Debates of 19 Jun 2009

MADAM SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:35 a.m.
ANNOUNCEMENTS 10:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker 10:35 a.m.
Hon Members, I
have received communication from the President and if I may read it to you:
“18TH JUNE, 2009
THE RT. HON SPEAKER
OFFICE OF PARLIAMENT 10:35 a.m.
PARLIAMENT HOUSE 10:35 a.m.
ACCRA 10:35 a.m.
ABSENCE FROM GHANA 10:35 a.m.
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC 10:35 a.m.
OF GHANA 10:35 a.m.
- 10:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker 10:35 a.m.
Yes?
Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think we should express gratitude to the President in informing us of his intention to leave the country and accordingly, for the Vice President to act in his stead. But if I heard you right, Madam Speaker, you said the commu-nication to this House was addressed to you. If I heard you right, you said it was addressed “Dear Madam.”
Madam Speaker, I think, in the context, it can be construed to be a love letter and not an official communication -- [Laughter] - Madam Speaker, Order 51 of our Standing Orders provides:
“Communica t ions f rom the President to the House shall be made to Mr. Speaker …”
In this case, Madam Speaker -
“… by written message signed by the President or, in the absence of the President, by the Vice-President or by a Minister acting by command of the President.”
Madam Speaker 10:35 a.m.
Are you saying I am not Dear Madam? [Laughter.]
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:35 a.m.
Madam
Mr. E. T. Mensah 10:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I am glad that the Hon Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has taken some lessons that I put across to him seriously. He used to address you, “Madam!” “Madam!” -- [Laughter] -- until I kept on drawing his attention to the fact that he should address you as “Madam Speaker”. So I thank him for having learnt the lessons -- [Laughter.]
Madam Speaker 10:35 a.m.
Hon Mensah, I think he says “Madam”, and he leaves out the “Dear” -- [Laughter.]
Thank you, Hon Members.
Shall we move on to the Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 18th June, 2009.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Yes, thank you, Hon Members.
Shall we move on to the Correction of
Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 18th June, 2009?
Mr. Ben Abdallah Banda 10:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I am the Member of Parliament for Offinso South. My name is Ben Abdallah Banda. I was here yesterday; however, my name is part of the absentees list, so if the necessary correction could be made.
Thank you very much.
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
All right - [Pause.]
Page 6? Any more corrections on page
6? [Pause.] Pages 7, 8 - [Interruption.]
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Anyway, it was addressed to Rt. Hon Speaker. But she is a Madam, and am I not Dear Madam? [Laughter.]
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, if you wish to be so acknow- ledged, who am I to challenge that? Except that for purposes of this House, you should be appropriately addressed as “Madam Speaker” - “Dear Madam Speaker”.
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Well, I, particularly was happy with the address, “Dear Madam”. I thought it was very nice - instead of Dear Sir.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, not to, in any way challenge you -- [Interruption] - Madam Speaker, this, indeed, is an official communication to this House -- to the Speaker -- Madam Speaker, in your official position as the Speaker and so it should be appropriately addressed.
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
If you were writing
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:45 a.m.
Dear Madam Speaker, or Rt. Hon Speaker.
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Anyway, if you had chosen “Dear Madam”, I would have been more acceptable to - [Laughter.]
rose
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member -
Mr. Adjaho 10:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think the Hon Minority Leader must declare his interest in this matter. The way he was referring to love letters and all those things, I do not know whether he is in competition with anybody -- [Laughter.]
Mr. Frederick Opare-Ansah 10:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, sorry to take you back to page 6. Item 4, number 27 on page 6, “Hammond, Kobina Tahir (Adansi Asokwa)”, indeed, he was present yesterday. So, if the records could capture that correctly.
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Thank you. Pages 8 -21 - [Pause.]
Hon Members , the Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 18th June, 2009, as corrected, be adopted as the true record of proceedings.
We move on to the Official Report of Wednesday, 17th June, 2009.
Mr. Samuel Johnfiah 10:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I wish to refer you to column 702 where I asked a supplementary question to my main Question. Column 702 -
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Yes?
Mr. Johnfiah 10:45 a.m.
Yes, from the top, line 8, there is a word “happened”. I said the company “happens to be” in my constituency. But it has been captured “happened to be”. So I want the correction to be effected.
Thank you.
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Hon Members, the Official Report of Wednesday, 17th June, 2009 as corrected represents the true record of proceedings.
Mr. Opare-Ansah 10:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I do not think Hon Members have copies of the Official Report of Thursday, 18th June, 2009.
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
The Official Report
of 18th June, 2009?
Mr. Opare-Ansah 10:45 a.m.
We do not have copies.
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
We defer it to Monday. We are deferring the correction to Monday.
Thank you.
Then, we have item 3 - Business Statement for the week. Hon E. T. Mensah?
Mr. E. T. Mensah 10:45 a.m.
Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker, the Hon Majority Leader is engaged somewhere and he has asked me to take your leave and read the Statement on his behalf.
Madam Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Yes, go ahead.
Mr. E. T. Mensah 10:45 a.m.
I know Hon Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu would indulge me - [Laughter.]
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE 10:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its Report as follows 10:55 a.m.
Arrangement of Business
Question(s)
Madam Speaker, the Committee has programmed the following Hon Ministers to answer Questions during the week:
No. of Question(s)
i. Minister for Energy 4
ii. Minister for Communications 1
iii. Minister for Food and Agriculture 2
iv. Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration 1
v. Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing 2
vi. Minister for the Interior 5
vii. Minister for Roads and Highways 5
Total Number of Questions 20
Madam Speaker, in all, twenty (20) Questions are expected to be answered during the week.
Madam Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its Report as follows 10:55 a.m.
Statements
Madam Speaker may allow Statements duly admitted to be made in the House.
Papers and Reports
Madam Speaker, Papers and Reports may be presented to the House for consideration.
Motions and Resolutions
Madam Speaker, Motions may be debated and their consequential Resolutions, if any, taken during the week.
Sitting on Mondays/Extended Sittings
Madam Speaker, due to Parliament's international commitments, Parliament would rise before the scheduled date to allow Hon Members to attend to these commitments.
Madam Speaker, the Business
Committee, therefore, wishes to propose that Parliament commences Sittings on Mondays and have extended Sittings when the need arises. The Business Committee, therefore, urges all Hon Members to attend the said Sittings in order to complete Business of the House.
Committees with Referrals
Madam Speaker, the Business Committee wishes to remind Committees with referrals to expedite action on them in view of the tight schedule we have.
Madam Speaker, the Business Committee has proposed a meeting of Leadership of the House with Chairmen and Ranking Members of committees on Friday, 26th June 2009, immediately after adjournment to discuss all outstanding Business before the committees.
Conclusion
Madam Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 160 (2) and subject to Standing Order 53, the Committee submits
to this Honourable House, the order in which the Business of the House shall be taken during the week.

Statements

Laying of Papers --

(a) Water Concession and Support Agreement between the Government of Ghana and Earthwater Ghana Limited (EWG) for the Abstraction and Production of Potable Water for Delivery to Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).

(b) Report of the Finance Committee on the Annual Report of the Internal Audit Agency for the year 2006.

Committee Sittings.

Questions --

Minister for Energy - 28, 31, 45 and 46

Statements

Laying of Papers --

(a) Report of the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation on the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Regulations,

2009 (L. I. 1957).

(b) Report of the Committee on Con-stitutional, Legal and Parlia-mentary Affairs on the Annual Report on Presidential Office Staff for the period January to December 2008.

Committee Sittings.

Questions --

Minister for Communications

- 51

Minister for Food and Agricul- ture - 52 and 60

Statements

Laying of Papers --

(a) Report of the Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism on the Annual Report of the Export Development and Investment Fund 2005.

(b) Report of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs on the Ninth Annual Report of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice for the period January 1, 2004 to December 31,

2004.

Motions --

Adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Annual Report of the Internal Audit Agency for the year 2006.

Committee Sittings.

Questions --

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration - 33 Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing 66 and 67

Statements

Laying of Papers --

(a) Report of the Committee on Mines and Energy on Annual R e p o r t o f t h e M i n e r a l s Commission for the year 2006.

(b) Report of the Committee on Lands and Forestry on the Annual Report of the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands for the year ended 31st December, 2005.

(c) Report of the Committee on Lands and Forestry on the Annual Report of the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands for the year ended 31st December, 2006.

(d) Report of the Committee on Lands and Forestry on the Annual Report of the Forestry Commission for the year 2006.

Motions --

(a) Adoption of the Report of the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation on the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Regula- tions, 2009.

(b) Adoption of the Report of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs on the Annual Report on the Presidential Office Staff for the period January to December,

2008.

Committee Sittings. Friday, 26th June 2009

Questions --

Minister for the Interior - 11, 12, 13, 38 and 39

Minister for Roads and Highways - 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44

Statements

Motions --

(a) Adoption of the Report of the Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism on the Annual Report of the Export Develop- ment and Investment Fund.

(b) Adoption of the Report of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs on the Ninth Annual Report of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice for the period January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2004.

Committee Sittings.
Madam Speaker 10:55 a.m.
Thank you, Hon
Member.
rose
Madam Speaker 10:55 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member?
Dr. A. A.Osei 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, we thank the Business Committee for giving us the memorandum for the Business of the House next week.
Madam Speaker, all of us respect the need for this Parliament to adhere to its international commitments and we think that we should do that.

The Business Committee is asking us, starting from Monday -- and today is Friday -- to accommodate this request. Madam Speaker, with respect,
Mr. E.T. Mensah 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
I sympathize with my Hon Friend, Dr. Akoto Osei. The issue was discussed thoroughly by the Business Committee and all the concerns that he raised were taken into consideration and that is why we have decided that instead of just putting it out there, we want to state it here so that our constituents would know that next Monday they will not have the luxury of meeting us.
But on a more serious note, that is why
the business for Monday is quite light and we did not by any stretch of imagina- tion decide to bring Hon Members down under duress as he indicated. We are only appealing to Hon Members of Parliament, in view of the commitments, to accede to our request.
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
I would like to hear
from Hon Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, being a member of the Business Committee.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:05 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, unfortunately, I did not attend that Business Committee meeting. In principle, I discussed with the Hon Majority Leader that we should consider Sittings on Mondays. I thought that we could begin the following Monday. But given the calendar, maybe, it may become necessary to meet on Monday. Except that if we have to meet on Monday, then of course, we have to let it appear or at least, have serious business transacted in the Chamber.
If it is the business of just laying Papers, then certainly, we may not have to Sit because we have slated Statements, Laying of Papers and committee sittings. If, indeed, that is the programme, then of course, it may not be too necessary even though I agree in principle. But if we can go beyond that then I have no problem.
As I said, in principle, I accept it except that the Monday's activity is not really much. But since my Hon Colleague, the Deputy Minority Leader was present, maybe, they could justify for us the need for the Monday Sitting.
Mr. Ambrose P. Dery 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think that we did consider the issue of the shortness of notice. But the decision was informed by the fact that several committees are behind schedule in delivering their reports and we thought that to effectively make good our obligation to meet the schedule, we would rather that we started the committee sittings on Monday. But we just put something there for the plenary so that we can start from there. But we were persuaded by the fact that several committees were behind schedule as far as reports were concerned and that
is why we decided that we should start on Monday. So I think we have to consider it.
We also have to consider how many Mondays we have available from today. They are just three. So if we miss one, it might cause a problem for us. But the key point was that the committees need to sit to make good their obligation to deliver reports to us, otherwise, we were not going to meet the target for this Session.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I understand the need for the Business of this House to be dealt with expeditiously. But certainly, looking at the business, it does not warrant a Sitting on Monday. For instance, if a Legislative Instrument had to be laid and it depended on our calendar, that could be justification for Sitting on Mondays.
The Deputy Minority Leader has stated
that committee works are delayed, et cetera but committees can meet without Parliament itself Sitting in plenary on a Monday.
So I am appealing to the pro tem Majority Leader, the Hon Member for Ningo/Prampram, Hon Enoch Teye “Pushey” Mensah - [Laughter] - to consider our concerns and then, of course, agree to defer the Monday Sitting to Monday the 29th.
Of course, we do not only have political avocations; we also have social and economic avocations which we have slated for Monday long before next Monday. So I am pleading with the Hon Majority Whip standing in for the Majority Leader, Chairman of the Business Committee to take on board the concerns expressed and then agree that we Sit instead on 29th June and then further urge the House and its Hon Members to be punctual and
Sit through so that even where we need numbers to get business transacted, we can get the necessary number.
I thank you very much, Madam
Speaker.
Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, if we go through the list of activities scheduled for the week, most of them are Laying of Papers. And what does it mean? Just bowing down and that is about it. The action to be taken is at the committee level and I believe that in instances where we are stuck, the Standing Orders give us permission to expedite matters by way of the suspension of these Orders. And the committees as my dear friend said, can meet without us being here.
I believe that notice is completely inadequate and our obligations elsewhere would demand that we do give ourselves adequate notice to do this.
I also think that we can also have double Sittings as he had indicated. And when double Sittings take place, all we have to do is to make sure that people do not collapse by want of refreshment. I am not talking about tea. But whatever it is -- [Laughter] -- On a very serious note we can take care of it.
So I really think that the notice is too short . For example, I have just come from a funeral. I am here. I am going to Kumasi and I want to be here. I have always come and I want to be here. So make it possible for us to do so by giving us enough notice. I do not think that the Business of the House would be seriously impaired by not Sitting on Monday. Committees that must sit, it is an agreement between only 20 people, 21 people and that can be done.
So Madam Speaker, I want to urge your
Mr. E. T. Mensah 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the issue that is on the floor was demo- cratically decided by both sides and from the sense of the House. But from the sense of the House now, it seems to me that we want to start the Monday Sittings from the following week.
I just conferred with my Hon Friends opposite that the committee sittings must go on. So we want to urge the chairmen of the various committees with out-standing business to serve the appropriate notice for committees to sit on Monday. But the plenary will start from the following week.
rose
Madam Speaker 11:15 a.m.
If it is all about postponement of the Monday's Sitting -- Is it, Hon First Deputy Speaker?
Mr. Adjaho 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, it is entirely a different subject matter. In view of the fact that the - [Pause] -- it is a different matter -- [Interruptions.] Well, I thought the issue had been resolved; listening to the Majority Chief Whip, I thought the issue had been resolved so - [Pause.]
Madam Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Well, the Business Committee does its work; of course, I had an input and I did have an input into this because we were running late. So if we want, like the Hon E. T. Mensah said, the mood of the House says we should
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, just to further clarify. We have some programme for Monday and I guess in the circumstance, we may have to add the programmed activities for Monday to Tuesday. And then, of course, we are also - I think the indication is that we are only cancelling out this Monday's Sitting but the ensuing Mondays which will be the 29th June, and the other one for 6th of July, and I think the other one for 13th, those ones, we will be Sitting. I think that is the indication.
Madam Speaker 11:15 a.m.
That is the understanding, is it not? No notice was given before so -- well if you are agreeable, we accept the amendment and Sitting will start on Tuesday.
Any other matter?
Dr. Osei 11:15 a.m.
Thank you, Madam Speaker,

We are told that it is because of the

international - but we have no idea.
Madam Speaker 11:15 a.m.
We will tell you when the time comes. [Laughter.]
Mr. Adjaho 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I want to find out from the Business Committee, or from the Majority Chief Whip when the matter that we referred to the Committee on Mines and Energy will be brought. Because this was a matter that was referred and they had to call us during the recess. We were told that there was some urgency attached to it, so during the recess, we came and considered that report sometime in April and we referred it to them.
The whole of the week we did not hear anything as to when that matter will be taken. Each of us has his or her own views as to whether the Committee can really resolve the issue of the conflict of interest -- and if it is not for other constitutional bodies. But we want to know because I am told that it is a very urgent matter.
I am a member of the Committee. That is why they called us from recess to come and work on these and up till now we have not heard anything as to exactly when this matter would be taken on the floor of the House.
Madam Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon Member, that is a legitimate question.
Mr. E. T. Mensah 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
the issue came up but it was said that we were waiting for the report from the Committee. So if the Committee's report is ready and it is made available to the Chairman of the Business Committee -- If the need arises then we will hold an emergency meeting and consider it.
Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I very well remember sometime last week that the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning was supposed to have answered a Question bordering on cocoa. Unfortunately, the right Question was not listed and there was
a whole controversy about what Question it was. And Madam Speaker, I remember you called for the handwritten pieces of paper which indicated that there were two Questions. So when that was not very urgent for the Hon Member who wanted to ask the Question, it was stepped down.
It was my expectation and a few of my other Colleagues that, that Question, which was bordering on cocoa spraying and how gangs have been sacked would be listed for this week. Unfortunately, we cannot find it anywhere on the Business Statement. I want to find out from the Chairman of the Business Committee why that Question has not been listed.
Mr. E. T. Mensah 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, my Hon Friend did not take note when the Speaker ruled. The Speaker ruled that, that Question had been programmed for July. So definitely, in the programme for July, we will deal with that.
Madam Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Let us answer the question for the Hon Member. It was programmed - I said so that it had been programmed for 7th of July - that other Question.
Mr. Agyeman-Manu 11:15 a.m.
Madam
Madam Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon Member, please, sit down. Please, sit down; except to say that we have a way of programming these Questions. It is by lot, it is according

to so many considerations. The point is, it will come, it will come on the 7th.

Thank you.

Any other matter about this programme for the week?
Mr. David Tetteh Assumeng 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I also want to know from the Business committee when the report of the Committee that you directed as to the tampering of the Minority Leader's seat will come out for our consideration.
Madam Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Honourable, the question again? What were you saying? I did not hear.
Mr. Assumeng 11:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I wanted to know from the Business Committee when the report of the committee that you directed to investigate the alleged tampering of the Minority Leader's seat will be brought to -- [Interruption.]
Madam Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member,
we have referred a lot of matters but we have not received -- Privileges Committee, the House Committee, so he is drawing attention, and he says when is it expected.
Mr. E. T. Mensah 11:25 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Business Committee discusses reports and issues put before them. As we speak now, we have not received that report; as soon as the report is received, it will be dealt with expeditiously.
Mr. Opare-Ansah 11:25 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I
am aware that a quite a number of Urgent Questions have been filed, at least, from some Hon Members in my caucus. At the Business Committee meeting, the understanding was that we were not aware of the status of most of these Questions - that they were still at your Secretariat.
Madam Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Yes, Hon E.T.
Mensah, he wants to know how Questions are programmed.
Mr. E. T. Mensah 11:25 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
when we met you before coming in here, we agreed that we would look at those Urgent Questions. So we would look at them and then programme them on Thursday at the Business Committee meeting.
Thank you very much.
Mr. Joe Baidoe-Ansah 11:25 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, I have sent a very Urgent Question, which has still not appeared.
Madam Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Exactly.
Mr. Baidoe-Ansah 11:25 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
because Questions that are time-bound, I believe are more urgent than Questions that are not time-bound.
Madam Speaker, for example -- [Interruption] -- No, no, the Committee, Madam Speaker is not the person who decides on -- [Interruption] -- Well. Madam Speaker, for example, I have question -- [Interruption.]
Madam Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Hon Member, when
you say urgent Questions, everybody's Question, to him/her, is urgent. But Madam Speaker, would decide whether to admit that Question and whether it is urgent and I take into account the urgency. So the mere fact that somebody who is asking the Question says it is urgent, does not mean that some other Questions that are already there which appear to be more urgent should be put aside, and your mere indication that one Question you are asking is urgent, should come on.
We do programme all of them and by law you will see in the rules that we choose -- if you look at the rules, you would find how they are programmed. When it is admitted, it will definitely come.
Mr. Opare-Ansah 11:25 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
that was exactly the point I was addressing. Because of the usual urgency that is associated with the Questions, to wait till our next Business Committee meeting next Thursday before we programme urgent Questions for the subsequent week, that is why I was saying that in the course of the week, if we have a Statement or a sentence in the current Statement that gives room for the Chairman to programme these Questions on various days when you make them available, then that can happen.
Otherwise, once they leave your Secretariat, they have to wait until the next Business Committee meeting. That is what I am seeking that we allow the Committee Chairman to be allowed to programme
on daily basis, as and when you make the Questions available.
Thank you.
Madam Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Well, that is a legitimate point because all the Questions come to me and I will deal with them. As soon as I leave the House, I go and read them, and then as you said, if there are many, maybe, they will take time. So if the ones marked urgent could be brought first so that I do them quickly -- it does not mean that once it is tagged urgent, we would programme it the next day.
But you have a point there, which maybe, Hon Member, we will consider that the ones tagged urgent should be quickly brought before the others.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 11:25 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, it seems this House always has to grapple with the matter of Questions, admission, when it is going to be programmed, et cetera.
Madam Speaker, with your permission, I would want to refer to Standing Order 66 (3), which says that:
“There shall be a Questions Record Book to be kept by the Clerk which shall be open to inspection by Members and which will record -
(a) the Questions asked by Members;
(b) the Questions admitted by Mr. Speaker and the time of their transmission to the Ministers or Members concerned;
(c) the answers given to the Questions; and
(d) Questions which have re- ceived no answers.”
I am appealing to the Clerks-at-Table to
Madam Speaker 11:25 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member,

Yes, Hon Minority Leader.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:25 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, I think we all understand the indications that you have given. But to go back to the question of urgent Questions, Madam Speaker, you may recollect that last week, when we came to deal with the Questions on mass spraying, there were some confusion, and you referred - you gave the indication that the Question, which the Hon Member sought to ask be programmed for 7th July.
I think it is in order, but just to address our minds to the urgency of Questions.
Madam Speaker, our Standing Orders, Order 60 (3) provides that 11:35 a.m.
“A Minister shall not take more than three weeks to respond to a question from the House.”
That is in respect of ordinary Questions. Madam Speaker, it does not appear to be any time frame for urgent Questions, except that Standing Order 65 (4) appears to provide some clue, and I quote:
“No Question, other than an urgent Question provided for under paragraph (1) of Order 64 submitted less than six days before the end of a Meeting shall be admitted for oral answers …”
Madam Speaker, it does appear then, that for urgent Questions, we should operate within a more limited time frame, which is why I want to appeal, that admissibility of Questions lies in your bosom, and I will plead that some of these things, as we are being told, are time- bound. So if we could fast track some of them so that we end up having the Answers as early as possible.

But the other second thing that is of concern to me is the matter raised by my Hon Good Friend, the Member for Shai- Osudoku (Mr. Assumeng), in respect of my seat, the one here and the one in my office. Madam Speaker, you directed the setting up of a committee to go into it. Madam Speaker, ever since you did that and whilst awaiting the report, I have become very anxious and I am affected somehow in some way.
Madam Speaker, as somebody said and I am quoting that somebody 11:35 a.m.
“In moments of distress, it is often said that he is not afraid but he fears small, small”. Madam Speaker, I am not afraid, and I do not want to say I fear small, small. But Madam Speaker, it is important that we bring this matter to some conclusion and so if we can have a final resolution of the matter before the conclusion of this Meeting, I would be most grateful.
Madam Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Honourable, I think we have referred a lot of matters for investigation and as at now, I have not had even one of the reports like this one, which matter he is raising and it happened at the beginning of the Meeting. So can we expedite matters, because obviously, he has like he is saying, there are psychological matters which affect him and I agree with him.
He wants to know really what caused it, finally to put it to rest. So can we expedite matters and send the reports of these matters I referred for investigation before the end of this Meeting?
Mr. E. T. Mensah 11:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I will consult the Majority Leader and we will expedite action on all the issues raised.
But I want to assure you, I have told the Hon Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu every now and then, that there is a very interesting single sentence when you read Nkrumah's Autobiography; one sentence: “the secret of life is to have no fear, so fear not”.
Mr. Isaac K. Asiamah 11:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think my concern has got to do with the issue of the urgent Questions. Madam Speaker, I think this House, if you make reference to article 110 of the Constitution, that gives us the power to have our Standing Orders, why do we not have some guidelines on which areas are urgent Questions.
Madam Speaker, as I speak now, my constituency for example is flooded and I have filed an Urgent Question since Tuesday. The whole constituency is flooded and we have so many victims being unattended to and I have filed an Urgent Question before the Ministry of the Interior.
So if you have all these parameters in terms of disaster, in terms of this, it will guide the functioning of this House so that, if we know it is an urgent Question with regard to the nature of it, we have guidelines that regulate it. If we are not careful and we do not have a good Speaker like you, one day we are going to have a Speaker who will act capriciously and whimsically with regard to the admission of urgent Questions and all Questions -
So if we should have clear cut procedures that will regulate how Questions are treated as urgent and how Questions are treated as normal.
That is my contribution, Madam Speaker, thank you very much.
Madam Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Hon Mr. Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu please, do not go away. It is a very good idea because since I came, I have heard it from you that we are going to amend the Standing Orders. I have heard it often; he says he wants it to be put down in black and white what is an urgent Question. So he takes the discretion from the Speaker who decides. So what do you say to that, Hon Member, when are you going to amend it and would it appear in it?
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, if one looks at Order 64 and I quote:
“A Question shall not be asked without notice unless it is of an urgent character relating to . . .”
and it goes on. So it means that an urgent Question is asked without notice. Madam Speaker, and you admit urgent Questions as such.
Madam Speaker, Order 69 (1), in fact, it should be 69 because there is no 69 (2.)
Order 69 says:
Madam Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Honourable, I thank you but of course, Order 64 also says that “. . . and by the prior leave of Mr. Speaker”. So that is where the Speaker will exercise his discretion whatever the circums-tances, unless you take that out.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, that cannot be taken out because you are solely responsible for admitting Questions and even of urgent Questions, admitting them as such, and once they have been so admitted, then we move on.
Madam Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Honourable, the last comment.
Mr. P. Dery 11:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think that what is even more important is 64 (1), that what is an urgent Question is to be determined by you, which then means that without any criteria or guidelines, it is very much like the justice in the course of equity of old. So maybe, we need to get some guidance as to what will constitute urgent as far as you are concerned.
In the absence of that we have to go on a case to case basis and there is an issue as to whether we are ad idem most of the time or not, but that is not to take away your - [Interruption] -- as I trust your judgement but probably, time.
When a Question is time-bound we will need to agree, but if it is time- bound then we should consider that in determining it.
But having said that, it is within your bosom to decide what an urgent Question is.
Madam Speaker 11:35 a.m.
Thank you, Honourable. I think this is a real answer but I see that whatever you do, whatever you spell out, unless you take out that phrase “. . . the Speaker will have to decide what is urgent”, and in the same way, that “Statements made in this House should be sent to the Speaker”. Sometimes, I get it here and I make the decision here whether it is urgent, whether it should go on, and so I thank you.
Hon Asiamah, they say they will look at the rules but it is the Speaker's right to decide whether you are right or wrong, will remain until it is taken away.
Mr. E. T. Mensah 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
this issue of urgent Questions is not new. When we were on the other side, we raised similar concerns, there were
Madam Speaker 11:45 a.m.
So I do not know
whether to say the Business Statement as amended is adopted.
Thank you and there will not be Sitting on Monday.
Hon Members, let us move on to Question time.
rose
Madam Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Hon Asiamah, you
Mr. I. K. Asiamah 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
Madam Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Hon Member, I will call you again when we get to another topic which you want to contribute, you will catch my eye.
So we go on to Question time and there is a Question standing in the name of Hon Johnfiah. Is the Minister for Roads and Highways here? Hon Johnfiah, can you ask your Question now?
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 11:45 a.m.
MINISTRY OF ROADS AND 11:45 a.m.
HIGHWAYS 11:45 a.m.
Minister for Roads and Highways (Mr. Joe K. Gidisu) 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the 18- kilometre Abura Junction-Princess road is the regional road R86 which joins the district capital, Agona Junction- Princess Town. It is an unpaved road and in fair condition.
Current Programme
The road is being tarred in phases. The first 2 kilometres from Princess Town was tarred by Messrs Justmoh Construction Limited at the cost of GH¢428,892.70 in 2006.
Madam Speaker, the next phase of 5 kilometres was advertised in February, 2008. The bids were opened on the 12th of March, 2008 and evaluation carried out. The award for the execution of the road contract could not be made due to funding constraints.
The Ministry is in the process of rationalizing such projects with the view to identifying funding sources for their implementation. We expect to complete the review process by the end of the year. This will pave way for the award of the contract in 2010.
Mr. Johnfiah 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I wish
to thank the Hon Minister for the Answer he has given.
The Minister has given the indication that the road is in fair condition. But I wish to say that, with the coming of the rains, it has gone from bad to worse. So I will just entreat him to give this road priority
when funds are sourced.
Thank you.
Madam Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Yes, answer his
question. Did you hear his question?
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
I just want to acknowledge the fact that during the rainy season like this, most of our roads, including the one under focus suffer the worsening situation as he mentioned. We will take it on board at the appropriate time.
Madam Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Hon Members, any
further contributions before we move on?
We have one hour for Question time and today, we have five Questions. So I think we will hear, normally, two from each side. Any other intervention - any supplementary questions?
Then we move on to Question 20 -- Hon John Agyabeng -- NPP, Agona East. Is he here to ask Questison?
Nana Amoakoh 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I want to ask your permission to ask this Question on behalf of the Hon Member who is unavoidably absent.
Madam Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Go ahead, Hon Member.
Fawomanye-Akoti Junction-Agona Duakwa-Akwakwa Feeder Roads
(Tarring)
Q. 20 Nana Amoakoh (on behalf of Mr. John Agyabeng) asked the Minister for Roads and Highways when the following feeder roads in the Agona East District would be tarred:
(i) Fawomanye-Akoti Junction (ii) Agona Duakwa-Akwakwa.
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, (i) Fawomanye-Akoti Junction Feeder Road.
Background
The appropriate description of the road is Fawomanye-Desum-Akraman-Akoti Junction feeder road. The total road length is 17.3 kilometres and is located in the Gomoa East District of the Central Region.
Current Programme
The Desum to Akoti Junction section,
which is 10.0 kilometres was awarded for surface dressing (tarring) to Messrs General Construction Limited, at a contract sum of GH¢1,264,392.04 on the 9th of October, 2007.
The project is being funded from the Road Fund and is 79.0 per cent complete. So far, the primer seal layer has been completed on the entire 10 kilometres of the road. The remaining work is the laying of the final seal. This is expected to be completed by the end of July 2009.
Future Plans
The remaining 7.30 kilometres
from Fawomanye to Desum has been programmed for rehabilitation to gravel surface under the Millmennium Develop- ment Authority (MiDA) funding. This was advertised at page 10 of the Ghanaian Times issue of 4 th May, 2009. The final phase (bitumen surfacing) will be undertaken after the rehabilitation.
ii) Agona Duakwa-Akwakwa
Background
The Agona Duakwa-Akwakwa feeder
road is 15.5 kilometres long. This inter- district road is engineered and connects the Gomoa East to the Agona East District of the Central Region. The road condition
is fair.
Future Plans
Madam Speaker, this includes
engineering studies for upgrading of the road to be completed in 2010. This will enable us get it ready for execution when a funding source is identified. Meanwhile, the road will continue to receive grading and other routine maintenance activities to ensure easy access.
Nana Amoakoh 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
he said the engineering service for the upgrading of the road would be completed in 2010. May I know from the Hon Minister when the engineering service started.
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:45 a.m.
Definitely, as we
are carrying it into the projected activities for the 2010 fiscal year, the engineering process is ongoing.
Nana Amoakoh 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I
just asked a simple question. I asked when did the engineering service start and he is giving some answers which are irrelevant to what I asked. When did the engi-neering service start?
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:45 a.m.
Hon Member, it
started this year and it is ongoing.
Mr. Kwabena Owusu-Aduomi 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Hon Minister in the background to his Answer, indicated that the road had been engineered and when he came to future plans, he said engineering studies would be done. May I know from him what features should a feeder road have before it is given that title “engineered” because I am a bit confused about it.
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the
Hon Colleague was a Regional Director of Highways until he came to Parliament
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:45 a.m.


and he knows what engineered roads are.
rose
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Hon Members standing, if the Hon Member who asked the question is satisfied with the answer, why are you complaining? The Hon Member who asked the question is sitting down.
Mr. Owusu-Aduomi 11:55 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, at times I am at a loss when Department of Feeder Roads describes a road as “engineered” and that is the reason why I asked that question. That is why I wanted to know because [Interruptions] -- I was not in the Department of Feeder Roads, I was at Ghana Highway Authority.
Madam Speaker, even when you go
through further the answers given, some roads have been described as partially engineered and that is why I wanted to know from the Hon Minister what features -- [Interruptions] -- because I was not satisfied, that is why I wanted further clarification from the Hon Minister and not for only me but for the entire House.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Hon Minister, he
is asking you what you call an engineered road.
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Is it a question,
Hon Member?
Mr. Owusu-Aduomi 11:55 a.m.
That is so,
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, in the light of the provisions of our Standing Orders, which Order 69 says:
“… a supplementary Question must not be used to introduce matter not including in the original Question.”
And the Answer given by the Hon Minister indicated that a road was engineered. I would want to ask the Hon Minister, what is an engineered road, which he is not introducing a new matter.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Hon Minister, the
question is, what is an engineered road?
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, an engineered road is those roads which have been surveyed, designed, the drainages and other things taken into consideration in their constructional stage.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
A road which has
Dr. A. A. Osei 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, in the
light of the Hon Minister's Answer, could he tell this House what are the other things, that he stated in his answer?
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Hon Minister, the
other things, can you answer them? The Hon Member says he wants to know the other things.
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I
noted that the engineering design of the road involves more than what the layman like him talks about. When the drainage system is well designed and structures are in place, then that road is engineered.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Yes, there is no
argument here, he has answered the question -- [Interruptions] -- I need two more questions, then we move on to the next Question.
Mr. H. H. Bayirga 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, in the Hon Minister's answer, does he mean to say that when you say a road is engineered, it has different categories, looking at the conditions of the road? So when he is referring to other matters, he cannot be very specific. Is that what he wants to tell us?
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Hon Member, it may be a leading question but we are not in court, so answer the question [Laughter.]
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, what I want to differentiate is that some of the roads that are engineered could be referred to as partially engineered but the fully engineered roads are those that are designed and the drainage system well structured and in place. Then you can say that that road is engineered.
Mr. J. B. Aidoo 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Hon Minister has indicated in the background of the Answer that the road is engineered and then in the next paragraph, he goes on to say that engineering studies for upgrading of the road will be completed in 2010. Could the Hon Minister tell us the difference between what has been stated in the paragraph under ‘Future Plans' as against what has been stated under ‘Back- ground'. What is the difference?
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
the former Regional Minister for the Western Region knows that the road network could be updated along the line from time to time. From the engineering designs that we have on that road, it has become imminent that there is the need to review that re-engineering situation and that is what I meant by it is currently
going on and we would take on the road for the 2010 fiscal year.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Hon Members, the
next Question by Hon Rev. B. B. Donkor; kindly ask your question?
Jukwa-Krobo Road (Tarring)
Q. 25. Rev. Benjamin B. Donkor asked the Minister for Roads and Highways when the Jukwa-Krobo road would be tarred.
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the Jukwa-Krobo feeder road is 7 kilometres and is located in the Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira District of the Central Region. It is an engineered road with gravel surface and it is in a fair condition.
Future Plans
Madam Speaker, just as I explained in the previous Question, we are reviewing the engineering situation on that road and all being well, it would be completed this year and it will be programmed for bitumen surface dressing as soon as a funding source is identified.
Rev. Donkor: Madam Speaker, by his Answer, he says the road is in a fair condition. But Madam Speaker, given the fact that, as I speak now, the Jukwa- Krobo road is unmotorable, may I know from the Hon Minister what goes -- [Inter-ruptions.] Madam Speaker, may I know from the Hon Minister what goes into classifying this road as being in fair condition.
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, my Hon Colleague, in describing the road as unmotorable is also subjective and for
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 12:05 p.m.


that matter, if I said that the road is in a fair condition, it means that it is not in the best of conditions. Perhaps, it is that fair condition which he has interpreted to be unmotorable and we would take steps to address that situation at the time that we have indicated.

Rev. Donkor: Madam Speaker, as I have indicated and the Hon Minister has accepted, would he then consider it as an emergency road for construction this year?
Madam Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Hon Member, he said the road is in a fair condition, has he not answered that one? Ask another question. You have three questions.
Rev. Donkor: Madam Speaker, his “fair” is not as it pertains on the ground now. [Interruption.] Madam Speaker, I said that, as I speak now, the road is not motorable.
Madam Speaker 12:05 p.m.
And he said that is your opinion and that is why - [Inter- ruption.]
Rev. Donkor: Madam Speaker, that is my constituency and I know there more than he does. I do not know whether he went to assess the situation himself.
Madam Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Well, ask the
question like “have you been on that way” rather than trying to force down his throat your question.
Rev. Donkor: Madam Speaker, I was there this week.
Madam Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Ask that question as to whether he is been there -
Rev. Donkor: Madam Speaker, may I ask the Hon Minister whether he went there to assess the situation himself?
Madam Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Hon Minister, answer the question.
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, my Hon Colleague and others know that we are operating in a very decentralized system and it does not matter my going there personally. Officers within the Ministry are there and these are very credible feedbacks we have had from the Feeder Roads District Engineer and for that matter, it is a situation which I can confidently say, when we say “fair”, it means that vehicles can travel at least, 40 kilometres per hour on such a road. That is how by our technical definition, we said the road is in a fair condition.
Madam Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Hon Member, have you finished?
Mr. Opare-Ansah 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the Hon Minister in answering this Question, said the road is undergoing engineering studies just like he said in the previous one, and that it would be completed at the end of this year. Madam Speaker, if you read the Answer provided in the Order Paper, on page 8, it says:
“The road will undergo engineering studies in 2010.”
So can the Hon Minister reconcile his verbal answer with what is provided in the Order Paper?
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I do not know what is there but it is the written statement that I am reacting to and for that matter, I could not have contradicted myself. If that is the case, we should go by the written statement.
Madam Speaker 12:05 p.m.
Shall we move on to the next Question? And that is a Question standing in the name of Hon Rev. Benjamin Donkor.

Hemang Lower Denkyira Constituency Roads

(Construction)

Q. 26. Rev. Benjamin B. Donkor asked the Minister for Roads and Highways when the following roads in the Hemang Lower Denkyira Constituency would be constructed:

( i ) P a a s o - Nyamebekyere- Atwereboanna- Wawase

( i i ) W a w a s e - Ayebiahwe- Esukesekyir

( i i i ) G y a n k o b o - Antwikwa- Abekankwanta
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 12:15 p.m.
The Paaso- Nyamebekyere-Atwereboanna-Wawase feeder road is 12.5 kilometres long. The road is located in the Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira District of the Central Region. It is in a poor condition.
The section from Paaso through Nyamebekyere to Atwereboanna which is 6.9 kilometres is partially engineered and in a fair condition. The section between Atwereboanna and Wawase which is 5.6 kilometres long is unengineered and in poor condition.
Future Programme
T h e P a a s o - N y a m e b e k y e r e - Atwereboanna-Wawase road has been assessed and estimates prepared. The rehabilitation of the road will be included in the 2010 programme.
Background
The Wawase-Ayebiahwe-Esukesekyir road is 6.0 kilometres. It is located in the

Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira District also in the Central Region. The section from kilometre 0 to kilometres 2.5 is partially engineered while the remaining 3.5 kilometres is unengineered. It is also in a poor condition.

Our Future Programme is that engineering studies on the entire Wawase- Ayebiahwe-Esukesekyir feeder road will be carried out in 2010. Thereafter, the necessary intervention will be undertaken.

Background

T h e G y a n k o b o - A n t w i k r o m - Abekankwanta feeder road consists of two road sections; the Gyankobo- Abekankwanta section which is 19.2 kilometres long and the Antwikrom Junction-Antwikrom section which is 2.2 kilometres long. The two roads are also located in the Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira District of the Cetnral Region.

The Gyankobo-Abekankwanta section has an existing 3.4 kilometres long bitumen surface and 15.8 kilometres long gravel surface.

The Antwikrom Junction-Antwikrom section also has an existing bitumen surface. The roads are in a poor condition.

Our future programme for the road is that engineering studies will be carried out on the two roads in the last quarter of 2009. Thereafter, the two roads will be rehabilitated.

Meanwhile, both roads have been programmed for routine maintenance in

2009.

Rev. Donkor: Madam Speaker, I would like to know from the Hon

Minister whether he is aware that during the last quarter of 2007 the Wawase- Ayebiahwe-Esukesekyir portion of the road was advertised and procurement process started.
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, unfortunately, I am not aware.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Yes, your second question.
Rev. Donkor: Madam Speaker, in this case, as I indicated in the Jukwa-Krobo roads -- These roads he made mention of, it is in his opening paragraph that the condition is poor. What is he doing to remedy the situation this year?
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I assure the Hon Colleague that the roads have been approved for routine maintenance this year and that is the assurance I want to give him.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
One more question and we move on.
Mr. J. B. Aidoo 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I want to find out from the Hon Minister, he says the two roads have been programmed for routine maintenance this year, when exactly is the programme starting -- [Interruption] -- This year can be - we are in June now, so we want to find out exactly when the programme is starting.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Minister, can you give us an idea of what you mean by this year, that is what he wants to know.
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker,
road construction works could not be put in watertight compartment and for that matter, I want to assure the Hon Colleague that the construction in terms of the routine maintenance would take place before the end of December this year.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
The next Question stands in the name of the same Hon Rev. Benjamin B. Donkor. Hon Member, can

you ask your Question?

Bridge Over River Sorowi

Q. 27. Rev. Benjamin B. Donkor asked the Minister for Roads and Highways when a bridge will be built on River Sorowi to link up Jukwa and Sefwi in the Hemang Lower Denkyira Constituency.
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the Sorowi River separates Jukwa town from Sefwi which is a suburb of Jukwa. The two communities are 200m apart and are located in the Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira District of the Central Region.
Currently, pedestrians cross the river by means of a wooden footbridge which is in a poor condition. A study of the site indicates that a footbridge is appropriate for the crossing of the river instead of a vehicular bridge.
Future Programme
In this regard, the existing weak wooden footbridge will be programmed for replacement in early 2010. As a matter of urgency, this footbridge will be repaired immediately to avoid any mishap.
Rev. Donkor: Madam Speaker, the Hon Minister indicated that Sefwi is a suburb of Jukwa. I will like to make a correction that Sefwi is a separate community and therefore, it is not a suburb of Jukwa.
My question is, what study of the site has indicated that a footbridge is appropriate for crossing the River Sorowi?
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I thought the Hon Member would be disputing the distance. If he agrees that
the distance between the two communities is 200 metres as we indicated, it is from that study along the lines of the situation within the two communities that we found out that a footbridge would be more appropriate than a vehicular bridge and it is in that wise that we are doing immediate remedial repairs to forestall its poor state as it is now.
Rev. Donkor -- rose --
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Yes, I think -- [Pause] -- I thought it was the last, but ask your - have you finished with your question? No, you have one more. All right, you have one more question to ask.
Rev. Donkor: Madam Speaker, this is the first question I have -
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Pardon?
Rev. Donkor: This is the first supplementary question I asked, the one he answered was the first supplementary I asked.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
No, that was the second.
Rev. Donkor: So Madam Speaker, I think I have more than one.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
I think that was the second. Ask your third question.
Rev. Donkor: Madam Speaker, from his Answer, is he saying that until Jesus Christ comes again the people from Jukwa and Sefwi will be crossing the River Sorowi on foot?
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Have you finished your question?
Rev. Donkor: Yes, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Yes, Hon Minister?
Mr. J. K. Gidisu 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker,
engineers from the Department of Feeder Roads visited the community and the feedback they gave me is that, just as the existing governments have realized that the footbridge was the best for the area in terms of the situation, we want to assure him that we are going to repair the footbridge and make it more appropriate than it is now. But in future if the situation improves, we will not hesitate to replace it with a vehicular bridge.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
I think we should move on. I have a Statement coming. We have three motions, so Question time is over now.
Now we move to item 5. I have admitted a Statement from Hon Elizabeth Sackey. Yes, Hon Member?
STATEMENTS 12:15 p.m.
Mrs. Elizabeth K. T. Sackey (NPP - Okaikoi North) 12:15 p.m.
Thank you, Madam Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to make a Statement in this august House. It is all about Fathers' Day Celebration.
Madam Speaker, Fathers' Day is a festival inaugurated in the early 20th century to honour fathers and forefathers. This festival is celebrated in many countries all across the world to express gratitude to fathers.
Madam Speaker, the idea of Fathers' Day Celebration was first given in 1909 by Ms. Sonora Louise Smart Dodd, a wring daughter from Spokane, USA. She felt that if there is a day to honour mothers, then there should also be a day to honour fathers.
Madam Speaker, it is unfortunate that in Ghana, people do not acknowledge the important roles played by fathers

because some children have been rejected by their fathers, and we have majority of single parents as mothers. This is rather unfortunate.

Madam Speaker, scholars believe that the origin of Fathers' Day is not a latter- day phenomenon as many believe it to be, rather they claim that the tradition of Fathers' Day can be traced to the ruins of Babylon. They have recorded that a young boy called Elmesu, carved a Fathers' Day message on a card made out of clay nearly 4,000 years ago. Elmesu wished his Babylonian father good health and long life.

Madam Speaker, let us from today realize that Fathers' Day is not confirmed to express gratitude to our fathers alone, but to our stepfathers, grandfathers, fathers-in-law, uncles or any other man who is as protective and caring as a father.

Madam Speaker, the idea of Fathers' Day in Ghana has been relegated to the background by some people who feel that their fathers failed in their responsibilities to give them what others have given to their children.

Madam Speaker, let us not lose sight of the fact that some fathers have, and are still shirking their responsibilities. But the main focus should be on anyone who might have helped you in anyway in your life as you were growing up as a child.

Looking at the heightened popularity of Fathers' Day in the US, President Woodrow Wilson, the 28th US President approved of this idea in 1916.

Madam Speaker, if we as Ghanaians can do same in this country, it will encourage and compel some fathers to be respon-sible in the country.

Madam Speaker, let us support the Fathers' Day celebration so as to establish

closer relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations.

Madam Speaker, in 1957, Senator Margaret Chase Smith wrote to Congress that,

“Either we honour our parents, mothers and fathers, or let us desist from honouring either one. But to single out just one of our two parents and omit the other is the most grievous insult imaginable.”

Therefore, Madam Speaker, Ghanaians must give equal attention to both Mothers' and Fathers' Day celebrations since it takes two to tango.

Madam Speaker, we should bear in mind that, fathers give names to their children and without them, there will be no names on earth.

Madam Speaker, since the world over, people take Fathers' Day celebration as an opportunity to thank their fathers and pay tribute to them, let us use this Sunday his or her Fathers' Day celebration to reconcile with our fathers for their past mistakes in their responsibilities and not a day for blame games.

Madam Speaker, the earlier we recognized the importance of Fathers' Day, the better for us all, since this celebration helps to acknowledge the contribution of fathers to individual families and to societies at large.

From Margaret Courtney,

“Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young, who loved thee so fondly as he? He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue, and joined in thy innocent glee.”
Mrs. Gifty E. Kusi 12:25 p.m.
(NPP - Tarkwa- Nsuaem): Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement ably made by my Hon Colleague, Hon Member of Parliament for Okaikoi South (Mrs. Elizabeth Sackey).
Madam Speaker, indeed, fathers are the heads of our families and the honour of every child - [Hear! Hear!] -- I want to add my voice to give them all the commendation and honour they deserve in this society of ours - [Hear! Hear!] - From the Bible, their tasks are very numerous as far as the family is concerned and very important. They give the confidence to every child that comes into this world.
I want to use this occasion to thank my father for his support and encourage-ment. Even though his income was very, very meagre, he ensured that everyone of us had his or her education that is best suited for him or her. Madam Speaker, he managed the income so well that if one could not go to a boarding school, one went to a day school, and today, we are very proud of him. Madam Speaker, I say I am very proud to be his daughter.
I want to urge all fathers that they should not sometimes look at their scanty incomes and neglect their children. With determination, they can go a long way to help the children that they bring into this world. It is very, very pathetic that some shirk their responsibility because of money.
Madam Speaker, one thing I realise is that, some men may even be prepared to look after their children when they have impregnated ladies, but sometimes parents are too harsh on them, expecting them to
pay high bride prices before they give them the women. Sometimes, though they may not have the money at that time, they could pay later.
So I want to advise parents to play it soft with such fathers, especially when the people express their interest that they want to look after the children. If they do not have enough money, they should accept a little bride price and then allow them to look after the children and maybe, pay later. This has brought about a lot of single parents because some parents will never, never allow the fathers to take care of the children until they pay every pesewa that the bride price demands.
I also want to urge parents, especially
fathers, who look up to the faces of their daughters, students and pupils and defile them. The children have confidence in them, they look up to them as father- figures, yet, a parent or a man like that will look into her face and say go to bed with me. Sometimes the girl becomes so dumbfounded that they cannot even talk and then their silence is taken as consent.
Madam Speaker, it is very, very pathetic. When you have confidence in someone, you look to that person as your role model, the person calls you and then just tells you I want to go to bed with you - [Interruptions] - Some men. I did not say every man, they stoop so low as to lie with their maidservants.
Madam Speaker, I want to urge them that they should allow the ladies to grow into beautiful ladies. There are so many single mothers, there are so many ladies out there wanting comfort, they can go to them. But little children as young as three years being lured into their houses
rose
Mrs. Kusi 12:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I am not saying every man. But I know -
Dr. Osei 12:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, my Hon Deputy Minority Whip is a very senior Member of this House and she knows that when one makes that kind of statement, she must give us the source. If she does not have that source, she should just withdraw it and when she gets it then she comes back to make that statement. It is a very serious statement. So unless she can produce the evidence today, she should just withdraw the statement and come back.
Madam Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Hon Member for Tarkwa-Nsuaem, did you hear it on air because -- I heard it on air.
Mrs. Kusi 12:25 p.m.
It is on air. Madam Speaker says she heard it on air. It is on air. You are doing it.
Dr Osei 12:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, all I was asking the senior Hon Member to do was to provide the source of her allegations. She said newspapers but she has not produced any newspaper.
Madam Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Hon Member for Tarkwa-Nsuaem, he is asking for your source.
Mrs. Kusi 12:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, on air - [Laughter.]
All said and done, we recognise fathers. We commend them. We like them. We like them, we honour them, we love them.
Mr. F. Fritz Baffour (NDC - Ablekuma South) 1:35 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I am here to support the Statement so ably made by the Hon Member for Okaikoi North. She captured the essence of what Fathers' Day is all about.
I would also like to remind all Hon Members here that one bad apple does not spoil the whole bunch. So when we have a situation where certain men have done the wrong thing, we should not all be painted black or white for that matter, since we are an African country.
What I want to say is that men over the years have contributed a great deal to the upbringing of their children and many other children.
In fact, the majority of children will attest to the fact that when they grew up their fathers played a great role in their development and upbringing. What we should look at are the circumstances which create the nastiness and negativity that certain men have been involved in, in defiling their children and other children and doing things that are negative to the growth of society.
But what I want to say is that, I want to take this opportunity in support of the Hon Member's Statement to congratulate all worthy fathers in Ghana for their wonderful work and to admonish those

who are not doing the right thing and taking up the right responsibility that the time is now for them to do the right thing.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Sheikh I. C. Quaye (NPP - Ayawaso Central): Madam Speaker, thank you very much. I rise to support the Statement made by the Hon Member for Okaikoi North.

In supporting the Statement, I wish to state that all Hon Members who are of the male sex are fathers; so also are the female Members are mothers. Madam Speaker, you are a father, you are a mother of this House. [Hear! Hear!] [Interruptions.]
Madam Speaker 1:35 p.m.
I am not going to dispute that; I hope nobody does. Carry on. [Hear! Hear!]
Sheikh Quaye: Madam Speaker, the father of all of us here in Parliament and the whole country is Prof. John Evans Atta-Mills -- [Hear! Hear!] -- he is at the apex. He is one and only President of Ghana. One time in the Castle, he flared up and stood up and said: “I am the only one President in Ghana.” We agree, nobody can compare himself with John Evans Atta-Mills; he is the President, the only one and the only father of the nation.
Indeed , Madam Speaker, His Excellency the President has said on several occasions that he is the President and for that matter, the father of all Ghanaians.
Madam Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Please, comment on the Statement. Seizure of cars has nothing
to do with this - [Interruptions.] Comment on the Statement.
Sheikh Quaye: Yes, Madam Speaker, this is the preamble -- [Interruptions.] I am laying the foundation. Madam Speaker, I have said it because he said he talked about natural law, he talked about equity, he talked about fairness - [Interruption.]
Madam Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Are you going to talk on this Statement?
Sheikh Quaye: As the father of a nation, when he talks about fairness and equity and natural law, that is proper because he is the father of the nation -- [Interruptions].
Madam Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon Member, go on.
Sheikh Quaye: Now, as I said, all constitutions actually emanated from the law and therefore -- [Laughter] - It has got to do with this Statement.
Madam Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon Member, your time is up now.
Sheikh Quaye: Madam Speaker, I have not come to the real stuff of my contribution.
Madam Speaker 1:35 p.m.
I am not taking anymore from you.
Minister for Tourism (Mrs. Juliana Azumah-Mensah) 1:35 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I stand to contribute to the Statement on the floor on Fathers' Day. I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate all fathers on this special Day and that day falls on Sunday, that is the actual day.
Having said that, we know as my Hon Colleague said, it takes two to tango. We love them to share their beds; we love

[SHEIKH QUAYE] them to do everything possible with them to bring children into this world. But then it is very, very important that some of the fathers who are not responsible must be brought to book, must stop affecting just like how the other Hon Member said, that it would take one bad nut to give a bad name to the others. I know there are fathers out there who would do everything possible to look after their families, to look after their children to go to school. But we have a greater majority here also in Ghana who are not - [Pause] - who shirk their responsibilities as fathers. We know that - [Interruption.]
Dr. Osei 1:35 p.m.
On a point of order. Madam Speaker, with respect to my senior sister, a statement that she knows, that there is a greater majority of men is similar to what my Hon Colleague said. If she has the evidence for this House, she should produce it. It is a very important statement she is making; we do not want people to believe that majority of men in Ghana are shirking their responsibility. But if she has the evidence, she should produce it, otherwise, she should do the proper thing and withdraw.
Madam Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon Member, I think here, he is very right. If you have not got the statistics -- [Interruptions.]
Mrs. Azumah-Mensah 1:35 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I said some of the men and I went on to say that it takes one bad nut to spoil everything. I know that in Ghana we have almost up to 50 to 60 per cent female-headed households. Why do we have female-headed households to such a large number? It is only because the men vacate the homes and leave them to the women to look after the children. The Hon Member is trying to say that I should provide - [Interruption.]
Madam Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Or withdraw the ‘greater number'.
Mrs. Azumah-Mensah 1:35 p.m.
Well, I did not say a greater number. I said that some men, not all, I know that.
Madam Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon Members, she says now that it is not the “greater majority; but “some men”; would you accept that “some men”?
Dr. Osei 1:35 p.m.
She said 50 to 60 per cent. She should withdraw it.
Madam Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon Member, kindly wind up. Our time is up.
Mrs. Azumah-Mensah 12:45 p.m.
Madam Speaker, what I am going to say is that I know there are men out there who support their families. I think I have said that already; yes. [Pause.] What we need to do is that our social welfare system should also be made in a way that we can, as mothers, access facilities that can bring our fathers to book. Because in Europe when a father - [Interruptions.]

In Europe when a father is irresponsible, the system deals with him but here, we do not have that in place. So I am just asking that Government should try to put in place the Child Support System that we do have that the woman will not be suffering by herself, and then the man as a father should also be brought to book to be responsible and answer to the family's needs.

Having said that, I would still like to congratulate all fathers. We are there. They know that we are there as mothers to support them. Without a father or mother, there will not be a child. So I use this opportunity to congratulate all fathers; we will keep on loving them. We will keep on doing whatever they wish to do to support the family so that we can all be one.
Mr. W. O. Boafo (NPP - Akropong) 12:45 p.m.
Madam Speaker, Sunday being Fathers' Day, it is a fine opportunity for us to pay tribute to our fathers, both deceased and living Ghanaian fathers.
Madam Speaker, we acknowledge the role which the biblical fathers played which endeared fathers in the society, and to continue with the same. We have such leaders , our patriots as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph who demonstrated love for their children and that same love moved them to sacrifice for their families, their communities and their nations. And this is one of the attributes that we should all emulate as fathers in Ghana.
Madam Speaker, this takes me to the
service which H.E. the President attended in Nigeria, that is, at the Synagogue of All Nations and the Preacher was Prophet P. B. Joshua. The encouragement, the exhor-tation that he gave to the President on that particular day, I consider it not as limited to the President alone but to all of us in Ghana.
He told the President that it should be a hallmark of the current Administration to forgive. And I believe this is something that as fathers in Ghana we should all take seriously. It was an admonishing or divine counselling given to our head father and I will urge all fathers to forgive and forget so that what is currently going on in the country, about “I do you, you do me” should be a thing of the past. This will not augur well for us as fathers in Ghana.
Madam Speaker, apart from the love that we should remind ourselves about on this occasion of Fathers' Day, there is also the need for us to live in respectability and dignity as fathers, and that leads me to the fact that we as fathers should always try
and honour our promises to our children, to our families and to our communities. The only thing I will say on this particular issue is that if we do not keep to our promises, if we create a patrimony of broken promises, we lose our respectability. This goes to all fathers in the country and especially to our head father or the super father, H.E. the President of the Republic of Ghana.
Madam Speaker, the other issue which
Madam Speaker 12:45 p.m.
No, Hon Member,
it has nothing to do with it and unless you speak to the topic, I will not let you carry on. This has nothing to do with detaining fathers -
Mr. Boafo 12:45 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I was
Madam Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Hon Member,
Question time is finished. Your time is finished. Sit down. Shall we now move to -
rose
Madam Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Question time is
over. Do you want to be the Speaker? [Interruption.] Sorry. Was it the Statement you were going to correct? I apologize.
Nana Abu-Bonsra 12:45 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I only wanted to associate myself with the Statement made on the floor. It is unfortunate, maybe, but I accept your apology.
Madam Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Yes, all right, last word on the Statement.
Nana Abu-Bonsra (NPP - Fomena) 12:45 p.m.
Mr. E. T. Mensah 12:45 p.m.
On a point of
order. Madam Speaker, my Hon Friend said that it took a woman and it is the first time -- This is not the first time that a woman has made such a Statement in this House. When we were on that side of the House, the Hon Member for Ho East (Mrs. Juliana Azumah-Mensah) was the one who made a Statement to congratulate fathers on Fathers' Day. It is just for the records.
Nana Abu Bonsra 12:55 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I thank my Senior Colleague but I did not say for the first time, I said this time.
Madam Speaker, I would like to proceed. It is sometimes amazing when you look at society, how human beings are trying to change to order that God gave to us, and in the process, we tend not to accept certain things as it should be. Be that as it may, I, at least, having been blessed with four children and therefore, a proud father, you realize that men and fathers, for that matter, are the source of life, not even withstanding modern science.
We know that today children can be produced, as it were, from test tubes, but in all modernity of science, it is still not possible for only a female, for that matter, or the eggs from a female to produce a human being. That should clearly send a strong signal to all of us that fathers are simply indispensable in society. Therefore, we must recognize the role of fathers for that matter.
Mr. D. B. A. Ntiwul 12:55 p.m.
Madam Speaker, my Hon Friend, even though from the same side, is misleading the House. There are several single mothers who have raised families successfully all over the world. So if he makes a sweeping statement that fathers are simply indispensable in a family, I believe that it is not supported by any fact.
Nana Abu-Bonsra 12:55 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I am surprised my Hon Colleague is imputing - [Interruption.]
Madam Speaker 12:55 p.m.
He is only correcting.
Nana Abu-Bonsra 12:55 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I did not say - He says that I am making a sweeping statement, which I do not think should be appropriate to describe what I said. I said the fathers are indispensable because without a man, no child or no human being can be procreated. And that is a fact.
Madam Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Yes, but what about the modern methods, you do not need a father to do it. That is why he is objecting.
Nana Abu-Bonsra 12:55 p.m.
Madam Speaker, doctors are here and they will bear me out that it takes the combination of a man's semen and a woman's egg to produce a child, whether in the test tube or in the womb.
Prof. Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi 12:55 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the science is all wrong. A sperm that is being agitated in a test tube cannot be referred to as a father. The source is manly but the sperm is not a father.
Nana Abu-Bonsra 12:55 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I am proceeding. I am saying that even in the case where God promised the couple Abraham and Sarah a child in their old age, it was to Abraham that God said that you will certainly have a son. Therefore, it is not just a matter of trying to run down women for that matter but I am just saying that it was possible for - [Interruption.]
Mr. Ambrose P. Dery 12:55 p.m.
Madam Speaker, just to draw my Colleague's attention, I think that he is rather going too wide. He has gone to the Bible, and I want to remind him that Christ was born without a father and so he should go straight and keep it narrow, otherwise, we are going to have problems. He should take it easy.
Madam Speaker 12:55 p.m.
That was a proper
point of correction.
Nana Abu-Bonsra 12:55 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I did not intend to take my brother on because this is not in the church but I am just saying that -- I know he is a devout Catholic and he should appreciate the significance of Christ as God's man and therefore, he is different.
I think that fathers are very important because fathers should be seen as the canopy, responsible fathers, as the canopy for the family because without the father, for me, something becomes missing in the home. That is why I would want to urge
all fathers on this occasion, when we are celebrating Fathers' Day, to take a good look at ourselves and to see the kind of roles we ought to be playing in our home. Fathers are there for inspiration, fathers are there for leadership and guidance, and that is why God has so blessed us that you do not need to be a biological father alone to be a good father.
Dr. Osei 12:55 p.m.
On a point of order. Madam Speaker, with respect, I am sure I have read in the Bible that we should go forth into the world and multiply. So for him to say that it is not incumbent upon a father to multiply, is reading the Bible wrongly, and I know he is a devout Christian. We are being exhorted to go and multiply, how can he say it is not incumbent upon him?
Madam Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Was the word “father” used -- [Laughter] -- in the quotation? I think you become a father only after the event, do not you? [Laughter]
Yes, wind up, our time is up.
Nana Abu-Bonsra 12:55 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I would like to refer my brother Dr. Akoto Osei to the fact that in Genesis 1:28 where we are urged to multiply, there is an element of control in that passage, and that is why I am saying that fatherhood is not a compulsory thing.
I am calling on fathers or men only to desire to be fathers when they are ready to accept responsibility so that we will rid our society of what others have said -- that we have mothers who are heading homes, we have children who are going wayward and we have a lot of street children. It is
because some who were not up to the task of fatherhood, forced themselves to that situation
Therefore, I would want to urge that on this occasion of Father's Day, men should take a good look before they leap into wanting to become fathers when they are not ready.
Madam Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Sometimes I look for new faces.
Mr I. A. B. Fuseini (NDC - Tamale Central) 12:55 p.m.
Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this important Statement.
I was becoming worried when the significance of this important day was being lost in arguments.
Mr. Opare-Ansah 12:55 p.m.
On a point of order. Madam Speaker, the Hon Member just said he heard them say that he is too young. I have been in the Chamber since the beginning of proceedings and I have not heard anybody take the floor and indicated that the Hon Member for Tamale Central is too young. So if he can tell us who is telling him he is too young --
Madam Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Hon Member, are you saying that he should only hear things coming through the microphone? If that is so, then I will go with you; but I also heard it.
Mr. Fuseini 1:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I
choose to ignore that; but to say that the significance of this day was commu- nicated forcefully to me when I received a call from my son in Kumasi who was

wishing me well on Fathers' Day. Madam Speaker, I must confess that that was the first time I was receiving a commendation from my son wishing me a Fathers' Day, and it was quite touching.

Madam Speaker, that is why I am inviting fathers in this House to reach out to their sons, to reach out to their daughters, to reach out to people who consider them as fathers because the little that we do towards improving their lives, because the little that we do towards touching their lives, they appreciate.

Probably, they do not communicate so in so many words, but when they are given an opportunity, they communicate, and when they communicate, we feel fulfilled that we have been able, in our roles as fathers, to touch the lives of our children, and to touch the lives of people who look up to us.

Madam Speaker, it is true that a person can be a father without necessarily being a biological father. And I think that was how Joseph stood in relation to Jesus Christ. That, at all material times that Joseph was a father to Jesus Christ, he was never considered a biological father to Jesus Christ.

Madam Speaker, indeed, whatever concep t ion t ha t i n f l uenced t he establishment of this day, and indeed, the establishment of the Mothers' Day, only goes to show that as we grow up and mature, we grow up into fatherhood, and that also calls for tremendous responsibility on our part. That calls for us to behave in ways that will make us role models to people who are looking up to us; that calls for us to exercise some dignity and respect in controlling our household and persons who come in touch with us.

Madam Speaker, on this day, I call on

all fathers, not only biological fathers, but also those who serve as fathers to children

who were born out of wedlock and who do not know where their biological fathers are. We have responsibility to reach out to them, to touch their lives, to give them a reason for living so that they can call us father.

Madam Speaker, thank you for the

opportunity.
Madam Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Thank you, Hon
Members.
Statement time is now finally over. And I am moving on to item 6 - Motions. Hon E.T. Mensah?
Mr. E.T. Mensah 1:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker,
before I speak to item 6, let me say that when Hon Abu-Bonsra made an intervention, he misquoted the Bible -- [Interruption] -- So for the records, it ought to be corrected.
Madam Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Hon Mensah,
Statement time is over, and anything to do with that is now over.
Mr. E.T. Mensah 1:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I
am not -- I said for the record.
Madam Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Motion No. 6, you
have the floor.
Mr. E. T. Mensah 1:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker,
we want to stand down Motion numbers 6, 8 and 10, and then the consequential resolutions. We will reprogramme them for next week.
Madam Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Motions 6 -
Mr. E. T. Mensah 1:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker,
8 and 10. And their consequential reso- lutions, which can be seen on pages 2, 3, 4 and 6.
Thank you very much.
Madam Speaker 1:05 p.m.
In which case, there is time for adjournment and you still have the floor. Any indications?
Mr. E.T. Mensah 1:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker,
I beg to move, that this House stands adjourned till Tuesday, 23rd June, 2009 at 10.00 a.m.
Mr. Ambrose P. Dery 1:05 p.m.
Madam
Speaker, I beg to second the motion. We look forward to a very good Sitting on Tuesday.
Question put and motion agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT 1:05 p.m.