Debates of 2 Jul 2009

MADAM SPEAKER
PRAYERS 11 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
Hon Members,
Correction of Votes and Proceedings dated 30th June, 2009. Page 1 --
Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I was absent on Tuesday but I have been recorded as being present.
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
Hon Member, well,
Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu 11 a.m.
My
name is Kwaku Agyeman-Manu. I represent the good people of Dormaa West.
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
Pages 2 11 --
Mr. C. K. Humado 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
I would like to take us back to page 8(ii). I think the words should be “. . . construc- tion of the Ada Coastal Protection Works to be undertaken on contract …” not “… contact with M/S Dredging International Services …” '
Mr. E. A. Owusu-Ansah 11 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, on Tuesday I was in Kumasi attending the Bar and Bench Martyrs Day Celebration which was held there. I could not have been present in the House on that
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
Can we now move
Mr. Andrews Adjei-Yeboah 11:10 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, page 18, Committee on Privileges, I was at the meeting and I participated fully but my name is absent; it is not indicated here. Then on the list of attendance, maybe, we are yet to go there but I suspect this name is wrongly put; page 19 (xii), first line, ‘Mr. Elizabeth Amoah Tetteh'. I do not know whether there was an Hon Member here by that name. No.

The Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 30th June, 2009 as corrected be adopted as the true record of proceedings.

Hon Members, we move now to the Official Report of Tuesday, 30th June, 2009.
Mr. Haruna Iddrisu 11:10 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, column 1201, third paragraph, I laid a Paper on behalf of the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning and not on behalf of the Hon Minister for Energy. That is in respect of the request for waiver and exemption of tax liability on equipment and materials to be imported or purchased locally.
Thank you.
Madam Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Thank you.

Hon Members, the Official Report of Tuesday, 30th June, 2009 as corrected represents the true record of proceedings.

We move to item 3. Hon Members, Question time. The time is a quarter past eleven (11.45 a.m.); we have normally one hour, but I think we have so many Questions, I might as well see it. Let us

take one and a half hours. I will add half an hour. In which case, the Hon Member who asks the Question will have his normal three supplementary questions after asking the Question and then we have two from both sides of the House.

So we can go through it; if by the time we have more time on our hands, we would go on.

The first Question stands in the name of Hon Isaac Kwame Asiamah. Hon Member, can you ask your Question now? The Hon Minster for Youth and Sports -
URGENT QUESTIONS 11:10 a.m.
MINISTRY OF YOUTH AND SPORTS 11:10 a.m.
rose
Madam Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member.
Mr. Simons Addai 11:10 a.m.
On a point of order.
Madam Speaker, with your permission, I would like to know the actual status of my good Friend and Brother, Hon Abdul- Rashid Pelpuo, whether he is the Hon Minister responsible for the Ministry of Youth and Sports or what.
Madam Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Well, you were
asking a Question which you have not filed. Anyway, Hon Majority Leader.
Mr. A. S. K. Bagbin 11:10 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, His Excellency the President
made it public to the world that -- [Interruptions] -- Unless Parliament is not part of the world. [Interruptions.]
Well, I do not understand what is official and what is unofficial. But if His Excellency the President communicates officially to the world that Hon Abdul- Rashid Pelpuo is now taking over responsibility for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, I assume, it means, I am wrong in my assumptions, and I should have told Hon Members that, that is the position, that Hon Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, Hon Minister of State at the Office of the President is now responsible for the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Mr. Simons Addai 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
I wish this time round to disagree with my Hon Majority Leader on the grounds that, if for instance, as His Excellency the President has travelled to Libya, and when he was leaving, it was published in the daily newspapers without official communication to Madam Speaker, will that have been accepted as a communi- cation to the House?
Again, Madam Speaker, our con- vention and rule of the House are, anytime the substantive Minister is not available to answer Questions in the House, the Hon Majority Leader or his representative seeks permission from Madam Speaker before the Hon Minister is allowed to answer the Question.
In this situation, Madam Speaker, all the two have not been complied with; no permission was sought from Madam Speaker before Hon Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo was asked to come and answer the Question, neither has Parliament been officially informed of his current or new designation.
So Madam Speaker, I think it is not proper for Hon Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo to answer these Questions in the House.
Mr. Bagbin 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I
rose
Mr. Bagbin 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I am
on the floor.
Mr. Osei-Owusu 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
thank you for recognizing me.
Madam Speaker 11:10 a.m.
But I can always
Mr. Osei-Owusu 11:10 a.m.
No, Madam
Mr. Bagbin 11:20 a.m.
Madam Speaker, on the first two issues raised by my Hon Colleague, as I said, I am grateful that he is insisting that the Hon Minister that is before us, a substantive Minister of State, should not be permitted to answer the Questions. We thought that this was one of the Urgent Questions that we should attend to and initially permission was not sought and when my attention was drawn, in my response, I sought permission.
But there is no law -- I want it to be made clear here, that there is no law whether in the Constitution or any law saying that when a President is travelling
rose
Madam Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Order! Order! Hon Member, were you going to tell us whether the Speaker and Parliament are the same?
Mr. Joe Ghartey 11:20 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I was going to tell you, with respect -- [Interruption.]
Madam Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Is the Speaker the same as Parliament?
Mr. Ghartey 11:20 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I am going to tell you, with respect, that the spirit of the law demands that we give a purposive interpretation to Speaker not a literal interpretation. [Hear! Hear!]
That is because the Speaker, in this sense, is a conduit for the purpose of informing the people of Ghana through their representatives.
Madam Speaker, I say this, because
Madam Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Order! Order! Hon Members, let me listen to the argument.
Mr. Ghartey 11:20 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I am saying that we must give Hon Speaker in this sense, the purposive approach and not the literal approach. And we must give it the purposive approach because the purpose of that provision is for the people of Ghana to be informed via the Speaker. The Speaker in this sense, is a conduit and I am saying that because Madam Speaker, with respect, you are not the second-in- command in this country, you are the third-in-command.
rose rose
Madam Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon Haruna, were you standing?
Mr. H. Iddrisu 11:20 a.m.
Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
Madam Speaker, I believe that only a few days ago, one of our Colleagues, Hon Felix Twumasi-Appiah sought to draw this
House's attention in order that this House was not arrogating to itself the power of interpretation, be it the Constitution of Ghana or the Standing Orders of this august House.
Madam Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Order! Order!
Mr. H. Iddrisu 11:20 a.m.
In any case, Madam Speaker, Standing Order 51 to which they made reference, is very clear that His Excellency the President shall give prior notification to the Speaker. [Inter- ruptions.] I am reading -- Madam Speaker, I am quoting article 59 of the Constitution. [Interruptions.]
We should get the issues separated -- Order 51, article 59 is the same lifting from the Constitution into the Standing Orders.
Madam Speaker, it is not for the former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice to champion before this House, whether the approach is purposive or mechanism, this is not the forum for him to say that; in interpreting it, we should adopt his wish of a purposive approach.
Madam Speaker, if you permit him,
he is inviting chaos because any other Member can choose to associate himself with any of the schools of interpretation. I am sure Hon Yieleh Chireh may say he goes with the literal school of thought and therefore, should we accept that as the reasoning of this august House?
So in order that we do not encourage a usurpation of the exclusive right of the Supreme Court, Madam Speaker, I believe that we should make progress and allow the able Hon Minister of State, who has so been designated by His Excellency the
Madam Speaker 11:20 a.m.
I am going to rule on this one.
I have sufficiently formed my view and I think when I needed help, I have heard everything, so I think it is time to rule.
rose
Madam Speaker 11:20 a.m.
But, since he is the Leader, let him have the last lap - [Uproar] - Maybe, you would become the Leader one day and you will understand.
Alhaji Sumani Abukari 11:20 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Hon Minority Leader pointed out here on Tuesday that after you have made a ruling, nobody should speak against it unless the person comes by a substantive motion. He has not done that.
You have given a ruling, why is he up
to challenge it? He should not challenge it. You have made a ruling and that is it.
Madam Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Well, I give respect to the Leaders to help me here. But, like he says, I also expect cooperation from them. So, I think the point is properly taken.
But we will hear from the Hon Minority Leader for the last time - [Hear! Hear!] - After this, I will give my ruling.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:20 a.m.
Madam Speaker, indeed, a Daniel has come to judgement. The Hon Member, who is a good friend of mine was not even listening, like he is not listening now - [Laughter.] Madam Speaker, he is certainly in a wonderland. He was not listening when you were giving the direction. She said she wanted to make a ruling but before then - this is a pre-ruling indication.
Madam Speaker 11:20 a.m.
No, he is talking about the last time. Now, I have not made the ruling. I will make the ruling after you - [Hear! Hear!]
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:20 a.m.
Madam Speaker, that indeed, is why I said “a Daniel has come to judgement” and he will not listen.
Madam Speaker, just to add to what has been said already and to emphasise Order 51 -
“Communica t ions f rom the President to the House shall be made to Mr. Speaker . . .”
Communication to the House shall be made to you. So, if it comes to you, certainly, it is deemed to be coming to the House. You are only a conduit.
Madam Speaker, let me remind the Hon Majority Leader. Article 179(1), and
Madam Speaker, I beg to quote 11:20 a.m.
“The President shall cause to be prepared and laid before Parliament at least one month before the end of the financial year, estimates of the revenues and expenditure of the Government of Ghana for the following financial year.”

Madam Speaker, indeed, that is the point. If it comes to you, you are the conduit; it should come from you, then, to the House. So, I just want to rest the matter there.

But Madam Speaker, we agreed this morning that we will be adjourning early. So, I want us to just be cognisance of that fact. Then, when we come to the ruling, we will move on.

Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Madam Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Last word, and
please, make it the last word.
Mr. Bagbin 11:20 a.m.
Madam Speaker, it is really interesting listening to my Hon Colleagues on the other side of the House.
When one reads the Standing Orders talking about communications from the President to the House, the intention of that communi-cation is to the House. That is what the Standing Order is talking about. When the intention of the President is to communicate with the House, the communication is to the Speaker.
The Speaker has received on several

President in the exercise of his executive authority as the fountain of honour, to appear before this august House to respect and answer Questions by an Hon Member of Parliament.

Madam Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.
Mr. Ambrose P. Dery 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think that my Hon Brother on the other side made statements that are theoretically right but not relevant here. [Laughter.]
Madam Speaker the point here is that, in this House, you interpret the Standing Orders, and the Hon Majority Leader has made a point and we are of different view and it is our duty to bring it to your notice.

Madam Speaker, my brother, the Hon Majority Leader says that there is no law that says that the President should inform Parliament. I want to remind him that article 11 of the Constitution sets out what the laws of Ghana comprise of. And the laws of Ghana do not end with the Constitution; they also include regulations, orders and others. So, if one takes article 59, which talks about communicating to the Speaker and you take Standing Order 51 - Madam Speaker, I beg to read article 59:

“The President shall not leave Ghana without prior notification in writing, signed by him and addressed to the Speaker of Parliament.”
Mr. Ambrose P. Dery 11:30 a.m.


occasions communications from the President. It is not all communications from the President that are brought to the House - [Hear! Hear!] - But when the communications from the President to the House--[Uproar] -- Whichever approach you adopt, whether literal, purposive or whatever, when it is to the House, it is addressed to the Speaker, the intention is to the House - [Uproar.]

Now, the article - it is only through practice that the Speaker comes to read the communications on the floor of the House - [Interruptions] - It is through practice. That is not a convention.

Madam Speaker, if you go through the Constitution, any time the Constitution specifically wants to talk about Parliament, it so mentions Parliament. When the Constitution wants to talk about a Member of Parliament, it mentions Members of Parliament. When it is talking about Judiciary -- when it is talking about Speaker, they are so stated in the Constitution. It cannot be the intention of that article that the communications to the Speaker is the communication to Parliament -- [Uproar.] --Yes - [Interruptions.]
Mr. Bagbin 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, secondly,
there are a number of occasions that the President communicates to the Speaker when Parliament is on recess, when we are on recess -- but yet the President communicates to the Speaker. They know - [Interruptions.] That time the President is aware that Parliament is not in session and therefore, the intention will not be to let it be read on the floor of Parliament because Parliament is not in session. The Constitution is very clear; it says:
“The President shall not leave Ghana without prior notification in writing, signed by him and addressed to the Speaker of Parliament”. [Inter- ruptions.] I said it. I said “Speaker of Parliament”. Again --
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Order! Order! Let
us finish with the Hon Majority Leader. Yes, Hon Majority Leader, can you wind up?
Mr. Bagbin 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I also
want to point out to my Hon Colleagues that the House is different from Parliament of Ghana. When you read the Standing Orders and they said the House, it is different from Parliament of Ghana So when the Standing Order is talking about communications to the House, it is talking about this House here. But when you say, “Parliament of Ghana”, not “Parliament”, but the institution of Parliament. [Uproar!] The institution of Parliament, not the House. [Interruptions.] Do not worry.
Dr. A. A. Osei 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
I come on a point of order. My Hon Senior Colleague is grossly misleading this House.
Madam Speaker, if you go to page (3) of our Standing Orders, “House” means “Parliament”. [Interruptions.] Madam Speaker, “House” means “Parliament”. So for the Leader of the House to tell us that “House” is not “Parliament”, I want him to withdraw. He is undermining the very House he leads.
Madam Speaker, he is our esteemed Leader, I would plead with him to withdraw that statement. This is the definition: “House” means “Parliament”; page (3) of the Standing Orders.
Mr. Bagbin 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I will
never argue on financial matters with my Hon Colleague opposite. [Uproar!] But when it comes to law - [Interruptions.] Please, sit down. Madam Speaker, when
it comes to law, it is proper for my Hon Colleague opposite to sit down and listen and I am going to show him the difference.
Mr. Bagbin 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Order! Order!
Mr. Bagbin 11:40 a.m.
I said “led”. So Madam
Speaker, clearly, the two are different. Madam Speaker is the head, is the Leader of the Parliament of Ghana; I, my goodself, I am the Leader of the House -- [Uproar!] I do not lead the institution of Parliament, I do not; the President leads the Executive, the Speaker leads Parliament, the Chief Justice leads the Judiciary. But when it comes to Hon Members of Parliament, I, Hon Alban Bagbin, is the leader.
rose
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Is it a point of
order, because I did say that that would be the last?
Hon Member, is it a point of order?
Mr. Adjaho 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, both
sides of the House are inviting you to make a ruling in a certain direction. My humble submission this morning is that you should decline that invitation and just decide whether the Hon Minister can answer the Question and my view is that he is entitled to answer the Question and there is precedent in this House.
When the former Majority Leader announced himself as Minister responsible
Mr. Adjaho 11:40 a.m.


for Transportation and there and then assumed the duties and responsibilities of that Ministry -- [Hear! Hear!] -- and I think without any official communication before that time from the Presidency.

Madam Speaker, I think that - on that occasion, just as today, the President was out of the country and then we had a Leadership dinner and the then Majority Leader told me that he had announced himself as the Minister responsible for Transportation, so he had to go and brief the Vice- President.

But Madam Speaker, I am suggesting that you should rule on whether the Hon Minister can answer the Questions. My answer is that, yes, he is entitled to answer the Questions.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:40 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, wi th respec t the F i r s t Deputy Speaker should know better - [Interruptions] - than importing a so- called private conversation here; a dinner discussion here into this House when the person is not here to defend himself. Madam Speaker, in any event, he falls on his own sword, when he says that the then Majority Leader announced himself as the Minister responsible for Transportation.
Madam Speaker, if, indeed, we are to go by the argument by the Majority Leader, that communication to the Speaker needs not be to this House, then indeed, his own argument falls on his own sword.
But Madam Speaker, the issue - [Interruption] -- the Hon Member for Ningo/Prampram [Mr. E. T. Mensah] is saying that he should deal with me. I am capable of dealing with him! [Uproar!] He should invite him to deal with me.
Madam Speaker, but the issue is - [Interruptions.] I am more than capable of dealing with him, if he is saying that he should deal with me. [Interruptions.]
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:50 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, nobody is saying that the Hon Minister of State cannot answer the Questions; that is not the argument.

The argument is not that the Hon Minister of State cannot answer the Question. The argument rather is that, when the Hon Minister responsible - Hon Muntaka was supposed to be on leave, the President then came in with the name of Hon Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo to act. The question is, now that he has resigned, is he continuing? I think that is the import of it. Even if he is not continuing, as a Minister of State, he can still answer and we do know - [Interruption] nobody is against Hon Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo answering the Question.
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Order! Order!
Mr. Bagbin 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think my Hon Colleague, the Minority Leader is entitled to his views. He can air them here, but the language. He says the First Deputy Speaker should know better -- [Interruptions.]
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Members, I
am now going to rule.
Mr. Bagbin 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think that it is not proper and I would want my Hon Colleague to withdraw that statement.
Again, Hon E. T. Mensah was not saying I should deal with him. He was saying I should deal with the issue, not with him. So I think that the language is unparliamentary and he should withdraw that and then we go on.
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Members, I am going to rule now. I am going to rule. Can I have some bit of order before I rule? Order! I am going to rule now.
Mr. J. T. Akologu 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, with due respect - [Interruption.]
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Member, I
am going to rule. I will not take any more arguments.
Hon Members, I am completely lost
now as to what to rule on. A lot of issues have been raised. The first was whether the Hon Minister could come here without notice to Parliament. I thought I was going to rule on that one. And a lot of other things -- whether the Speaker is the same as Parliament. Whether all correspon-dence to the Speaker must come to Parliament and who rules here. So I really, really do not know what to rule on, because I see so many issues and I think it is the first one I will rule on.
But before I go there, I will say that, yes, in the court of law, it is the Supreme Court which will interpret the Constitution. Here, it is the Speaker who after hearing arguments would interpret them. I think that should be clear and if anybody wants to go from here to the Supreme Court, it is another matter.
The objection that was raised, was that the President has not officially informed
Parliament and I think that brought about the various issues; whether whatever correspondence that is addressed to the Speaker must come to Parliament. I need to rule on that one because without that we will not know whether the President even informed anybody at all.
Before I do so, I have a letter which was copied to the Speaker, it was addressed to the Hon Minister but it was copied to me. And so I got information that he is now to take the responsibility of -- [Some Hon Members: Shame! Shame!] - Can I finish?
Hon Members, unless Hon Asiamah wants his Urgent Question to be postponed to another time, [Inte-rruption.] Let me finish making the ruling. Like I said, I did receive information that he has now taken responsibility but that was not addressed to me. It was a copy to me and that is why I think that it is not all correspondence which is addressed to the Speaker which must come here. [Hear! Hear!]
Where constitutional matters are involved, like article 59, about the President leaving the country, then even if it is addressed to the Speaker, it is for Parliament - [Hear! Hear!] -- and that is what the Constitution requires - but any other correspondence that is addressed to the Speaker does not necessarily come here. And If I may inform you that I was informed that he will be the Acting Minister for Youth and Sports.
I think we can carry on now. Can we
carry on now?
Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I respect your ruling fully but I want to put it on record that this Urgent Question has brought to light that officially, the President has not informed
the House through Madam Speaker, but Madam Speaker was given an information copy of the communication to the Hon Minister. But we thank God, at least, we know you have received something.
Madam Speaker noon
Hon Member, what is the constitutional provision if you draw my attention to it that he should inform the House?
In any case, I have already ruled and so let us be content with the ruling that he should carry on answering our Questions.
Hon Member, the Urgent Question has been asked. Hon Minister, can you answer the Urgent Question?

Acting Minister for Youth and Sports

(Mr. Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo): Madam Speaker, thank you for the immense interest everybody is showing about the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Madam Speaker, Ghana won the bid to host the African Cup of Nations Hockey Tournament, which is scheduled to take place at the Accra hockey pitch in July

2009.

To ensure a smooth and eventful tournament, a seventeen-member local organizing committee was inaugurated on the 23rd March, 2009. The tournament was jointly launched by the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama and the African Hockey Federation President, H.E. Seif Dini Ahmed at the Accra International Conference Centre. As I speak, there is a possibility that you will be seeing pictures on the screen about the hockey pitch at the stadium.

As a major step in the preparation, the Government is in the process of
Madam Speaker noon


constructing a thousand two hundred seater hockey stadium of the standard of the African Hockey Federation and International Hockey Federation, as the venue for the tournament. The stadium which has a one class one synthetic hockey pitch will be commissioned on the 6th July, 2009.

Madam Speaker, to ensure that Ghana wins both trophies in the tournament, the national hockey teams both men and women started their local preparation on 1st February, 2009 and undertook a three-week training tour of Holland where the teams had the opportunity to train on water-based astro turf to acclimatize with the turf. The teams are currently encamped for their final brush up.

With regard to t ransportat ion,

accreditation, arrival and departure formalities and protocols, as well as accommodation, medical securities, et cetera -- all necessary arrangements for a successful hosting of the tournament have been put in place while the teams' kits, equipment and ceremonial attire have been secured for the event.

The President of the African Hockey Federation, His Excellency Seif Dini Ahmed visited Ghana last month to assess the state of the country's preparedness for the event and to launch the tournament. He was full of praise for our level of preparation. He even took the opportunity to promise arranging for the regular use of the stadium for international hockey events considering the fact that Ghana now has the most modern technology on water-based astro turf in Africa.
Mr. I. K. Asiamah noon
Madam Speaker,
I want to find out from the Hon Minister again, in 2008 the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government made a provisional
budget for the construction of facilities for hosting the African Cup of Nations Hockey Tournament, how much has so far been spent on the construction of the hockey pitch.
Madam Speaker noon
Yes Hon Member,
your question - how much was spent - but that is not the same as the state of preparation for the team. That is a different question, which he will need time to answer.
Mr. I. K. Asiamah noon
Madam Speaker,
my question is in relation to this tournament.
Madam Speaker noon
I think he will need
time to answer.
Madam Speaker noon
He will answer with
facts, but if he has no notice, how can he tell us? [Interruptions] - Hon Minister, can you authoritatively tell us?
Mr. Pelpuo noon
Madam Speaker, even
though he has not given me some notice, I would attempt to answer his question.
Madam Speaker noon
Can you ask your
second question now?
Mr. I. K. Asiamah noon
Madam Speaker,
as you know, expenditure is part of the number of operations. My other question is, did the present Government invite bids publicly for the construction of the stadium including the pitch? [Inter-
Madam Speaker noon
Hon Minister, did
you get the question?
Mr. Pelpuo noon
Madam Speaker, the
contract was sole sourced and approved by National Accreditation and there is a letter to that effect.
Madam Speaker noon
Your third question,
please.
Madam Speaker noon
Hon Member, the
question again.
Mr. I. K. Asiamah noon
Madam Speaker,
when were the contracts awarded, who awarded them and who are the consultants and the contractor? And can the contract documents be made available to this august House?
Madam Speaker noon
Honourable, he
asked, when was the contract awarded? Hon Asiamah, too many questions, so he may reply the first question. When was the contract awarded and to whom? Unless you want to pose another question.
Madam Speaker noon
We will take two
from both sides, two questions and then move on. Yes, questions - [Interruptions.] We are taking two supplementary questions. [Interruptions.] He abandoned the question; you did not see him, he abandoned the question. Yes, did you abandon the question?
Mr. I. K. Asiamah noon
Madam Speaker, my question has not been answered.
Madam Speaker noon
All right, honestly,
put the question again. I thought you had abandoned the question.
Mr. I. K. Asiamah noon
Madam Speaker,
Mr. Pelpuo 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I would
need some notice, but [Interruptions.] -- In any case, I do not think that it is a difficult question to answer and that is why I am going to answer it. Contracts awarded on behalf of the people of Ghana are awarded by Government.

Number one - the second is who and when? I cannot give you the specific date, but it was awarded three months ago.
rose
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Is it a question? All right, let me finish with this side.
Dr. A. A. Osei 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker, as of
2nd July, 2009, the pitch for the tournament is not yet ready - today. Can the Hon Minister tell us when the pitch will be ready for the teams to even practise before the tournament itself? As of today, it is not ready.
Mr. Pelpuo 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the
pitch will be ready on the 6th July 2009. It will be commissioned on the 6th, and from that time onwards any event can take place there.
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Well, no questions from this side -- the Majority side, so one more question from the Minority side.
Mr. O. B. Amoah 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker,
before I even ask my question, I want to put it on record that I have heard that --
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Hon Member, ask a question. You can put that on record.
Mr. O. B. Amoah 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker,
Ghana is hoping to host this tournament, and indeed, win it. Madam Speaker, since our hockey teams came from -- [Interruption] -- I am asking the question. Please, please. Since our hockey teams came from Holland -- [Inter-ruption.]
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Hon Member, ask
a question.
Mr. O. B. Amoah 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker,
I am asking a question. I have said that I want to ask the Hon Minister a question. And I am saying that since the team arrived from the trip - [Interruption] -- You heard it; from the training tour, where has the team been training because the pitch is not ready? As at this morning, the pitch is not ready.
I also want to say that it is not the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government which awarded the contract. It is not O. B. Amoah, as I hear here. It is not the NPP Government which awarded the contract.
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Hon Minister, the question that I got is, since the team arrived, where have they been practising?
Mr. Pelpuo 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker, they are camping at East Legon, in Accra here. They train at the University of Ghana, Legon, where there is - and other places as the coach may deem fit.
rose
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker, Hon Member, are you going to ask a question?
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker, just a simple one.

Madam Speaker, first of all, in the answer provided by the Hon Minister, where he talked about the sole sourcing; he said it was approved by the Accreditation Board. I think that it was a slip. It was really approved by the Public Procurement Board. I think that was a slip. Hon Minister, am I right?

Madam Speaker, but the question is, the pitch that he is talking about is supposed to be a water-based pitch, there is no such pitch in the country; so for the teams to be able -- indeed, those of them who are coming from outside, they must be able to train on a water-based pitch before they start.

So are we to take it from the Hon Minister that they are training on the Legon pitch, which is not a water- based pitch because of the rainy season? Because, indeed, he knows that there is no water-based pitch in the country. And as we speak today, the contractor who is supposed to lay the base has not done so. He has not been able to do it. The Hon Minister knows it; and so when is it going to be ready for them to train on it before the tournament starts?
Mr. Pelpuo 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker, because we know about this problem, we sponsored the team and they went to Holland, and for some time, they trained on a water- based astro turf to get used to playing in an astro-based turf situation. And now, we are hoping that, by the 6th onwards, until the tournament starts, the stadium would be opened to them -- [Interruption] -- The stadium would be opened to them to train there, at least, one week before the tournament.
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Hon Kofi Frimpong, ask your Question. [Pause] -- I am sorry, Hon I. K. Asiamah, I think the second
Question comes to you again. Hon Member, ask your Question? Question 54.
Mr. I. K. Asiamah 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I am happy my Question was not skipped.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 12:10 p.m.
MINISTRY OF YOUTH AND SPORTS 12:10 p.m.
Mr. I. K. Asiamah 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I want to find out from the Hon Minister what steps he has taken to resolve the
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Hon Asiamah, this
MR. FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr. I. K. Asiamah 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, my
question is, moral boosting is part of the preparation of the national team; team building is part of it. So obviously, this question is relevant, it is germane to the Question.
So I want to find out from the Minister what steps he has taken to ensure that or to resolve the fracas that occurred between his immediate predecessor and some senior players of the national team.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon Member, reframe the question.
Mr. I. K. Asiamah 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would replace the word “fracas” with “impasse”, the impasse or the misunder- standing, the exchanges or the brouhaha - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon
Minister, are you aware of any brouhaha? If you are aware, then you can answer the question.
Mr. Pelpuo 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am yet to
get a comprehensive report about what happened and if I have that report, I would be willing to answer the question.
But in any case, building the confidence of the Black Stars is prime, it is the core
business of all the stakeholders and I am definitely doing whatever I can, to build their confidence levels and I am using the coach. He is going round at the moment, there is a reconnaissance (recce) team that goes ahead to do all these things before finally we bring the Black Stars to camp. And we are meeting the deadline of bringing them at least, five clear days before the matches and we will be giving them pep talks.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Is that
your last supplementary question? Your last supplementary question?
Mr. I. K. Asiamah 12:20 p.m.
My second.
Mr. Speaker, I want to find out from the Minister, to what extent has cost- cutting measure affected the preparation of the senior national team in terms of the arbitrary cutting or slashing down of allowances to the players or the so-called austerity measures. How does it affect the preparation of the national team?
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon
Member, I am having a problem with your question. You have not laid sufficient foundation to know whether there is even a cost-cutting in relation to the Black Stars before you are asking the question. So please, ask the question again. Change the question and ask.
Mr. I. K. Asiamah 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker,
I believe we are all aware that in the Budget presented to Parliament, there was a policy of cutting down costs, the lean budget or the lean government policy and the Ministry is no exception. And I want to know to what extent these austerity measures which have affected the preparation of the senior national team?
Mr. Pelpuo 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, this is a policy across board but in the event of the Black Stars playing matches anywhere, we go by the standards; we are not going to
lower any standards at all with the Black Stars.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Your last
question, Hon Member.
Mr. I. K. Asiamah 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I
want to know the standard or what the background of that standard is. I want to know the standard which he is referring to and the background to that standard.
Mr. Pelpuo 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, we have
standard per diem, we have standard bonuses and we all know. If he does not know then he can come on again and I will prepare and give him those answers.
We have transportation measures, security measures, everything and all the standards are going to be maintained. Their allowances, the hotel, everything that you know that will ensure that the Black Stars go into a match fully prepared, we will ensure that those standards are maintained.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Next
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon
Minority Leader, you did not give any indication that you wanted to ask a question. But I will allow you to ask the last supplementary question and then we move on to the next Question.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:20 p.m.
Mr.
Speaker, we had a discussion with Madam Speaker on the number of questions scheduled for the day and have some arrangements regarding supplementary questions and I thought that you were going to follow through the arrangement. If you wanted to alter them, I thought you were going to give an indication. But as
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:30 p.m.
I give due deference to the Chair. You yourself have indicated that Madam Speaker had said she was going to give one-and-a half hours to the answering of Questions. That is what you have just indicated - [Interruptions] -- Please, I am quoting verbatim what the Speaker said. And indeed, we started the Questions after the initial gymnastics -- exactly five minutes after 12.00 o'clock. We took one hour - do not forget we came here after eleven o'clock.
Mr. Speaker, but as I said, in deference to the Chair, I will go on, except to remind, this is the agreement. But I will go on.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Kindly go on. What the rule says is on Question time.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I know the rule says Question time but you yourself said we are going to allow one-and-a-half hours to the answering of Questions. That was what you said.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister has said that, that is the second paragraph of the Answer on page 7, and Mr. Speaker, with your permission I quote:
“Madam Speaker on behalf of the
Mr. Pelpuo 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, he cannot take that from me. He is asking whether he can take it from me that there is no other financial support and I say he cannot take that from me - [Laughter.] I cannot tell him that there is no financial support but I can tell him we are thanking all for their spiritual and moral support - the prayer you give, the good wishes and goodwill messages you send - [Interruption] - Definitely, there is but I cannot say that there is no financial support. We have businesses and organizations which sponsor the Black Stars.
District Co-ordinators of NYEP (Fate)
Q. 55. Mr. Kofi Frimpong asked the Minister for Youth and Sports what was the fate of the District Co-ordinators of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) in the face of attacks on NYEP offices across the country.
Mr. Pelpuo 12:30 p.m.
Madam Speaker, there is only one case of an attack on the NYEP office officially known to the Ministry. This isolated incident which occurred in the Tamale office of the Programme has since been addressed and it is regrettable that it happened this way.
Mr. Speaker, since the occurrence of this incident, the Ministry and NYEP through the Metropolitan Chief Executive of the metropolis have ensured the provision of adequate security for all NYEP personnel in the metropolis for the smooth performance of their duties. Also a formal report has been made to the police who are still investigating the case for further action.
Mr. Speaker, to forestall the recurrence of this incident in other District Assemblies, the Acting National Co-ordinator of the Programme, on behalf of the Ministry, addressed a press conference to, among other things, condemn the Tamale incident and to warn against the recurrence of similar incidents in other districts.
Mr. Speaker, I fully stand by him.
Mr. Frimpong 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, in his Answer, he said the people have been warned and I want to know, apart from the warning, what concrete steps the Ministry is taking to forestall similar occurrences in other places because - [Interruption.]
Mr. Pelpuo 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I said that
the matter had been reported to the police and the police is investigating it; they have taken action.
We are working with the Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive and other Metropolitan Chief Executives and District Chief Executives to ensure there is peace and security for all NYEP personnel and their District Co-ordinators.
Mr. Frimpong 12:30 p.m.
That is only one instance but Mr. Speaker, there seems to be a pattern of attacks on NYEP, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the National School Feeding Programme across the country - [Interruption] - . . . even including mass spraying. From the conclusion of the Minister, what explains this pattern of attacks because
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon Minister, if you know the answer, answer it. If you do not know it then I will ask him to ask another question.
Mr. Pelpuo 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, there is only one attack we know about and that is the Tamale Metropolitan Area attack.
There is no pattern of attack with the NYEP personnel and with that one, we are putting in place security measures to ensure that it does not re-occur.
I also told you that the warning to the public to stay by the rules and play by the rules which came out in the press conference done by the Acting National Co-ordinator is fully with the backing of the Minister, and we will ensure that if such things occur, we will deal with the issues and deal with the people involved to ensure that they have the free hand to operate and work as Co-ordinators.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Yes, your last question.
Mr. Frimpong 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, in view of this, would he agree with me that the ongoing recruitment into the Zoomlion model of the Programme, which is being done outside the office of the district by the cronies of the NDC Party, is not in consonance with the Programme?
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
I have ruled out the question. It is argumentative, it is against the rules of the House. Ask another question, last one.
Mr. Frimpong 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, all right, may I know. All right - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
I said
the rule is that if the person who asked
Mr. Frederick Opare-Ansah 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am seeking your clarification. I did not hear any point of order raised against my Colleague's question but I heard you making a ruling about the question. So I wanted - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Under the Standing Orders, the Speaker in trying to maintain order can suo moto do that. The rules allow it.
Mr. Frimpong 12:30 p.m.
Eh! Mr. Speaker. Eh! Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I want to know from the Hon Minister the fate of the jobs of the District Co-ordinators of the NYEP now that people are being recruited into the Zoomlion model of the Programme outside the offices of the District Co- ordinators or without the involvement of the District Co-ordinators.
Thank you.
Mr. Pelpuo 12:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, there is a
false assumption in his question. We do not have NDC people recruiting people into NYEPas far as we are concerned.
The Hon Member who asked the Question also said that he was asking of the fate of the District Coordinators. All employees or personnel of the NYEP are engaged on contract basis and I can assure him that no contract will be abrogated. All of them will be allowed to go through their contracts and if they reapply and they are qualified, I can assure him they will all
Mr. Pelpuo 12:40 p.m.


be employed.
Mr. C. S. Hodogbey 12:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker,
I know it is not the prerogative of the Hon Minister but that of the President to designate a Ministry and stipulate the Ministry's responsibilities. Employment issues are normally handled all over the world by Labour Ministries. With the movement of the NYEP to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, I would like to know from the Hon Minister, if those structures already established including the National Coordinators, District Coordinators and all others are now with his Ministry or somewhere else.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
That is
not a supplementary question.
Mrs. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare 12:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Hon Minister whether he will agree with me that the tremendous demand for the jobs under the NYEP could be a major cause of these attacks, and what measures he is taking to expand and create more jobs to forestall people trying to push those who are currently employed out in order to be replaced by them.
Mr. Pelpuo 12:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think it
must be very clear that the NYEP supports young people who are in transition from being young people into being working adults. It is not a place where you go in as a permanent job and stay in forever. So it is an opportunity given to young people to stay there for two years; if you want to study further, you register the examinations and for the space of two years, you can write and pass an examination. Or if you are looking for a job, it helps you to go through and then be able to transit into another job.
From this year onwards, we are going to ensure that all people who have gone through the Programme for the stipulated two years will end their contract -
[Uproar] - to enable us take on more people.
This year, between now and 2010, we expect that we will take on about 100,000 and Hon Members will have the opportunity as much as they can to recommend young people into the Programme.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:40 p.m.
Mr.
Speaker, just so that we would all be guided. I know that the Speaker must be heard in silence. The Speaker by our rules is not to take part in the debate. Standing Orders 91 and 92 indicate strongly to us when an Hon Member may interrupt a debate. Standing Order 98 also says that
“Mr. Speaker shall be responsible for the observance of order in the House and of the rules of debate, and his decision upon any point of order shall not be open to appeal . . .”
A point of order must necessarily be raised by an Hon Member before Mr. Speaker can rule on it.
Mr. Speaker, and so if a point of order has not been raised, I am not too sure that Mr. Speaker may enter into a debate and suo moto issue directions, I am not too sure of that. But I will not challenge your ruling, I will just leave it at that.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
Hon
Member, you are the Hon Minority Leader of this House . Look at Standing Order 99 (1) and read it out to Hon Members as you have read the other one.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:40 p.m.
I will read
it with your kind indulgence. Mr. Speaker, where I am saying that you are descending into a debate -- Mr. Speaker, Standing Order 99(1) says,
“Any Member deviating from these Orders may be immediately called to order by Mr. Speaker or by any
other Member rising to a point of order in accordance with Order 99”

Somebody says, “There you are” I am nowhere. [Laughter.] Mr. Speaker, the point - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
Hon
Minority Leader, you are supposed to assist me discharge my functions. I just asked you to refer to Order 99; you were going to ask your question and so let us proceed.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:40 p.m.
That is
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
Hon
Minority Leader, my understanding of Order 99 (1) is that Mr. Speaker or the person presiding can call any Hon Member to order if that Hon Member is deviating from the Order or an Hon Member of the House drawing the attention of the House to the breach of the Orders.
You know that my ruling can only be
reviewed on a substantive motion and so what you are trying to do is through the back door. So let us proceed.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:40 p.m.
Mr.

My question to the Hon Minister. He

says, that is in paragraph 2 of the Answer and Mr. Speaker, with your permission, I beg to quote;

Madam Speake r, s ince the occurrence of this incident, the

Ministry and NYEP through the metropolitan Chief Executive of the metropolis have ensured the provision of adequate security for all NYEP personnel in the metropolis for the smooth performance of their duties.”

Mr. Speaker, for how long should the provision of security to officers and personnel carrying out their normal business be allowed?
Mr. Pelpuo 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is normal and it is 24 hours, (7) days a week and throughout the year, that all officers not just National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) personnel alone should be given security as they approach their work.
For us, Tamale is a very volatile area and that is where the problem is from. And we are ensuring that the co-ordinators in that area are given express services as soon as they call on the police. And so the security arrangement is all right for now.
Nana Akomea 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, can the Hon Minister confirm that the young people in the NYEP have not been paid for the months of May and June? And if he can so confirm, can he tell us when they would be paid?
Mr. Pelpuo 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, this is a very new question and I would need notice of it - [Interruptions.] For me, it is not a supplementary question; I need notice to answer that.
Nana Akomea 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, if they had been paid, the Hon Minister would know, if they had not been paid, the Hon Minister would know - [Interruptions.] Mr. Speaker, the Hon Minister knows. So, please, let him answer.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon Member, you know that the substantive
Question is on attacks, not on payments. -- [Interruptions] and so if you have another question for a very good reason, I would give you the chance.
Hon Members, before I move to the next Question, I would want to refer you to Standing Order 53 (2), which relates to altering of the business of the day, and to call on the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning or whoever will do that on his behalf -- We move to Laying of Papers. Item (6).
Mr. J. T. Akologu 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, as was indicated earlier in the day by the Hon Majority Leader, the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning is not in the House, and I want to seek your permission and the indulgence of the House to allow the Hon Minister for Education to lay the Paper on behalf of the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning. I so request - [Interruption] -- I have just received information that the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning is at the Lobby and he is just coming in - [Interruptions.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon
Members, Standing Order 30 allows for a substantive Minister to lay Papers on behalf of the Ministers. So even if he is not here, once we have a Minister of State to lay the Paper, I think that we should allow the Hon Minister for Education to lay the Paper on his behalf. [Pause.] Item (6).
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon Member, are you against the laying of the Paper?
Dr. Osei 12:50 p.m.
No. I am not, but I - [Inter- ruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
So why do not lay the Paper and then if you have
any comments -
Dr. Osei 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the point I want to make is important, before we lay it.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Normally, you will allow it to be laid, then I will give you the chance -- [Interruption.]
Dr. Osei 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, going by Standing Order 75, under normal circumstances, it is very clear that sufficient copies from the Clerk's Office should be made available to us Hon Members. Some have been provided copies, but I just want to advise the Clerk that in the future we make sufficient copies available.
I have no problem with the laying of the Paper.
PAPERS 12:50 p.m.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
The Clerks' Office should make sure that every Hon Member of the House gets copies of the documents we just laid as soon as possible.
Hon Members, thank you very much. We go back to Questions. Question 68.
Mr. I. K. Asiamah 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, before that, we are still on Question 55 - [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Question 68. [Interruptions.] Question 68 standing in your name. [Interruptions.]
Oral Answers to Questions
[Continuation from Column 1253.] Infrastructural Management
(CAN 2008)
Q. 68. Mr. Isaac Kwame Asiamah asked the Minister for Youth and Sports what measures had been put in place to properly manage the infrastructure provided for Ghana 2008 (CAN 2008).
Mr. Pelpuo 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, adequate measures have been put in place to properly manage the infrastructure provided for the Ghana 2008 Africa Cup of Nations Tournament.
Presently, as its core business, the National Sports Council does routine maintenance of the four stadia as well as all the other facilities as per its mandate.
To strengthen its management capacity, the Council has created new units and stepped up its human resource capacity to cater for such important areas of operation as procedures; bookings and scheduling; marketing; public relations and advertising; housekeeping and maintenance; security and safety; and medical services. All these are critical to the effective and efficient management of the facilities.
The Council's maintenance strategy provides guidelines and procedures for managing all the facilities and places a high premium on maintenance and monitoring culture that is both preventive and reactive in practice.
Mr. Speaker, the Ministry's concern is now focused on the search for a more effective public/private sector partnership arrangement for the management of
the four state-of-the-art stadia that will ensure that regular and increased returns are realized from the aforementioned facilities, including the yet to be completed hotels and restaurants that were part of the Essipong and Tamale Stadia.
Mr. Speaker, so far, companies like the National Investment Bank, (Kumasi) Barclays Bank (Accra) and Ghana Post (Kumasi) have entered into contracts to operate some facilities in the stadia premises. There are other companies whose applications are being screened for consideration.
Mr. I. K. Asiamah 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, paragraph 4 or so of the Minister's Answer says; and with your permission, I quote:
“Mr. Speaker, the Ministry's con- cern is now focused on the search for a more effective public/private sector partnership arrangement for the management of the four state- of-the-art stadia that will ensure that regular and increased returns are realized . . .”
Mr. Speaker, as we speak, we have others that have been completed. At Kumasi and Accra for example, the hotels and stores are in place. May I know what these hotels and stores are being used for as we speak now, because they have all been completed?
Mr. Pelpuo 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I just said
that we are now exploring the possibility of getting the private sector involved in the management of these facilities. And as at now, some of the facilities are being occupied by private people and we are trying to define a broad-based policy approach on how the facilities are going to be used so that we do not appear to be relying too much on already tired methods of running them. We want to make them profitable and very effective.
Mr. I. K. Asiamah 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think the answers look quite contradictory because as we speak, we are aware that in Kumasi for example, there is an inscription or a banner that this restaurant or whatever is about to be opened or is opening soon or it is opened. So there is some form of activity going on there. But we are told that now, the focus is to have public/private partnership, whatever it is. We want to know, currently, whether there has been some form of arrangement in place, whether there have been some contracts and people are working; we want to know.
This is because, as we speak, we have evidence that these facilities are being put to use. So we want to know of what use or what benefit is the nation deriving from them.
Mr. Akologu 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, on a point
of order. Mr. Speaker, I do not doubt your knowledge of the practice here but I want to raise this issue that my Hon Colleague opposite, in this matter, is out of order and that the question has no relation to the original Question. Standing Order 69 (1) and with your permission, I read:
“As soon as a Question is answered in the House, any Member begin- ning with the Member who asked the Question may, without notice, as a supplementary Question for the further elucidation of any matter of fact regarding which the answer has been given, but a supplementary Question must not be used to introduce matter not included in the original Question.”
Mr. Speaker, he i s ask ing of arrangements that have been put in place or what use are of the facilities but his
Mr. Akologu 1 p.m.


original Question did not state that. The Hon Minister would have needed notice in this particular instance to be able to provide the answer. So I think that the Hon Member is out of order and I call on you to rule as such.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
Hon
Deputy Majority Leader, the question being asked by the Hon Member is about the current status of those facilities there now.
The Hon Minister in his response mentioned certain companies which wanted to manage the place. But he is asking about the current status now, because according to him, the situation on the ground shows that there are some activities going on.
Mr. Akologu 1 p.m.
So be it, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Pelpuo 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, as I
said, there is already some interest being expressed by companies; they are coming forward and we are responding. I mentioned Ghana Post, I have also mentioned Barclays Ghana (Accra), and I have also mentioned National Investment Bank. This is just a brief but several other companies are making some approach and we are yet to have a comprehensive policy on them.
As I am telling you, very soon we are
going to bring forward the sports policy which is also going to take care of all the maintenance approaches of the stadia - their use and maintenance and the personnel that will back these things. So I will not be able to give him any concrete response now.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
Your final
supplementary question.
Mr. I. K. Asiamah 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, he
is my very good friend, so, maybe, we will meet and discuss that one.
Mr. Speaker, my last question is after this supposed arrangement with the public/ private partnership, sort of, what is going to be the role of the National Sports Council in all these arrangements?
Mr. Pelpuo 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the National
Sports Council will be a facilitator and co-ordinating body that will co-ordinate the various interests in the property we have. They are not going to directly run the organisation or, for example, run the stores by putting things there to sell but they will facilitate and ensure that the partnership between us and the public is streamlined.
Mr. O. B. Amoah 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, in the
Answer to the Question, the Hon Minister has stated that certain companies have applied or expressed interest in leasing some of the facilities at the stadia. I want to ask the Hon Minister, what specific arrangements have been made to ensure that we get private companies to manage the stadia to earn revenue for the nation so that other facilities can be provided.
Mr. Pelpuo 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, what specific
arrangements? I think I would need notice to this effect.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
Hon
Member, your last question.
Mr. O. B. Amoah 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, with
all due respect, the Question put forward by Hon Asiamah says that the Hon Minister should tell the House measures which have been put in place to properly manage the infrastructure. And as far as I see from his Answer, it is rather some companies which want to lease some facilities to operate. But this is different from managing the stadia, you manage the stadia to earn revenue so that you can
use this revenue to build other facilities. It is not about those who are coming

Mr. Speaker, if I may further explain myself. During the African Cup of Nations, for instance, various companies came to lease certain facilities, like the skyboxes from which the nation earned revenue. After the African Cup of Nations, advertisements were sent out for interested companies to bid to manage the stadia so that the nation will raise revenue and that is different from those who will lease facilities like stores, et cetera.

For instance, if you are managing stadia, you could then decide that during certain days concerts can be held there, church services, et cetera to raise revenue. Based on this, you use revenue to manage the facilities.

I am saying that somebody coming to lease a store is different from somebody who has been hired to manage the facility and bring revenue to the State. That is why I am asking about what measures have been put in place to ensure that we have such managers to bring revenue to the State.
Mr. Pelpuo 1:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, when I was answering the Question, I made mention of the need to build the capacity of personnel of the National Sports Council to enable them conduct marketing arrangements that will ensure that we get value-for-money to do public relations, to do booking and scheduling and all those things which are all part of the management arrangements.
So, in effect, part of it is to provide capacity for them so that they understand what the management itself contains before they go out there to do it. But
beyond management, is the fact that they will need to maintain the place. And that is where we are going into partnership with the private sector so that we can have resources to be able to manage them properly.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think the Hon Minister was, by the Answer he provided, the last leg of it, wading into some controversy. Because in his own Answer, for management, he says “. . . the Ministry's concern now is focused on the search for a more effective public/ private sector partnership arrangement for the management of the four state-of- the-art stadia”. He is saying that they are looking for this to do the management - “public/private sector partnership to do the management”. But now, he is saying they want to build the capacity of the National Sports Council to do that. And that is where the problem is.
But Mr. Speaker, my question is - the Hon Minister in answering the Question, the third paragraph of page 8, he said:
“The Council's maintenance strategy provides guidelines and procedures for managing all the facilities and places a high premium on maintenance and monitoring culture that is both preventive and reactive in practice.”
And my emphasis is on “preventive and reactive”. In the past, insuring our stadia had not been taken seriously. Given the expenditure that this nation has committed in building these four state-of-the-art stadia, would the Ministry consider insuring the four stadia by way of preventive measures? Would they consider doing that?
Mr. Pelpuo 1:10 p.m.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, we will
look into it. We will consider it.
But I was not contradicting myself when I talked about building our capacity to be part of the management. It is a public/ private management. And so the private sector mostly is properly equipped. They have the capacity. On our side, if we do not develop the capacity of the public sector management personnel, we will go in there and they will cheat us.
So we assume that they are coming in with improved ideas and knowledge and so we have to update our people so that they can match them by upgrading their skills for effective co-operation.
Mr. Speaker 1:10 p.m.
Hon Minister, we thank you very much for attending upon the House to answer Questions. You are discharged.

Yes, Question number 23?
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION 1:10 p.m.
Minister for Education (Mr. A. N. Tettey-Enyo) 1:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, schools or institutions that are started or established by individuals or groups or communities such as the Twifo Hemang Technical School could be absorbed into the public system.
However, to qualify for consideration for absorption into the public education system, a private school must fulfil a number of conditions after it has submitted
a formal application for absorption. Some of the basic conditions to be fulfilled include the following:
1. The school must have been registered by the Director of Education in the region where the school is located;
2. The provisional certificate of registration issued by the Regional Director should bear the date of registration as well as a registration number which is unique to the particular school;
3. The school should show evidence that it can enrol at least eighty (that is two streams) of SHS form one students annually;
4. The building for the school should not be in rented premises or be in temporary structures;
5. The school lands must be vast enough to allow for future expansion; and
6. Last but not least, important land documents like the deed of conveyance, site plan, indenture, and so on must be available.
Mr. Speaker, additionally, the school to be absorbed must have the following 1:10 p.m.
(a) An adequate drainage system to ensure good sanitation and healthy environment;
(b) An effective waste/rubbish disposal system;
(c) Facilities for storing water; and (d) Facilities for alternative power
supply.
Mr. Speaker, Twifo Hemang Technical School will be considered and taken
through the conditions when they apply for absorption.
Rev. Donkor: Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the Hon Minister that the Twifo Hemang Technical School has gone through all these processes and fulfilled the conditions. May I know what is withholding the Ministry from absorbing it after it has gone through all these things?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, if that is the situation, then very soon the inspection team will be around to look at the situation and report to the Hon Minister for further action.
P ro f . A m e y a w - A k u m f i : M r. Speaker, if the Hon Minister had had this information maybe, the Answer would have been different.
But I am looking at the set of conditions which are normally consi- dered, specifically item 5. Hon Minister, how vast should the land be? Given the problem that we have with traditional rulers, ten, fifteen years down the road when the school has started, what is the policy of the Ministry on the size of land that should be acquired?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, these
regulations have been there for several years. The vastness of the land, I cannot indicate at the moment. But we were guided by a certain acreage that would allow for a set of facilities that would make the school run effectively. So I would need notice and come over to provide the actual acreage that has been prescribed. But the exact clause of condition has been there for several years.
Prof. (Emeritus) S. K. Amoako 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, again, about the conditions required by the Ministry to absorb a school into the system, I am a little disappointed about the lack of consideration for teaching
Prof. (Emeritus) S. K. Amoako 1:20 p.m.


personnel. I want to know from the Hon Minister, does the Ministry also consider the teaching personnel of a school before its absorption into the public system.
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, there
are other conditions pertaining to the management of a school which have not been spelt out in this Answer. I agree with the Hon Member who asked the Question that, maybe, we need to expand this to indicate other areas of consideration and I would come back, upon notice, to provide the information.
Mrs. Osei-Opare 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, in
view of the fact that the Government is promoting post-junior high school apprenticeship programme and also promoting technical and vocational education in general, would it not be that these conditions that have been laid out should really be relaxed? Because, really, it is the Government's policy and programme to promote these.
So if people have made efforts, would he not say that this is an opportunity for the Ministry to go in and rather, as much as possible, take it over rather than a list of six criteria such as a vast land for future development and all that?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I
thank also the - Was it a question or a contribution?
I thank also the Hon Member of Parliament for raising that point. Exactly, this is what Government is trying to do -- to review the conditions, the criteria. This is because technical, vocational education and training are now the focus of the reforms.
Mr. William O. Boafo 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker,
I would like to find out from the Hon Minister regarding the factor number (4) and to ask whether he has a different
approach if the premises are built on rented land. [Pause] -- If the premises are built on a leased land.
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the
Government's concern is the stability, the ownership of the facilities. So if one is allowed to build facilities on rented land and one is coping with the payment of the rent, our expectation is that the nucleus of the facilities is there for the operation of the school system and we will stand on that to assist the school to go on.
But we are then assured that we have a nucleus of facilities with which to run the school and reduce the immediate expectation of government to provide facilities.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:20 p.m.
Mr.
Speaker, two short questions.
The Hon Minister in his Answer, the bullet point 5, he says:
“The school lands must be vast enough to allow for future expansion.”
The Hon Minister in his Answer, the bullet point 5, he says, “the school lands must be vast enough to allow for future expansion.” The Hon Minister knows that there is a massive encroachment on school lands all over the country. Would he in the circumstance, consider assisting schools to ward off encroach-ments with the constructions of fence walls?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker,
Govern-ment is already, as a matter of policy, supporting the schools in erecting fences. If we refer to the budget we prepared for the GETFund, there is a provision there. But it is not much and fencing is an expensive exercise. So we are critically looking at the demand and efficacy of the system of fencing institutions rather than using other means of indicating the areas, the property of the schools concerned.
But it is a good point raised and Government is already considering the
issues, and in fact, has taken steps to fence a number of schools in the system over the past few years.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:20 p.m.
Mr.
Speaker, given the difficulty in fencing the schools, particularly the construction of walls which the Hon Minister admits is quite an expensive venture, would he not consider that emphasis on expansion should also be in vertical terms and not exactly in horizontal terms? Because he says the school lands must be vast enough; that is talking about the size, the acreage. But expansion could also be vertical.
Now given the circumstances that we find ourselves in would he consider de-emphasizing that and also looking at opportunities for vertical expansion instead of the horizontal expansion which would require the massive lands that he talked about/
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:20 p.m.
Mr. First Deputy
Speaker, Government considers this wise proposal. In fact, Government is already considering it in the construction of the model schools and I think that is the policy that we could go high-rise approach rather than spreading on lands that should be protected, that should be fenced and so on and so forth.
Administration and Assembly Blocks for Jukwa Senior High School
(Provision)
Q. 24. Rev. Benjamin B. Donkor asked the Minister for Education
when would administration block and assembly hall be built for Jukwa Senior
High School.
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Jukwa Senior High School has two development projects currently, namely, a 4-unit staff bungalow which has just been completed and handed over at a total cost of GH¢137,594.95 and a 2-storey boys dormitory block which has also been completed recently and handed over. This project was also completed at a total cost of GH¢572,549.68.
It is the policy of the Ministry to complete all ongoing projects before new ones are started. Meanwhile, the Ministry has compiled all requests for infras-tructure from schools throughout the country.
The request for an administration block and assembly hall for Jukwa Senior High School will be considered alongside others in due course.
Rev. Donkor: Mr. Speaker, I am aware of these two projects. They have been completed and handed over. In the absence of assembly halls, some schools use dining halls. Unfortunately, Jukwa Senior High School has no dining hall as well. Will the Hon Minister consider as a matter of urgency to give Jukwa Senior High School these facilities?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we have a long list for that matter about these demands and the policy is that ongoing projects should be completed. We have managed to complete two projects at Jukwa. When the time comes to take up the rest of the projects we have identified and listed, Jukwa would be given special consideration since they have neither an administration block nor an assembly hall.
Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, can the Hon Minister indicate to us the population of students in the school?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the
question is not clear. [Interruption.] Actually, I do not know the population of Jukwa Senior High School.
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, has my Hon Good Friend answered the question? [Laughter.]
Mr. Speaker, I am asking this question because that underscores the need for either an assembly hall or a dining hall for the school. Because as we speak, the population is about thousand and for us to have neither a dining hall nor an assembly hall is going to be inconvenient for the school.
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am sure the management of Jukwa Senior High School has at one time drawn the attention of Government to the need for whatever I have listed earlier on including administration block and assembly hall. Jukwa Senior High School has drawn the attention of the Government a long while ago and I am saying that this is very important. How can we have a school without administration block and an assembly hall at the same time? So we will deal with it as a special situation.
Senior High School for Nsuta
Q.56. Mr. Simons Addai asked the Minister for Education what plans the Ministry had to establish a senior high school at Nsuta to take care of junior high school graduates who find it difficult to attend school far away from their homes because of financial constraints.
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, it has not been the practice of the Ministry of Education (MOE), Ghana Education Service (GES) to establish senior high schools in the country. It is normally the communities or individuals who take the initiative of starting or establishing senior high schools after which they apply
for absorption into the public system. However, the MOE/GES is reviewing the policy on the establishment of second cycle institutions in the country. The emphasis is now on technical/vocational schools.
As part of the review, the MOE/ GES would consult with the appropriate authorities on the siting of second cycle schools.
Nsuta would be considered for the establishment of a second cycle school when the MOE/GES decide on the type of second cycle institution that is appropriate for the area.
Mr. Addai 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would like
to know how soon the decision to establish second cycle institutions in the country would be taken. How soon would that decision be taken?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, as
I have already indicated, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is the focus of the reforms and therefore, serious consideration is being given to the issue of establishment of TVET institutions alongside the expansion of the other aspects and types of post-basic education in this country.
Therefore, how soon this will be will depend upon two things: the modalities the GES is providing together with the Ministry of Education and also the availability of funds.
Currently, we have had a number of investors interested in the TVET programme and we are looking at the proposals presented to be able to arrive at a few sources of funding so that we can mount the programme of establishing post-basic institutions, particularly TVET institutions.
Mr. Addai 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Hon Minister has indicated that there will
be some sort of consultation with the appropriate authorities. May I know if this would include the chiefs and people of the areas affected?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, exactly so. The traditional councils, local opinion leaders, and indeed, the Assemblies.
Prof. (Emeritus) S. K. Amoako 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, in the Hon Minister's Answer, paragraph 1, the last sentence, he mentions that emphasis is now on technical/vocational schools. But I am aware that there are many graduates who come from senior high schools and even from the vocational schools who do not have jobs and at the same time, we have a shortage of teachers in our basic schools.
Is the Ministry of Education consi- dering converting some senior high schools into training colleges or building or opening new training colleges to train teachers who will staff these basic education schools? Converting some schools into training colleges -- right now we have only 38 training colleges. Is he thinking of converting some senior high schools into training colleges and also some technical schools into training colleges to staff our schools?
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Hon Member, you know the Question basically is on senior high schools and a particular senior high school. But the Hon Minister may provide information if he so wishes.
Mr. Tetteh-Enyo 1:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, this is a vital and major observation which needs a policy decision-making and direction. So his point would be considered.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Question
57.
Senior High School at Tanoso (Establishment)
Mr. Tetteh-Enyo 1:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker,
this Question is almost in line with the previous Question but I wish to repeat the Answer for emphasis.
Mr. Speaker, it has not been the practice of the MOE/GES to establish senior high schools. It is normally the communities or individuals who take the initiative of starting or establishing senior high schools after which they apply for absorption into the public system.
However, the MOE/GES is reviewing the policy on the establishment of second cycle institutions in the country. The emphasis is now on technical/vocational schools. As part of the review, the MOE/ GES would consult with the appropriate authorities on the siting of second cycle schools.
Mr. Speaker, Tanoso would be considered for the establishment of a second cycle school when the MOE/ GES decide on the type of second cycle institution that is appropriate for the area.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Addai 1:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would like
to know whether the Hon Minister is aware that Tanoso community has had one senior high school before but over the years government refused to absorb it and that is why we could not also manage it. So what is the Ministry going to do now that they have had one secondary school before?
Mr. Tetteh-Enyo 1:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, if Tanoso has already applied for absorption then the conditions laid out in the Answer to the previous Question will apply, which also means that Tanoso is already on the list of schools which have applied for absorption and the inspection team
is doing its duty. As soon as the reports indicate that it is possible to absorb Tanoso, we will do so.
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi 1:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think the Question is asking whether or not this institution is going to be established. Is the Hon Minister telling us that he is completely unaware of the fact that such a school has been in existence?
Mr. Tetteh-Enyo 1:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Hon Minister is not denying the fact that Tanoso is in existence. He would have said so in the first sentence of his Answer, that Tanoso is even not on the map of education in this country so far as senior cycle institutions are concerned. But the matter is, they are asking the Ministry, the Government for that matter, to establish a senior high school at Tanoso when one is already in existence and the language indicates that we have to establish a new senior secondary school.
And I am saying that as a matter of policy, we do not normally establish such schools; that practice has been there. We expect communities to take the initiative, or get philanthropists, NGOs and so on and so forth to start something and fulfil certain conditions. This is because the burden of promoting the interest of these schools becomes heavier as and when we absorb private schools into the public system. And therefore, we want certain conditions to exist so that for a period of, say, five years, the school may not require additional facilities.
We may devote our resources to the payment of salaries and so on and so forth; and these are the conditions. We have already enumerated them and we would want to apply them accordingly.
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi 1:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, for Answers 56 and 57, the Hon Minister declared that it has not been the practice of the MOE/GES to establish senior high
schools. If by MOE/GES, we mean “government”, I would like to know from the Hon Minister what informed the Nkrumah Government in establishing GETSchools.
Mr. Tetteh-Enyo 1:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the reason is known to the Hon Member who asked the Question. [Interruptions.] He examined all these issues before I even entered into the field and he knows that, that effort made by Osagyefo the President was a special effort he made to expand education in this country for which reason we give him all the honour that he deserves.
We are saying that since those expansions took place, it has not been the practice of government to initiate this way. That was a special endeavour made by the first President of this country whose concentration was on the expansion of education and therefore, since then we have been threading gingerly looking at the resources we get for the expansion of senior high schools. And even lately, as at 1987 when we started the reforms, we have been depending on existing junior secondary schools. The upgrading of junior secondary schools, a hundred and over junior secondary schools were upgraded.
We did not have the resources to build new secondary schools, so we upgraded junior secondary schools into senior secondary schools. And since then, we have been threading gingerly, encouraging the communities to initiate something so that we can build upon them and that is the policy now and I think for the future.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
I hope Question time will not be reduced to questions between two former Director- Generals. [Laughter.]
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi 1:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker,
is my very good Friend or Colleague modifying the initial statement?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I beg
your pardon, come back.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Hon
Member, the question again?
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker,
I would like to know from my very Good Friend and Hon Colleague, whether that initial statement is being modified by the illustrations that he gave -- [Inter- ruption] -- That it has not been the practice. Is he willing to modify that?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker,
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi 1:50 p.m.
So the
statement is not correct?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:50 p.m.
It is more than
correct. It has been the policy. The policy is being reviewed.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Question
Mrs. Catherine Abelema Afeku 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the Hon Minister for Education as a matter of urgency, whether the Ministry has any plans to establish a senior high school at Gwira, since we have over 12,000 people.
Mr. Speaker, but since I have been listening to the Answers given to Questions 56 and 57, I will not waste the Hon Minister's time. So in lieu of the policy of non-establishment, we have

only one senior secondary school called Nsein Secondary School, formerly Axim Secondary School, Kwame Nkrumah Secondary School, which is really in dire straits.

Will the Hon Minister consider, since we do not have anything in the Gwira part of Evalue-Gwira Constituency to change it to the model schools that has been nicely done in recent time, so that Nsein Secondary School will come to the status where Gwira people will join that school in the meantime. But we, from the Gwira area are still interested in the TVET model, and would like to know when and how we will be supported for a school.

Mr. Speaker, thank you.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Hon
Member, it was a fast one; but that is not what the rule says. You just ask the Question, and then you ask your supplementary question so that the Hon Minister can then answer the Question. Let us follow the rules. Hon Member, let the Minister answer Question 64 as printed, then you can come properly under a supplementary question.
Mrs. Afeku 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank you
for the direction. I would read the Question to the Hon Minister.
Senior High School at Gwira
(Establishment)
Q. 64. Mrs. Catherine Abelema Afeku asked the Minister for Education as a matter of urgency, whether the Ministry had any plans to establish a senior high school at Gwira, since there were over 12,000 people in that area with no senior high school to accommodate the high number of junior high school graduates in that part of the constituency.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Hon Minister, before you answer the Question, I refer Hon Members to Standing Order 40 (3), it appears we may go beyond the two o'clock. I direct that Sitting shall go beyond two o'clock.
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the published Answer to the Hon Member's Question, which I, now, repeat is that, it has not been the practice of the Ministry -- [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Hon
Minister, the Hon Member for Evalue- Gwira, actually, wants to save you and save time. So you just ask the Hansard to capture your Answer. She has fully read it. So that I will allow her to come with a supplementary question.
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, it has
not been the practice of the MOE/GES to establish senior high schools. It is normally the communities or individuals who take the initiative of starting or establishing senior high schools after which they apply for absorption into the public system. However, the MOE/GES is reviewing the polcy on the establishment of second cycle institutions in the country.
The emphasis is now on technical vocational schools As part of the review, the MOE/GES would consult with the appropriate authorities on the siting of second cycle schools.
Gwira would be considered for the
establishment of a second cycle school when the MOE/GES decide on the type of second cycle institution that is appropriate for the area.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Yes Hon Member, now, your supplementary question.
Mrs. Afeku 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, my supple-mentary question is, in lieu of
the established policy, would Nsein Secondary School in the Evalue part of the constituency be renovated or given some kind of support since the school is really in dire straits?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, yes, that consideration will be done. But for the sake of emphasis, I would like the Hon Member to come back with a substantive Question on this issue, and I would readily comply by coming to this House to answer that Question.
Mrs. Afeku 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to find out, in lieu of the policy, there is a TVET school in the Evalue- Gwira Constituency: Axim Vocational Training School, which is also facing a similar situation. There is absolutely no infrastructure, and they need this kind of support that he is alluding to, that it is going to be the new direction of his Ministry. I would like to know if Axim Vocational School will be considered in the interim?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I would like the Hon Member to discuss the issue with me at the Ministry. There are a few issues I would like to question her about. And we are not here - it is not the practice of this House, to be exchanging questions, so we will discuss the issue at the Ministry. She is invited.
Mrs. Afeku 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Hon Minister is misleading the House. Is he alluding to the fact that it is going to be a secret meeting between myself and the Hon Minister - [Laughter] -- Please, come again?
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Is it going to be a secret meeting. Hon Minister, you referred to meeting. Is it going to be a secret meeting?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I have extended an official invitation, as to
Mr. K. T. Hammond 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, this
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
For the avoidance of doubt, and for doubting Thomases like Hon K. T. Hammond, they will want to know whether it is a secret meeting or an official meeting?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thought the Hon Member was rather protecting me. Mr. Speaker, I will make it clear. I have given the opportunity to the Hon Member of Parliament for Evalue-Gwira Constituency to visit the Ministry officially so that we can discuss the issues. It could be this and other issues. [Laughter.]
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
After Hon
Member for Akim Abuakwa North, then the Hon Member for Takoradi.
Prof. (Emeritus) S. K. Amoako 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want to know from the Hon Minister, when he is considering the establishment of schools, does he take into consideration the population of the various areas; the constituencies or areas where they establish the schools. Because the question from the Hon Member for Evalue-Gwira, she mentioned that 12,000 people are in that part of her constituency, and they have no senior high school. Does he take into consideration the population of these areas before implanting the new
Prof. (Emeritus) S. K. Amoako 1:50 p.m.


policy guidelines?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, that point will be given due consideration. In fact, we do school mapping and look at the distances and other conditions that will promote effective access to secondary education.
Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko- Mensah 2 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, please, he has mentioned that the Ministry of Education is reviewing. So I wanted to know when that will be completed because I thought that that had been flowing through all the answers that he has been giving. And there is the need for us to know when that will be completed.
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 2 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, as
far as I remember, a point was made, a suggestion was made, the proposal was made by the Hon Member who spoke earlier and I said that issue would be considered. So that is the stand point. We will give due consideration to the point he raised.
Mr. Emmanuel Kwasi Bendzrah 2 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want to find out from the Hon Minister how long does it take the Government to absorb senior high schools that have been established by the communities.
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 2 p.m.
It varies and I have
already stated the conditions upon which schools are selected. There are many issues to be considered; the burden of running additional schools in the public system. And then the fulfilment of the criteria the conditions already set. So from time to time, we send our team of inspectors to ascertain the state of preparedness while looking at the financial implications for Government. So it takes some time. Sometimes schools apply, they
are visited and they are not ready.
So when it is time for the committees to meet and make the selection of the number of schools to be absorbed within the period, then they are lucky to come up for consideration. But it takes some time. It could be even more than two years considering the point of absorption.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
Yes, last
question.
Mr. Yaw Owusu-Boateng 2 p.m.
Could
the Hon Minister tell us whether the conditions of establishment of senior technical/vocational schools for the public - a public information or not and if yes, how do we get a copy of the information?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 2 p.m.
Perhaps, we need
to do another round of public education on these issues but as far as I remember, for this House, the list was circulated in the last Parliament when similar questions came up; the then Hon Minister for Education circulated these conditions. But we are talking about public education on this issue.
I think we have to consider and do another round of publication so that we all know, both Members of Parliament and their constituents what this issue is about so that they cannot easily embarrass you when you promised establishing schools during the heat of the campaign.
Mr. J. B. Aidoo 2 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Hon
Minister has given a very assuring Answer to the people of Evalue-Gwira and as part of the Answer, he has indicated that as part of the review, the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service will consult with the appropriate authorities on the siting of the second cycle schools. Could the Hon Minister tell us when this consultation will be completed?
Mr. Tettey-Enyo 2 p.m.
The consultations
will be completed soon. We want that policy to come into place by the term of the academic year, that is, by September so that we know what to do, preparing for the next budget.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
Thank
you, Hon Minister for attending upon the House to answer Questions. You are duly discharged.
Hon Members, I was informed by the
Deputy Majority Leader through the Clerk that item 7 will not be taken. Indeed, that was the reason why I thought that all the Questions should be exhausted on the Order Paper.
Hon Deputy Majority Leader, I know it is my discretion to adjourn the House but I do not know whether the Leaders have anything to say before I do that.
Mr. Akologu 2 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, there is
nothing to say; we are subject to your direction.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2 p.m.
Mr.
Speaker, nothing really of substance except to commend you for your patience
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2 p.m.


and endurance of helping us to exhaust all the Questions that we programmed for the day. I believe the spirit will affect the days after today.

I thank you.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
And
I hope you will also reciprocate by no abstentions - [Laughter.] Anyway that is on the lighter side.
Hon Members, the House is adjourned.
ADJOURNMENT 2 p.m.