1:10 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I beg to second the motion.
    Question put and motion agreed to.
    BILLS -- SECOND READING 1:10 p.m.
    Mr. A. K. Agbesi (NDC - Ashaiman) 1:20 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this motion and urge all hon. Members of the House also to support it.
    Mr. Speaker, at the committee level, we unanimously agreed that this Bill be passed. It is necessary for the effective work of Parliament; it is necessary for the advancement of democracy and it is necessary for what we gather here to do -- particularly as the Bill seeks to put the Legislature in the same vein like the judiciary, where its budget goes direct to the President for consideration without any additions or subtractions being made.
    Mr. Speaker, it is for this reason that I urge all Members to support this motion.
    Mr. E. K. D. Adjaho (NDC - Avenor/ Ave) 1:20 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I think that this is a very progressive motion, it is not controversial, it is aimed at strengthening Parliament as an institution so that we are well resourced to discharge our constitutional mandate.
    But Mr. Speaker, without trying to gag the debate, we are all in support of it. It is rather unfortunate that the proposer or the person who moved this motion would not be there to see to the implementation of this amendment in the years to come. But we assure him that we would use this Bill to remember him not in death though, but in life.
    Mr. Speaker, unless other hon. Members want to debate this matter, I
    would suggest that you put the Question.
    Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (NPP - Suame) 1:20 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I rise to associate myself with this motion on the floor.
    Mr. Speaker, I believe it is a happy occasion that at the end of it all, this Bill has come before us. My happiness ensues from the fact that this is really a novel Bill and it is going to help strengthen particularly the oversight responsibilities of Parliament.
    I am sad because my hon. Colleague who just spoke has intimated, that the person who is shepherding this Bill through Parliament most likely - in fact, he initiated it and he is shepherding it as well through Parliament. It is unfortunate that most likely he may not be with us in the next Parliament, perhaps, in some other capacity but as a Member of Parliament, he may not be with us.
    Mr. Speaker, I believe this is a landmark Bill and ever since I have been in this House, we have always bemoaned the weakness in the system that Parliament every now and then, has to go to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning cap in hand begging for resources to fill the kitty of Parliament to enable us perform the basic functions of Parliament.
    Today, Mr. Speaker, as per the Bill before us, if this Bill is passed by Parliament, and I have no shred of doubt in my mind that Parliament is going to execute this task in all sincerity, with due alacrity to enable us have this autonomy that we think the Parliament of ghana deserves.
    Mr. Speaker, the judiciary as an arm of government is given this power to present its estimates to the President and
    the President has to return the estimates to Parliament without any amendment. If he has any recommendations, he would put down those recommendations on paper and submit same to Parliament for Parliament to act on it and the memo- randum captures this sentiment. Mr. Speaker, when they refer to article 127 (1), article 127 (1) says and I beg to quote:
    “In the exercise of the judicial power of ghana, the judiciary, in both its judicial and administrative func-tions, including financial adminis-tration, is subject only to this Constitution and shall not be subject to the control or direction of any person or authority.”
    Mr. Speaker, article 127 (7) says and with your indulgence, I want to quote that portion as well:
    “For the purposes of clause (1) of this article, “financial adminis- tration” includes the operation of banking facilities by the judiciary without the interference of any person or authority, other than for the purposes of audit by the Auditor-general, of the funds voted by Parliament or charged on the Consolidated Fund by this Constitution or any other law, for the purposes of defraying the expenses of the judiciary in respect of which the funds were voted or charged.”
    Mr. Speaker, subsequent to this, article 179 (3) of the Constitution states and without any equivocation, Mr. Speaker, I beg to quote:
    “The Chief justice shall, in consul- tation with the judicial Council, cause to be submitted to the President at least two months before the end of each financial year, and thereafter as and when the needs
    Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (NPP - Suame) 1:30 p.m.


    arises --

    (a) the estimates of administrative expenses of the judiciary charged on the Consolidated Fund under article 127 of this Constitution; and

    (b) estimates of development expenditure of the judiciary.”

    Mr. Speaker, what is most relevant is 179 ( 5). The estimates that is so prepared and laid before Parliament under clause (4) by the President --

    “The estimates shall be laid before Parliament under clause (4) by the President without revision but with any recommendations that the government may have on them.”

    Mr. Speaker, I think if Parliament is clothed with this power, preparing our own estimates, sending it to the President and the President not being in a position to amend it, except of course to proffer any recommendations, I believe this is the way to grow Parliament and it is happy news for us that this Bill, after all the tortuous journey that we have embarked upon in 16 years has come to Parliament.

    Mr. Speaker, I pray that all our Colleagues would support this Bill. I believe it will be a very useful step to clothing Parliament with the relevant muscle to properly oversight the Executive all in pursuit of good, responsible and accountable government.

    Mr. Speaker, I thank you for your indulgence.
    Mr. F. W. A. Blay (CPP -- Ellembelle) 1:30 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I also rise to associate myself with the mover and seconder of this
    important Bill. I also take the opportunity to congratulate the Majority Leader (Mr. Abraham Ossei Aidooh) who has worked assiduously to ensure that this Bill is brought before us.
    Mr. Speaker, I know that the Bill is a very simple and straightforward one but extremely important -- important in the way that it is contributing towards the entrenchment of democracy and the empowerment of this institution. Since the Fourth Republic, Mr. Speaker, we are now almost moving into the sixteenth year of our parliamentary democracy and for that reason anything that ought to be done to make sure that Parliament assumes its responsibility without any hindrance is done, and in this case, I am very happy that it has come to that.
    Indeed, we praise not just the Majority Leader who has done that, but the President, for ensuring that this Bill is passed before even he leaves office.
    Mr. Speaker, through you one will extend his thanks to the President because he himself has been a parliamentarian before and he has realized that this Bill is important to ensure that Parliament retains its independence and plays its oversight responsibility.
    Mr. Speaker, my own feeling is that, yes, let us have the trinity of power doing its work in terms of governance - I am talking about the judiciary, of course, the Executive and then we ourselves constituting the Legislature. There had been a little problem over time, Mr. Speaker, with regard to how -- Empower-ment is not just entrenching it in the Constitution and leaving it as such because whatever you do, it is a question of funding, the money, what you do; how much is the purse.
    If it comes to sharing it, how do you access it? Is it subject to the Executive
    whims? Is it subject to the wishes of the Executive? Is it subject to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning which invariably would invite the other Ministries, the MDAs to come for budget hearing and then of course, depending on what is available you could be allocated some portions of the kitty?
    The issue that beats our minds and the issue that is agitating our minds as some people are even raising is how do we go about it? Under some other jurisdictions, accessing the kitty is based on some arithmetical or some proportional agreement which the organs of govern- ment come to. We are talking about the judiciary, the Executive and the Legis- lature. How do you access it?
    I would wish that this be a very good opportunity if we even draw that one into consideration and then make certain arrangements that assuming today we have a gH¢100 in the kitty, or revenue we expect, what has come to be called the governance institutions, or democratic institutions like the National Electoral Commission (NEC), the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative justice (CHRAj), judiciary, and of course, Parliament; what kind of percentage do they have out of this gH¢100 assuming we even want to share it? Is it subject to what the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning would decide or there should be a formula for it?
    Mr. Speaker, for some of us, we think there ought to be a formula for it so that if this year we do not have much and we have only gH¢50 million, so to speak, can Parliament be entitled to one per cent of it, or can Parliament be entitled to half per cent of it? These are some of the issues that I believe we could also consider along- side. If my hon. Colleagues here agree then of course, we could take the
    opportunity that whilst we are making this amendment, we also consider that.
    On the other hand, it is a very good step, it is progressive, it is good that we will now have our own budget and not that we will submit it just as my dear Colleague, the Deputy Majority Leader (Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) said. From the way I have read it, it is not that when you prepare it you present it to the President -- the President definitely would have his comments on it.
    But it is not like the judiciary where you present and then it is presented to the President. We present it and then we will consider it but of course, subject to the comments that would be made on it by the President himself.
    I think it is a very good idea, I praise the government for doing that. I praise the NPP government for doing that. I praise the President, and Mr. Speaker, you also, if the history comes to be written it is in your time within these 16 years that this thing has been done. We thank also the Majority Leader for championing it.
    Mr. F. A. Agbotse (NDC -- Ho West) 1:30 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, the first thing that has come into my mind is to let ghanaians read this Bill before the serial callers and the commentators start commenting on it. Most of the time things from Parliament concerning parliamentarians, the press do not digest them, but the comments we hear about them are so damaging as if we are here only to see to our comfort. Let them read the Bill, the law, before they make their comments, that is number one.
    Number two, I have been in this House for almost 12 years. Within those 12 years, I have been in the Committee for Legal, Parliamentary and Constitutional Affairs. What comes to us for the judiciary is always what the Ministry of Finance and
    Mr. F. A. Agbotse (NDC -- Ho West) 1:30 p.m.


    Economic Planning wants, not what is presented to the President.

    I am saying it on authority. I have been here for the past 12 years. I have always been in that committee. Then you see a letter from Mr. j. H. Mensah saying “these are the comments of the President”. These are the things that happen. I hope now that this is coming, the Parliamentary Service would be considered, whatever they present would go to the President and come back to this House as what we presented and not what the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has decided should be what the Parliamentary Service should get.
    rose
    Mr. Speaker 1:30 p.m.
    Deputy Majority Leader, do you have a point of order?
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:30 p.m.
    Yes, Mr. Speaker. The hon. Member's position that he espoused is not really the correct position. Mr. Speaker, I chaired the Special Budget Committee and we considered the estimates and what happened was that their own request was submitted to us and the one that was agreed on -- because there was a dialogue between the judiciary and the Office of the President and they came to some amicable resolution of the matter and brought what I may call a compromise. It was not a dictation from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
    Mr. Speaker 1:30 p.m.
    Deputy Majority
    Leader, are you contributing or it is a point of order?
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:40 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, it is incorrect the position he is adopting that the budget of the judiciary represents what has been dictated by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
    Mr. Francis Agbotse 1:40 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I am saying that I have been in the Committee for almost 12 years. Whatever comes to us is what the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning sends to us. We normally have to go to the judiciary to collect what they send to the President. The hon. Deputy Majority Leader has not been with the Committee. I am saying that that is what we receive, and I am sure about what I am saying. Mr. Ebenezer A. Djietror, who is at the Clerks' Table has been our clerk, he should also know.
    Mr. J. Y. Chireh (NDC -- Wa West) 1:40 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to make a few comments on the motion.
    First of all, I am very happy that this initiative has been started and I would urge everybody to support the motion.
    Beyond that, I have also discussed with the promoters of the Bill that there is the need for us to add some subclause which makes whatever is voted on by Parliament as our budget be released just as in the case of the judiciary in quarterly instalment, so that this whole idea of every time applying in every month does not arise.
    Mr. Speaker, there is something else more fundamental that I want to raise and just for the future. It is because currently, we have Act 300, which is the Parliament
    Act of ghana. This Act, more or less, talks about everybody in Parliament including the staff. We have a Parliamentary Service Act and if one reads the two Acts, there is some little lingering doubt as to what is the Parliamentary Service.
    Is the Parliamentary Service; like Statistical Service' for the civil servants there? the Parliamentary Service for the staff of Parliament and their conditions of service. Or does it cover Mr. Speaker and all of us hon. Members of Parliament? Are the things related to this?
    But in the Act that I am referring to, Act 300 which is still on our statutes books -- at least, I know that it has been revised and adopted by this Parliament. What is important is that we must look at building Parliament into an independent institution just like the judiciary. And that is why I am saying that we should in future look at the two of them. And then we have, what I would call, a Parliament Act or a Parliamentary Service Act that deals with everybody else. If one looks at the current Parliamentary Service Act, it is very scanty on hon. Members of Parliament and Mr. Speaker. But we must also now establish it to make sure that we have a Parliamentary Service Act that deals with everybody's emoluments. Even though it is in the Constitution, we need to put it again to avoid any doubts as to who qualifies to be given what.
    Again, if we marry the two Acts and bring out one, then we will also have the solidarity of our staff. Everybody's conditions of service will be properly spelt out and our working relationships will be clear.
    Mr. Speaker, since the passage of the Parliamentary Service Act, I do not think that any regulations have been made under
    it. At least, my attention has not been drawn to it and I have tried to search for it since the past few days to be sure.
    Again, in this present Parliamentary Service Act there is a place for making regulations to delineate the divisions properly and assign duties and do things that are proper. We are currently operating with the Standing Orders and they, we know, are also subsidiary in legislation. But an Act of Parliament which will properly do all these and clarify the issues for us will be better. And the public will also read our Act, like any other Act, instead of the Standing Orders, which people believe are only for hon. Members of Parliament and the work we do here.
    I think that this one is a good move and it is one way of making sure that we operate as a Parliament and, as we say, not always being dictated to by some other forces or authorities outside us.
    I have heard a lot of people argue about the fact that Members of Parliament are members of the Executive and that is why normally there cannot be a good decision. So I ask them, what about the case of Britain where everybody else must be a Member of Parliament before becoming a Minister? How does that work?
    Are they saying that at that place, there is no debate, and in that case, people do not take critical positions? Then one goes to the other extreme case of the United States where if one is a member of the Congress, one cannot be a Secretary or a Minister for that matter. So the issue is, if we are sure we have clearly defined positions, and we are sure of our sources of money, then we can be more vigilant.
    Currently, one can see that parlia- mentary committees cannot even function properly. We cannot do monitoring. We have approved so many loans but who is
    Mr. Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    Hon. Minister for
    Parliamentary Affairs, you may wish to wind up.
    Mr. Aidooh 1:40 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I must say that I am impressed by my hon. Colleagues comments on this Bill. As we have been told and we all know, it is a first step and by all means, if the Bill is passed into Law it will help to make Parliament more independent and more vibrant in its duties.
    Now, as regards the issue of releases, this Bill is about the budgetary process and not implementation. And I would urge hon. Members to let us confine ourselves to the object of the Bill and get it passed. I am sure there are other opportunities for us, those who will be here next Parliament, to pass a better and an all-encompassing legislation. But this Bill is well focused in its ambit -- just to elevate Parliament in its budgetary process to the level of the judiciary so that the organs of govern- ment are equal and co-ordinate so that we are elevated from this quagmire of being treated for the past so many years as mere Ministry or department.
    On that note, Mr. Speaker, I thank all hon. Members for their support.
    Question put and motion agreed to.
    The Parliamentary Service (Amend- ment) Bill was accordingly read a Second time.
    Mr. Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    Item 17, page 8 -- Northern Development Fund Bill at the Consideration Stage?
    BILLS -- CONSIDERATION 1:40 p.m.
    STAGE 1:40 p.m.
  • [Resumption of Consideration from 3/11/08]
    • Mr. J. Y. Chireh 1:40 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 6, subclause (1), paragraph (c), delete and insert the following:
    “ (c) one representative from each region of the North nominated by the respective Regional Co-ordinat ing Council.”
    Dr. A. A. Osei 1:40 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, we had consultations with all the key people yesterday and we are all in agreement with this amendment.
    Mr. Speaker 1:40 p.m.
    You are in agreement?
    Dr. Osei 1:40 p.m.
    Yes.
    Mr. Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    That is good.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 6 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.

    Clause 8 --Tenure of office of members.

    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I crave your indulgence to drop this proposed amendment, the reason being that if we adopt the proposed amendment, it would seek to make members permanent, which is not the intent of the drafters of section

    8. It is abandoned.

    Clause 8 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

    Clause 12 -- Stakeholder Co-ordinating Committee.

    Nii Adu Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 12, subclause (2), paragraph (g), delete and insert the following:

    “(g) three persons, one each represen- ting the National Development Planning Commission, the Ministry responsible for Finance, and the Ministry responsible for Local government.”

    This is the new rendition. After consulting with hon. Members, we agreed to adopt it.

    Question put and amendment agreed

    to. Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to

    move, clause 12, subclause (2), add a new paragraph as follows:

    “ ( i ) t h r e e p e r s o n s f r o m t h e North representing elected Members of Parliament, selected by the Northern Parliamentary Caucus and reflecting majority and minority representations on the caucus.”

    This is the proposed new subclause

    which we thought was in order and would reflect the passions of members of the Northern Parliamentary caucus.
    Mr. Chireh 1:50 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, first of all, the understanding we reached yesterday was that this should not have been listed for the Chairman to move the motion; I should have moved my motion which
    represented the consensus that we arrived at. But since I have a similar motion, and essentially is talking about the same thing, except the nominating authority, and we sought of agreed. So maybe, the Chairman would not mind withdrawing his for me to move mine.
    Mr. Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    Chairman, what do you say to that; you have two amendments?
    Nii Mante: I have only one amend- ment. It is interesting to hear my good friend. If he believes that what has been captured by the Chairman of the Commit- tee addresses his concerns, he must let it be part of the Committee's amendment.
    Mr. Chireh 1:50 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I also beg to move,
    “three persons from the North re- presenting Members of Parliament nominated by each regional parlia- mentary caucus.”
    The reason I am saying this is that we have in the Upper West Region, a regional parliamentary caucus, in the Upper East Region, regional parliamentary caucus and Northern Region, Northern Regional Parliamentary Caucus. All the decisions we take as northern caucus are re-presentational; we ask our chairmen to meet and take a collective decision. But we are practising democracy and I want somebody to represent me and it is my chairman or people I ask as the Northern Caucus to go and nominate the person.
    We have always insisted that each region, each co-ordinating council, each District Assembly -- So the point we are making is that if you talk about re- presentation, each regional parliamentary caucus which exists and works closely should be the one nominating. They talk about majority and minority. In relation to Parliament as we are seated today or
    Mr. Aidooh 1:50 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I am inclined to support the last amendment. But in order to allay the fears of the Chairman, the way it is couched all the three can come from one political party. Talking about Members of Parliament from the regional causes, the way it is couched, all can come from one party in Parliament and others would be sidelined. So I would want to further amend his proposal by adding:
    “provided that not more than one or two may come from one political party”.
    That way, one party cannot use its dominance to get all the three persons on the committee. So I would further amend the amendment to the effect that we shall have a proviso that not more than one or two may come from the same political party.
    Dr. A. Y. Alhassan 1:50 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker,
    I think that the Majority Leader has spoken but I still think it is just another way of putting the Chairman's proposal
    through. If it is just to serve on a board, that is to ensure that a particular fund works well, I do not see why the regional caucuses should be caged, why they cannot meet and reasonably decide who should represent them adequately, but they have to be caged into deciding that they must come from particular political groupings.
    I think that is unnecessary. Otherwise, it is probably not necessary to even say that the regional caucus should decide. If they are worth deciding, then they should be worth deciding rather than telling them they must take decisions this way or the other. I think political consideration should be toned down to allow merit of the representation of the caucus on the board to prevail.
    Mr. Speaker 1:50 p.m.
    We shall have an extended Sitting.
    Dr. Osei 1:50 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, yesterday we talked about this and this issue is coming up again. First of all, it is not the board that we are talking about, it is the stakeholder coordinating committee and there is a sense if you look at the clause carefully of trying to assure strong stakeholder ownership.
    The Majority Leader is simply saying that since they are Members of Parliament they need some guarantee that it is not coming from only one party and that is why the Chairman's language was used there. But that proviso that the Majority Leader is offering is to assure that the caucus does not send only Members coming from one party. I think it is a fair thing to say, at least, there is going to be some guarantee that -- you cannot have all, but you should not have all of them coming from one party.
    That is the concern, that because you are talking about Members of Parliament being nominated and if you do not put the
    proviso, we can have only one party being represented here and it would not fully represent all stakeholders in this concern. If my senior colleague Member for Wa West, hon. Chireh would agree to have this provision, I think it would serve the interest of everybody.
    Mr. Chireh 1:50 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, when you are making a law and you look at the circumstances now and make that law, it may be useful. But-- [Interruptions.] It may be useful. I say three persons representing the three northern regions, and it may either be Members of Parliament who would go there or it may not even be Members of Parliament. There is no politics in the matter.
    What he is suggesting to me is that even if the New Patriotic Party (NPP) wins all the seats in the North, they must necessarily find a National Democratic Congress (NDC) man to come and represent them and that is not proper. His further amendment is to that effect; that is, you must make sure that at least one person or -- That is how I understood it -- [Interruption.] Please, let me finish my point. So the point I am making is that -- [Interruption.]
    Mr. Aidooh 2 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, his own analysis is that he is not confining the nominees to Members of Parliament. So if NPP wins all the seats in the North as it will happen in the next elections, we can take members from outside Parliament. From his argument you are not expecting all the nominees to come from Parliament. So a party that has all Members of Parliament coming from the North may still appoint members from outside Parliament under his rendition.
    Mr. Chireh 2 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I am saying
    that unless we do not want to practise democracy -- Democracy requires that when people are in a caucus, they should take the decisions affecting them and the smaller the unit as we practise decentralization the better. So I now find it extremely difficult that -- The thing is not talking about current situation. We are talking about if the committee meets, the caucus meets and decides that this person can best represent our interest and discuss things at the forum, it is good for us.
    The other point I want to make is that this is a committee of the Board, unlike a forum. It is a committee of the Board and that is why we struggled yesterday to make sure that voting members are clearly defined as against those who were in attendance. So I am still saying that because this is a committee of the Board and we are practising democracy, it is only proper that people who are to be represented are the ones chosen.
    If we say we should hold a whole Northern caucus meeting and decide on such a matter, it will be unwieldy and it does not go in line with what the Bill itself is saying. The Bill always says the Regional Co-coordinating Council, the Regional House of Chiefs and all that then it comes to Parliament and it must be a Northern Parliamentary caucus. I think that I still urge my hon. Colleagues to understand the position and for us to be seen to be consistent in this Bill to vote for my motion.
    Mr. Speaker 2 p.m.
    Chairman of the
    Committee, what is it? We do not want to waste too much time on this.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I entirely
    disagree with the position taken by my good friend. Mr. Speaker, the moment we start talking about parliamentary caucus, naturally we would be talking about parties, differences in opinion, shades of
    Mr. Speaker 2 p.m.


    opinion and that is what is being reflected in my amendment, and what the Deputy Majority Leader also said confirms the position the Committee took on that.

    In his case, we would not know how the selection process may be. It may be one-sided and this is what we are trying to avoid because we are in a democratic institution. So we should try to avoid that and make the selection a bit democratic, hence the position taken by the Chairman of the Committee.
    Dr. Alhassan 2 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, if it is
    a stakeholder committee, the definition for “stakeholder” in this particular case, I believe is the regional groupings. If we further break it down to political groupings, I think we would be confusing the Committee's work. I just do not see why the Regional Parliamentary Caucus cannot sit and nominate somebody to represent them on a committee but have to be dictated to by this amendment that that person must come from a particular political grouping or the other.
    It is completely unnecessary. It is superfluous. Let the regional groupings reasonably sit down as a caucus which involves all the political parties, anyway, to decide this fellow has merits and can represent us on the committee. Since that has happened to all the other agencies, why the particular case of hon. Members of Parliament? I do not see what the fears are on the other side.
    Dr. Osei 2 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, the problem
    is that they are supposed to represent Members of Parliament, and Members of Parliament come from different parties. If we took out Members of Parliament, I would not have that problem. But we are asking them to represent Members of Parliament who come from at least three
    or four parties. So we do not want only one party to be represented. Members of Parliament by definition come from different political parties and as he said they are not doing this because of now.
    As the Majority Leader said, suppo- sing as I expect the NPP will win all the Upper East seats and then if that happens you give us the chance to elect only NPP; and we say we do not want that. So that is the concern, that as long as they represent Members of Parliament, let us provide room so that at least even if there is not the dominance by one party -- it would not represent all stakeholders.
    Mr. Speaker 2 p.m.
    Chairman, you insist on
    that, is that not it?
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, that is so.
    Mr. Speaker 2 p.m.
    Hon. Members, we
    have two amendments to this and we have to vote on them if we cannot reach any agreement. I thought we should.
    Hon. Members, while we are trying to
    put our heads together, let us take the other one if there is no problem with it.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to
    move, clause 12, (2), insert the following:
    “(3) The Committee may co-opt
    o ff i ce r s f rom Min i s t r i e s , Departments and Agencies, and any other persons to attend its meetings but the officers or person shall have no voting rights.”
    Mr. Chireh 2 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I think
    this amendment is in order because it addresses the issue of subclause (2) (g) which we earlier voted on. If we look at the provision of the Bill, it wants some co-operation particularly between the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and this forum. Therefore, if we limit it to only three agencies as we are indicating the subclause (2) (g), it will be necessary now sometimes to co-opt other MDAs for fuller understanding and
    explanation of issues. So I think that all hon. Members should support it and vote for it.
    Mr. Speaker 2 p.m.
    Hon. Members, we are standing clause 12 (2) down.
    Let us move on to item 18 -- Borrowers
    and Lenders Bill.
    BILLS -- CONSIDERATION 2:10 p.m.
    STAGE 2:10 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker 2:10 p.m.
    Institution of state?
    Nii Mante: Thank you, Mr. Speaker;
    that is the correction.
    Clause 1 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 2 -- Meaning of credit agree- ment.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to
    move, clause 2, delete and insert the following:
    “Meaning of Credit Agreement
    2. For the purposes of this Act, a credit agreement is an agreement in the nature of a credit facility, a credit transaction, a credit guarantee or
    Mr. Speaker 2:20 p.m.


    any combination of these in which the lender

    (a) resides or has its principal office within or outside the country;

    (b) is an institution of State;

    (c) is an entity controlled by an institution or State; or

    (d) is an entity created by an enactment.”

    Question put and amendment agreed

    to.

    Clause 2 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.

    Clause 3 -- Meaning of credit facility.

    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 3, line 1, delete “provides” and insert “is” which we think is a bit elegant.

    Question put and amendment agreed to.

    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 3, paragraph (a), line 1, delete “pay” and insert “lend”. It is a typographical error.

    Question put and amendment agreed to.

    Clause 3 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.

    Clause 4 -- Meaning of credit transaction.

    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 4, paragraph (d), delete “leave” and insert “lease” so that it will read:

    “a finance or operating lease”.

    Question put and amendment agreed to.

    Clause 4 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.

    Clause 5 -- Meaning of credit guaran- tee.

    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 5, line 1, after “credit” delete “agreement” and insert “guarantee”.

    We thought that this also was as a result of the devil's eye.

    Question put and amendment agreed to.

    Clause 5 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.

    Clause 6 -- Functions of the Bank of ghana.

    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to

    move, clause 6, subclause (1), paragraph (a), line 2, delete “and industry”.

    Question put and amendment agreed to

    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move,

    clause 6, subclause (1), paragraph (f), delete “notices” and insert “orders”, which we thought on the advice of the proponents of the Bill to be the right word.

    Question put and amendment agreed to
    Mr. Speaker 2:20 p.m.
    Chairman of the Commit-tee -- Clause 6, item xiii.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to
    move, clause 6, subclause (1), paragraph (h), line 1, after “report” insert “to the Minister”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to
    Clause 6 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr. Dzirasah 2:20 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, if we may revert to page 5, clause 6, subclause (1). At the Committee level, we agreed that the following shall be deleted, the first line, “in furtherance of this Act . . .” It has not been captured in the proposed amend- ment for the simple reason that all these are in furtherance of the Act. So to put it there will just be either tautological or a simple repetition of it. If you can recall, I have my records and we have deleted that.
    Mr. Chireh 2:20 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, it is not
    the correct position. At first we tried to delete it but when you want to look at the role the Bank of ghana is to play in furtherance of this Act, not the general -- If you remove it, it will look as if it is the general functions of the Bank of ghana, but it is in furtherance of this Act. So, we debated it and agreed that it should remain. That is what I remember.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, with the greatest respect that was the position.
    Mr. Speaker 2:20 p.m.
    What is the position please?
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, we will
    retain it.
    Clauses 7 and 8 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 9 -- Examination by Bank of ghana.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move,
    clause 9, subclause 4, delete “afford” and insert “give” so that it may read as follows:
    “A lender, a borrower, or other person shall give the Bank of ghana access, not afford the Bank of ghana access.”
    Question put and amendment agreed to
    Clause 9 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    MR. FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
    Still on clause 10 -- Chairman of the Committee?
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 10, subclause (2), paragraph (b), line 1, delete “those” and insert “the”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to
    Mr. Chireh 2:20 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, whilst supporting it, let me alert you that in (c), we also have the same “those premises”. So I just wanted to add that wherever “those premises” appears, it should be “the”, because in (c ) it was not corrected. I just wanted to draw your attention to it.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
    Do you
    agree to that amendment, Chairman of the Committee?
    Nii Mante: Not wherever the words
    “those premises” occur.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
    Particularly
    in (c ).
    Nii Mante: That is so Mr. Speaker.
    Mr. Dzirasah 2:20 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, in respect
    of clause 10 (1) (d), there was a proposal at the Committee level that we recast it and that clause 10 (1) (d) will then become clause 10 (2). In fact, these things were agreed upon and I am surprised that they

    were not captured.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
    What
    you are saying is that there was a re- arrangement of the paragraphs?
    Mr. Dzirasah 2:20 p.m.
    That is so Mr. Speaker.
    In which event clause 10 (1) (d) ceases to be a subparagraph and now it was going to be clause 10 (2).
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
    Hon.
    Chairman, was that agreed to?
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I may have
    forgotten. However, may I plead with my hon. Colleague that this is a matter for the draftspersons.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
    But we are drawing the attention of the House before they could do so.
    Mr. Dzirasah 2:20 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, my hon. Colleague will be patient so that we consult the draftsperson maybe tomorrow. Even then it was on account of that suggestion that the first line of clause 10 (d), the word “caught” was to replace “count” but it has not been captured in the proposed draft because the two were to be re-arranged.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
    Very well,
    let us stand it down a little so that by tomorrow that could be sorted out.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I thought
    there was a further amendment. Probably, let me draw your attention to clause 10 sub- paragraph (3):
    “The power conferred under subsection (1).”
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:30 p.m.
    Hon. Chairman, we stood down, we deferred the consideration of clause 10.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I do not know whether it was on the entire clause 10, that
    is why I am drawing your attention to it.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:30 p.m.
    Since we
    deferred its consideration, we could take them all at the same time later. Clause 11.
    Clause 11 -- Power of court to make certain orders.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 11, subclause (1), line 2, delete “of rights”.
    We thought it was misplaced.
    Mr. Dzirasah 2:30 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I do not see why it is being deleted. If he can explain, because if you delete it, that sentence becomes incomplete.
    Mr. Chireh 2:30 p.m.
    It was deleted because we are not talking about rights of anybody there. We are talking about the infringe- ment under the law and if you bring in “rights”, it does not sit in well with the provision. It is the infringement under the law and the infringement can take any form not necessarily abusing somebody's right in this matter.
    Question put and amendment agreed
    to.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 11, subclause (1), line 2, at end, delete “has”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 11, subclause (1), paragraph (a), before “committed” insert “has”.
    Mr. Chireh 2:30 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, it is just
    that the Chairman is making his work difficult. It is something to do with the drafting because that word “has” ought to have been “has committed” but they put it
    ahead, so I think it is in order that we have done the amendment.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:30 p.m.
    So what
    you are proposing is that we leave it to the drafting person? Chairman, what is your problem?
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, at times, he just wants to talk.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:30 p.m.
    That is
    very offensive. Do not say that. Hon. Chireh has been making very useful contributions.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I am not disputing that but what I am saying is that instead of saying I support it, he is rather prolonging matters. Mr. Speaker, it is deep past 2.00 (o'clock) and you will notice that I have intentionally kept standing not to be sitting down and standing up and down. It will affect the whole con-figuration of hon. Nii Adu Daku Mante.
    Mr. Chireh 2:30 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, first of all, the unfair comments he has made about me, I have forgiven him because I believe in jesus Christ.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:30 p.m.
    He has already said that.
    Mr. Chireh 2:30 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I was helping him to finish his work quickly. I did not want him to prolong it and now he is angry with me. Maybe, this is the time for us to call it a day.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:30 p.m.
    Are you provoked by what they have said?
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 11 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clauses 12 and 13 ordered to stand part
    of the Bill.
    Clause 14 - Protection against
    discrimination in respect of credit.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 14, subclause (1), line 2, delete “six, tribe” and insert “gender, ethnicity”.
    This will be in conformity with the same words in the Constitution of this country.
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:30 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I will go for it. I thought they collapsed the two “sex, tribe” into one, a “gender” but I now see “ethnicity”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 14, subclause (1), paragraph (f), line 2, delete “applicable legislation” and insert “any legislation relating to credit”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 14 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 15 -- Delivery of documents.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 15, line 1, delete “shall” and insert “may”.
    We thought this was a bit permissive than the mandatory word “shall” so that it will read:

    “ A lender may deliver a document required to be delivered to a borrower”.
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:40 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, may the hon. Chairman explain the reason for that.
    In my opinion, a lender is obliged to deliver a document required to any borrower by any of these processes; he is obliged to do that. So why is he saying that he “may” do that? There is an obligation; he is supposed to deliver a document to a borrower in person, by ordinary mail, by fax, by electronic mail, by printable word page or any other means of the borrower's choice. He is obliged to do that but he may resort to any of these methods.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I would wind up on that but I would ask hon. Members to respond before.
    Mr. Dzirasah 2:40 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, if you put
    “shall” then it means that the lender shall deliver in person and in addition, deliver by ordinary mail, in addition deliver by fax, and in addition because of the “or” that is at the end of (e).
    Mr. Chireh 2:50 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, as I have
    been saying, this honourable man wants to be a lawyer but he is talking about grammar now. Because there are alter- natives, he thought that the word should be “may”. But from what he is explaining, I seem to now agree with him because the obligation is for him to deliver a document. However, he does it, is secondary. So the “shall” there is an obligation for him to deliver a document but as to the method, this one would not go and qualify.
    You remember, I always tell him that where the word appears is more important because this one is qualifying the delivery of a document, not the process by which
    that document is delivered. In some of these cases, they are not actually documents in terms of paper or some- thing; they may be electronic and all that. So I think we should leave it as it is; we should not amend it.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I agree to the
    hon. Member's suggestion.
    Question put and amendment nega- tived.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to
    move, clause 15, paragraph (f), delete “of the borrowers choice” and insert “agreed between the lender and the borrower”
    We thought this is a safer way of dealing with the clause.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 15 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 16 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 17-- Confidentiality, personal information and borrower credit records.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to
    move, clause 17, at end, add “or by a court”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 17 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 18 -- Re-arrangement dis- closure
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 18, subclause (1), line 3, delete “first”.
    Question put and amendment agreed
    to.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 18, subclause (2), paragraph (a), delete “debt” and insert “amount”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.

    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 18, subclause (2), paragraph (b), delete “distribution” and insert “disburse-ment schedule”.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    Why disbursement schedule.
    rose
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    Hon.
    Chireh, do you want to help him?
    Mr. Chireh 2:50 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, that is why
    I was indicating that - the point I want to make is that in his own amendment, he has “disbursement schedule”, unless he now wants to drop the “schedule”, he should tell us.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    Chairman,
    do you want to drop the word “schedule”?
    Nii Mante: I want it to read “disburse-
    ment schedule”.
    Question put and amendment agreed to
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to
    move, clause 18, subclause (2), add a new paragraph as follows:
    “ ( g ) t h e p r o p o s e d
    repayment schedule”.
    rose
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    Hon.
    Deputy Majority Leader, are you against it or you have some other amendments to it?
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:50 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I am all for that, except to say that, looking at the chronology of the items listed, I believe it cannot be (g) but I will propose to the Chairman that we leave that to the draftspersons for them to fit it where it is suitable. I think that (g) may not be the proper place for it. But we leave it for the drafters.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    So you want it to be referred to the drafting office so that you could find a way of inserting that? I think that is not harmful and we should agree to that.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 18, subclause (3), line 1, delete “commits an offence and” and at end of line 2, add “imposed by the Bank of ghana”.
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:50 p.m.
    Mr.
    Speaker, I think a breach of clause 18 (1) and (2), constitutes an offence; that is my opinion about it. So why should he say that we should delete the words “commits an offence”? We are saying if a person breaches those portions, the person is liable to an administrative sanction, but it is an offence in the first place; so why should you say that it should be dropped? I am not too sure if the Chairman could explain.
    Mr. Chireh 2:50 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, because we
    want administrative sanctions, if you say “commits an offence” then it can only be under a crime that such a thing could be done. So “contravenes” is the adminis- trative thing, contravene is committing an offence and there are the sanctions. This was the reason why “commits an offence” was removed and for the Bank to be able to impose administrative sanctions.
    Mr. Chireh 2:50 p.m.


    Question put and amendment agreed to

    Clause 18 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.

    Clause 19 - Marketing information.

    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 19, subclause (2), line 1, delete “in-person”.

    Mr. Speaker, you will notice that it is a

    typographical error, so we are taking out those words, “in person” out of the whole provision to make the reading much more clearer and meaningful.
    Mr. Chireh 2:50 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I agree with the amendment but I have an amendment before then, so do not put the Question for the whole clause.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    You are
    ordering the Chair?
    Mr. Chireh 2:50 p.m.
    I am not ordering the
    Chair; how can I order the Speaker?
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    Well, let
    us take this one and you can come up with your amendment.
    Question put and amendment agreed
    to.
    Mr. Chireh 2:50 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, if you look
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
    So what
    do you propose?
    Mr. Chireh 2:50 p.m.
    I propose that it should be “any written invitation to a person to apply for” instead of “solicitation to induce”.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    Hon.
    Chireh, we are with you. Will you address the Chair instead of looking elsewhere?
    Mr. Chireh 3 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I withdraw the amendment.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    That is
    all right. Clause 19 as amended ordered to stand
    part of the Bill.
    Clause 20 -- Borrower's or guarantors
    right to settle agreement.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to
    move, clause 20, headnote, delete “right to settle agreement” and insert “oblication”.
    Mr. Speaker, we saw this to be a mis-take. It should be “borrower's or guaran-tor's obligation” and not “right to settle agreement” hence the proposed amend-ment.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 20 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 21 - Collateral Registry
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 21, line 1, delete “to”.
    Mr. Speaker, so that it would read 3 p.m.
    “there is established by this Act a registry known as the Collateral Registry.”
    Mr. Speaker, so the word “to” be taken out.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 21 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 22 is ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clause 23 -- Functions of the Registry.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to
    move, clause 23, line 1, “charges” insert
    “or collateral and perform other functions as determined by the Bank of ghana”.
    Mr. Speaker, I think this is a proper rendition than as it has been earlier on couched.
    Mr. Chireh 3 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, if you look behind me, in particular and behind the Leadership there, we are talking about a very important Bill. So I would urge that -- given the way the Chairman is moving the proposed amendments and not even putting after “charges” and he is talking as if we are deleting the “charges” and re-substituting, we should call it a day and have a fresh mind tomorrow to go through this Bill. Mr. Speaker, I beg of you.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    Hon.
    Chireh, I appreciate the point and the concern you have raised, especially after considering the fact that you have been here and doing a lot of work alongside other hon. Members is very well appreciated. But you know the circums- tances under which we are working; we want to finish with this particular Bill at the Consideration Stage and then we shall have more time for other more contro- versial issues as they may come up.
    So I will, in the Chair, plead with you that you bear with us and let us go through this Bill in spite of everything, in spite of the way you see the Chairman of the Committee behaving or as you think he is tired, which I do not think so, because the Chairman is doing very well. So let
    us continue, Chairman of the Committee?
    rose
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    Hon. Members, I believe I put the Question but it was not agreed to before the interruption, so I would do that unless the hon. Deputy Majority Leader has any other suggestion to make.
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, it is just a minor correction. After the word “charges” we are deleting all the words after “charges” -- [Interruption.]
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    We are not deleting, we are only inserting.
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3 p.m.
    No, Mr.
    Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is what he did not put appropriately which occasioned the intervention by hon. Chireh. After the word “charges” we are deleting all the words, that is what it means but he did not put it appropriately. So the proposed amendment to clause 23 would now read:
    “the Registry shall register charges or collateral and perform other functions as determined by the Bank of ghana.”
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    You are
    right.
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3 p.m.
    But Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to make a minor correction which would read as follows:
    “all collateral and perform other functions determined by the Bank of ghana.”
    There should not be any “as”.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
    Hon.
    Members, do you agree with him that it should be “determined” instead of “as determined”?
    Mr. Chireh 3 p.m.
    I do not agree with him:
    “as determined” is the right thing. It

    should be as they determine and not just determined. It must be “as they deter- mine”.

    With the amendment he has proposed, that is correct, because we have to delete the rest of the words “in a manner” and then replace all by this new rendition, that is correct. But as to “as determined” we have said so several times; we have “as determined by the Board,” “as the Board determines”. In this case, what type of grammar is the hon. Member using? Is it verb or adverb or modifier or whatever? So Mr. Speaker, “as determined” is the most appropriate.
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:10 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, my hon. Colleague is talking about consistency. I have just looked at clause 19 (1)(h) and it reads:
    “any other information determined by the Bank of ghana”
    not
    “as determined by the Bank of ghana.”
    If we go back, we have done that in many other places, so I am wondering why he is saying that for that provision alone, we should have “as determined”. But Mr. Speaker, I believe this is a minor thing, you may take it or leave it.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 23 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.

    Clause 24 -- Appointment of Registrar of charges and collateral

    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to

    move, clause 24, line 2, delete ‘or” and insert “and collateral”. So Mr. Speaker, the new rendition will be:

    “The Bank of ghana shall appoint a person to act as Registrar of charges and collateral on terms and conditions specified in the letter of appointment.”
    Mr. Chireh 3:10 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I agree with
    the amendment and it is just the insertion of “collateral”. But that means that the drafters should take note of the headnotes and put “the appointment of Registrar of charges or collateral” instead of “and collateral.”
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3:10 p.m.
    Chairman of the Committee, do you agree to that?
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I do agree
    because we thought it was the work for the draftsperson, so this is what we said in our meeting.
    Mr. Dzirasah 3:10 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I wanted to relate to what appears to be an appointment of a Registrar to an acting position, the person to act as Registrar. I thought that a more tidy way would be “The Bank of ghana shall appoint a person as Registrar” instead of “to act as Registrar.”
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3:10 p.m.
    Chairman
    of the Committee, what do you say?
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I thought we
    also agreed to remove those words.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3:10 p.m.
    Then in
    that case, I will put the Question --
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:10 p.m.
    Mr.
    Speaker, I really do not understand what we are doing. The amendment proposed says:
    “The Bank of ghana shall appoint a person to act as a Registrar of charges”
    and he is proposing that we delete the word “or” and in its place insert “and collateral.” So we have --
    “The Bank of ghana shall appoint a person to act as Registrar of charges and collateral”
    and then the rest flows. So if we are using the conjunctive, why then do you get up and say that we should amend
    the headnotes and instead of saying “appointment of Registrar of charges and collateral” we rather delete the word “and” and insert “or”? Why should we say so if we are deleting “or”?
    Mr. Chireh 3:10 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I agree
    entirely with him and that is what I was saying. I am saying that, instead of deleting anything, after the word “or”, you see, if you see the word the way it is couched already, “or” is there, then “or on.” So it means that there was an omission of the “collateral” there. So what the Chairman should have moved was to insert “collateral”.
    Now the issue he raised is because, in fact, in this Bill the person is called “collateral registrar” or “collateral registry” and therefore, the “collateral” must always appear in these charges. We could have as well just said “collateral registrar” and then define “collateral” to include “charges”. That is one aspect. That is why in the headnotes we are saying it should be “or collateral”. And then as captured in the main clause, it should be insertion of “collateral” not “and”, it is just “or”. And that is why I am saying that, you see, the brains are hmm-mm-m!
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, let me come
    out very clearly. Mr. Speaker, I said that your Committee was of the opinion that the word “or” should be deleted and “collateral” should be inserted. So it would read as follows:
    “The Bank of ghana shall appoint a person to act as Registrar of char- ges and collateral on terms and conditions specified in the letter of appointment.”
    Then the hon. Member also raised a further amendment and his position was that the words “person to act as registrar” should be deleted.
    Mr. Speaker, further on, another hon.
    Member also raised the issue of an amendment to the headnotes which I accepted and said it should be referred to the draftsperson so that it reads as follows:
    “appointment of a collateral registrar.”
    So of “charges and collateral” would be taken out from the body of the headnotes. This is what I said, Mr. Speaker. I do not think I am tired. If I am tired, Mr. Speaker, I will announce that to you at the appropriate time.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3:20 p.m.
    Do
    you agree to what he has just said, it is important that we have it right? There are quite a number of suggested amendments and which he tried to capture them all, if you agree to that let us leave that to the drafters, and it is in respect not only of the clause itself but even of the headnotes and there are about three amendments that have been suggested; one by hon. Dzirasah “The Bank of ghana shall appoint a Registrar of charges and collateral on terms and conditions specified in the letter of appointment.”
    Question put and amendment agreed to.

    Clause 25 -- Registration of charges.

    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 25, Headnote, at end add “and collateral”.

    So the headnote will read at the end --

    “Registration of charges and collateral”.

    Question put and amendment agreed to.

    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to

    move, clause 25, subclause (3), line 2, delete “and” and insert “as”.

    So that it will read as follows:

    “A charge which is not registered in accordance with subsection (1) is of no effect as security for a borrower's obligations for re-payment of the money.”

    Question put and amendment agreed to.

    Clause 25 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr. Aidooh 3:20 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, all indications are that people are a bit tired and I beg to move that --
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3:20 p.m.
    The hon. Chairman says he is not tired. We are left with a few clauses, let us finish them.
    Hon. Members, I would crave your indulgence that we continue because we are just about to finish.
    Clause 26 -- Procedure on registration.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, clause 26, subclause (2), paragraph (f), delete “short”.
    So that it will read: “. . . particulars of the property charged . . .” not “ . . . short particulars . . .” as captured here.
    Question put and amendment agreed to.
    Clause 26 as amended ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Clauses 27 to 29 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:20 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I rose in respect of clause 26 and we are going through the procedures of registration. We have just informed ourselves that the Registrar shall register the “charges and collateral”. I think what we have seen there is mentioned of only “charges” and I am wondering if there is any place where we have “collateral” under clause 26 and if it is good the way we have done it by not including “collateral” anywhere under the procedure of registration.
    Mr. Chireh 3:20 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I agree entirely with him, that is why I was saying “or collateral”. Because if we want the “charges” to be “collateral” then we say so but if they are separate, we can have registration of only “collateral” or registration of “charges”. But if one looks at what we have done in the previous one, the main clause captures “or” and we are using “and” and that is where I said there was a problem about this.
    From what the hon. Deputy Majority Leader is saying now - I also remember that at the Committee level, it was decided that wherever “charges” appear, it should be “or collateral” because the registry is a collateral registry. That is the point I have been making and I think that wherever we have “charges”, it should not stand alone, unless we want it to include the other one; that will be a neater way of looking at it, and I agree entirely with what he is saying.
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I may agree with my hon. Colleagues.
    Mr. Speaker, we amended clause 24,
    where we said we should add “and colla- teral” probably, it should be “or collateral” then that will fall in order.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3:20 p.m.
    Which one
    are you proposing amendment to?
    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, that is clause 24, line 2.
    Mr. Speaker 3:20 p.m.
    To read “charges or collateral”. Fair enough.
    Nii Mante: Yes. I think that will then flow through.
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:20 p.m.
    None

    Nii Mante: I thought that one answers the hon. Deputy Majority Leader.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3:20 p.m.
    No, let him speak for himself.
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:20 p.m.
    It does not, Mr. Speaker, because we have sought to distinguish “charges” and “collateral” when even in the headnotes, we said it should be “appointment of Registrar of charges and collateral” not “or collateral”. If it is “or” then one could say that in the Interpretation, we have “Registrar” defined to mean “registrar of collateral”.
    So, we could as the hon. Member for Wa West is saying, subsume “charges” under “collateral” or vice versa. Once we decide to distinguish it and say that “collateral and charges” then it should reflect in all the other provisions. That is all that I am saying.
    Mr. Chireh 3:20 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, as I said, that was what I said earlier on and I agree entirely that -- [Interruption.]
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3:20 p.m.
    What do you agree to?
    Mr. Chireh 3:20 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, if you look at it, we wanted the experts to tell us whether we should subsume “collateral” under “charges” or “charges” under “collateral”.
    But once we are making a legislation, we can decide that “collateral” includes “charges” and that will be the definition because we have already appointed a “collateral registrar” and therefore, we should refer to it.
    So, if we do so, all these other words will just be “collateral” or “charges” depending on which one we use to include the other. And because of this, if that is the case, it means that we have to reconsider from clause 23 onwards of what we have already discussed.

    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, in fact, when we come to the Interpretation column where we have the word “charges” it has been defined to include “collateral” because if one looks at the subject matters there, necessarily it includes collateral.

    Mr. Speaker, so I am of the view that “charges” also includes “collateral'.

    From the definition given in the Interpretation column, this is how we can define it because the Interpretation column says so.
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:30 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, if we have to go back, we have to go back. If we are not going back, then we could say that subsequently wherever “charges” appear we may add “or collateral”. For instance, clause 26, the collateral Regis- trarer shall specify in the register the name of the borrower, that is (a), (b). (c) then would say the nature of the charge or collateral. The date of the creation of the “charges “or” collateral”, the amount secured by the “charges” or “collateral”
    Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:30 p.m.


    and it runs through. Mr. Speaker, that would be a neater way.

    But I do not subscribe to this new proposition by the Chairman, because what we have done is not reflective of what he is suggesting. That is why I am saying that perhaps, the amendment which was suggested by the hon. Member for Wa West, Mr. Chireh when I made that proposition, when he drew our attention to the fact that at the Committee level, there was some formulation which was not agreed to. Either we go back and agree to that so that formulation runs through or maybe, subsequent to where we have got to, wherever we have “charges” we include “or collateral”, and that would be neater.

    But we do not have to get midstream and say that let us capture it in the interpretation and you think you would be home and dry. You would not be home and dry; you would still be wet.

    Nii Mante: Mr. Speaker, I do not seem to understand the Deputy Majority Leader; I do not seem to understand him at all.
    Mr. Aidooh 3:30 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I beg to propose again that we adjourn and reconvene tomorrow morning.
    Mr. First Deputy Speaker 3:30 p.m.
    Very well. If that is the advice from the Leadership and Members and more so from hon. Chireh, I will at this juncture adjourn proceedings for us to re-assemble here tomorrow at ten o'clock before noon.
    ADjOURNMENT
  • The House was adjourned at 3.32 p.m. till 5th November, 2008 at 10.00 a.m.