Debates of 3 Feb 2010

MADAM SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:50 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon Members, Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 2nd February, 2010.
Pages, 2 --
Prof. (Emeritus) Samuel Kwadwo
Amoako: Madam Speaker, page 2, item number 40, the Hon Member for Atiwa, Hon Ankamah, Annoh Kwasi -- I know he was absent with permission as was captured on previous Votes and Proceedings. So he was not in the House yesterday.
Madam Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Thank you. Clerk
to note.
Pages 3, 4, 5 --
Prof. (Emeritus) Amoako 10:50 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, page 5, item 17, referring to my goodself. I was in the House yesterday but I have been listed as absent.
Madam Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Which page is that?
Page 5, number 17, is that?
Prof. (Emeritus) Amoako 10:50 a.m.
Yes,
Madam Speaker, page 5, number 17, I was present.
Madam Speaker 10:50 a.m.
All right. Clerk to
take note.
Nana Abu-Bonsra 10:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
I am amazed at something on page 5. The Hon Majority Leader of this House is listed to be absent without permission and I am wondering whether it is a mistake or something else.
Madam Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Which number?
Nana Abu-Bonsra 10:50 a.m.
Page 5, number
22, under paragraph 4. Can the Hon Leader of the House also go on our roll? That is what I want to find out.
Madam Speaker 10:50 a.m.
The Leader was not
here, was he?
Nana Abu-Bonsra 10:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
Madam Speaker 10:50 a.m.
I will source it
from Hon John Akologu. Hon Akologu, can you help me out here?
Mr. John Tia Akologu 10:50 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, I guess -- I should say so. Madam Speaker -- [Interruptions.] Why do you not want me to guess if I do not have the facts?
Madam Speaker, what I think might have happened is that the Hon Majority Leader, perhaps, instructed his office to fill -- [Interruptions.] Listen to me. You want -- I will give way and then you offer the explanation. Let me offer it as I want to do.
Madam Speaker, I know that the
practice is that, when the Leaders are travelling or when my Leader is travelling, he fills the Leave of Absence Form or he
Yes, thank you.
Have we finished with page 5?
Page 6 --
Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I just need advice from my Leadership. They sent me on an official assignment to the region and I notice -- I have here “. . . absent without per- mission”. So I do not know what I am supposed to do.
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
Except the business
which takes him away would be known to the Speaker, would it not? The business which takes any Hon Member away with permission is always given to the Speaker.
Dr. Osei 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker, as in the case of the Hon Majority Leader, I instructed my secretary to send the appropriate paper work. I followed the practice of the Majority Leader, so it might have got lost. I want to seek your indulgence to have the Clerk enquire as to the status of that permission.
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
The permission to be asked by your secretary?
Dr. Osei 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker, yes.
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
On this issue, when
I received some of the applications to be absent, in one or two cases, they said “On some urgent matter” and I think I did approve but asked that in future I should be apprised of the urgent matter. That is because when we come here and you ask me, I will not be able to say upon what basis the man was to stay away for a week or two. So I think at this opportunity, I will ask Hon Members, not just say “on
instructs his secretary to do so on his behalf. That is why I am saying that --so in this case, I am sure there is an omission somewhere and that is why it has not been captured so. He has gone on an official assignment outside the country. He is in Singapore -- [Interruptions] -- as a member of this country doing business on behalf of the State. Please, we will find out what has happened and then correct the error.
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
Yes, Honourable,
the “Absent” number 22, it did not say “Leader”. There was always a Leader in this House who had taken his place.
Nana Abu-Bonsra 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
I am saying that the name, “Hon Alban S. K. Bagbin, Majority Leader”, he is our Leader in this House.
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
Yes, if he is not
Nana Abu-Bonsra 11 a.m.
Yes, but my
concern and worry is, I least expected that the Leader will go on our roll.
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
No, I do not think
that he went on the roll.
Nana Abu-Bonsra 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
but his name is listed under “The following Hon Members were absent without permission”.
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
Then it will be
corrected because I do know he had permission to travel. Yes, we will correct it.
Nana Abu-Bonsra 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
that is why I was drawing your attention to it. It does not speak well of our Leader.
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
It is a valid point.
The Clerk to note. His name should have come under “ . . with permission”.
Dr. Osei 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker, in this case, the urgency was to promote democracy in Ghana by ensuring that elections were held properly in the Ashanti Region. [Interruptions.]
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
But was it stated in the application?
Dr. Osei 11 a.m.
It was supposed to have been stated following my instructions. If it was not, then I really apologize.
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
I have to check it again.
Dr. Osei 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker, thank you.
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
So we move to page 6 then --.
rose
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
Hon Member, page?
Mr. H. Iddrisu 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker, in Hon Anthony Akoto Osei's submission, he referred to his Leadership and along the line, he was also referring to his secretary. May we know whether he got permission from his Leadership as he indicated or it was being managed by the secretary, and if he wants to share with this House, which of the candidates he supported, whether it was the “Nana” or “Allan” candidate, that will be useful?
Dr. Osei 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think you have already ruled on this matter and I am surprised that after you have ruled, the Hon Minister will get up and speak. This is in clear violation of our Standing
Orders and I think he should withdraw that statement and apologize to the Speaker.
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
I did call upon him; it is not as if he just got up and made the statement. When he stood up, I called him. Of course , I would not know what was coming out. But now that he has asked you a question, are you prepared to answer? [Laughter]
Dr. Osei 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I do not know whether he was referring to President Atta Mills's faction or the Rawlings's faction. [Laughter.]
Madam Speaker, in our Constitution, fact ionalism is considered to be misconduct. So I do not think anyone can talk about factionalism in the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He can, maybe, talk about people supporting interest groups. So as a legislator, I would like to obey the Constitution. I frown on the word “factionalism” otherwise, I might be breaking my Constitution. So if he can tell me whether the question related to the Rawlings or Atta Mills's faction, I would be very glad.
Madam Speaker, I recall that in their Congress, he made a statement which showed clearly which faction he was on -- [Laughter] -- and got a very robust response from the former President and I was trying to call to apologize on his behalf that he did not mean any harm. So if he wants to belong to a faction, I think it is all right but I belong to my group which is the NPP.
Madam Speaker 11 a.m.
Hon Member, you
have got your answer.
Mr. Asamoah Ofosu 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I need your guidance on this issue in respect of taking permission to be absent from Parliament. I know that on the form for application to absent oneself
shows sufficient cause justifying his absence or who is away on official or parliamentary duties.”
Madam Speaker, the language is unambiguous.
Madam Speaker, again, if one looks at “leave of Parliament or the House” or any expression like “import means permission or agreement given by majority of the Members of the House” -- That is, if we are talking of “leave of Parliament or the House”, it is something that is done before action commences. So the leave definitely must be granted before an Hon Member absents himself or herself. It comes without any prevarication and I believe my Hon Colleague understands the import of this.
Madam Speaker, it is clear and I will not proceed further on that.
Thank you very much.
Mr. J. Y. Chireh 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the explanation given by the Hon Minority Leader is correct, but we should also note the difficulties, sometimes in com- munication. When you file this applica- tion for leave of absence, you file it through your Leadership. When the answer is to be given, it is again through the Leadership that you are to be told. So if there is a communication gap, the presumption is that, the application is approved or not approved, and your Leadership should be the one to take note.
I have to, at this point, commend the Hon Minority Leader, because most often, he is aware of those who have sought permission and have been granted through him, but they may not be present to collect them, so he brings them.
So I expect that the Leadership may be the communication channel, and if the information is not given to the Hon Member sufficiently, he may lose out.
from Parliament, there is a portion for the Hon Member seeking permission to sign. We have had cases where our incoming Minister for Information, trying to do some massage, has told us that perhaps, the Hon Majority Leader instructed the Secretariat to seek permission and in the case of Hon Dr. Akoto Osei, he has also said a similar thing.
But the question is, should the Hon Member seek permission and make sure that permission has been granted before he decides to absent himself from Parliament or not? Or he should take it for granted that once an application has been put in, the answer will be, yes, so that we see that Hon Members have had to leave the House before they send their secretaries, leaders and other management to seek permission for them?
Madam Speaker, are we taking it that people leave before they seek permission or we should take it that once permission is sought, it has automatic certification or approval?
Madam Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Well, I will source my reply from the Hon Minority Leader since the question comes from his side. But I would only say that sometimes these applications do not reach me the same day. What is filled in today, gets to me tomorrow or the next day and when the reason is given and it is reasonable, I normally approve. But the procedure of the House, I think, I will source it from the Hon Minority Leader.
Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I believe the Hon Member who posed the question has availed himself of Standing Order 15 (2) which says:
“Leave of absence may be given by Mr. Speaker to any Member who
Madam Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Yes, I do not know whether the Hon Member has got his answer. The Standing Order says that permission should be sought and granted before leaving. But there are some practical aspects. Sometimes, one does not have enough time to seek the leave, and in a matter like death or something -- Like I said, I have experienced seeing the application two or three days later because it passes through Leadership and even though Leadership recommends, it does not approve.
If I am supposed to approve, then like I said before, the reason must appear rather than has to go away or something. So far, I have not refused anybody because it has been approved by their Leaders. The only time is when I said I saw somebody say: “I have to go away” without saying the reason.
Hon Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, do we take it that the practicalities would stand in the way of going before you receive the approval?
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I agree with my Hon Colleague, the Hon Minister responsible for Local Government and Rural Development. Practical difficulties, but that does not mean the permission of Madam Speaker should be taken for granted. Madam Speaker, this is because it could run into serious difficulties.
When an Hon Member embarks on an enterprise, he seeks permission, he takes it for granted that the permission will be granted, he goes and finds himself or herself in some problems, and Madam Speaker would be called upon to vouch that, indeed, she granted permission to
that person. And yet, the enterprise, if she had seen it earlier, may not have, maybe, granted permission for the person so to do. So it is important that we do not take these things for granted.
Notwithstanding, the issues that my Hon Colleagues have raised are very germane. That indeed, we have practical difficulties; notwithstanding, we should endeavour to have you grant the permission before we travel. I think that is the import of what we have been saying.
Madam Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Hon Member, thank
you. It seems to me that Hon Members take it for granted that they can just go away once their applications have been sent; and take it for granted that it will be approved. And because Standing Order number 16 says that if you stay away for more than 15 days, that is when you get into trouble.
So maybe, we think 15 and 16 read together permit them to just stay away.
But like the Hon Minority Leader said, your presence here is very important -- to get Bills passed, to get quorum and to get a lot of things done. If everybody were to take it for granted that within the 15 days, one can just absent oneself, it will hamper the work of this House.
So I think we hearken to the advice of the Leaders and bear in mind that proper reasons should be stated. Otherwise, you ask for permission and you go and get into trouble and you want the Speaker to say that you were on duty or you were going and coming from Parliament when the permission had not been granted you. So how could the Speaker then prevent your arrest or something like that?
But it seems to me that from my experience of the forms I receive everyday for permission to stay away, it is taken for
granted that they will be granted. Maybe, I have to sit up and start examining them. Sometimes, to go to a funeral, they say one week; how come one week? You only need a day to attend a funeral. But this also prompts me to start looking at the reasons properly. I do not even know whether if I refuse, the Hon Member of Parliament would still go, I do not know, it has not happened yet.
Yes, Hon Member, if I say ‘permission not granted', will he not go to that urgent -- and if he does, what happens?
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, in the strict application of Standing Order 16, the Member can absent himself -- [Interruption.]
Madam Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Without permission?
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:10 a.m.
Madam
Speaker, “without permission”. Except that it should not travel beyond 15 Sittings.
Madam Speaker, as I said, if an Hon Member runs into problems, I know that Member would run to take shelter under your Chair. And certainly, you will raise this, which is why it is important for anybody travelling outside to seek your permission.
One, particularly, those of us travelling outside, we will expect the usual courtesies to be extended to us, and if the person does not have your permission to travel, the embassies could decline, and that will be sufficient justification.
So, I think the proper thing ought to be done for us to give you the proper recognition, and you also recognize the importance of the official travels and sanction such travels. I think that we will keep order and sanity in the House.
Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, reference to the subject matter before us. We are faced with this difficulty
because quite often we put in applications at the last minute. That is, maybe, a day or two before the main commitment commences.
Madam Speaker, in our Standing Orders, there are no provisions any where to state when to apply for leave of absence and then when the Member should also expect, let us say, a response from Madam Speaker, and that is the more reason why when we put in an application, we take it for granted that the application for leave of absence will be granted or not.
So when we come to consider the review of our Standing Orders, I want to believe that we have to bring some changes and specify, maybe, the time when an Hon Member should apply for leave of absence and then also expect an answer from Madam Speaker regarding whether an application will be granted or not.
Otherwise, we will continue to be faced with this problem because Hon Members would always want to put in the application at the last minute -- except where you have emergency cases. With the emergencies, yes, but when, let us say, an errand is just an ordinary errand, and then you put the application a day before you travel, certainly, the person would travel long before even the permission will be granted. So I believe that this problem ought to be addressed when we come to review our Standing Orders.
Madam Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Thank you Hon
Member, that is a good point. To those whom it may concern, please, take notice. The only thing that I was going to ask you is, what about when they come? They ask for one week, three days and nobody knows how it will take off? So probably, that too could be looked at and to report back, otherwise, we will have no check and work will suffer here.
As for the emergency of the matter, the
rose
Madam Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Hon Member, is it on this matter?
Mr. H. Iddrisu 11:20 a.m.
Madam Speaker, rightly so. I would agree and respect your ruling and conclusion but the Hon Member for Amenfi East (Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo) -- If he reads Standing Order 15 (2) properly, the solution lies in your magnanimity and being flexible in your judgement. It says that there must be “sufficient cause”, maybe, you want to visit your constituency or you want to do another engagement which is parliamentary. But if you read 15 (2) properly, it states and with your permission, I beg to quote:
“Leave of absence may be given by Mr. Speaker to any Member who shows sufficient cause justifying his absence or who is away on official or parliamentary duties.”
So even in respect of what has happened to the Majority Leader, he is already away on official and parliamentary duties and it is only you who can say that you have agreed on the basis of the provision but at least, the sufficient cause is significant.
Madam Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member. But if you are on the provision of
parliamentary duties and you take off yourself without the Speaker knowing, especially on official and you are a Member of Parliament and you should be in the House, then that section makes nonsense of the words there because the Speaker wants to know those who go where.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:20 a.m.
Madam Speaker, just to put this matter to rest.
The reason for the travel of the Hon Majority Leader has been given by the Hon Deputy Majority Leader. There is nothing parliamentary about that. It is official all right and Madam Speaker may grant him permission to leave. But there is nothing parliamentary about that, as the Hon Minister for Communications is trying to convince this House to believe. There is nothing parliamentary about that.
Madam Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Yes, well, thank you. It has been a useful discussion, so we move back to page 7.
Any corrections? Pages 8 - 10.

Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu -- rose
Madam Speaker 11:20 a.m.
Yes, before I finish the sentence.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:20 a.m.
Madam Speaker, going through the Votes and Proceedings, page 6, item 7, it relates to the Statement that was made in this House by Hon Steven M. E. K. Ackah, the Chairman of the Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture to congratulate the Black Stars for their performance in the Nations Cup; that was the Statement that was made.
I noticed that in capturing it in the Votes
and Proceedings, there is an addendum, that is to say that:
“The Hon Member also noted that the tournament provided a platform for the Coach to assess and prepare the team for the forthcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.”
That certainly could have been an observation by the Chairman of the Committee. But as to how it should be captured as part of the Votes and Proceedings, I am not too sure. The gravamen of the Statement is captured in the first paragraph of page 5, item 7. I thought that was enough, that is the first observation.
The other important things that I want us to also reflect on are the Questions that were programmed to be answered yesterday. For some reasons, the Questions were not answered and Madam Speaker, they not being answered were upon your directions and the indulgence of the entire House that the Questions should not be answered.
Now, how does it find expression in the Votes and Proceedings? I thought that because they were notable events in the proceedings of Parliament, definitely, they ought to have been captured, otherwise, anybody looking at the Order Paper, who saw those Questions advertised and nothing being expressed in the Votes and Proceedings, would not understand what indeed, happened. So I would want to believe that we find space to capture such events in the Votes and Proceedings.
I am just making this appeal to the Table Office, so they take notice of it and find a way to capture such events in the Votes and Proceedings.
Madam Speaker, I thank you.
Mr. J. T. Akologu 11:20 a.m.
Madam Speaker, with respect to this special issue that has been raised, I think that if it is another convention that we want to adopt in this House, then we will have, as a House, to decide on it. But Standing Order 55, usually, would take care of business that is not completed and since yesterday we could not complete them, we would have to apply Standing Order 55 to reschedule them.
But if we have, as he is saying, to capture the reasons why they were not taken, that one is a convention and then as a House, we have to decide on it. I think Leadership and Madam Speaker will look at it again or as the Standing Orders are being revised, we can factor this type of thing into it. He himself admits that we should find space for it, so it means that it is a new thing that is happening.
We have had situations where we have argued over items which were not completed and have not been captured.
On the first one, about the capturing of the item on the FIFA point, I think that he has a case there. That one belongs to the Hansard. In fact, it is the Statement that is to be captured but any other observation that the Statement referred to, should not appear here as if they were minutes. So that one should be in the Hansard.
I think that he is right in that, but on the second leg, we should have to look at it again.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:20 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I understand the principle being espoused by the Hon Deputy Majority Leader but clearly, the Standing Order that applies in this is not Standing Order 55. It is clearly not Standing Order 55 because it was not as if we did not get there. We got there and the House took a decision and so it is affected by Standing Order 34. Standing Order 55 has no relevance in this, and Standing Order 34 says and with your permission, I read:
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:20 a.m.


“The minutes of the proceedings of Parliament called Votes and Proceedings shall be a record of the attendance of Members at each sitting and all decisions of Parliament and shall be kept by the Clerk . . .”

Clearly, this is the Order that applies and not Standing Order 55. It is not as if we did not get there, we got there and a decision was taken. But as regards what to do with it, I believe that we are on the same wavelength and I would not want to continue further on that.
Madam Speaker 11:30 a.m.
I think I am clear on these matters. The matter was deferred, was it not? The application to stand it down was granted, that is, the item on Question. So if it applies here, it should be stated.
Item 4 -- Questions were deferred or stood down. You are right when you say the addendum to the Statement -- “The Hon Member also noted that the tournament provided . . . ” It could be reported in the Hansard. So that could be taken away as agreed by the Hon Majority Leader. But as for “The Questions were deferred”, I think Standing Order 34 says “. . . all decisions.” and the decision was that we defer it. So if we state here that it was either deferred or stood down, there would be no question about this. If the Hon Deputy Majority Leader agrees, shall we put in that the “Questions were deferred” or what?
Mr. Akologu 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker, we have different approaches and interpretations to these things. But you are in the Chair and you have ruled that -- [Interruption.]
Madam Speaker 11:30 a.m.
No, that is why I
am asking; what word would you prefer?
Mr. Akologu 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker, that is all right. Either of them applies because if we did not finish the business -- Standing Order 55 says that if you reach it and you do not complete it, you carry it over. But he is talking about capturing it, fine. So either of them applies but I thought that we should take it that the business was not completed and then we get on. So if you have ruled that Standing Order 34 is more appropriate in this matter, I have no objection.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I am constrained to speak because it seems to me, with all due respect, that we are splitting too many hairs in respect of this Votes and Proceedings. We have been at this for 45 minutes and we have not finished. I am appealing to the House to let us try and get this thing over, and then start business.
Madam Speaker 11:30 a.m.
I do not know whether you are appealing to the House or to the Speaker. [Laughter.] But you understand that when an Hon Member is up and wants to contribute, the Speaker would not know what it is about and so needs to hear it. So I think the appeal should go to Hon Members of the House.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker, that is what I said. Yes, the appeal is to Hon Members of the House.
Madam Speaker 11:30 a.m.
All right.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 11:30 a.m.
Yes, we say ‘the House' generally because -- yes.
Madam Speaker 11:30 a.m.
I accept it. Upon this note, shall we now move forward because I was just about adopting the record of proceedings and I was saying that the Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 2nd February, 2010 as corrected, is adopted as the true record of proceedings.
Hon Members, we move to item 3 -- Questions. Is the Hon Minister for Local Government and Rural Development here?
Welcome, Honourable.
ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 11:30 a.m.
MINISTRY OF LOCAL 11:30 a.m.
GOVERNMENT AND RURAL 11:30 a.m.
DEVELOPMENT 11:30 a.m.
Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (Mr. J.Y. Chireh) 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker, a total amount of twenty- five thousand, eight hundred and seventy- eight Ghana cedis, ninety-six Ghana pesewas (GH¢25,878.96) was spent on the construction of the clinic at Mami Krobo in the Kwahu North District. Out of this amount, the European Union contributed
GH¢19,409.22.
The clinic has been completed and was inaugurated by the District Chief Executive, Hon Charles Evans Apraku,
on the 9th of September, 2009.
Mr. Ahaligah 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I want to know the number of buildings on the plot before the takeover..
Mr. Chireh 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I received this Question on the 28th of January, 2010 and I was listed to answer it today, the 3rd of February, 2010. I have not had the opportunity to visit the site to be able to answer the Question. All the same, I have this information passed on to me and that is what I am giving.
I will not be able to tell the number of things that he is talking about.
Mr. Ahaligah 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker, may I know from the Hon Minister if he is aware that there are no lights, on access roads and that the building is poorly constructed?
Madam Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Yes, Hon Minister, you said you did not go there but the question has come again. Can you answer?
Mr. Chireh 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I will not be in the position to answer the question unless I am given the opportunity to visit and to inspect the place. But I think that the Hon Member -- If he had asked the Question to include those aspects, then the Answer would have been more adequately given. Unless that is so, for supplementary, I would need some time to be able to answer such a question.
Mr. Ahaligah 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker, will the Hon Minister assure this House that he will visit the clinic to assess work actually done?
Mr. Chireh 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I will visit the district to ascertain the facts.
rose
Madam Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Have you not finished your third?
Mr. Ahaligah 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker, with your permission, one more.
Madam Speaker, the Hon Minister has just told the House that he would visit the site where the clinic is located. May I know when, so that I will be present?
Mr. Chireh 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker, when I am about to leave, I will inform him accordingly and give him sufficient notice for him to go with me.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, in an answer to a question that was posed by the Hon Member, in my view, clearly sought the opinion of the Hon Minister, because the Hon Member stated that the building in question had been poorly constructed. The Hon Minister then goes on to say that he will go there to ascertain the facts. What facts is he talking about? The facts of the poor construction of the facility which the Hon Member cannot prove? What facts?
Mr. Chireh 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, from what the Hon Member said, it is his assessment. I do not know his background in terms of the ability to tell when something is poorly constructed. But all of us as ordinary people can look at the building and make a judgment. I have not been there, that is why I am saying I will go and find out whether his description of “poorly constructed” is correct or not. Those are the facts I want to ascertain.
Mr. Mathias K. Ntow 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, from the way the Hon Member for Afram Plains South (Mr. R. K. Ahaligah) asked the Question, and rightly put by the Hon Minority Leader, it seems the work was poorly done.
One thing that is lacking in this country
is supervision when important projects are undertaken. May I know from the Hon Minister whether he has people who monitor and send constant reports to him, so that if any work is going wrong, then the proper thing is done?
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I believe this question must be ruled out of order. Madam Speaker, that is the reason why I raised issues with the Question that was filed by my Hon Colleague, the Member for the constituency. Clearly, it is argumentative; he says that the facility has been poorly constructed and he is building on that to file another question. How can he prove that the facility has been poorly constructed?
What is the proof about it? Madam Speaker, it offends Standing Order 67 (1) (b) “a Question shall not contain any arguments, expression of opinion . . .” they are clearly expressions of their own opinion and this question should be arrested in the House before the Hon Minister gets infected negatively.
Madam Speaker, I call on you to rule this question out of order.
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member, can you put your question in another form? Now, you are referring to facts which have not yet been proved and you are making an argument like he is saying. So please, ask a question which does not offend the rules.
Mr. Ntow 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, as I indicated early on, lack of supervision makes a lot of projects shoddily done. So I wanted to know from the Hon Minister whether he has put some mechanisms in place or some personnel from his outfit who are charged with the responsibility of monitoring projects that are being funded by Government so that the right thing is done.
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Yes, Hon Minister, the question.
Mr. Chireh 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, as we are all aware, there are a number of people involved in the work that is done. But I have to say that the District Assemblies as entities have all the powers; they have the Works Engineer. They also ask Consultants to be on their jobs for them. They are to ensure that the work is done properly and professionally. Therefore, if any job is done which is shoddy, you can always ask who supervised the works.
As for the monitoring aspects, yes, that is why occasionally, Ministers go round to find out what is going on and to evaluate the work that is being done. But if there is a specific concern that has been sent to a Ministry about a job that is being done, obviously, you would then get a team, separate from these members of either consultancies or the Works Engineer to go and find out. This is what I am saying that this was not the original Question but we have people who can do these things.
Mr. Asamoah Ofosu 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, un-fortunately, I realize that the Hon Member who asked the Question has gone out. But Madam Speaker, in an Answer to the Question, the Hon Minister has stated in the second paragraph that the clinic has been completed and inaugurated by the District Chief Executive, Hon Charles Evans Apraku on the 9th of September,
2009.
Madam Speaker, I know that the District Chief Executive is the Chairman of the District Tender Board who will award the tender, supervise and certify that it is completed according to standards before going ahead to inaugurate it. So if he had said that it was completed and inaugurated in September, then where lies the fact that it is uncompleted as the Hon
Member asked, and again whether it is shoddy or not?
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
I think your question is offending the same thing that the Hon Minority Leader said. You are debating or arguing a question. Put a question.
Mr. Ofosu 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the question is, I want to know from the Hon Minister, whether the District Chief Executive will approve projects and certify as being completed and go ahead to inaugurate them when they have not.
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Yes, Hon Minister, answer the question. He is saying, will he inaugurate something which is not completed?
Mr. Chireh 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, if you look at the original Question, it was in two parts. And the second part is what is contained in the last paragraph that he read out. But the rest of his question whether a DCE can inaugurate a building that is shoddy; it is brining us back, first of all, whether it is true that it is shoddy and that is where I say I do not have the facts.
Thank you.
Mr. Stephen M. E. K. Ackah 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I want the Hon Minister to tell the House when this contract was awarded and when was it to be completed.
Mr. Kofi Frimpong 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I would want to know from my good Friend when the Question was stated. Because it looks as if the time that he received the Question and the time that the DCE inaugurated the project do not match.
Meanwhile, Madam Speaker, I have put in Questions over six, eight months now; the Questions have not been listed. How come that a Question was put in only in January --28th January and the Hon Minister is answering it today. How come that? He said it in his Answer, so I want to know. [Interruption.] Oh, Hon John Tia, do not coach him.
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Well, that question, can we answer how come your Question has not come to the floor? Is it the Hon Minister who should answer that question? The former question was what?
Mr. Frimpong 11:50 a.m.
My question was, I want to know the date of the Question. This is because if the Question came on that date, the Hon Member would not have asked it. The project was inaugurated earlier than when the Question was put in and he was there during the inauguration. Madam Speaker, how come he is asking the Hon Minister when the project would be completed?
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
I think your question really is that, when did he receive the Question?
Mr. Frimpong 11:50 a.m.
Yes, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Minister, you did mention a date when you received the

invitation?
Mr. Chireh 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I received the facts to answer this Question on the 28th of January, and I was to answer the Question today -- [Interruption.]
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
What year?
Mr. Chireh 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, 2010. I was to answer this Question today and that is what I am doing. So the rest of the arguments he wants to raise do not lie with me. The facts I have are what I have given.
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Members, shall we move to the next Question then?
Hon Members, the next Question which is Question 240 stands in the name of the Hon Dominic Nitiwul, Member of Parliament for Bimbilla.
WRITTEN ANSWERS TO 11:50 a.m.
QUESTIONS 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Members, in respect of that Question 240, the desired Answer indicated by the Hon Member was a written one. In accordance with Standing Order 64(4), the Clerk's Office has duly communicated in writing to the Hon Member being the response from the Hon Minister.
Hon Members, pursuance to the specified Standing Order, I hereby direct that the Answer to Question 240 be printed in the Official Report of today's proceedings.
Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (Mr. J. Y. Chireh) 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Local Government Act (Act 462) under section 92, mandates District Assemblies to approve their own budgets and again, the Public Procurement Act (Act 663) recognizes the Assemblies as procurement entities.
Madam Speaker, in the circumstance, therefore, the Assemblies are not obliged to seek any approval from the Ministry in the award of contracts. In view of this, the Ministry is unable to give an immediate Answer to the number of MMDCEs' official bungalows that have been renovated.
Mr. Nitiwul 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, like you have directed, I believe that is the right thing. But Madam Speaker, the Answer raises a very fundamental thing and I need your guidance to that.
Madam Speaker, this Question was asked on the 7 th of July, 2009, and the Hon Minister says that the Local Government Act 462 under Section 92 mandates the Assemblies to approve their own budgets and that the Procurement Act also mandates the Assemblies as a separate procurement entity. And because of that, the Assemblies are not to seek any approval to award any contract, so the Ministry is unable to give me any immediate Answer to my Question.
Madam Speaker, if I want answers from the District Assemblies or the District Chief Executives (DCEs), I am not a member there and I would not be able to invite every DCE here to give me answers. The supervising Ministry is the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, which I believe would answer this Question. But Madam Speaker, as we stand now, the Hon
Minister says he cannot give an answer, so who answers my Question then? That is why I said I needed your guidance on this Answer.
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Well, Hon Member, I am not sure whether I can be your legal advisor but I can tell you that your Written Answer is what you demanded and that is what you got. Thereafter, I do not know the action you need to take. Probably, your Leader could help you if you think you are not satisfied. But as far as this House and the Standing Orders are concerned, you requested for a Written Answer, it was duly given to you and the rule says, it should be printed and I have so ordered -- [Interruptions.]
Mr. Nitiwul 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I have said that I am satisfied and I have always been satisfied with the Written Answer and I am very satisfied with the procedure but it is the content I said I needed your guidance on and that there is no Answer because the Hon Minister says that he cannot provide the Answer.
rose
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Member, can
you help us with this one?
Dr. A. A. Osei 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I was just trying to appeal to my Hon Colleague that since none of us has the information that he is discussing, if he could wait till all of us get copies, so we can contribute to his concern. It will help us.
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Member, you are the only person who got your Written Answer. Because you asked for a Written Answer, we do not know it. So I think --
rose
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Member, what have you got to say about it?
Mr. S. K. B. Manu 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Member, I hope you have got your advice?
Mr. Nitiwul 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, it is not for nothing that the framers of our Standing Orders gave an opportunity to have a Written Answer, an Oral Answer and an Urgent Answer and Hon Members can avail themselves of the opportunities given. It is not wrong for an Hon Member to ask for a Written Answer. In fact, I would prefer that under certain Questions; I will ask for a Written Answer and it is parliamentary enough.
Madam Speaker, I have just said that the content that is stated here -- [Interruptions.] Madam Speaker, the Deputy Majority Whip is shouting; I hope he is not a backbencher. [Laughter.]
Madam Speaker, I just said that it was the content that I wanted your guidance on and Madam Speaker, the Answer passed through you -- [Interruptions.] I am not asking Hon Members for guidance, I am asking Madam Speaker and Madam Speaker has seen the Answer. It is the Hon Members that I am asking for guidance and it is Madam Speaker that I am speaking to and not Hon Members.
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Nitiwul, since we have all learned from this incidence that when it is written, we may not have the opportunity to put supplementary questions if you are not satisfied I think we better take the advice of Hon Balado Manu. [Interruptions.]
Mr. Manu 11:50 a.m.
Hon Balado Manu, Senior Member of the House, though a backbencher. [Laughter.]
Dr. Osei 11:50 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, I just need your guidance. I have looked through the Standing Orders and I have not seen any definition of a “Senior Member” in here. So where is he getting that notion of a “Senior Member”? It is not here.
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
But did you not have a Senior Minister once? Was there provision for a Senior Minister once?
Hon Ba lado Manu , your l a s t contribution.
Mr. Manu 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I will answer him. Madam Speaker, he wants to know where the definition of a “Senior Member” is in the Standing Orders. The page where he can find the definition is -- he should go to the 1996 Elections -- [Laughter] -- there, he will find who were elected into this House and there he will know who a “Senior Member” is. [Laughter.]
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Shall we move on?
Mr. Kofi Frimpong 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
we are all learning. Now, Hon Nitiwul is bringing in a new issue all together, which has been escaping a lot of us. We know that when you encircle “written”, it means the Answer is given to you personally.
Madam Speaker, what if the person is not satisfied with the Answer given as Hon Nitiwul is, where does he seek -- [Interruptions]-- Madam Speaker, I want to indulge Hon Members to be patient and stop making so much noise because they can never scare me. Madam Speaker, where does a Member seek redress when he is not satisfied with the Answer given to him by the Hon Minister?
Madam Speaker noon
Hon Member, you know the adage “look before you leap”, do you not? Look before you leap and if you have three sections which give you the
opportunity, you have to look well before you write whatever you want. He had his choice and he is learning from it. We are all learning from it, so there is nothing that -- he could ask another Question in another form, I do not know. But as of that Question, he asked for a Written Answer, our Orders say he will get his Answer and that is that.
Even if it is not a Question but it is a Question for Oral Answers, once the Minister answers it, the Orders say that you cannot quarrel with the Answer. You may ask a supplementary question but you cannot quarrel with it. So like you said, we all learn from it -- No, not the Speaker, the Members will learn from it and ask the right Questions at the right time.
So shall we move on then to the next Question.
Hon Minister, we thank you very much for coming here to answer our Question.
The next Question stands in the name of Hon Simons Addai (Techiman South), it is for the Minister for Energy. Minister for Energy, is he here?
Mr. Akologu noon
Madam Speaker, the Minister has informed Leadership about some engagement with the President this morning and he has therefore asked his Deputy to stand in for him. Under the circumstances -- [Interruptions] -- It is on a very important issue bordering on the petroleum revenue.
They are discussing the Bill that would come to this House and the President requires his services and that of the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, that is why the two of them are not here.
The Minister for Finance and Economic Planning came here, the Deputy Minister for Energy came in to present the message from his Minister about his absence from the House today and that is why I am

just narrating it to the House and to seek the permission of Madam Speaker and the indulgence of the House to allow the Deputy Minister for Energy, in the person of Hon Buah to stand in for the Minister for Energy and answer the Question.
Madam Speaker noon
Yes, Hon Minority Chief Whip, he is seeking the indulgence of the House to get the Deputy Minister here.
Mr. Frederick Opare-Ansah noon
Madam Speaker, I believe we have no objection to the Deputy Minister standing in for the substantive Minister. However, the Deputy Majority Leader has to be consistent in the signals that he is giving to the House and by this, I am saying that I hope he does not do a complete summersault after I sit down, accepting to indulge him and then he gets up and tells the House that he has changed his mind and fails to actually give the House good reasons why he changes his mind about the Deputy Minister. Madam Speaker, on that note, we have no objection to the Deputy Minister answering the Question.
Madam Speaker noon
Hon Leader, no objection, can we -- [Interruption.]
Mr. Akologu noon
Madam Speaker, I have no objection but when the circumstances so demand, I will do.
Madam Speaker noon
Yes, Hon Deputy Minister? I think the Question stands in the name of Hon Simons Addai (Techiman South).
Mr. Simons Addai noon
Madam Speaker, I would like to withdraw this Question because the problem has already been solved.
Madam Speaker noon
You want to withdraw the Question?
Mr. Addai noon
Madam Speaker, I would like to stand the Question down because
Madam Speaker noon
Ooh! Withdraw it?
Mr. Addai noon
Yes, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker noon
This one is not standing it down because you are not going to revisit it, are you?
Mr. Addai noon
Madam Speaker, it has been solved, the problem has been solved, so I am withdrawing the Question.
Madam Speaker noon
Thank you. He says the matter has been solved, he does not need to press for an Answer from the Minister.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noon
Madam Speaker, if a Question is asked and you permit the Question to be asked and it is advertised on the Order Paper, it becomes the property of this House. It can only be withdrawn upon the indulgence of this House [Laughter.] So I thought the application was going to be that he was seeking your permission and indulgence of the House to withdraw the Question.
He cannot just get up and say that the problem has been solved, “I have withdrawn the Question”. You cannot do that. Madam Speaker, he must come properly and then we may indulge him.
Madam Speaker noon
Well, I think what he means is that with the indulgence of the House, he is asking the Speaker --
Mr. Addai noon
Madam Speaker, the Minority Leader is asking me to seek your permission to withdraw the Question.
Madam Speaker noon
And their indul- gence.
Mr. Addai noon
Madam Speaker, I seek your permission to withdraw the Question.
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Well, before I agree, I need your indulgence -- [Laughter] -- He says the matter has been solved -- Hon Member, I think the indulgence has been granted; Speaker has allowed you to withdraw the Question.
Thank you, Hon Deputy Minister, for coming.

(MR. FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Hon Members, Madam Speaker has admitted two Statements for today. The first one is standing in the name of the Hon Member for New Juaben North.
STATEMENTS 12:10 p.m.
Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang (NPP -- New Juaben North) 12:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity. I want to make a Statement on the cost of doing business in Ghana and also on the need to have a regulatory mechanism as well as an ombudsman for the financial services in Ghana.
Mr. Speaker, I make these proposals and submissions in a positive spirit and especially in response to H.E. President Mills' Statement to this august House in his State of the Nation Address last year when he said “Madam Speaker, I would like to appeal to Hon Members to join me in managing the economy during this difficult time.”
The request therefore, to establish a Financial Services Authority (FSA) and a Financial Ombudsman is very well intentioned.
Mr. Speaker, Financial Services Authority, ordinarily, aims to “promote efficient, orderly and fair financial markets and help retail financial services consumers get a fair deal”. The Financial Services Authority is normally set up by Government. The Government is thus responsible for the overall scope of the FSA's regulatory activities and for its powers. The FSAs regulate most of the financial service markets, exchanges and firms. It sets the standards that they must meet and can take action against firms if they fail to meet the required standards.
The FSA is obliged to have regard to the principles of good regulation. It will promote efficient, orderly and fair markets.
It will help retail consumers achieve a fair deal. Mr. Speaker, Government, having an oversight of a main statutory regulator for the Ghana Financial Services industry is definitely a good idea. The FSA is normally set up by an Act of Parliament and thus ultimately derives its powers from Parliament and accountable to the public, industry, government and Parliament. In other jurisdictions, Mr. Speaker, the funding is basically from industry and the firms that it regulates.
Mr. Speaker, as far as the Financial Ombudsman is concerned, this is also set up by Parliament and it is independent as well as it provides free services. The Ombudsman's main task is to settle
individual complaints between consumers and businesses providing financial services -- from insurance and mortgages to investment and credit, including pensions, loans and hire purchase, stock, shares unit trust and bonds, money transfer, et cetera.
The Financial Ombudsman, Mr. Speaker, is independent and impartial and although its findings do not prevent one from going to court, in most instances, the parties accept its adjudication. Disputes are sometimes settled informally but if the Ombudsman's decision is accepted, it is binding on both of them and on the business.
Mr. Speaker, in order to save time, I will like to read a letter that I sent to the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning and copied to H.E. the President and the President of AGI [14th April,

It reads:

“My Dear Minister,

RE: ESTABLISHMENT OF
FINANCIAL SERVICES 12:10 p.m.
AUTHORITY AND FINANCIAL 12:10 p.m.
OMBUDSMAN IN GHANA 12:10 p.m.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member.
I would invite some few comments, if any.
Hon Minister for Communications?
Minister for Communications (Mr. Haruna Iddrisu) 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to associate myself with the Statement ably made by the Hon Member for New Juaben North, Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyemang.
Mr. Speaker, I am very encouraged, it appears the Hon Member has become a consumer advocate and is demanding fare practices, not only from our financial institutions; he has repeated same even for the telecoms and for other service providers in the country to ensure that the Ghanaian people get value-for-money for the services those operators render.
But be as it may, he is specific on the establishment of a Financial Services Authority and an Ombudsman. I believe
that his comment is very welcome and one is particularly excited that he is referencing a statement which His Excellency the President made to this House giving indication of a Bill being worked towards it and I can assure him that the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning and the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice will consider it.
It is important that we appreciate that, it is only going to be additional; there are already regulatory mechanisms and schemes. Indeed, if he consulted with the Hon Member for Old Tafo, Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei he would come to accept that even the Bank of Ghana had to go fundamental reforms in order that they would be better able to deliver services and even to insulate that particular institution from governmental control so that it could play its role much more effectively and efficiently. But I do agree with him that we need fair, efficient and competitive services.
But Mr. Speaker, the truth again is that through competition, we have a very liberalised banking regime and I think that competition itself has helped the consuming public. Gone are the days when you only could access banking services between the hours of 8.30 a.m. and 2.00 p.m.
Today, many of them even serve the public during the weekends. As much as he references ¢2.57 trillion as some of the profits, I believe that the financial institutions, the telecom entities are one of the substantial taxpayers to the Government of Ghana and that is appreciated which always a function of the profit that they make.
With these few comments, may I again commend the maker of the Statement and assure him that the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning and the Attorney- General and Minister for Justice would consider a Bill in that respect pursuant to
Mr. Justice Joe Appiah (NPP -- Ablekuma North) 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the financial market, especially the money market is not regulated to the benefit of the ordinary borrower. Mr. Speaker, savings and deposits rates and lending rates are so wide that it is difficult to explain in any meaningful way. The prime rate of Bank of Ghana is 18 per cent, whereas the average base rate of the commercial banks as at now is 28 per cent. What accounts for this wide margin is simply explained by cost of doing business by the banks.
Dr. A. A. Osei 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, my Hon Colleague used the words “unregulated market”. Mr. Speaker, that is not true. There might be imperfections in the system of regulation, but to say that our market is unregulated, this House has passed Bills that regulate the market. He is a legislator, I expect him to know that even the Bank of Ghana Act was passed by this Parliament; all the amendments. So I think he should withdraw the word “unregulated” and use a better word.
Mr. Appiah 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I withdraw the word “unregulated”.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
What word
are you replacing it with, “unregulated?” Otherwise, the sentence there would not be complete.
Mr. Appiah 12:20 p.m.
“Not well regulated”.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Very well, continue.
Dr. Matthew O. Prempeh (NPP -- Manyhia) 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the Hon Member for New Juaben North, Mr. Owusu-Agyemang in making this Statement. I think after the passage of the Banking Act that the Hon Member for Old Tafo just alluded to, too much power has been concentrated in the Bank of Ghana and I do not think it inures to the benefit of the ordinary Ghanaian.
I have had the chance to look at the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Ghana and I find that it is very incestuous, in that the top executives or management of Bank of Ghana constitute about 80 per cent of the Monetary Policy Committee. Where we learned from, that is the United Kingdom, it is 50/50; the top five per cent of Bank of England and other people from outside.
In Ghana, we have only two people from outside. So it is not working for the industry and employment in this country. So I totally support the delinking of the financial service regulation from Bank of Ghana. They cannot regulate the banks and at the same time determine our monetary service policy; it is not right.
But more importantly Mr. Speaker, the average Ghanaian -- I would give an example. When we came into the House, certain moneys were paid into Members of Parliament's (MPs') accounts as gratuity. Nowhere in the world, probably bad Ghana and dictatorial countries, can money that has been credited to one's account ever be taken out of the account
without one's permission or going to a court for a court to order so.
What happened? Bank of Ghana sat there and ordered the banks to return the money to them and the banks obliged. Mr. Speaker, it is not good for democracy, it is not good for banking confidentially if these things continue to happen in this country.
So I totally support the Hon Member for New Juaben North's Statement that we have to separate the financial regulation and take it out of Bank of Ghana and also, more importantly, have a financial ombudsman that those of us who are being cheated by our banks can go to and get some redress.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Dr. Anthony A. Osei (NPP -- Old Tafo) 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the Statement that has just been made by our esteemed Senior Member of the House, since we have just been told that “Senior Members” started from 1996, when this Parliament started in 1993. Now, we are being told that 1996 is the starting point. So now, those “Mugabes” who came before 1996, I do not know how to characterize them.
Mr. Speaker, this is a very important development. What surprises me, though, is that the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, in the handing over notes that were given to them, should have seen a document about a draft for such a Bill. This is not a new thing; the previous Government drafted a Bill on the Financial Services Authority (FSA), modelling after the United Kingdom tradition that the Hon Member for New Juaben North talked about.
I can confirm that there should have been the handing over notes and I am surprised nothing has been done about it.
As the Hon Member for Manhyia, Dr. Prempeh just said, unfortunately, we have put too much power in the hands of the Bank of Ghana by making certain statements in the Bank of Ghana Act. Mr. Speaker, if you go to the Bank of Ghana Act, there is a particular statement that says that, nobody in this nation, including the President, can influence the Bank of Ghana.
Mr. Speaker, the Bank of Ghana is supposed to conduct monetary policy consistent with Government's policy. So how could this Parliament make a law that gave them that authority where nobody in this country can do that? This is something we need to do. And in preparing the draft Bill, we took note of such things and included the provisions such that the FSA would be independent and equally strong as the Bank of Ghana.

There is no 15-year bond in this nation. So nobody could have given the Black Satellites a 15-year bond. The maximum we have is a 5-year bond. So if we are going to renew a 5-year bond on three occasions, we should have said so. But we do not say that the Black Satellites were given a 15-year bond. So everybody in the nation has been misled. The Black Satellites have not been given a 15-year bond, because it does not exist.
Mr. Joe Ghartey 12:30 p.m.
Madam Speaker, just a point of information. My Hon Colleague here has raised a very interesting point. He says that it is not possible to give a 15-year bond. Some of us are not financial experts; he should explain to us. Who creates a bond? How does he know whether a 15-year bond was not created? How is a bond created? He says one can only give five years. He should explain to us, it is very important.
Dr. A. A. Osei 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Hon
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon
Member, I think the point being made by the Hon Joe Ghartey is on how it is created. This is because when you raised the point, I was also wondering whether it is legally possible to be created.
Dr. A. A. Osei 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Bank
of Ghana can only do it at the request of the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning. As far as I know, when I was in the Ministry, we never gave the Bank of Ghana such authority. The maximum - [Interruption.] No, there is no Board of the Bank of Ghana, so this Government cannot have given it. So as far as I know -- [Interruption.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
But is it

legally feasible to be created?
Dr. A. A. Osei 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, where is
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon
Member, the point being raised is that, is it legally possible to be created because Ghanaians are listening to your submission?
Dr. A. A. Osei 12:30 p.m.
It is not because the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning must even inform this Parliament that they are creating this for a certain purpose. So one cannot just sit there and say that they are creating a 15-year bond. As far as I know, this year, no such request has come here and I also know that there is no Board of the Bank of Ghana. So I think that - [Interruption.]
Mr. Ghartey 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want to
understand. Is my Hon Colleague saying that in order to create a bond, the first thing is that, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning requests the Bank of Ghana, which can only create a bond where they have a Board --
Secondly, must any bond that is created come to Parliament? This is because, first of all, there is no Board of Bank of Ghana and secondly, nothing of such a request has come to Parliament, then there can be no 15-year bond. Is that the position?
`
Dr. A. A. Osei 12:30 p.m.
No, he is a lawyer. My
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
How
many years Bill do we have now?
Dr. A. A. Osei 12:30 p.m.
The maximum is five
years.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Can it be
rolled over three times to get 15 years?
Dr. A. A. Osei 12:30 p.m.
Then it is not a 15- year bond.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
But it can
be rolled over?
Dr. A. A. Osei 12:30 p.m.
It is only a 5-year
bond, it does not make it a 15-year bond.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Very well,
continue.
Dr. A. A. Osei 12:30 p.m.
We were trying to
launch the maturity profile but it has never been done yet. It was only done three to five years recently. Remember the third bond and all of that. It is 25 years. So I think that it is important the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning pays attention to the letter sent by the Hon Member for New Juaben North to ensure that this particular proposal gets back to this House.
It is a very worthwhile proposal. But the other interesting part is the second component, that is the issue of the financial ombudsman. I think in this country, consumers, in this case, financial consumers are being cheated. Un-fortunately, liberalization without proper regulation is not helping any of us and it is important that we find somebody to intermediate between us in this financial intermediaries.
Mr. J. B. Aidoo 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for your indulgence. I was seeking some kind of education on this matter. Mr. Speaker, I want to find out from Hon - [Interruption.]
Dr. A. A. Osei 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I have not
finished speaking. I thought he was going to make a point of order.
Mr. J. B. Aidoo 12:30 p.m.
Point of order; a point of information in any way.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon
Member, let us get it clearly Is it a point of order or point of information?
Dr. A. A. Osei 12:30 p.m.
I shall indulge him.
Mr. J. B. Aidoo 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker,
is the Hon Member trying to inform Ghanaians that there is illegality in what the Government did in respect of the 15- year bond for the Black Satellites?
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon
Member, the point has been made that from his perspective as a former Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, we do not have 15 years -- to the best of his knowledge, we do not have a 15- year bond. But also there is a possibility that 5-year bonds can be rolled over for 15 years. So maybe, what we need to do is to distinguish clearly what has actually been done.
Maybe, at the appropriate time, we can take up this matter and educate Ghanaians on it to know what has actually been done -- whether it is a five-year bond that is going to be kept for fifteen years in investment or whether it is 15 years simplicita that has been done.
Dr. A. A. Osei 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, you being
a lawyer, I would not want to go in the area as declaring something an illegality. The point I wanted to make was that the statement was made that the Black Satellites have been given a 15-year bond and I am saying, perhaps, somebody did
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
Hon
Members, that brings us to the end of the first Statement.
The second Statement is in the name of Hon Prof. Mike Oquaye, Second Deputy Speaker and Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya.

Rescue Achimota School - A National Asset
Prof. Mike Oquaye (NPP --Dome- Kwabenya) 12:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to make this Statement titled “Let us Rescue Achimota School - A National Asset” on the floor of the House.
Mr. Speaker, one most disturbing
news in Ghana today is what some Ghanaians are doing to a vital national
heritage - Achimota School. Following the publication on page three of the Daily Graphic of Friday, 29th January, 2010, I visited the school out of a national concern. May I point it out clearly that I am not an old Achimotan but a proud Presecan. But if any serious Ghanaian sits unconcerned when Achimota School is bleeding, then God, indeed, help us all.
Achimota School was the baby of the great Governor Guggisberg. At a time when cocoa had revolutionalized the Gold Coast economy, we were twice blessed to have a Governor whose pre-occupation was development. In those days, most Governors were liberal arts graduates. The difference was that Guggisberg was a surveyor by training and profession. He personally surveyed and mapped out Korle-Bu Hospital and Achimota School lands.
Mr. Speaker, the school land was bought for four thousand British pounds (£4,000) from the Owoo Family. I saw a photo copy of that colonial receipt dated 29th June, 1922 when I visited the school, prior to writing this Statement.
Mr. Speaker, the white man laboured to leave a significant monument. Should we destroy it? No school is as endowed as Achimota School. Mfantsipim, Adisadel, Presec, Wesley Girls, Aburi, Holy Child, et cetera, started as the efforts of the Church. Achimota School was put up once and for all as a monumental government school. From its bowels, the University of Ghana was born. Its Golf course, hospital, zoo, swimming pool complex, et cetera make it unique. If this generation will not work to add to it, let us not spoil it.
We have learnt that the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) has asked for the closure of the school as the sewerage system has collapsed. The problem has been caused by encroachers
who are building with speed on that part of the school called “The Folly” where the entire sewerage system has been channelled since the time of Guggisberg. People are building unlawfully on the main channels, causing the system to collapse. Any serious Ghanaian who cares to visit will see broken main lines, gushing human excreta and liquid waste plus foul stench which engulf the hemisphere. The school poultry farm has collapsed as a result.
In the late 1980s, the Board of the school made the tragic mistake of attempting to sell portions of the school land to certain individuals. The Board had no legal right to sell Achimota School lands which are by law vested in the Head of State of the Republic of Ghana, the President. People were asked to go for a refund of their monies when this illegal act became public. Some stood on the payments and without documents of ownership and approved plans, began to build with indecent haste.
The Owoo Family also stepped in and started selling the land they had already sold. Other land contractors and macho people waded in. The resultant chaos is too indecent to recount.
Later, another set of encroachers expanded the assault to “The Folly” area on the southern side of the compound. The encroachment on the school land has no respect for the usage. Hence a disco was built which the school had to demolish. The pilfering, drug usage, drunkenness, refuse dumping and sand winning activities which have put the life of young school children at risk, should be condemned by all well-meaning Ghanaians.
These acts of indiscipline are similar to the causes of the fires and road accidents all over our dear nation. They should stop.
The white man looked at Harrow and Eton, first class schools in the United Kingdom and gave us Achimota School. Do we not want good things in this nation? Governor Guggisberg had a reason for acquiring the vast land. Why do we destroy someone's vision? Why do we not add to it by building a model IT institute for Ghanaian JHS and SHS children, et cetera?
Mr. Speaker, the development in “The Folly” is an act of lawlessness, the kind of lawlessness that will destroy this country if we do not discipline ourselves. This is principally because no one has got a registered document on any portion of the land there. Achimota School lands are by law vested in the Head of State of Ghana. No President since independence has divested an inch of the lands.
Indeed, article 257 (i) of the 1992 Constitution has vested all such public lands including Achimota School lands in the President of the Republic of Ghana. Any purported attempt by any person, body or authority other than the President of Ghana, to alienate any portion whatsoever of Achimota School lands is bogus, void, illegal and of no effect. We call on the President to save Achimota School lands.
No building permit - not one has been approved by the appropriate authorities. The Accra Metropolitan Assembly confirmed this even as far as 2005 (see The Heritage of March 11, 2005 and other newspaper publications). The Owoo Family, which many people rely on as grantors, have come out clearly that they have not divested any lands in “The Folly” (Daily Graphic, August 27, 2009).
The question is: Should we sit back as
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
Thank you very much, Second Deputy Speaker.
Hon Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources?
Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources (Mr. H.F. Kamel): Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this Statement. Mr. Speaker, in doing so, I want to associate myself with the Statement made by Hon Prof. Mike Oquaye, the Second Deputy Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the p rob lem of encroachment upon Achimota School lands is not an isolated one. Honestly, there is a general trend, a phenomenon of encroachment on public lands all over the country and especially in most of our educational institutions. This pheno- menon is a sad reflection of our failure as a nation to protect public lands.

Now, coming to the issue of Achimota School lands, this was acquired under the Public Lands Ordinance of 1976 in 1921 and I think four thousand pounds was paid for the purpose of educational institution, Achimota School. Somewhere in 1927, additional acquisition was made for the expansion of the school and for woodlot purposes, to serve the fuel needs of the school.

Mr. Speaker, the problem with Achimota School lands started, like he rightly said, when the school committee called Achimota School Protection Committee decided to start selling parts of the land to prominent former students of the school. This attracted vehement protestations from the original land- owners, the Owoo Family. Eventually, the matter even went to court and the court refused to grant the release being sought by the original landowners, neither were the encroachers stopped from developing the school lands.

What is happening is that the Ministry's attention has definitely been drawn to the issue. But as we speak now, even in the previous Administration, attempts were made to embark on demolition exercises on the said lands but I remember only two houses were destroyed. And for very inexplicable reasons, the exercise stopped. Right now, we tried embarking on a demolition exercise and there is a court restraining order on us and so, we are handicapped. Until the court order is varied or vacated, there is nothing that

we can do.

What we want to say is that, as a nation, we all need to collectively look at the issue of encroachment as a serious one and resolve to try and solve the problem. It is not only a problem for Government. It is a collective duty.

But let me also use this opportunity to say that anybody who has got parcels of the land there, should know that it is illegal, like he rightly said. All the structures there are illegal and at the right time when we free ourselves from this court restraining order, we will definitely move there. It is not only on Achimota School lands. We did it at Atomic; we did it at Nungua farmlands and so the resolve to demolish and free government lands is definitely on course.
Mr. Isaac Osei (NPP -- Subin) 12:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Hon Second Deputy Speaker for bringing to the fore problems facing one of our most important institutions of learning, Achimota School. I make my contribution not because I am an Akora but because a veritable national institution established by ordinance, by law, is threatened by lawlessness and we seem as a country to be impotent and incapable of righting the wrong.
Through the hallowed halls and classrooms of Achimota School, the Hon Second Deputy Speaker has named a number of individuals who have risen to prominence in our country, who have passed through these halls. But Mr. Speaker, today, people have built on Achimota School lands without any legal documents and without any permit. And yet, the authorities are not targeting the lawbreakers and encroachers, but they are now threatening Achimota School with closure.
Mr. Speaker, the spewing of human

excreta as a result of putting up buildings and structures on channels and pathways is very offensive. But of equal significance is the damage which has been caused to a sewerage system, which serves not only Achimota School but also all the areas from Greenhill through Anumle Village, all the way to the Achimota Police Station.

Mr. Speaker, the school farm which was dependent on the sewerage system -- because Achimota School developed a system of converting faecal pellet and fluids into -- [Interruption] -- I am not ruining your appetite -- into manure, a very environmentally friendly method of generating manure for the school farms and for the purposes of greening the entire Achimota area. The school farm, today, exists only in name.

Mr. Speaker, I recall that in our days at Achimota School when disciplinary measures had to be applied, some students had to carry the stuff all the way to their halls of residence for the purpose of gardening and keeping the lawns green -- [Interruption.] -- Hon Akoto Osei knows about that. [Laughter] --

Mr. Speaker, Achimota Forest, which is part of Achimota School lands, is currently under siege. All manner of churches ply their trade there; and charlatans posing as churches also operate there.

The time has come for us to act; the time is now. To close Achimota School even for a day is not the solution. It is not only unacceptable; it would not solve the problem. Encroachers and illegal structures must be removed, and Government should exhibit the political will to do what is right in accordance with the laws of our country. Achimota School has to be saved; and this Parliament must be seen as part of the efforts to save the school and uphold the law.

Mr. Speaker, finally, there are many
Mr. D. A. Azumah (NDC -- Garu/ Tempane) 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I just rise to make a few comments and to also congratulate the maker of the Statement for bringing to fore the issue of encroachment upon Achimota School lands.
Mr. Speaker, I chanced to be an executive member of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of the School, and the issue of Achimota School lands has time and again come up in our agenda for discussion.
The PTA took all the steps to see how best we could address these concerns but the encroachers continued to play a whole lot of nonsense about it. Mr. Speaker, this issue of lands is quite complicated. In the course of our meetings with some section of the encroachers, their arguments were that they acquired those lands legally. Sometimes, even without documents, without anything to prove, they still maintain their stance that they acquired those lands legally.
It was a concern that we took to the Ministry of Education, and we discussed with the Minister -- In fact, at that time, it was the Hon Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu. We pleaded with him to try and see how best he could -- and just when he was about to handle the matter, he was moved out of the Ministry of Education.
Mr. Speaker, it is a real concern. I want to endorse the recommendations of the Hon Second Deputy Speaker that action be

taken and taken now. A special committee of this House should be set up to look into the Achimota School lands. The issue of demolition came up; I am constrained to say that our courts need to look at these issues more in the interest of the country.

It is not for anybody to get up and go to court and make a demand, and they rule it in his favour, and he comes displaying what kind of evidence it is. It constrains the school authorities to take appropriate action.

Mr. Speaker, if even there will be cause for demolition, it should be pursued and pursued vigorously without any political interference. I think that Achimota School deserves better. It is a school that is actually improving the standard of education of our children, and we are all concerned about the school lands.

I hope that in your ruling, you will refer this issue to the appropriate committee, hopefully, so that we can all look into it dispassionately and come out with a solution once and for all for Achimota School.

All the parents are looking up to this House to see what kind of steps we can take to address the concerns of the school.

Mr. Speaker, on that note, I thank the Hon Member who made the Statement drawing our attention and hope that this House can find the solution to the issues he had raised.

Thank you so much.

Mrs. E. K. T. Sackey (NPP -- Okaikoi

North): Mr. Speaker, thank you very much.

I think it is appropriate for us to discuss this issue of this school at this time. I want to say that Achimota School, which was formerly known as the Prince of Wales College, acquired this land as far back as 1924 and it was paid for. We are all, as it has been said this morning by the Hon

Second Deputy Speaker, getting to know what is happening in the school now -- encroachments on different levels.

As my Hon Colleagues have already said, the school has educated many African leaders. We are fortunate to say that our present President is an Akora and he is a product of the school. I wish that he will take over this issue because we all know that the school lands are invested in the President and therefore, issues of that nature should be dealt with and dealt with well. The issue has been sent to court and on several occasions, the court has ruled and we still have people building on that land.

There are certain mind-boggling questions from the public and the constituency, which I would like to bring to the attention of the House for all to discuss and debate and attempt to answer.

The first question is, what happens to the students when the Achimota School is closed down? I consequently ask, the present situation or crisis in the school, will it be the first or the last or is this the solution? Are we going to solve it or what are we going to do?

The second point is, if the land is being vested in the hands of the President, then what is the President also doing about it since he has authority to assist? Surprisingly, with this Government in power -- we know of His Excellency, former President John Jerry Rawlings and former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings who are also past students of that same school, Akoras. I hope and wish that they will take this matter up seriously.

The next point that the public

want to know about is if AMA and Lands Commission would also be held responsible. This is because they are all around; AMA knows about what is going on in the school now and yet no legal action is being taken. Those buildings over there have no legal permits and yet the buildings are springing up. I was informed by the Headmistress yesterday that the court has ruled also that for now there should not be any demolition on that land and for that ruling, people have started building more day and night.

Are we going to allow this to continue? Though the court has ruled, I believe strongly that it should be a piece of good advice for the court to get down to the site and then see things for itself. This encroachment is leading to a lot of challenges in the school. We now have prayer camps all round the school and a lot of disturbances. When the children are learning, there will be shouting, praying and singing and it disturbs a lot. It makes learning very difficult.

The next issue is sand winning, where people go round winning sand very close to the school and that is also creating a problem and causing health hazards. The school is also facing a problem of workshops, that is, there are mechanical and electrical workshops all round, welding and others. I do not see how this will lead to the comfort of the children to allow them have good sleep.

I want to take this opportunity to appeal to the whole House that this should not be the responsibility of one person; it should be the responsibility of all of us as a House. I go in for the suggestion made by the Second Deputy Speaker that we should form a committee that will look into hazards and issues at the school.

I also want to take this opportunity to let you know that just quite recently, just at the beginning of the term, two computers
Mr. D. A. Azumah (NDC -- Garu/ Tempane) 1 p.m.


were stolen from the school just because of all these kind of the challenges that they are facing.

As a mother, I am also thinking that closing down the school will not help in any way. Though we know that the spilling of the sewerage system is creating a health hazard, we still think that it could be worked on when school is on vacation.

If we are asked to close down the school, then it poses this question in mind - what about the hospital? This is because the hospital serves the whole community and its environs, that is Pokuase, Amasaman and others. And therefore, if they should close down the school because of the sewerage system, then it means that the hospital also needs to be closed down. And I want to know whether it will be in the best interest of all.

So I ask that even as the court has given a ruling, it should - The court should sit again and re-approach the whole thing and see how best we can solve this issue because it is an issue that matters most and it is an issue that affects the whole community and not only the students. Madam Speaker, I think that I would want to rest my case here and say a big thank you to the Second Deputy Speaker for bringing this to light.

Thank you very much.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
Hon Members, we are yet to start Public Business, so the message on the floor is very, very clear. The message from both sides of the House is very, very clear. I will however take brief comments, one each from each side - from each side so I will call the Chief Whip from the Majority side and then the Hon Member for Akwatia to end the comments on the Statement.
Mr. E. T. Mensah (NDC - Ningo/ Prampram) 1:10 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to associate myself with the Statement ably presented by the Second Deputy Speaker.
Listening to all the concerns, the Second Deputy Speaker is right by saying that the buildings are going on with satanic speed -- satanic speed, indeed. Now, there is this issue that the fourth paragraph of the Statement -- He said that he learnt that the AMA has asked for the closure of the school as the sewerage system has collapsed.
I think that we have been a bit reckless in the enforcement of our laws. When we set up that sewerage system there, it was far away, and it was managed from a very strategic perspective. Now, what has happened? People attempted to steal the lands in Achimota and we sorted them out. I am surprised that there is a court ruling that there should be no more demolitions.
There are laws in this country. Public
Lands Protection Decree, NRCD 240 is very, very important. When it is becoming difficult, the AMA has all the laws, they have the right to demolish any property. This whole thing about “when I think it is above lintel level, then it cannot be touched” is not true. They can demolish and surcharge the owner of the property.
Because of the rampant encroachment of public lands, the Public Lands Protection Decree of 1974, NRCD 240, was introduced and the punishments are two: You demolish the property, surcharge the owner of the property, and fine the owner of the property 5,000 cedis then or both.
Furthermore, it is said that you could take over the property. Whatever property they have on the land you have the right to take over and use it for the purposes for which the land was acquired.
So, I am surpr ised about the
lamentations of the AMA, that we have not moved in to do what has to be done. If we have not done that, there would have been no “Kanda” Highway. Kanda Highway was zoned in the 1958 structural plan of Accra. By the 1980s and 1990s, we realized that it had been fully encroached upon. When we got money to open up the “Kanda” Highway, we went ahead and cleared --- That is how today you have “Kanda” Highway.
AMA must be up and doing; they
should live up to their statutory duties that have been given to them. You do not operate only in Accra Metropolitan Area, clearing people from the pavement. There is serious business that has to be done -- the encroachments all over - It is not only in Achimota School. Other public lands are being encroached upon. All schools -- you go to Abavana Down and you go to all the schools -- The lands that were acquired for the schools have all been encroached upon.
So Mr. Speaker, we want to plead
with the courts too, they should call for all the laws, especially on public lands protection, and ensure that they give support to people who have been given the responsibility to deal with these issues.
Mr. Speaker, the other issue that I want
to end with, is the concern about sand winning. Sand winning also contravenes the planning regulations of this land. The very first laws on planning in 1945 all through to the current ones that we have, development is defined as “anytime you change the form of any land -- it is development”. So if you are going to win sand, it is development, and you need permission from the planning authorities.
You do not only go to the Ministry
of Mines and Energy to get a mines certificate and move on to go and start winning sand. After you have got the mines certificate, you have to go to the city authorities for permission to change the status of the land. We are not doing all these, and that is why we are having all the problems that we have. Instead of closing down the school, we should rather go in and take over the lands and let the children use that property for the purpose for which they are acquired.
Even if we have not been to Achimota
School, three of my children went there. If the people then had sold out the land or it had been encroached upon, there would have been no school for any of us or for any of my children that I am talking about to go.
We are being too irresponsible, too
reckless and so we are charging AMA to go and challenge the ruling to the next court and to be empowered to deal with the situation - demolish the properties or take them over.
I thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
Dr. Kofi Asare (NPP -- Akwatia) 1:10 p.m.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, for allowing me to contribute to the Statement by Hon Mike Ocquaye.
As a past student of the school, I get
worried anytime I visit my alma mater. Achimota School as has been said, is a heritage for this country and it has produced men and women of stature, not only for this country but for the rest of the world. There are many others - writers. I remember reading Sefa Ekuasiam where he wrote that in one year he grew six times in Achimota School because of what he learnt and what he did there. Achimota is an African heritage, not only for this country.
Mr. K. T. Hammond 1:10 p.m.
On a point of order,. Mr. Speaker, my Hon Colleague who just spoke indicated that “a very prominent person” - He seems to know who this prominent person is. Could he indicate who that person is?
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Hon Member, can you continue?
Dr. Asare 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, mi nnim ni din. [Laughter.] Well, if he knows, he can provide it to the House.
Mr. Speaker, Achimota students should not bear the brunt of the misdeeds of those who claim to have gone to school, who are lettered. Our unlettered members of society would not do this destruction. They revere the land and they protect our environment. Those of us who claim to have been lettered, we are letting this country down and it is a shame that indigenes are destroying what the White man has brought for us.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, there is a court injunction that prevents Achimota from demolishing -- but also that injunction prevents them from building and we think that the courts should enforce their rulings and prevent those who are continuing building on the site to stop.
The other thing that worries me is, those of us doing this are the very people who have been outside. Go to great cities and you have green lands, green areas left because of environmental reasons. Yet the very people who ought to know this and who ought to be teaching this are destroying the Achimota forest, the only forest in Accra area.
It is a shame and those who are doing it should be brought to book. They should
be made to pay for the repair of the sewage system. We should have learnt from that, otherwise, we will not be always fighting as to where to dump solid waste in this country.
If the AMA had taken a cue from what Achimota did in those days and put up a sewage system, we would be using the manure for our gardening and producing food. But because of this, we are suffering here and there. Anytime there is a landfill, there are a whole lot of problems.
We should call those who have destroyed it to pay for it. We should not only demolish their buildings; they should be made to repair the sewage system as it was in those days.
The other thing, Mr. Speaker, that has brought about this is that policy of looking at all schools as the same. I believe funding of schools should be graduated.
There should be a way of graduating our schools and giving funding for them, because for the wealth of Achimota, all that they have, it is not for Achimotans, it is not for the school, it is for this country and it needs to be maintained. Therefore, we must pay for it. That notion of treating all schools as equal and giving them that same money cannot maintain a national heritage like Achimota School, and we should look at that policy again.
Mr. Speaker, I think a lot has been said and as an Akora, we want to thank you all and we believe that Mr. Speaker will refer it to a Committee and we will have an input and ensure that what is right is done and ensure that Achimota as a national heritage is preserved.
Thank you Mr. Speaker, for allowing me to contribute to it.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Hon Members, thank you very much for
Statements and the comments thereon. I have a small difficulty here in referring this matter to a committee, in view of the pending matter of the case in court. However, because the matter is in court, and taking from the floor -- because after the committee brings it work, the matter has to be debated. And when the debate comes, what happens to it which will go counter to the court's decision?
What I intend doing, and with the
indulgence of the House, is to refer the Statement and all the comments by Hon Members to the respective agencies of State -- the Hon Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, the Hon Minister for Education, the Hon Minister for Local Government and Rural Development and the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana so that they take the comments of this Honourable House and at the appropriate time the Business Committee may schedule any of them to brief the House accordingly.
Hon Members, thank you very much.
That brings us to the end of Statements.
Hon Majority Leader.
Mr. John T. Akologu 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, items 5 and 6 have some issues to be resolved by the committees. Under the circumstance, we want to seek your permission and the indulgence of the House to step them down and take them at another date. Therefore, we can proceed to item 7 -- and then the rest of the items.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that is acceptable.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Very well, items 5 and 6 are accordingly deferred.
MOTIONS 1:20 p.m.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Hon Members, I will now put the Question on this motion.
Question put and motion agreed to.
Resolved:
That this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Performance Audit Report of the Auditor-General on Management of Ghana Police Residential Accommodation.
Mr. Akologu 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, item 8 --
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Very well Chairman of Public Accounts Committee.
MOTIONS 1:20 p.m.
Chairman of the Committee (Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah) 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Performance Audit Report of the Auditor-General on the Public Servants Housing Loan Scheme.
1.0 Introduction
The above Performance Audit Report was laid in the House on 9th June 2009 in accordance with article 184 of the 1992 Constitution and the Standing Orders of the House.
This Audit Report was referred to the Public Accounts Committee in accordance with Standing Orders 165 for examination and report.
In examining this Report , the Committee met with Hon Albert Abongo, Minister for Water Resources, Works and
Housing, the acting Executive Secretary of the Scheme, Mr. Solomon Bonny and a technical team from the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing.
The Committee wishes to thank the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana for the immense assistance that it gave to the Committee especially the team of consultants that supported the Committee during its work.
2.0 References
The Committee referred to the following relevant documents:
1. The 1992 Constitution;
2. The Standing Orders of the House;
3. The Financial Administration Act, 2004;
4. The Financial Administration Regulations;
5. N.R.C.D. 319.
3.0 Reasons for the Audit
Performance audit refers to an examination of a programme, function, operation or the management systems and procedures of an entity to assess whether the entity is achieving economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the employment of available resources.
The Public Servants Housing Loan Scheme (PSHLS) was established by NRCD 319 to provide financial support to public servants to put up or acquire their own residential accommodation.
The audit examined the effectiveness of the Scheme and covered funding of the Scheme, loan processing, monitoring of approved projects and loan refund/ recoveries.
4.0 Objectives and Scope of the Committee's Report
The aim of the Committee's Report
is to present to the House the outcome of the Committee's examination of the Performance Audit Report of the Public Servants Housing Loan Scheme.
It is also to report to the House:
1. on the effectiveness of the Scheme; and
2. draw attention to the challenges facing the scheme.
The Report also seeks to bring to the attention of the House issues which in the Committee's opinion ought to engage the attention of the House.
5.0 Audit Findings
5.1 Little knowledge of the existence of the Scheme
The audit revealed that many public servants are not aware of the Scheme even though the Scheme has been in existence since 1975. The few people who knew of the Scheme also had little information about how to access its funds.
5.2 Funding is inadequate
It was noted that funding for the Scheme was inadequate. The audit revealed that prior to 2004, the Scheme only relied on specific grants determined at the discretion of the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing. Since 2004, a total of ¢4 billion has been allocated to support the Scheme.
Such financial allocations are not based on the Scheme's projections while actual releases are also less than what is allocated. As a result, it is unable to meet the requirement of the 1,200 applicants per year.
5 . 3 C u m b e r s o m e L o a n
Acquisition Procedures
The audit also revealed that the conditions necessary for the disbursement of the loan is cumbersome. Majority of the public servants who were interviewed for the purposes of the audit lamented that the procedures are too cumbersome and difficult to meet. As a result of this, people are reluctant to access the facility.
Some applicants had their applications approved between 15-53 months after their applications were submitted to the Scheme. The long period of approval leads to distortions in the sums required to complete the project.
5.4 Incremental development approach
The Scheme has put in place an Incremental Development Policy to assist clients to use the loan to complete their projects.
The Policy divides the loan amount into tranches and the project into stages. It then allocates each tranche to finance each stage of the client's project.
At every stage, the client accounts for the use of the previous tranche and makes a request for the release of the next tranche. The request is valuated and approval is given before the next tranche is released to him/her. This continues till the entire loan amount is exhausted.
The audit revealed that this policy sometimes leads to increases in project costs. It was observed that it takes a while before a tranche is released to a client to continue his/her project. This negatively affects the project as by the time a tranche is released, prices of building materials would have exceeded its budgeted price due to inflation.
This situation is further compounded
Chairman of the Committee (Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah) 1:30 p.m.
¢490.8 million. From the publication, the highest defaulter owed as much as ¢36.4 million, while the least owed ¢900,000.
The Committee was also informed that as a result of inadequate monitoring, some borrowers used the loan for other purposes other than the intended purpose of putting up a residential accommodation. The Auditor-General informed the Committee that for the period January 2001 to December 2002, there were two cases where borrowers used their loans for different purposes.
Recommendations
The Committee thus recommends that management must take monitoring seriously. It should also ensure that the monitoring unit prepares a work plan which the unit should endeavour to follow.
6.6 Cumbersome Loan Requirements
The Committee noted that the requirements of the Scheme are cumbersome.
Members noted that by the repayment period of thirty years, one could only qualify if he/she is 30 years or younger and is a public servant, given the retirement age. Unfortunately, many public servants in this age bracket would not be able to meet these requirements in order to access the loan.
Members observed that public servants find it difficult to qualify for the loan because one of the conditions is that the applicant should own a land. Many public servants cannot afford to own a land because their salaries are low. Moreover, those who own family land, especially in the rural areas, cannot acquire title deeds since these lands have not been registered.
Also many workers who meet these requirements are usually above the age of 40 and hence cannot access the loan facility.
The Commit tee observed that applicants living outside Accra have to travel to the capital in order to apply for the loan. This is because the Scheme is based in Accra. Applicants will have to visit Accra regularly to follow up on their applications.
It takes the Scheme a minimum of one year to process applications. Thus applicants spend a lot of money on both transportation and hotel bills to follow up on their applications. These expenditures reduce the value of the loan.
Recommendation
The Committee recommends that the entire loan application procedures should be reviewed if the Scheme is to achieve its objectives. 7.0 Conclusion
After a careful consideration of the Public Sector Housing Loan Scheme, the Committee noted that this Scheme has been designed to help address the issue of accommodation.
However, the Committee is of the view that there is the need to revise the concept, review the operations of the Scheme and make it more suitable to meet the needs of all persons working in the public sector. In lieu of this, the Committee urges the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing to restructure the Scheme so that it would be more beneficial to public servants.
The Committee, therefore, recommends to the House to adopt its Report on the Performance Audit Report of the Auditor-
General on the Public Servants Housing Loans Scheme.
Respectfully submitted.

Mr. John Tia Akologu (NDC -

Talensi): Mr. Speaker, I rise to second the motion and in doing so, I want to emphasise on the need for publicity on this Scheme. In fact, the Committee found out that the Scheme was a very necessary one, especially as this country is having a deficit in housing accommodation.

The only problem that the Scheme faced was that many people did not know about it, therefore, only some few privileged ones, perhaps, managed to access it. If it were made known to the general public in a manner that anybody could access it, it might have by this time helped to address the housing problems that the country faces.

Another problem that the Committee noticed was the disbursement of the loan. Even if you managed to access the loan, the method is that they disburse it in bits, in piecemeal. They would give you maybe one-third, you would go and finish it and come, and then they would give you again. It is rather cumbersome.

I think that is a situation that calls for a review to make it possible that, in view of instability of prices of commodities in this country, the beneficiaries should be given the lump sum to enable them utilise it advantageously before maybe issues of inflation and other things catch on them.

The other problem too was, repayment

period as was raised in the Report. I think that it is a revolving fund and the thirty years, in my view, is rather too long, if we have to revolve the money for, others
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Minority Leader. There being no other contribution, I will put the Question.
Question put and motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
Hon Deputy Majority Leader?
Mr. Akologu 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think we have some time enough to take item 9 on the Order Paper.
Mr. Akologu 1:40 p.m.


Performance Audit Report of Auditor- General on Management of Human

Resources for Effective Primary Healthcare Delivery
Chairman of the Committee (Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah) 1:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, the Public Accounts Committee on the Performance Audit Report of the Auditor-General on the Management of Human Resources for the Effective Primary Health Care Delivery by the Ghana Health Service.
1.0 Introduction
The Performance Audit Report of the Auditor-General on the Management of Human Resources for Effective Primary Health Care Delivery by the Ghana Health Service was laid before the House on Tuesday, 9th June, 2009. The Rt. Hon Speaker in pursuance of Standing Order 165 (2) referred the Performance Audit Report to the Public Accounts Committee for consideration and report.
The Committee, pursuant to the referral held a public hearing on Thursday, 20th August, 2009, and considered the Performance Audit Report of the Auditor- General on the Management of Human Resources for the Effective Primary Health Care Delivery by the Ghana Health Service and accordingly reports as follows:
2.0 Acknowledgement
The Committee wishes to express its gratitude and appreciation to the Minister for Health, Hon Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the Chief Director, and other officials of the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service,
for attending upon the Committee to respond to and clarify issues during the consideration of the Audit Report.
3.0 Reference Documents
The Committee was guided in its deliberations by the following documents:
i. The 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana;
ii. The Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana;
iii. The Audit Service Act, 2000, (Act 584).
4.0 Background
Ghana allocates about 12 per cent of the national budget yearly to the health sector in addition to over US$500 million rom donors with the aim of providing quality and affordable health services to all Ghanaians. Despite this enormous investment, the health situation is not getting better and healthcare has not been accessible to all Ghanaians.
The massive shortfall of health professionals coupled with a heavily skewed distribution of health pro- fessionals in favour of urban areas have resulted in unsatisfactory delivery of heath services in the districts and rural areas. It was against this background that the Auditor-General initiated a Perfor- mance Audit to find out how the Ghana Health Service can manage available human resources for an effective primary healthcare delivery in Ghana.
5.0 Objective and Structure of this Report
The objective of this Report is to
Alhaji Seidu Amadu (NDC - Yapei/ Kusawgu) 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I beg to second the motion and the Report presented by the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. In so doing, I wish to raise an issue that was also discussed at the Committee level but which unfortunately has not been captured in this Report, and that has to do with the additional duty allowance.
We realized that one of the things the previous governments did, that is, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and later New Patriotic Party (NP)P, was to encourage doctors who have been doing a lot of work outside the prescribed working hours in Ghana by giving them additional allowances.
But when the auditors came with their Report, we realized that there had been a lot of abuses in the past. Even people who did not qualify for the additional duty allowance were all benefiting from it and I think that the Committee really discussed it at length.
If the Ministry of Health can re- examine that particular facility and streamline it and make sure that it benefits those who are engaged and involved in this additional duty allowance, I think that it will serve as an encouragement, as an additional incentive to the doctors to be able to perform.
We realise that medicine is a very difficult area. The working hours of doctors look very, very abnormal yet they sacrifice and we have to recognise that. I think that particular programme is very, very good and I think the Ministry of
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
What about those who have abandoned the consulting room and are in Parliament? [Laughter.]
Alhaji Amadu 1:50 p.m.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Dr. Kofi Asare 1:50 p.m.
Point of order. Is Mr. Speaker referring to me? As far as I can see, I am the only one here in the Chamber now?
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Hon Member, I am not referring to you. [Laughter.]
Dr. Asare 1:50 p.m.
All right - [Laughter.]
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Hon Member for Yapei/Kusawgu, kindly continue.
Alhaji Amadu 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I think that, like the Committee has recommended, if we can separate professional health administrators from professional health workers, it will help us in the long run.
Mr. Speaker, one other issue that I
want to comment on is the inadequacy of training facilities that we have in the country and the requirement for people who qualify to be admitted to those training institutions and the fees that come with it.
During the last administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), they established many more health training institutions but the fees they are asking from students are just too outrageous. I am just imagining how somebody can pay GH¢1,000 as admission fees in the rural area from my constituency and for that matter, so many other rural areas in all the constituencies in Ghana. I think the fees are just too high. And that there is the need, if we really want to address this issue of lack of personnel in our institutions, then we must be mindful of the fees that we take from students so that many more people can qualify to enter.
Indeed, if you look at our senior high school (SHS) graduates, there are so many of them who really have the grades to go but their parents cannot afford the fees because the fees are just so high.
I think that Parliament needs to make some special recommendation on this issue so that we can bring down these fees to make many more people to go. Even at the medical schools, the requirements look so outrageous. Well, every institution or faculty of the university has the right to determine who should be there but I think the requirements are just so high.
Therefore, many more people could be trained so that they address this issue of shortage of staff. If we just allow things the way they are, then we are going to prevent many more people, who otherwise could have qualified to read medicine from becoming professionals. At the end of the day, it is the economy that suffers and when the economy suffers, everybody in
Ghana suffers.
I think that if we really want to address the issue of inadequate staffing in our medical institutions, and then address the issue of high turnover in terms of those who leave for greener pastures elsewhere, we must tackle the matter from our training institutions.
With these few words, I beg to second the motion.
Question proposed.
Dr. Kofi Asare (NPP - Akwatia) 1:50 p.m.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to this motion.
Mr. Speaker, looking through the reason for the audit - why medical professionals are leaving and why medical professional are concentrated in urban areas - these are all areas of concern in our country.
The Audit Service makes the following findings: Ghana Health Service lacks serving or experienced professional staff for administrative purposes.
Mr. Speaker, that is an area that is misunderstood in this country and in our medical services. The directors, as I was before I entered Parliament -- I was not an administrator. Public health specialists are not administrators. They perform certain professional, medical functions in their service. There are health planners among them; there are epidemiologists among them, and there are health economists among them and many others who do specific professional activities in their areas of specialisation.
They are in offices, yes, but they are not administrators. In fact, there are administrators working with these directors who do the day-to-day administration as we know; pushing the papers, writing
Dr. Kofi Asare (NPP - Akwatia) 1:50 p.m.


memoranda, writing reports and others. So we should not equate professional public health specialists as administrators. No, they are not. And without them, a lot of our health services will be found wanting. So I believe we should get the difference between a professional public health physician and an administrator.
rose
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Yes, is it a point or order?
Alhaji Amadu 1:50 p.m.
Yes, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Yes?
Alhaji Amadu 1:50 p.m.
Indeed, what the Hon Member is saying only applies to areas such as Korle Bu and possibly Kumasi. If you go to even most of the regional hospitals and the district hospitals, this thing does not exist.
When you have only one medical officer attending to a hospital, he runs both administration and health delivery at the same time. And we are saying that, if we want to solve this problem of having to release highly skilled medical officers to do administrative work, then we must have professional administrators to run the hospitals so that our doctors can have time to attend to health delivery.
So what he is saying, I believe, it is only in Accra and Kumasi and possibly a few of the regional capitals. But majority of the health services will have this problem and we have to recognise it.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Dr. Asare 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, that is exactly the point I was raising that those people he is calling as health administrators are not health administrators. They are public health physicians who do professional jobs in the districts.
In fact, what we have experienced in this country, in our time, when we were young, the number of people who died of common measles - and the younger ones may not know - but the number of people who died of measles, who were blinded by measles, we are not seeing those, not because they were treated in the hospitals; it was because of these health professionals who worked in the districts and brought programmes and others which brought these diseases under control. That is why we are seeing no measles now. Now, it is very difficult even for our universities to find the measles case to teach our people.
What I am saying is that those people we call health administrators are not -- They are public health physicians who do professional medical job in the various districts and it is because of their work that we are where we are now. It was not because the hospitals treated those who had measles. It was because the public health professionals brought up immunisation and other programmes and executed them so well that we have wiped out almost or some of those diseases in our country.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Hon Members, I refer to Standing Order 40 (3), that having regard to the state of business of the House, I direct that Sitting be held outside the prescribed period so that we can finish this particular business on the floor - this particular business.
Hon Member, kindly continue.
Dr. Asare 1:50 p.m.
The 6,546 health profes- sionals of all categories, who have left this country because of remunerations --
Mr. Speaker, at times, there is the psyche of Ghanaians that we have all been to the university, despite the time of study, the intensity of your practice and all those -- And when these things are not taken into recognition in fixing salaries, that is what happens.
The Hon Member talked about additional duty allowances and others; that has been scrapped long time ago; it is no longer in existence after the salary review, the extra duty allowances were scrapped. So nobody in the Ghana Health Service earns extra duty allowance. But we need to remunerate our health professionals very well to make them stay in this country. Whether we like it or not, it is a course that would attract people and anywhere in the world, there are never enough of their own.
We have some of our doctors doing extremely well in other areas and if we paid our health professionals very well, be they doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians and technologists, they would all stay in this country and work.
I believe talking with them, none of them enjoys going out. But at the end of the day, even the pressures from society, a doctor, a medical officer, a health professional and he cannot meet those societal pressures, he is forced to go out to seek greener pastures. We can let them stay by offering them attractive remuneration that would make them work. We have some of the best medical schools among the world, our products are everywhere.
The Prof. Frimpong Boatengs, there are many of them in the United States, in Great Britain and Saudi Arabia; they are sought after from all areas and if we do not do something about remuneration, I am afraid a number of them would be leaving.
Recently, talking to some of the junior doctors, they have started sitting for the American examinations that would make them capable of leaving this country, because the salary adjustments that were given them, they thought were peanuts, it did not meet their expectations. The number of people sitting for those examinations over the past few years has dropped. Now, this year, it is going up again; so the Government must look at their remuneration again and increase it so that we can have a better health service.
Mr. Speaker, about training of health professionals, now we have quite a number of medical schools in this country. We have the University of Ghana, Legon; we have the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi; we have the University for Development Studies and University of Cape Coast, apart from the private ones that are being established.
My worry is the infrastructure in these areas. The Tamale Hospital is not too up to scratch to train doctors and I think there must be a lot of investment into that facility to be able to cope with the demands that would be made on it. So the Cape Coast University has started a medical school; there is a new hospital over there, yes, that is up to standard. But we also need a bit more infrastructure in those areas. But there are other hospitals that we can use. The Sunyani Government Hospital for instance, can be made an outpost.
Mr. Alfred W. G. Abayateye (NDC - Sege) 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to add my voice to the Report of the Public Accounts Committee and in so doing I want to highlight on some small points.
Mr. Speaker, in the course of the work of the Public Accounts Committee, we interacted with many people. One thing that came out so clearly to me and which I would like to say is the obstacles which come on the way when they want to engage people in the Ministry. They have to seek clearance from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning because of the payment.
But interestingly, you would go through about 82 steps and I believe this would not augur well for us if we want things to move fast. I want to use this opportunity to plead so that we look at issues critically
and clear some of these things.
For someone to be engaged into the system, rules here and there, 82 steps before final clearance is given, is not good for us. The Auditors came out with this, the authorities at the Ministry of Health confirmed it to us and we felt as a House, we must bring it out for us to know and sit up and sit up well.
Again, I want to plead with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning -- Indeed, you cut your coat according to the material available. But there is a saying in my language that, he who fetches the water breaks the pot. Therefore, there are some of the things which need to be given priority, you cannot joke with your health.
I want to plead that when things happen and we fall on contingencies, issues of health should be looked at in a very critical way so that when there are people who need to be engaged to see to our health delivery, at least, the process is fastened and quickened and authority is given so that our health is catered well.
Again, I want to plead with the authorities to upgrade the Kintampo Health Training Centre into a university. We have been told they want to upgrade it to build a middle level capacity and I think we must fast-track it so that things are done well.
I want to say this, in my district, we used to have our District Director of Health Services to be a medical officer who sits in to do the administrative job. He does it and he goes to the hospital too. But for some time now we have been given a District Director of Health Services who is an administrator.
Therefore, the medical officers go, spend their time during clinical work and I think it has really helped a lot in the rural areas of the Dangbe East and I think it is a profession, health administration is a profession. So if we can get people who
would go into that field and those in the clinical side would concentrate very much, though it is a profession, you would do it in addition to.
But I believe that if you are trained as a farmer, it is good to learn the other rudiments of farming and expand it than to leave farming into fishing where it would take you extra time. So I want to plead that those of us who are in the clinical area should concentrate to do the clinical work and those in the adminis- trative set-up would get people who are not trained as clinical people but trained as administrators so that we can make use -- because the alarming rate at which our doctors are leaving and the few too in the administration would disturb us a little.
With these few words, I want to ask the whole House to adopt the Report of the Public Accounts Committee and to thank my Chairman for chairing our Committee to do a good job.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Hon Chairman, wind up. If you are not winding up, I would now put the Question.
Question put and motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Before I adjourn the House, I would like to inform members of the Appointments Committee that we have a meeting immediately after the adjournment in Madam Speaker's Conference Room.
ADJOURNMENT 1:50 p.m.
  • The House was adjourned at 2.10 p.m. till 4th February, 2010 at 10.00 a.m.