Debates of 27 Oct 2009

MADAM SPEAKER
PRAYERS
Madam Speaker
Hon Members, may
OATHS
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT
Madam Speaker
We commence with
the Correction of Votes and Proceedings

Hon Samuel Abudulai Jabanyite took and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of a Member of Parliament [administered by Madam Speaker].
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Madam Speaker
Hon Members, I
have received communication from His Excellency the President and I shall read.
Hon Members, the nominations are referred to the Appointments Committee for consideration and report in accordance with article 78(1) and Order 172(2) of the
Standing Orders.
WELCOME REMARKS
Mr. J. B. Aidoo
Madam Speaker,
page 12(2), that is “Attendance”. The following Hon Members were present: (ii) Prof. Dommick Fobih. The “Dommick” is wrongly spelt and I know Prof. Fobih writes his name with a “K” in the middle, that is “Dominic K. Fobih. The “K” has been added to the “Dommick” and then spelt wrongly.
Madam Speaker
Thank you.
Prof. (Emeritus) S. K. Amoako
Madam Speaker, the same page, item 9, as usual, one of my titles is missing. The “Emeritus” is missing and it should be put in -- [Interruptions] -- To me, it is historical because it is the first time a Member of Parliament has the title of “Professor [Emeritus]” -- [Hear! Hear!]
Madam Speaker
Thank you.
Any more corrections on page 12? Page 13?
Mr. Ernest K. Debrah 10:25 a.m.
Madam Speaker, page 13, item number 2, number vii, there is an ‘h' after ‘a' of the ‘Debra' and that is omitted.
Madam Speaker 10:25 a.m.
All right, thank you.
Hon Members , the Votes and Proceedings of Friday, 28th August, 2009 as corrected is adopted as the true record of proceedings.
Now, we move on to the Commence- ment of Public Business.
Item 5 -- Presentation and First Reading of Bills -- Mutual Legal
Assistance Bill, 2009 --
rose
Madam Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
Mr. Bagbin 10:25 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I am just rising to seek your permission to allow the Hon Minister for the Interior, who is also responsible for national security to lay the Bill for and on behalf of the Hon Attorney-General and Minister for Justice.
BILLS -- FIRST READINg
Mutual Legal Assistance Bill, 2009
An Act to enable the Republic provide for the implementation of agreements for mutual legal assistance in respect of criminal matters and to provide for related matters.
By the Minister for the Interior (on behalf of the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice). Read the First time; referred to the Committee on Constitu- tional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
Madam Speaker 10:25 a.m.
We would move on to item 6 - Laying of Papers, District Court Rules, 2009 (C. I. 59).
Mr. Bagbin 10:25 a.m.
Madam Speaker, may I, once again, seek your leave to permit the Hon Minister for the Interior to lay the two Papers, both (a) and (b) for and on behalf of the Hon Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and the Hon Minister for Defence.
PAPERS 10:25 a.m.
Madam Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Yes, item 6 (b) - Hon Minister for Defence.
By the Minister for the Interior (on behalf of the Minister for Defence) --
Armed Forces (Amendment) Re- gulations, 2009 (C. I. 62).
Referred to the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation.
Madam Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Item 7 - Hon Majority Leader, any indications?
Mr. A. S. K. Bagbin 10:25 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I want to urge the House that we take an adjournment to allow a number of committees to commence sittings to look at a lot of matters that have been referred to them.
As indicated in our last Business Committee Report, today is not too heavy for a plenary session; committees will have the opportunity to discuss a number of issues.
But it is important that I take this opportunity to welcome the latest Member of Parliament, Hon Samuel Abdulai Jabanyite and to remind him that even though the floor of Parliament is the highest political arena, it is at the same time governed by rules, regulations, ethics, standards, decorum, decency and in fact, we strive to use a type of language we call “parliamentary”.
I hope that he would immediately go
through the necessary orientation and warm up himself to the rather tedious job of a Member of Parliament. I am sure all Members of Parliament, both Majority and Minority are ready and willing to put their experiences, knowledge and talents at his disposal. So that together, as a House, we can properly put input into Leadership of this country to make Ghana a better place to live in.
Once again, I warmly welcome him and I want to take this opportunity to move that this House do adjourn till tomorrow at 10.00 in the forenoon where we shall reconvene to continue with business.
I so move.
Madam Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Who is seconding the motion?
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:25 a.m.
Madam Speaker, in rising to second the motion, I think I would also want to afford myself the opportunity given to us by that window which has been opened by the Hon Majority Leader to also just make a few comments.
The first one relates to a rather harmless matter. I think the referrals of the two Constitutional Instruments (CIs), I think inadvertently, they were referred to the Constitutional, Legal and Parlia-mentary Affairs Committee. I know, Madam Speaker, you intended to refer them to the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation. That is where they do appropriately belong.
Madam Speaker, the other one relates to the election and swearing-in of a Colleague. I just noticed two things and of course, this is not the first time it is happening. Anytime that you had to swear in new Hon Members, they had been called to be by your side and you swore them in.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:35 a.m.


They did not have the opportunity to speak to the microphone. So, whatever they said were not captured by the Hansard. Perhaps, maybe, next time we should have an arrangement so that whenever they are called to be sworn in, their swearing in may be covered by the Hansard so that they would be deemed to have been sworn-in.

But as it is, we do not really know what takes place because nothing is captured in the Hansard except to register that they have been sworn in, however they were not appropriately captured.

Madam Speaker, I may also say that ordinarily, we must congratulate a winner and I do not intend to take anything away from the Hon Colleague who has been sworn in. But certainly we need to comment on the circumstances of the elections, they cannot go well for the 2012 elections.

The events at Akwatia and Chereponi certainly provide a dent in the image that Ghana has carved for herself. [Hear! Hear!] Madam Speaker, the truth must be told. What was witnessed -- And I hear my Hon Friend, the Hon Member for Abokobi-Madina (Alhaji Amadu B. Sorogho) saying that it did not happen today. If it happened yesterday and it was bad and it is happening today, it is bad. We must comment on it and criticize with a view to reforming, otherwise, we would remain in a cul-de-sac and this country would not progress. We want to progress and move forward. [Hear! Hear!] And all who have ears must listen.

Madam Speaker, really as I said, what happened at the place, on Sunday in
rose
Madam Speaker 10:35 a.m.
Hon Member, I think he wants to make a point of order.
Mr. Bagbin 10:35 a.m.
Thank you very much
-- [Interruptions.] Madam Speaker, I just want to draw the attention of my Hon Colleague, the Minority Leader that I think that this would probably be made in a Statement and that would give an opportunity to others to comment on it.
But seconding my motion for adjournment would not give the opportunity for others to make comments. So I think that what we would do is to give him an opportunity to make a Statement and allow many more Hon Members to comment on it. So I would just plead with him to end here, second the motion and then the next day, we can do this one; if not, it can open up discussions again, which I think it is not appropriate.
Thank you very much.
Madam Speaker 10:35 a.m.
Hon Member, I think you were on your feet to second the motion? Can you do that now so we move on?
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, with respect, I am just on that track. The Hon Majority Leader himself has made some comments and I am making relevant comments. As for his
intervention, I do not really know the location of it in our Standing Orders.

Madam Speaker, we do not want to be there. So we should caution ourselves never to have this repeated. This blood bath was absolutely unnecessary, notwithstanding - [Interruptions] -- by whatever circumstances which have produced him here, not to say that the end justifies the means anyway, we welcome him to this House and hope that he would avail himself of good counsel in the House and to tread on the path of righteousness, not on the path of unrighteousness, all in a bid to ensure decorum in our civility and decorum in our body politic.

Madam Speaker, thanking you for the opportunity to make a few remarks to mark the beginning of this Meeting, I should also express gratitude to the Almighty God for giving us strength and life to assemble here this morning to continue the work entrusted to us by the good people of Ghana. I hope the recess has freshened all of us up and reinvigorated us to do what we have to do.

Madam Speaker, the new Hon Member has been sworn in to replace an Hon Member from the Minority who has transitioned. Even though we in the Minority have lost one of our Hon Members, we remain focused and even more determined than ever to perform our constitutional mandate to the best of

our ability. This is our commitment to the people of Ghana and we will not relent in this regard.

Madam Speaker, it is important for all of us to recognize that a vibrant Minority is a necessary ingredient and without its assertiveness, there cannot be any true democracy.

Madam Speaker, when we dialogue with the Majority to move the agenda of our national development forward, we expect transparency. Yesterday, I was not too happy; I told the Majority Leader of events. I hope that we will jaw jaw the more, particularly in fashioning the agenda for the Meeting; and he told me he did not do a few things; I would want to believe him because he is an honest person, he is an Hon Member, he is an Hon Majority Leader. If there are any deficiencies, we must guard against them to move this Parliament forward. There ought to be greater transparency in the conduct of business in this House.

Madam Speaker, on that note, I beg to second the motion, finally.

Thank you.

Question put and motion agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT 10:35 a.m.