Debates of 27 May 2009

MADAM SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:35 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker 10:35 a.m.
Hon Members, item 2 on the Order Paper. Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 26th May, 2009. Pages 1, 2, 3, . . . 8 -
In the absence of any corrections, the Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 26th May, 2009 be adopted as the true record of proceedings.
We move on the Official Report of Tuesday, 26th May, 2009 -
Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I rose up with respect to some corrections that I was going to crave your indulgence to effect, but unfor-tunately, you were not looking at my direction, so I could not catch your eye. It is in respect of Hon Members who are absent with permission.
I notice that we have the Honourables Doe Adjaho, E. T. Mensah and Dr. Akoto Osei -- I do know that the first two are attending, on behalf of this Parliament, the Pan-African Parliament and they are there with three other Hon Members and they sought permission to travel. I do know Hon Ambrose P. Dery and Elizabeth Agyemang sought permission like the others to travel and so if the Table Office could effect the correction.
Again, on behalf of the delegation to

the ECOWAS Parliament, we have the Deputy Leader for the Majority, Hon John Tia Akologu, Hon S. K. B. Manu, Hon Ken Ohene Agyapong, Hon Elizabeth Sackey and others who have also left to represent Ghana's Parliament at the ECOWAS Parliament [Interruption.] Yes, they are due here tomorrow. I do know that those of them representing from the Minority caucus sought permission and relayed same to your Office. I want to believe that the Majority side has also done the same thing. So if the Table Office could look at that.
Mr. Haruna Iddrisu 10:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, mine is in respect of the Official Report of 26th May, 2009 in particular, columns (ii) and (iii), item 21. Dr. Nartey Siaw-Sappore's nomination as Deputy Minister was subsequently withdrawn and therefore, the inclusion of his name there is in-appropriate. Now, if we look at column (iii), the name of Rt. Hon Speaker Bamford is spelt with “n” after the “m”. The “n” should be withdrawn.
Mr. A. S. K. Bagbin 10:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
the same Official Report, that is Tuesday, 26th May, 2009 at column (iii) under the recordings of the Office of the Majority Leader, there is the inclusion of number 4, Hon Akua Sena Dansua still as 1st Deputy Majority Whip. I think that has been changed and the Office was notified accordingly of the change. The same goes for Hon Paul Evans Aidoo, 2nd Deputy Majority Whip. Now, in their places, we have our lady, Hon Mary Salifu Boforo and the gentleman in front here, Hon Gershon Gbediame. They have taken their places and it should be so noticed and recorded.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, in the same manner of effecting corrections in the Official Report, the list of Cabinet Ministers, we have a notation,
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Yes, thank you. Any other corrections?
Mr. Haruna Iddrisu 10:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, just to support the Hon Minority Leader, I believe they can do a more thorough scrutiny of it. If you look at column (ii), in respect of item 7, Mr. Joseph Amenowode should be asterisked. He is a Member of Parliament.
Thank you Madam Speaker.
Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi 10:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I hate to do this but I have to. My title has been taken away - [Laughter] -- even though others have the same title in front of their names. In all humility, that title has to be restored - “Professor” - item (iv). Ameyaw-Akumfi Esq. - I do not mind taking on the “Esq”; that is noble enough, but this is a title I acquired through hard work.
Thank you Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
So the “Esq” should go? [Laughter.]
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi 10:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, if it is permissible, I can have both but by definition, I cannot.
Mr. Bagbin 10:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think they need to do a lot of work on the list of names and there are a lot of mistakes in it and they need to crosscheck it. I see
that they could not get somebody for the Deputy Minister for Chieftaincy and Culture but they put the number there. I also notice that under the Deputy Regional Ministers too, you can see No. 3, they put “Central” there and then a dash. And “Greater Accra”, there is a dash, but you do not put the regions there. There are no Deputies for those regions. And also at column (iv) under the letter ‘b', going down to - I believe the name should start with Boforo, Mary Salifu Hajia, but it started there with “South” before “Boforo”. I think part of the Constituency nomenclature has been shifted to take the place of the name.
So we need to generally advise that the Hansard Office should take a critical look at the list and make the necessary corrections.
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Thank you. Hon Members, the Official Report of the 26th May, 2009 as corrected, represents the true record of proceedings.
I have admitted one Statement. It is a Ceremonial Statement and stands in the name of Hon Clement Kofi Humado, Member of Parliament for Anlo Constituency.
STATEMENTS 10:45 a.m.
Mr. Clement Kofi Humado (NDC - Anlo) 10:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I am grateful to you for the opportunity to make a Statement on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Anlo Senior High School popularly called ANSECO, which takes place on 30th May, 2009 in the Anlo Constituency of the Volta Region of Ghana.
Madam Speaker, the Anlo Senior High School was first established as a private community educational institution in 1954 but was forced to close down in 1958 due
to numerous developmental challenges. However, upon the installation in 1958 of the late Togbui Adeladza, the 15th Awoamefia of Anlo, he, together with some eminent citizens of Anlo, namely, the late Mr. Cephas Kofi Fiagbe and Mr. James Worlator Kwami Doe, mobilized resources to reopen the school. The school finally took off on April 10, 1959, which is now officially recognized as the Founder's Day.
Madam Speaker, the distinguishing aspect of ANSECO is that, it is the first second cycle school in the Anlo area to bear the name of the traditional area, that is Anlo. Furthermore, the royal touch of its founding father, Togbui Adeladza has given ANSECO its affectionate name “The Star of Anlo Land”.
ANSECO was first run as a community school with its first Headmaster, Prof. Isaiah Yao Fiagbe who was later succeeded by Mr. Evans Agbottah in 1960. It became a government assisted school in October 1963 under the first government appointed Headmaster, Mr. S. D. Sorkpor. The school then moved to its present 58 acre site acquired by Executive Instrument 45 of 1976.
Madam Speaker, ANSECO is fifty years old this year and the celebration of the Golden Jubilee is taking place with the theme “Championing Academic Excellence in Anlo Land, 50 Years of Quality Education in ANSECO”. This theme was chosen by the stakeholders of the school, based on the achievements of the school over the years and also to serve as a motivation for higher achievements beyond the celebration.
It is our hope that this celebration will be a memorable occasion of all of us.

Madam Speaker, currently, the school

has a student population of 1,322, and
Madam Speaker 10:55 a.m.
Thank you, Hon
Member. Now, we move to Commence- ment of Public Business - Item 4 - Laying of Papers.
Mr. I. K. Asiamah 10:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
before the commencement, I have an issue to raise.
Madam Speaker, I think just about a month or so ago, we received these diaries from this august House. Madam Speaker, as I speak, we have another same diary for 2009. Madam Speaker, my concern is that
with this era of cutting cost, are we not wasting the public purse? Is it not causing financial loss to the State that within two, three months we have produced the same documents, the same features to this august House? Or are going to be given every quarter -- For me, it is a waste to the public purse, and this august House should be seen to be more prudent in the use of our scarce resources.
Madam Speaker, whoever is responsible for this publication in this august House should be called to answer to the good people of this country, and that there should be value-for-money at all times. These days when you even take a spoon, it becomes a national issue and why should we be entertaining such a reckless use of public funds in this august House?
Madam Speaker, it is important that we at least, cut our clothes according to the size of our cloth.
Mr. A. S. K. Bagbin 10:55 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, just to get things righted, this is not part of the Business of this House. My Hon Friend is completely out of order. This is something that was printed long ago by the Administration and not by Parliament. It is something that was printed long ago by the Administration, that is Parliamentary Service, not by Parliament, the House -- [Interruption] -- and that is not - [Interruption] -- definitely - [Interruption.]
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Can we hear the Hon Member?
Mr. Bagbin 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I am
being told and shown a new version, which I do not have a copy of what he is
saying and I am told that, that is the second diary that is being distributed.
The important point I raised is that, this is not part of the Business of the House. It is now that my attention has been drawn to the new diary and what we will do as Leaders is to crosscheck from the source and also get to know how it was printed and how much.
We will definitely take your views on board to make sure that that mistake is not repeated. But that is not the work of the House. It is good you have drawn our attention to it so that we can get our Administration to let us have value-for- money.
Thank you very much.
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Can I hear the
Minority Leader?
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:05 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, I believe I agree with the position of the Majority Leader. I think the point that was raised by the Hon Member for Atwima-Mponua is worth noting, even though I agree that this is not exactly the time for it but it is something that should engage our attention.
The Majority Leader has said that we need to crosscheck and know how it was done and I think that is most appropriate except that I thought the initial knee-jerk reaction from the Majority Leader was rather unwarranted.
Without checking his fact, he said it was printed in 2008 and I thought that it was most inappropriate because he himself had not addressed his mind to the one that he was talking about. In point of fact, I had also not seen it but we needed really to address our minds to the issue first before we try or attempt to rubbish it. I think it is not the best. I will plead with the Majority Leader to exercise restraint and circumspection in such a matter.
Madam Speaker, when Parliament
was recalled, a similar thing happened and in respect of the Board for the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), I think really he had not checked the facts but then he came to say that the previous Board had approved the allocation and this new one, after addressing their minds to it, agreed and only submitted to us for consideration.
When his attention was drawn to the fact that the Appropriations Act was passed on the 27th of March, 2007 and the previous Board had been dissolved or pronounced dissolved by His Excellency the President on the 11th of March for which reason there could not have been any allocation before any Board, we all agreed and came to the conclusion that no, we needed to do the right thing. So I will only plead with him that - I understand his position but we must be a bit circumspect in these matters before making a pronouncement on them, particularly in this House.
Thank you very much.
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Can I rule on this
matter at this stage? Hon Minority Leader is saying that he is surprised about the reaction of the Majority Leader but I think we were - maybe, we are all trying to follow on the rules that a thing is not on the agenda, like yesterday, you drew my attention to even my speech. So, maybe, that was what we are trying to do but I am very happy to note that Hon Members of Parliament are very sensitive and conscious about the fact that public money must be expended correctly and considering worthwhile behaviour of some Hon Members of Parliament. I think if we continue this way, you will really earn the title “Honourable”. And for this reason, I am happy that this matter has been raised especially by Hon Asiamah.
As has been said, I think the Leaders must investigate what happened and find
out the real reason for this over printing and then if it is found that it has been done without regard, to correct it. This is my ruling on this. Hon. Asiamah, thank you.
Can we now carry on with Business?
Hon Majority Leader, Laying of Papers
- Item 4 (i).
PAPERS 11:05 a.m.
Mr. Bagbin 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, before
you permit the Clerk to read the title, I think there is some typographical mistake there. It is the year ended 31st December, 2006 and not 2007.
By the Majority Leader --
Report of the Auditor-General on the Statements of Foreign Exchange Receipts and Payments of the Banks of Ghana for the two-half years ended 31 December 2006.
Referred to the Public Accounts Committee.
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
This brings us to the end of our Sitting and I will ask the Hon Majority Leader to give us any indications about adjournment. Any indication?
Mr. A. S. K. Bagbin 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
I think it is appropriate for committees to meet at this stage and some committees are going to meet -- Committees on
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Hon Minority
Leader, any secondment?
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:05 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, I beg to second the motion.
Question put and motion agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT 11:05 a.m.