Debates of 2 Mar 2010

MADAM SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:15 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Hon Members, Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Friday, 26th February, 2010.
Pages 1- 5.
Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah 10:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, page 5 item 3, “Kyei-Mensah- Bonsu, Osei”, the Minority Leader, was in the Chamber on Friday
Thank you.
Madam Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Corrected. Pages
6- 7 --
Prof. (Emeritus) S. K. Amoako 10:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, page 7, Item 6 (i), I think the correction should be “and add same to the list of Hon Members absent with permission”. I know that Hon Kwasi Annoh Ankamah was absent with permission.
Madam Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Page 8.
Prof. (Emeritus) Amoako 10:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, sorry to take you back to page 6 -- item 5 --
“The Votes and Proceedings of Wednesday, 24th February, 2010 was adopted as the true record of proceedings”.
I am not so sure whether it was
Madam Speaker 10:15 a.m.
We laid two on that day -- the Votes and Proceedings.
Prof. (Emeritus) S. K. Amoako 10:15 a.m.
Thank you.
Madam Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Pages 9-11. The
Votes and Proceedings of Friday, 26th February, 2010 as corrected is adopted as the true record of proceedings.
We move on to the Official Report of Tuesday, 23rd February, 2010.
Mr Joe Ghartey 10:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker,
did you say Tuesday, 23rd February?
Madam Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Tuesday, 23rd
February, 2010, the Official Report. We have two here.
Mr Ghartey 10:15 a.m.
Madam Speaker, if I can
go to the Official Report, column 1172.
Madam Speaker, the second paragraph 10:15 a.m.
“So Madam Speaker, I would plead with Leadership on both sides, that perhaps, the Committee which is going to advise your goodself on appointment onto a Board of which they would be Members, they should stand aside; they should treat it as an outlet and give their Membership automatically . . .”
They should give up their Membership automatically, not that they should treat that as an outlet.
And I do not intend to say; “. . . they should give their positions
on the Committee to their deputies. So instead of the Hon Majority Leader, Mr Cletus Avoka, the Deputy Leaders should be members; the Deputy Leader of the Majority side and the Minority side should be members.”
It should read:
“So instead of the Hon Majority Leader, Mr Cletus Avoka, his Deputy Leader should be a member. The Deputy Leaders of the Majority side and the Minority side should be members.”
That was all I said, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker 10:15 a.m.
So what is the
correction that “they should not treat it as “outlet”, they should cancel that?
Mr Ghartey 10:15 a.m.
Pardon me, Madam
Speaker?
Madam Speaker 10:15 a.m.
Early on --
Mr. Ghartey 10:15 a.m.
Early on, I did not say, “they should treat it as an outlet”.
Madam Speaker 10:15 a.m.
So we should take that out?
Mr. Ghartey 10:15 a.m.
“They should give up their membership automatically”.
Madam Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Hon Members, the Official Report of Tuesday, 23rd February, 2010 as corrected represents the true record of proceedings.
We now move on to the Official Report
of Thursday, 25th February, 2010.

Hon Members, in the absence of

any corrections, the Official Report of

Thursday, 25th February, 2010 is hereby adopted as the true record of proceedings.

Hon Members, no Statement has been

admitted, so we move straight onto the Commencement of Public Business.

Hon Leader of the House, Laying of

Papers?
PAPERS 10:25 a.m.
Madam Speaker 10:25 a.m.
Item 4 (c)?
Mr Cletus A. Avoka 10:25 a.m.
Madam Speaker, we are still making consultations in respect of item 4(c), so it can be deferred for today. We will come back when we conclude consultations.
Madam Speaker 10:25 a.m.
All right. The item
is deferred.
MOTIONS 10:35 a.m.
Mr Abdul-Rauf T. Ibrahim (NDC - Yagaba/Kubori) 10:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I beg to second the motion.
Question put and motion agreed to
Resolved accordingly.
Loan Agreement between the Government of the Republic of
Ghana and African Development Fund
Mr Abayateye 10:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Joint Committee on Finance and Roads and Transport on the Loan Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the African Development Fund for an amount equivalent to fifty-three million, five hundred and ninety thousand Units of Account (UA53,590,000.00) [equivalent to US$80.35 million] to partially finance the Awoshie-Pokuase road and Community Development Project.
Madam Speaker, in so doing, I wish to present the Report of the Joint Committee. 1.0 Introduction
The Loan Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the African Development Fund for an amount equivalent to fifty-three million, five hundred and ninety thousand Units of Account (UA53,590,000.00) [equivalent to US$80.35 million] to partially finance the Awoshie-Pokuase Road and Com-munity Development Project was laid in the House on Thursday, 11th February, 2010 and referred to the Joint Committee on Finance and Roads and Transport for consideration and report in accordance with articles 103 and 181 of the Constitution and Standing Orders of the House.
The Committee met and considered the Agreement with a technical team from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Ministry of Roads and Highways and presents this Report. 2.0 Background
The Awoshie-Pokuase area is rapidly developing as a consequence of Greater
Accra's urban sprawl, with an estimated physical growth of more than 9 per cent per annum. This expansion has made it difficult to meet the service demands of residents regarding transportation, health, education, water and sanitation. The urban sprawl has resulted in traffic congestion, overcrowding, poor quality housing, inadequate education and health facilities, poor sanitation and a generally degraded environment.
This road construction project therefore, aims to promote sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty through greater employment and income generation opportunities. The project is also aimed at improving accessibility to economic activity within the project area.
3.0 Purpose of the Loan
The purpose of the loan is to secure funds to partially finance the local and foreign currency cost of the implementation of the Awoshie-Pokuase Road and Community Development Project.
Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions of the Loan are as follows:
Loan Amount -- UA53.59 million
Interest Rate -- No interest charge
Grace Period -- 10 years
Repayment Period -- 30 years (exclusive of grace period) Repayment of the principal commences
10 years from the date of signing the loan agreement.
Service Charge -- 0 . 7 5 p e r c en t p e r a n n u m o n t h e principal amount of the loan disbursed and outstanding from time to time
Commitment Charge -- 0 .50 per cent per annum on the undisbursed portion of the loan
Concessionality Rate -- 65.49 per cent
Tax Exemption/Waiver
In accordance with article 50 of the Agreement establishing the African Development
Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah (NPP - Sunyani West) 10:35 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I beg to second the motion on the floor that approval be given for UA53,590,000.00, the equivalent of US$80.35 million.
Madam Speaker, the objective of the loan is very appropriate in the sense that when this project is executed, it will help ease traffic on the main Kumasi-Accra road through Achimota, especially for vehicles moving to the western half of Accra, specifically to places like Awoshie, MaCarthy Hill, Kasoa, and even an extension to the Central Region.
Madam Speaker, this is a newly developing area with high concentration of human and vehicular traffic. So we think that if this project is executed, it would enhance movement in these areas.
We have looked at the terms of the loan,
a facility which has a grace period of 10 years and repayment period of 30 years, at no interest charged, is something which we recommend to the House to approve.
Madam Speaker, on that note, I second the motion.
Question proposed.
Mr David T. Assumeng (NDC -- Shai-Osudoku) 10:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I want to add my voice to this motion by saying that we want to commend the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning for coming out with this loan agreement.
Madam Speaker, we want to urge him to explore more to get more of such loans to enable us construct our roads. Madam Speaker, I am extremely happy that the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning has gone beyond sitting in his office to verify work being done on our roads.
The Minister for Finance and Economic Planning and the Minister for Roads and Highways must be commended for their efforts -- [Hear! Hear!] Supervision is very important and we need to supervise most of these projects to make sure that we have value-for-money.
Madam Speaker, our roads are so bad and we need a lot of such loans to construct them. Madam Speaker, if one goes to my constituency, Shai Osudoku, the roads are terrible in shape now. The road from Ayikuma to Doyornu is in a very bad shape; the road from Asutsuare to Aveyime is also in the same position. So we need to get such loans to make sure that by the end of the year or next year, the “Better Ghana Agenda” that we have for this country would be realized.
So I want to urge the Hon Minister to go a lot more further to explore such loans for us to get better loans for this country. That notwithstanding, I want to also say that roads in, the Western Region are also in a very bad shape and we need such loans to also put roads in that area in good shape. Those are areas where we are getting our cocoa, minerals and all the rest -- [Interruption.] and I think that we need to explore such loan facilities to make sure that at the end of our term, we would get something to prove to the people of Ghana to renew our mandate.

I thank you very much, Madam

Speaker, for this opportunity.

Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang

(NPP -- New Juaben North): Madam Speaker, sincere thanks. I just want to use this opportunity to draw the attention of my Hon Good Friend, Joe Gidisu and for that matter, my Hon Good Friend, Kwabena to the state of road architecture in this country. I believe that most of the roads that are constructed have no signage, have no indications of distances of direction and what have you.

Many a time, I have passed junctions, not once, not twice, more than ten, twenty times -- I believe that road architecture is very important; it helps you, at least, it even eases the mind as to how far you are going.

But to go on a Ghanaian road, is one of the most terrible things. Sometimes you have to stop about eight times to ask where to turn to go to such and such a town or such and such a village. So as we go on to continue with our infrastructural programme, it would be most important that road architecture is paid attention to. It is most important.

I want to touch on the quality of construction. I believe that these days that we are becoming the gateway to West Africa, and we know that most of the heavy trucks, articulated trucks go on our roads, then I would like to suggest that we have to look at the technical specification of our roads in this country. Many a time, one finds that the axle load is way beyond what we are supposed to have and it would take a long time before we get the railway system working. So in the interregnum, we should use our roads.

I was told by somebody from the Danish Embassy personally that if we were to control the road axle weight, they

were prepared to take a second look at the Yamoransa/Kumasi Road, which I think the Hon Minister must know. The donors are also a bit fatigued about the fact that we make specifications, we do not follow them and I believe that would come in very handy.

Lastly, I believe quite a few of us need

roads not only in our constituencies to bring in the food from the hinterland but also to make sure that we lose less life on the road. The Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) would be encouraged to assist us in making sure that we bring some sanity onto our road system.

I believe with this, I would like to

support the proposal for the loan; I know it would be done and done quickly. What is happening in this country, which is absolutely unacceptable in any developed country, is the fact that those constructing the roads, I do not know for whatever reason, do not work on Saturdays; they do not work on Sundays; they do not work on holidays.

But elsewhere, they work 24 hours because if somebody's business is affected by the construction of a road and it takes you three years, and he goes bankrupt, who is going to pay for bankruptcy? Because nobody has had the courage to sue the Government, to sue the State, people think they can take it as easy as they can.

It is about time we looked at our schedule for construction of roads because I know quite a lot of people who have gone bankrupt on the Nsawam Road; from Peace F.M area, a lot of companies have gone bankrupt because they had to fold up. Petrol stations have done the same. I believe that to grow the economy forward, we do need to pay special attention to these things.

Indeed, elsewhere, it is when we are sleeping that road construction goes on. In Italy, in Germany, all over the world, in Asia -- But here, when we are on holiday, then they are also on holiday and when we want to come to the office, it takes us about four hours to go on the Spintex Road. It is all because of the configuration of the management of road construction in this country, and I thought I should take this opportunity to draw my Hon Friend's attention to this.

Madam Speaker, with this, I support the motion.

Alhaj i Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka (NDC -- Asawase); Madam Speaker, I rise to support the motion before the House for the approval of the loan of UA53,5900,000.00 equivalent to US$80.35 million for partial financing of the Awoshie-Pokuase Road and Community Development Project.

Madam Sepaker, this road is a very special one like most of my Hon Colleagues have mentioned and many other roads in this country are really looking for this kind of assistance to create easy access and flow of traffic.

Madam Speaker, my interest in this motion is the counterpart funding where the Committee's Report, Madam Speaker, with your indulgence, page 4, paragraph 2, states that the counterpart funding is basically going to be for compensation and resettlement costs that would be provided to make it easy for the occupants that would obstruct the construction to be relocated.

Madam Speaker, if you look at the report, it clearly states that about 303 permanent structures would be affected and the occupants of these 303 are about 274 and then 715 temporary structures would also be affected.
Mr David T. Assumeng (NDC -- Shai-Osudoku) 10:45 a.m.


Madam Speaker, the road through Awoshie and Pokuase is a very important one, especially for those who stay at Adenta, Madina, Ashaley Botwey. If you are travelling to Kumasi, one does not have to come back through Achimota. One simply takes that bypass and hits the road running and I believe that this is going to enhance flow of traffic. But as a social democratic party and government, the emphasis on resettlement and relocation of structures is a very, very important one and I would urge that that is taken very, very seriously.

Madam Speaker, with these few words, I encourage my Hon Colleagues to support the motion.
Mr Justice J. Appiah (NPP -- Ablekuma North) 10:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I beg to support the motion on the floor.
The Awoshie-Pokuase road is a very vital project, which is in my constituency. The project started during the NPP Administration and I am thankful that the NDC too is continuing it.
My main concern is the compensation aspect of the whole thing, that those people who are affected must be compensated really. It must also be done in a humane manner; those who will be cleared off the road must be dealt with in a humane manner.
We do not have any medical facility in Ablekuma North, so I am praying that if this project is started, we will have hospitals in the Ablekuma North Constituency that can help to alleviate the plight of pregnant women who have to travel to Korle-Bu to look for medical care, could get it in Ablekuma-North.
Madam Speaker, with these few words, I thank you.
Mr Charles S. Hodogbey (NDC -- North Tongu) 10:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I would like to support the motion seeking

for US$80.35 million to construct the Awoshie road.

I have some few comments to make, that is the road architecture as somebody has already said. Actually, our road architecture as I see it, specifically, the use of the roundabouts -- there is nothing actually good in using roundabouts but only to delay traffic.

Secondly, I will suggest that if a road is to take about 53 kilometres, then along the 53 kilometres stretch, there must be some major towns.

The purpose of constructing roads to certain specific points is to beautify towns and villages along the road. Therefore, it will be better if the Roads Ministry can change its concept by actually trying to build the roads through town to avoid cardiovascular diseases which result from this dust. Let us say between A and C or D, there are some towns between these points, if you construct these roads in these towns first, even if the money is finished, at least, you have reduced a whole lot and you have also beautified those towns.

Most often, as somebody early on said, as soon as the money is finished, that is it for destination of the road. It takes so many years before that road is completed. Besides, as Hon Hackman said, if you look at this road being maintained, they have started constructing that road, maintaining that road now more than three/four weeks. The diversion had been on. In some other jurisdictions as somebody earlier said, within twenty hours, that should have been completed.

So I will suggest to the Minister for Roads and Highways to look into it. Besides, when we take loans for bigger long stretch roads, the maintenance becomes a problem. So instead of leaving the maintenance at the mercy of GoG, the Ministry of Roads and Highways should try to impose some tolls on those new

roads for some specific period. Such moneys could be used to maintain the road as time goes on.

With these few comments, I support the motion.
Mr David Oppon-Kusi (NPP -- Ofoase/Ayirebi) 10:55 a.m.
I thank you, Madam Speaker, for the opportunity. I am rather gratified and excited about this project. I was privileged in my previous employment to be part of the preparatory work that went into this project and like some of the previous speakers have said, the time between inception and implementation has been rather too long.
This road was originally planned as a third ring road around Accra. As a matter of fact, we talk of Awoshie-Pokuase. The real project was Awoshie-Pokuase Hospital road to Tema; so that one could come from Tema all the way through Pokuase and then join Awoshie, forming a complete ring around Accra.
At the time of the conception, the conditions were not as we see now. As we speak now, even after the implementation, we are going to have a road that may not serve the original purpose. Because it was going to be a special facility passing through areas that had not yet been settled on but due to that time lapse, now we have a lot of encroachment. I remember about eight years ago, when we actually walked the distance, identifying the encroachment there, there was very little encroachment around the place.
Currently, we may have to pay a lot more money to resettle those who have legally or illegally encroached upon the right of way. I believe that the time has come when the period between the conception of a project and its implementation must be shortened, whatever it takes. I believe that when this is finally done, trucks that may have to pass unnecessarily through traffic will now just come through Awoshie.
I would like to draw the attention of the Minister, because he is here already,
that even as we speak, the junction between Awoshie-Pokuase and then the new road being done may pose a serious problem. We do know that there are two interchanges on this road but we have to think of an interchange between those two junctions.
At Awoshie junction proper, because it is going to take a lot of traffic from Pokuase and there is heavy traffic most of the time. There is another parallel road which also cries for attention and which will complement the effort being made to do this road because they serve a similar purpose, that is the Kwashieman-Ofankor road. They serve a similar purpose, so we believe that if there is money, we may be able to tie in the improvements.
It may not be to the level that we are doing Awoshie-Pokuase road, that is a single lane road. Tie in that to Awoshie- Pokuase road so that it will serve as a kind of extra connection when we have problems with that road. Our problem in this country is that most of our roads have no alternative routes, so when there is a problem, there is a traffic jam. When we have a problem in Kumasi right now, we have nowhere to pass.
I hope that with this, we will also find money and go over and do the planned ring road in Kumasi, which is also having the same fate as this had.
With these few words, I support the motion.
Ms Shirley A. Botchway (NPP -- Weija) 11:05 a.m.
I thank you, Madam Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the motion on the floor.
Madam Speaker, I am very happy that this project is seeing the light of day, and in fact, the implementation will start very
Mr Joseph B. Aidoo (NPP - Amenfi East) 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I am also on my feet to lend support for approval of this
Mr Joseph B. Aidoo (NPP - Amenfi East) 11:05 a.m.


facility.

Madam Speaker, the road in question is intended to ease traffic congestion in the western and also the north-western corridors of Accra.

Madam Speaker, I have another concern and that is to find alternative routes as escape routes for Accra in the event of any mishap. Madam Speaker, when you look at the western corridor, there are only two exits. We have the Mallam-Kasoa road and then we have the Achimota-Pokuase road.

Madam Speaker, when you look at the Mallam-Kasoa road, it falls in the heart of the seismic zone -- that is, an earthquake area. Madam Speaker, I am not trying to predict any doom but we do not know when a Tsunami may happen. But the point I am trying to make is that, should any event on that road, that is, the Mallam-Kasoa road, there will be no exit at the western corridor especially in the southern part of Accra and one can imagine the kind of chaos that can happen should anything occcur on that road. Therefore, I am drawing the attention of the Ministry to look at the possibility of having an alternative route to serve as an exit or escape route in the western corridor, possibly within the Mallam-Kasoa road and the Achimota-Pokuase road.

Madam Speaker, we do not have to wait until something happens to this country. We have to plan ahead and therefore, as a State, we must get these alternative routes. The way the Minister for Roads and Highway is smiling, I want to believe that he is taking this on board. Madam Speaker, this is a very important project. We must all support it and therefore, I am urging Hon Members to support it.

I thank you for the opportunity.
Minister for Roads and Highways (Mr J. K. Gidisu) 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I want to thank my Hon Colleagues
for the various inputs they have made towards the debate for approval of this loan. The various suggestions they have given in terms of the road signage and an improvement in the road architecture will be taken on board.
Madam Speaker, I will want to just point out that this particular road is the starting point of the ring road within the Accra Metropolis. We are happy it is taking off and it is going to link a number of very important communities which hitherto had no such links.
Madam Speaker, this road network, as noted in the Report, is going to be the first of its kind in the city whereby economic and social conditions along those areas that the road is going to pass through will be taken on board. Education, water and sanitation, as well as other infrastructural development, which hitherto have not gone with other projects are going to be taken on board.
Madam Speaker, we will want to assure Hon Colleagues that those areas which they have highlighted, for example, in terms of improving the security and for that matter, road safety along those lines will equally be addressed. But it is equally very important to note that the current amount that is before the House for approval is only for partial financing of the project.
Very soon we will be coming out with a supplementary loan that will help complete the project. I hope when it comes before the House, the dispatch with which they have debated this issue and supported its approval, will equally be considered.
Madam Speaker, with these few comments, I want to thank my Hon Colleagues and humbly wish to once again thank them for the inputs they have made.
Thank you.
Question put and motion agreed to.
RESOLUTIONS 11:05 a.m.
Minister for Roads and Highways (Mr J. K. Gidisu) 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I beg to move, that
WHEREAS by the provisions of article 181 of the Constitution and section 7 of the Loans Act, 1970 (Act 335), the terms and conditions of any loan raised by the Government of Ghana on behalf of itself or any public institution or authority shall not come into operation unless the said terms and conditions have been laid before Parliament and approved by Parliament by a Resolution supported by the votes of a majority of all Members of Parliament;
PURSUANT to the provisions of the said article 181 of the Constitution and section 7 of the Loans Act, 1970 (Act 335), and at the request of the Government of Ghana, acting through the Minister responsible fo r F inance and Economic Planning, there has been laid before Parliament, the terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the African Development Fund for an amount equivalent to fifty-three million, five hundred and ninety thousand Units of Account (UA53,590,000.00) (equivalent to US$80.35 million) to partially finance the Awoshie-Pokuase Road and Community Development
Minister for Roads and Highways (Mr J. K. Gidisu) 11:05 a.m.


Project.
THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE 11:05 a.m.
H E R E B Y R E S O LV E S A S 11:05 a.m.
Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, on the Order Paper, under Motion number 7, it says: “Minister for Finance and Economic Planning” and I just saw the Minister for Roads -- [Interruptions] -- He is not the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning.
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
Yes, Hon Leader, he says, where is the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning? He should be moving this.
Mr Cletus A. Avoka 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning was in the House a few moments ago but he had a call that His Excellency the President and the Chief of Staff were waiting for him on an urgent matter. So he indicated to me and we graciously allowed him to go so that the Minister for Roads and Highways will stand in. It is a joint motion, Madam Speaker, if you look at motion number 6 - that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the joint Committee on Finance and Roads and Transport on the loan agreement. It is
for the two Ministries.
Thank you.
Madam Speaker 11:05 a.m.
So the Resolution has been moved. Any seconding of the motion for adoption of the Resolution?
Mr Alfred W. G. Abayateye 11:05 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I second the adoption of the Resolution.
Question put and motion agreed to.
Resolved accordingly.
MOTIONS 11:15 p.m.
Mr Dominic A. Azumah (NDC -- Garu/Tempane) 11:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I am grateful to be given this singular honour to move this all-important motion.
Madam Speaker, with your indulgence and permission, I beg to move, that this august House thanks His Excellency the President, Prof. J. E. A. Mills for the Message on the State of the Nation, which he excellently delivered on 25th February,
2010.
Madam Speaker, the President deserves a high recommendation for his remarkable submission. In his usual calm, humorous and intelligent presentation, His Excellency the President has actually proven to all Ghanaians that he is President for all. This, he exhibited by his reconciliatory message and his invitation for inter-party collaboration to move this country forward.
Madam Speaker, with the economy challenged in 2008 due to several factors, including the economic meltdown, it
Mr Dominic A. Azumah (NDC -- Garu/Tempane) 11:15 p.m.


needed a well-experienced economic management team to take bold and difficult measures to be able to achieve fiscal and macroeconomic stability. This, they did in the course of last year by applying prudent measures culminating in a number of successes. These include:

Lower interest rates -- As I speak to this august House, the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) has reduced its interest rate to 24 per cent from 29 per cent.

Stabilisation of the cedi against major currencies - As we are all aware, in every year, around December, the cedi normally depreciates for obvious reasons. In December 2009, the cedi remained stable.

Increased credit to the private sector because they have taken advantage of the low interest rates of the Bank of Ghana.

The economic management team were able, to a large extent, clear large portions of arrears and commit- ments left over in the previous years.

Madam Speaker, in order to appreciate His Excellency's State of the Nation's Address, I will, with your permission, slightly focus on a couple of issues with respect to the gas and oil industry.

His Excellency, Madam Speaker, has proposed the presentation and passage of an Oil and Gas Revenue Management Bill, which will ensure transparency in the utilisation of the oil and gas revenues.

Madam Speaker, oil find in other countries has become a curse and not a blessing. And guided by this, His Excellency has proposed to use the bulk oil revenue in very key areas. These include:

human resource development, which is key for the development,
Dr Matthew O. Prempeh 11:25 a.m.
On a point of order. Madam Speaker, I thought we were solemnly debating and discussing His Excellency's State of the Nation Address, which had no space and room for one-time premium payment for what my Hon Colleague is talking about. Hon Dominic Azumah should stick to the President's State of the Nation Address and stop introducing foreign elements into it.
Mr Azumah 11:25 a.m.
Madam Speaker, if
my Hon Colleague does not know, I am moving a motion; he should please learn from me.
Housing
Madam Speaker, as part of their mandatory responsibility, the President has directed that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies establish District Assemblies Rental Housing Project Task Forces to oversee the provision of lower and middle income housing projects and also that a substantial portion of their share of the Common Fund be set aside for the housing scheme.
Madam Speaker, experience will tell you that for those who have had the opportunity to travel outside, most of the homes workers live in are constructed by the local authorities. This programme will help reduce drastically, the housing deficit in the country.
Governance
Madam Speaker, the na t iona l

stakeholders' consultative conference on decentralization has taken place and preparations are set to introduce changes in the decentralization agenda.

A Constitutional Review Commission has also been established to study some aspects of our Constitution for which concerns have been raised for amendment.

A Presidential Committee on Emolu- ments to counsel Government on salaries, wages, allowances, facilities and privileges of State officials as required by the Constitution has also been constituted and this will help avoid some of the controversies that emanated from the Chinery Hesse Committee Report because of the late submission of the Report.

Madam Speaker, the inability of the Electoral Commission to implement ROPAA is in itself evidence that it requires a second look. It is, therefore, gratifying to hear His Excellency the President calling for the formation of a multi-partisan group under guidance of the Electoral Commission to revisit the whole issue.

Madam Speaker, all these are meant to improve upon our governance system.

Corruption

Madam Speaker, corruption at all levels

must be hunted, exposed and crushed. It is, therefore, reassuring to hear from the President that he will strengthen the anti- corruption agencies of State to make them more effective to vigorously prosecute past and present officials of State who indulge in the act.

Madam Speaker, the message is so

Security

Madam Speaker, statistics show a

decline in armed robbery, murder, rape and narcotic offences in the country. The

security forces should be recommended highly for a good job done. Government is to continue to strengthen its human and material resources for them to safe guard lives and properties.

The recent fire outbreaks have become a matter of national concern. It is, therefore, in the right direction that the Ghana National Fire Service be comprehensively re-equipped to face the task in order to bring the situation under absolute control.

Madam Speaker, His Excellency the President indicated that there is going to be the establishment of Constituency Development Fund for Members of Parliament (MPs), which is different from the District Assemblies Common Fund. Madam Speaker, questions may be asked, where is the money coming from? Proposals coming out from Government is that from the Common Fund itself, a percentage will be set aside to empower MPs to deliver to their constituents as the pressure is on them every day to deliver.

Conclusion

Madam Speaker, I want to thank His

Excellency the President for showing such remarkable leadership. Indeed, genuine reconciliation comes from a heart full of humility and forgiveness. His Excellency

the President has by his words and deeds, proven to be a President for all. May he be successful in all undertakings that he has prudently set out for this great nation of ours.
Mr Joe Ghartey (NPP -- Esikadu/ Ketan) 11:25 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I respectfully rise to second the motion. Madam Speaker, I am seconding the motion in terms of Order 81 of our rules, which demands that the motion be seconded for it to be properly before the House for debate.

Madam Speaker, I also want all of us to note, as he said himself, that the President's State of the Nation Address was received by remarkable decorum from both sides of the House and indeed, the House must congratulate itself.

Madam Speaker, article 67 of the
Alhaji Sumani Abukari 11:25 a.m.
On a point
of order. Madam Speaker, my very Learned Friend is blackmailing the entire House. How can he start by saying that we should all keep quiet or we should all give the same decorum to him? We do not know what he is going to say. He said the right things, so we allowed him to talk. So our action will depend on what he says.
Mr Ghartey 11:35 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I wish to assure my Hon Friend that I hope sincerely that he used “blackmail” in jest because blackmail is a crime; it is a serious matter. So I assure him that the last thing I will do is to blackmail him. Indeed, I am just saying that as a House, we have started, perhaps, a new path that we should maintain; that is what I am saying. So I expect him to say “Hear! Hear!”
Thank you very much.
Madam Speaker, the President came to this House in obedience to article 67 of the Constitution and we thank him for that. The article 67 says the President shall come to Parliament once a year to deliver a message on the state of the nation. But Madam Speaker, article 67 is not the only provision of the Constitution that deals with the state of the nation. Indeed, Madam Speaker, Chapter 6 of the Constitution, the Directive Principle of State Policy, article 34 (2) also deals with the President reporting to Parliament and with your permission, I will read:
“The President shall report to Parliament at least once a year all the steps taken to ensure the realization of the policy objectives contained in this Chapter; and, in particular, the realization of basic human rights, a healthy economy, the right to work, the right to good health care and the right to education.”
So Madam Speaker, it is my humble contention that reading articles 67 and 34 (2) together, indeed, every State of the Nation Address by a President to the Parliament of Ghana and to the people of Ghana must, of necessity, include the President's report on these issues, that is, human right, a healthy economy, the right
Mr Ghartey 11:35 p.m.
to work, the right to good health care and the right to education.
Madam Speaker, using that as a yardstick, it is my humble contention that the President's State of the Nation Address woefully failed to meet that standard. Indeed, Madam Speaker, with regard to the right to health, the President's State of the Nation Address dealt with it in seven lines. The President did not even refer to the recent outbreak of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) in the Upper Region, he did not even refer to it.

Madam Speaker, but let me spend some time with respect on the realization of basic human rights, because that is the basis for our democracy. Madam Speaker, the Constitution, in article 13, talks about the protection of the right to life. It says and with your permission, I quote:

“No person shall be deprived of his life intentionally except in the exercise of the execution of a sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence under the laws of Ghana of which he has been convicted.”

Madam Speaker, in the past year, that is not what we have seen. And I talk about the Agbogbloshie case. Madam Speaker, I talk about Alhassan Suleiman whose blood is crying out from the grave. Alhassan Suleiman sought refuge; he sought refuge at the Agbogbloshie Police

Station; he was driven away. A few minutes later, Alhassan Suleiman and others were dead.

My Hon Friend who got up to raise the preliminary objection and other Hon Members of this House went there to visit them and to see what had happened. They were butchered; nothing has happened -- nothing has happened.

Alhaj i Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka: Madam Speaker, on a point of order. Madam Speaker, my Hon Colleague on the floor, early on in his statement, said that the President failed to tell this country the state of the National Health Insurance Scheme and moved ahead to make a statement, which I think is very, very fundamental. That when one goes to hospitals today, all the drugs that were on the drug list had been removed.

Madam Speaker, this is completely misleading and I would want my Hon Colleague to address the House properly. The list has been revised, many more drugs have been added, those that were not relevant were taken off. But to say all the drugs on the list have been removed, is seriously misleading.
Madam Speaker 11:35 p.m.
Hon Member, I think it is a point of correction. Is it not?
Mr Ghartey 11:35 p.m.
Yes, and I thank him. Madam Speaker, when one goes to Esikado Hospital, when one goes to some of -- The hospitals that I know, the people who went there were given codeine and APC. [Laughter.] Codeine and APC are not serious drugs, that is why I said “all the drugs”. The National Health Insurance
Mr Dominic A. Azumah 11:35 p.m.
Madam Speaker, on a point of correction. Madam Speaker, my Hon Colleague on the floor mentioned that an unfortunate incident happened in Bawku -- somebody was killed and nothing has happened. That is not the full story. A number of suspects have been arrested on this issue and about four of them are before the police and ready to be brought before court.
So I just want him to get that information quite clear. It is not that nothing has been done. That incident was about armed robbery -- close to my constituency. They were just close to Garu when the incident occurred.
Madam Speaker 11:35 p.m.
Hon Member, you said nothing was done but he is saying that something is going to be done.
Mr Cletus A. Avoka 11:35 p.m.
Madam Speaker, as much as we would not want to gag Hon Members from speaking, I pray that we do not go into areas that will inflame passions. We already know the sentiment in Bawku and elsewhere. In fact, the incident he has referred to is not the only incidence where somebody has lost his life. We recall a pharmacist at Nalerigu Hospital who was murdered in cold blood and several other people. I think that is not the purpose of the State of the Nation Address. It should be a healthy address.
Mr Ghartey 11:35 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I thank the Hon Members for their intervention. I assure them that I am not here to inflame passions; let it not be said of me that I inflame passions. I am a peacemaker. Madam Speaker, but I am here basically to talk about article 13 of the Constitution and urge that the protection of the right to life
Madam Speaker 11:35 p.m.
Hon Member, I thought you were seconding the motion and then we move to the consideration. I thought after you second the motion, then -- [Interruptions.]
Mr Ghartey 11:35 p.m.
Madam Speaker, the Hon Member who moved the motion spoke for twenty-five minutes, we timed him here. The practice has been that the Hon Member who seconds the motion also makes his contribution. And I have spoken for five minutes, so I have fifteen minutes more. [Interruptions.]
Madam Speaker 11:35 p.m.
Hon Member, I was not stopping you; I have a list and you are first on the list. But if you are continuing after seconding, then you can go on.
Mr Ghartey 11:35 p.m.
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker 11:35 p.m.
But then it has been seconded, so now, we will move on to discuss it. You have the floor now. [Interruptions.]
Mr Ghartey 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, article 34 (2) requires that the President deals

with the right to work. As I was saying, the President told us here that he has asked his Ministers to do a blueprint, to bring forward a blueprint by June, which will create jobs in the various ministries, departments and agencies.

Madam Speaker, the President has been in office for one year; he is now telling his Ministers to do a blueprint which will be considered in June. When would the blueprint become a white print? When would it be “bleached”? When would we start implementing it? It is no doubt, Madam Speaker, that rather than creating jobs, the President and his Government have implemented a new term in employment in Ghana and Madam Speaker, it is called “employment by substitution”, or in the ordinary parlance, “fire and hire”.

Madam Speaker, in all areas of the economy, I talk about cocoa spraying, I talk about school feeding, the caterers; I talk Madam Speaker, about the security agencies; I talk about people who are working on the National Health Insurance Scheme. Madam Speaker, I am not even talking about the heads of departments and agencies; I am not even talking about National Health Insurance Scheme and all these other departments and agencies whose heads have lost their jobs. I am talking about very ordinary people in B.U. (Butimabuju) in Esikado who have lost their jobs for absolutely no reason.

Madam Speaker, the President seeks to reconcile the nation. The President says that he is bringing before this House a Presidential Transition Bill. He says that that would take away the acrimony. We urge that as a matter of importance, this House, this country resolves that all the positions which are political positions should be specified by law so that if I take
Madam Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Ghartey 11:45 a.m.
Yes, let there be quiet and there was quiet -- [Laughter.] Madam Speaker, if we want to move this nation forward, then the business of “employment by substitution” must cease.
Madam Speaker, the President said to us that he did not say that he would put money in people's pockets. I must confess that I did not hear him say it personally but I know that it was part of the campaign message that went round.
Madam Speaker, in fact, the President should not run away from promises. What he said today, as I looked at him, it became clear to me that if politicians, all of us, make wild promises, like “I will reduce petrol drastically”, those promises would haunt us, they would overtake us and then they would come at election time to wait for us. In Sekondi, we say “running away, nobody taa wodo. The President is running away from his promises.
President Kufuor put money in people's
pockets -- [Hear! Hear!] Indeed, for the first time in the history of this country, a programme called “Living Empowerment Against Poverty Programme (LEAP)” was introduced. Madam Speaker, that programme was a programme which is akin to the programmes in other countries where money is directly put in --- [Interruptions.]
Mr Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo 11:45 a.m.
Madam
Mr Kofi Frimpong 11:45 a.m.
None

Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang

-- rose --
Some Hon Members 11:45 a.m.
Sit down!
Madam Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Hon Kofi Frimpong,
let us hear him.
Mr Pelpuo 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the
Madam Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Well, it is just a
point of correction, is it not?
Mr Pelpuo 11:45 a.m.
What the President is
saying, it must be more sustainable. So we do not want him to mislead the House by giving the impression that we are also following the same trend of physically putting money in the pockets of people.
Madam Speaker 11:45 a.m.
Anyway, let us
carry on.
rose rose
Mr Owusu-Agyemang 11:45 a.m.
You go ahead.
Mr Frimpong 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, we
Mr Ghartey 11:45 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I
repeat for emphasis, that the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty, the LEAP Programme actually put money, fiscal money, cash was put in people's pockets -- [Hear! Hear!] Madam Speaker, we must recognize that in every society, there are those who are disadvantaged and disabled; there are those who cannot look after themselves; and you say you are social democrats, we are liberal democrats and we put money in people's pockets.
Madam Speaker, National Health
Insurance Scheme (NHIS), what it did was that it saved your money that you would have used to buy drugs. At that time when NPP was there, it was not codeine and APC National Health Insurance Scheme -- [Interruptions.] Madam Speaker, and that was putting money in people's pockets.
Madam Speaker, the School Feeding Programme, rather than you feeding your child in the morning, if your child was fed in school, that money was put in your

pocket.

Metro Mass Transport, when your children went to school free, that money was put in your pocket. Madam Speaker, indeed, in the last 8 years, more money had been put in the pockets of Ghanaians than ever before - [Hear! Hear!] We tell President Mills that if the kitchen is too hot, get out of it, otherwise, the people of Ghana demand that as he promised to put money in their pockets, their pockets are empty, they are looking up to him. Put money in our pockets.

Madam Speaker, if I can move on to

the freedom of expression - freedom of speech. Madam Speaker, indeed, all of us as a nation, cherish our freedom. We also recognize the fact that speech can be a very dangerous thing. Indeed, Madam Speaker, we are aware that on the continent of Africa, in Rwanda, speech played no small part in the confusion that happened in the country. But at the same time, having regard to our history as a nation, we have resolved as a nation not to criminalize speech.

Madam Speaker, that was what led to the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law. Indeed, we are not giving our blessing to any speech, but we are saying that, we are appealing that those who feel offended by what others say should use the civil proecedure. They should use the National Media Commission; they should use the civil courts to seek redress. At the same time, we are appealing to all and sundry not to mind what they say.

But let us put it on record that we are against criminalization of speech and if the Government does not take the steps to repeal the obnoxious section 208 of the Criminal Procedure Act, we
Mr Ghartey 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, indeed, I appeal to all
leaders, I appeal to all of us, all our leaders, we should be careful what we say. Indeed, there are young people sitting up there watching us. Madam Speaker, statements like “who born dog”, and so on should not be said. [Interruption.] I have answered the question.
Madam Speaker, I have answered the question once and for all - “who born dog, ibi dog wey e born dog”. [Laughter.] Nobody should ask that question again. “Greedy bastards”, and so on should not be used at every level. I do not see any greedy bastard in this House.
Madam Speaker, the President is also
required by political appointment to make sure that his representative of every region -- Madam Speaker, we challenge the Presidency; we talked last time about the Western Region, about Cabinet appoint- ments. We are taking it a step further. We talked about the Eastern Region and we challenge the Presidency to bring out a list of all appointments that he has made since he assumed office as President.
Indeed, Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State, Ministers, Board Chairmen, Chief Directors, I am confident and I challenge you that the Western Region would not have 2 per cent of this total figure. It is very important that every Ghanaian feels part of this Ghana agenda. I am not against anybody; I am for the Western Region; I am for unity in Ghana.

Madam Speaker, before I take my seat, in conclusion, His Excellency the President says that he has established a committee under article 71 of the Constitution. We all recall that when

His Excellency the President took office, there were some questions raised by the other side of the House as to the consti- tutionality or the authenticity of the Chenery Hesse Report. Indeed, Madam Speaker, at the last -- [Interruptions] -- By the President, and not by the other side of the House and indeed, that is why he set up the Yamson Committee.

Madam Speaker, in Parliament, when His Excellency the President was giving the State of the Nation Address, we saw by his reference to the Hon Member for Nadowli West, Mr Alban Bagbin, that like God to Jesus, he is his beloved son with whom he is well pleased.

Mr Bagbin, at the time, was the Hon Minority Leader; Mr Bagbin said Parliament approved the Chenery Hesse Report. The Majority Leader then was Hon Ossei-Aidooh, he said Parliament approved the Chenery Hesse Report. The Clerk to Parliament wrote to the President, that Parliament approved the Chenery Hesse Report.

Madam Speaker, in the face of this overwhelming evidence, the President, instead of applying the provisions of the Chenery Hesse Report, set up a Yamson Committee and today, he has set up another committee.

Madam Speaker, the purpose of article 71-- article 71 sets up a situation of checks and balances, where the President's emoluments are approved by Parliament and Parliament's own is approved by the President.

The Yamson Committee that was set up, included the emoluments of the past Presidents; it was approved by the President; that alone is unconstitutional. What is the basis of setting up another constitutional provision? He thinks that he would be there to say -- he thinks that
Mr Ghartey 11:55 a.m.
We urge the President respectfully to implement this Chenery Hesse Report and settle the former President properly. We do not have to wait for a situation to happen before there is a rush to settle the former President. Madam Speaker, if he does that then we can take his word when he says it; otherwise, we do not know what is his word and what is not his word.
Madam Speaker, I add by talking a bit about our judgment debts. I have in my hand, Madam Speaker, a judgment debt against the State in a case entitled Tapcom Limited versus the Attorney-General and the Ministry of Transport, Accra.
Madam Speaker, this judgment is an appeal from the judgment of the High Court dated 23/01/09 and the judgment was given on 14/01/2010 and Madam Speaker, in this judgment, the State is being asked to pay US$6.8 million.
Madam Speaker, I refer to this judgment because too much noise has been made about what has been described as crippling judgment debts. We have stated before in this House that 90 per cent of those judgment debts that people are referring to result from transactions which occurred under the National Democratic Congress (NDC 1). We were told that they were not talking about when the transaction occurred; they are talking about the management of the debt, even if the debt occurred, they should have managed it by paying it; we should not have gone on an appeal. One year, US$6 million; interest rising, it is still going, we are watching.
Madam Speaker, judgment debts are

part of governance. The State is the biggest employer; the State has the largest assets base; the State has the most cars, the most drivers and everyday, those of us who have worked in the Attorney- General's office before know that every- day, there are claims coming in from all over the country. You cannot put it on the doorstep of a particular government; we must rise up to the challenge and realise that judgment debts, like other arrears, are part of the business of governance.

The President said the state of the nation is strong; we have a different view; the nation is polarized; the state of the nation is weak; the nation has been undermined; the nation is crying for help. So help us God.
Madam Speaker 11:55 a.m.
Yes, thank you, Hon Member.
As I said before, we have a list and the next speaker is the Hon Member for Tamale South and Minister for Communications, Mr Haruna Iddrisu from the Majority side.
Minister for Communications (Mr Haruna Iddrisu) 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the motion in thanking His Excellency the President on the State of the Nation Address titled “Partners in Vision”, which was delivered by His Excellency Prof. John Evans Atta Mills on Thursday, 25th February, 2010.
Madam Speaker, in doing so, let me just state that, it is worth commending this House, and particularly Hon Members of Parliament as was indicated by the former Minister for Justice and Attorney-General for the decorum that we demonstrated. It is equally important that we recognise the timeliness of His Excellency the President in arriving at this august House and particularly calling on the Ghanaian
Mr Ghartey 11:55 a.m.
Madam Speaker, my Hon Colleague mentioned section 28. I agree with him that in his practice -- It is section 208 of the Criminal Procedure Act, it is not section 28. He is not a criminal practitioner, so -- Madam Speaker, may I also say that as he said in the beginning, this business of working together and so on, if he goes along the path that he is going, that, oh, you had the opportunity, you did not do it -- Then Madam Speaker, we would abandon our previous restraint. [Interruptions.]
Mr H. Iddrisu 12:05 p.m.
Madam Speaker,
I was just welcoming his suggestion and to assure him that Government will not hesitate to re-examine section 208 of the Criminal Code but Government would equally demand at all times a responsible exercise of those fundamental freedoms and human rights enshrined in the Constitution and he knows that no right under the Constitution is absolute. There is no right. You can refer to article 13, 14 or 21. They are always subject to public morality, public safety and national security issues.
Therefore, even today, if a competent court makes a pronouncement, the pressure is on the Executive and you know that we operate under a distinct principle of separation of powers. You do not expect the President to overturn the decision of a competent court. That will not happen, because this Government will continue to uphold the rule of law and respect the independence of all those State institutions recognized by the Constitu-tion. [Hear! Hear!] No right, it is absolute.
Madam Speaker, as they request for a review of section 208 of our Criminal Code, which Government will look at, we would not hesitate to do it, but Government will demand responsible speeches, not irresponsible speeches that we must get away with on the alter of freedom of expression. If those expressions can plunder this country into chaos, into conflict, it would be avoided by Government.
Madam Speaker, let the former Hon Learned and Minister for Justice and Attorney-General be assured that Government is committed to deepening fundamental freedoms and human rights, not just the first generation of human rights but the second and third. He made reference to right to employment. He knows that is not a justiceable right but
Mr Ghartey 12:05 p.m.
On a point of order. Madam Speaker, thank you very much for recognizing me. I seek information from my Hon Colleague. He said, “the far- reaching steps that the Government has taken to make Ghana an unattractive destination for drugs”. I can tell him some of the steps we took. I brought to Parliament the Bill that took away bail for drug suspects. That was a positive step that led to drug experts looking at Ghana as an attractive destination. I can tell him that Operation West Bridge was introduced over the last eight years. [Interruption.]
Indeed, in November, 2008, the EU Commissioner for Drugs came to Ghana -- [Interruption] -- he came to our airport to see clearly that drug trade has gone down.
Madam Speaker, may I just conclude very quickly by saying that we have decided as a matter of policy, in line with the President's last statement on his State of the Nation Address, that we should fight these things together as a nation and we should not politicize it. Otherwise, we would have politicized the toffee cocoa case in Tema where there are up to date -- the person was sued in court. The toffee cocoa -- we would have publicized the fact that, under this Government, the largest shipment of marijuana ever has reached Germany. But we would not publicize it.
So we support the President's efforts but we want him to take note that we started those efforts that today he has improved upon.
Madam Speaker, thank you for your
kind indulgence.
Mr H. Iddrisu 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I
hope that these interjections which are
affecting my time allocation would be duly noted by your goodself and to remind my Hon Colleague that he just had the opportunity to contribute to the State of the Nation Address and I know that he is a gentleman and that he would allow me to proceed with the debate.
Madam Speaker, as I earlier indicated,
the President was not only exceptionally brilliant but brutally frank in his submission to this country on the State of the Nation Address. At least, even Madam Speaker, as you refer to pages 9 and 10 of his Statement, he is not the President who wants to approbate and reprobate at the same time. He recognized the role played by successive governments and other persons who have had the privilege to rule this country, the contributions they have made in our overall national development effort. And it was insightful that he stated and with your permission, I quote:
“Kwame Nkrumah laid the founda- tion for oil and gas exploitation in Ghana.”

Very remarkable. Madam Speaker, what is significant is that, the President is promising the people of Ghana judicious and optimal use of oil revenue to build national infrastructure and to improve the quality of life of the Ghanaian. That
Mr Osei-Prempeh 12:15 p.m.
On a point of order Madam Speaker. The Hon Member said that rice production had improved by 30 per cent. In the Budget presented to this House in November, the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning said that rice production had gone up by 20 per cent. We want to know, between November and this year, where is the proof that last year's production went up by 30 per cent? The records show that it is 20 per cent and we want proof that it is 30 per cent.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Member, he is challenging your --
Mr H. Iddrisu 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, as at the end of November, the actual statistics were not readily available. We are now in February and I can confidently report, as was rightly reported by the President that domestic rice production has gone up by 30 per cent. I know, as a farmer myself, rice production in the North has improved tremendously. In 2001 -- [Interruption.]
Mr Ghartey 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, this is news to me but it is news of good imports. I knew my Learned Colleague was a lawyer, a politician. I did not know he was a farmer as well. Please, Learned Colleague, Ayariga got five tractors, how many did you get? [Laughter.]
Mr H. Iddrisu 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I am not a large scale commercial farmer. I am just a humble peasant farmer and I do farming. I have a very good groundnut farm at Zogwoa in Tamale; you would want to know and just adjacent to Jinni. I have a small rice farm, so I am indeed a farmer and I am reporting. I am just reminding them that the basis of the progress must give us hope and that is the opportunity that His Excellency the President referred to.
In 2001, we have heard that many of our pledges have not been met, even your agenda for positive change, 1999 to 2000; there are still promises in them which are pregnant and waiting for delivery [Laughter.] In terms of the things that you pledged to do as a government.
Government will execute on the basis of the economic capacity and he made reference to judgement debts. It is a fact that a huge judgement debt was left over and inherited by the administration. It is a fact that a huge fiscal debt was left over, you can compare 2001 up to 2008 and compare to 2009. The President could not have given a better summary of the State of the Nation and to say it is much better.
In conclusion, the President has also pledged that very, very soon, he would bring before this House a Presidential Transition Bill. As we remain dedicated to multi-party constitutional democracy the President recognizes that the baton should always change hands.
Mr Ghartey —rose
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Order what?
Mr Ghartey 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, Order 93. Point of information. It is also a fact that the economy has grown from three million to eighteen billion; it is also a fact. And that a larger economy will have a larger exposure. It is also a fact that the judgement debts that they are paying, 90 per cent of it came from their time. I want to correct him and state these facts and I came under Order 93.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Iddrisu, can you now try and wind up?
Mr H. Iddrisu 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I am concluding my contribution and may I refer you to pages 16 and 17 of the President's Address to this august House and just reference - to quote the President:
“ We h a v e e s t a b l i s h e d t h e Constitutional Review Commission to look at the aspects of our Cons- titution about which concerns have been raised.”
The President is inviting not just Members of this House but the Ghanaian public to contribute to the national debate which will inform far-reaching consti- tutional amendments that may finally be brought to this House. Whether or not we should have a ceiling for the number of Supreme Court Judges, is a matter for the Ghanaian public and the people of Ghana to reach consensus on.
Mrs Gifty E. Kusi 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker,
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Member, I keep telling you to wind up because we have the time schedules.
Mr H. Iddrisu 12:15 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I am exactly winding up. I am doing exactly that.
Madam Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Try and wind up.
Mr H. Iddrisu 12:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, to quote page 16 of the Representation of the People's Amendment Act (ROPA). Madam Speaker, the President has called for a comprehensive review of the Representation of the People Law of l992 in its entirety and not a piecemeal amendment. But Madam Speaker, what encourages me and what the President must be lauded for is that, just as a one way majority decision of this side is not acceptable, a one way decision of his side will also not be accepted. He is calling for a national consensus, a bi-partisan debate.
My position on the matter has not changed because the fundamental reforms and procedures that we asked for, I have not seen significant changes in that. But he is saying that, the entire law of l992 should be looked at comprehensively and it should not be on the basis of majoritarian rule, that the majority should have its way. He said, and I end with it Madam Speaker, that “honest and objective criticisms are welcome”.
Madam Speaker, it is on this note that
I want to join my Hon Colleagues who have spoken, in thanking His Excellency the President for being exceptionally brilliant and totally frank on the State of the Nation and sharing with the people of Ghana, his vision for a better Ghana and to call on the Ghanaian people to support it. His commitment remains “improving the quality of life of the Ghanaian” and that he will do.
I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr Cletus A. Avoka 12:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I wish it is possible for us to keep to our time of ten minutes per contributor so that many other Hon Members can contribute. [Interruptions.]
Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah 12:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I believe the understanding was that the mover and the seconder will take about 20 minutes and the other contributors about 15 minutes. But since the Hon Minister for Communications, has been indulged for about 25 to 30 minutes, it will only be fair, that at least, the next contributor takes about the same time and then we can decide to go down.
Madam Speaker 12:25 p.m.
The former Attorney- General was over-indulged, as you saw but I will try and keep time.
Mr Ghartey 12:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I thank you for your kindness.
Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh (NPP - Nsuta-Kwamang/Beposo) 12:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I rise to support the motion on the floor to thank His Excellency the President for the State of the Nation Address. Madam Speaker, those who want to pander to the President are describing it in very superlative terms, but they need to go to the streets, the man on the street just sees it as some amalgam of words, a litany of

Madam Speaker, going through the State of the Nation Address, from page one to the end, I do not find anything amusing. Madam Speaker, in l999, I brought a copy of the State of the Nation Address of President Clinton to this House; we were then in the Minority and I asked that our Colleagues in the Minority at that time, compare what President Clinton had given as the State of the Nation Address, word for word, paragraph by paragraph and the content and see whether what they had sent to this House was, and could be called the State of the Nation Address.

Madam Speaker, I would do so just today. I will ask my Hon Friends to go and pick President Obama's Address, look at the style, the content, read it and compare to this and find out whether this can qualify to be the State of a Nation Address.

Madam Speaker, if our Hon Friends want to sing praises, then they are free to do so to be praise singers but for us, we do not see it as such.

Madam Speaker, let me demonstrate to you some of the things in it and why I described it as so. Madam Speaker, the President talked about something which is very dear to my heart, the ROPAA. And Madam Speaker, nothing is so disturbing, I do not know what to call it; if he were not the President, I would call it a lie or untruth. Madam Speaker --
Madam Speaker 12:25 p.m.
Hon Member, we do not use “lies” here.
Mr Osei-Prempeh 12:25 p.m.
Madam Speaker, we were all in this country, we know the objection which was raised to ROPAA by
Mr Felix Twumasi-Appiah 12:25 p.m.
On a point of order. Madam Speaker, we live on planet earth and since the inception of the American democracy, I have never heard any President of the United States of America delivering a State of the Nation Address.
My Hon Colleague just said that he had brought the State of the Nation Address delivered by President Clinton. He should show us a proof of one. What I know from the United States of America is the State
MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr Osei-Prempeh 12:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the State of the Union is the State of the Union of the USA, it is just semantics. Mr Speaker, he knows that it is the same.
Mr Speaker, our Friends opposed this, not on any principle. If now His Excellency the President realizes that, like most things which they opposed when they were in opposition, they were wrong; he must make a humble and an honest admission of that instead of telling this nation that they did not mean it. That their intention was not that they were opposing giving the franchise of our brothers outside.
Mr Speaker, a journalist called me on Friday and after I had spoken to him, the words he used were that “as for Ghanaian politicians, you are making politics unattractive for us”; I asked why? He said, “Oh! I was a journalist and we heard all the noise made by NDC about ROPAA and now a quick turn that they were not against giving the franchise to Ghanaians outside”. Mr Speaker, this is very ridiculous and unacceptable of His Excellency the President and his Government, we expect better.
Mr Speaker, what was ROPAA about? ROPAA is just a law, a Bill, it was to amend section 8 of PNDC Law 284 -- PNDC Law 284 gives franchise to a section of Ghanaians outside, those who are working in embassies, those on peacekeeping and students on government scholarship. All that the Bill sought to do was to amend it so that every Ghanaian outside, irrespective of what sent him out could also be registered and --
Mr Fritz F. Baffour 12:35 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr Speaker, I think the Hon Member has used unparliamentary language when he used the word, ‘ridiculous'. I think that is grossly unfair and unparliamentary.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
That is
no point of order. Hon Member, please, continue.
Mr Osei-Prempeh 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, so it
was just to amend section 8 of PNDCL 284 so that instead of giving that right which is your constitutional right under article 42 of the Constitution to only Ghanaians in embassies and on peace-keeping, students on government scholarships, it is widened and given to all Ghanaians outside who would be concerned to register and vote.
There was no need for any qualms whatsoever. But I can see in my mind's eye, I remember very well President Mills leading a demonstration of the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) members in a red band and in a red shirt going about the streets of Accra demonstrating against giving the rights provided in the Constitution to Ghanaians.
Alhaji Amadu B. Sorogho 12:35 p.m.
On a point
of order. Mr. Speaker, my Hon Friend there is completely misleading this House and must address the issue.
Mr Speaker, during the time that our
side here opposed the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act (ROPAA), there was no time -- no instance did we say that we were against Ghanaians
in the diaspora from being registered to cast their votes. It was very clear that we were saying that the processes, the rush was completely wrong and even then the Constitution as it stands now does not in anyway debar any Ghanaian who really wants to vote from voting.
We went further to indicate that if somebody is in Bolgatanga and he wants to vote in Accra, he can tang.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon Member, you are making an address.
Alhaji Sorogho 12:35 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am not addressing.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Will the Hon Member continue his argument? I will give all others the opportunity to contribute. Please, wind up.
Mr Osei-Prempeh 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
this House, Parliament, was not going to embark on any process. Ours was to pass the Act and in doing that, we were consulting and nobody can call that a process.
Mr Speaker, we are very much aware that and if you read the Memorandum to the Bill, it said the Electoral Commission under article 45 of the Constitution is mandated to register Ghanaians as voters and the Electoral Commission was just being empowered and the final product, the Act which came also, asked that the Electoral Commission does its work and therefore, when the Act was passed, Act 699, it was said that, Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will read the last paragraph of Act 699.
It says,
“The Electoral Commission shall
by Constitutional Instrument, make Regulations to prescribe the modalities for the implementation of this Act.”
So it was the Electoral Commission which could do that. We never sought to take it that we were going to do it so that the opposition by the then NDC, to say the least, was baseless and therefore, for His Excellency now to try to rationalise it, is very unfortunate. And he adds more.
Mr Speaker, I am very sorry the
law professor who is our President and unfortunately, my own former lecturer at the Law School, is trying to contravene the Constitution. I would not use the word, ‘subvert'. He has no right to set a committee for the Electoral Commission. I know the President is in love with setting up committees, that is his cup of tea, but under article 46 of the Constitution, the Electoral Commission is independent. The law has been passed. This House has mandated the Electoral Commission to use its own processes to implement the law by regulations.
Mr Speaker, we were in this country
when the Electoral Commission called the Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), its consultative wing with political parties to discuss how this could be implemented. The NDC staged a walkout at the Electoral Commission and later on we heard the NDC General Secretary, my good Friend, Asiedu Nketia on air condemning the Electoral Commission about that. It is for the Electoral Commission to do that. The President has no right constituting a committee for the Electoral Commission.
The President must be reminded, if he has forgotten or he has not read, let me say that his advisors have misled him. He has no right under the Constitution to set up any committee for the Electoral Commission in the implementation of
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Hon Member, you may want to wind up.
Mr Osei-Prempeh 12:45 p.m.
And you say that you are fighting corruption? We want the President to march his talk. I see that he talks the mile and walks the inch and that is not acceptable. If he wants to fight corruption -- [Interruption.] If he wants to let us know that he is fighting corruption, he must clean his house. He
must let us know that really he is. All that we say is, “Charity begins at home.” It is only when he does that that we would take him seriously. It is only when he enacts laws, which will help us fight corruption and backs it with action that we would take him seriously.
Mr Speaker, let me give him one challenge. One thing which we were very much concerned about the fight against corruption is amending the Constitution, the Chapter concerning Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice
(CHRAJ).
Mr Speaker, CHRAJ has three mandates, it is a human rights organiza- tion, it is an ambudsman-administrative justice and it is an anti-corruption body.
Mr Speaker, the anti-corruption function of CHRAJ is put under the others, the two other functions, Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, we do not even see the anti-corruption section properly. The trend now is to establish specialized anti-corruption bodies.
I believe that we should take a look at CHRAJ, it will need some boldness, we needed to do it, that part of the Constitution is an entrenched clause, we could not do it, now, we are going to have a Constitutional review. I challenge the President to separate that function and set up an anti-corruption body; he should not put it under the Attorney-General, it should have prosecutional powers to do its work. It is only that way that he can show us that he is seriously fighting corruption.
If he decides to take the stick and whip his own Ministers and stop calling corruption as indiscretion. If he calls corruption as indiscretion, he would not
Mr Albert Abongo (NDC -- Bongo) 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise to speak to the motion ably moved by my Hon Colleague from Garu/Tempane (Mr Dominic A. Azumah), urging the House to thank His Excellency for coming to this House to present to us the State of the Nation Address.
Mr. Speaker, as captured on the
Statement of his address to this nation, the theme rightly puts it that “Partners in Vision”. Mr Speaker, what His Excellency is trying to do, is to call on all Ghanaians to share in the vision that he has for the people of this country. What he is doing by this theme, is to ask all Ghanaians to stay united, that we should move as a collective -- Mr Speaker, that we should share in the vision that he holds for the people for this country. This demonstrates the father that he is for the people of this country.
He is by this Statement saying that if you are ruling people that do not share in the vision that you hold for the upliftment from where we find ourselves, then we stand not to achieve with whatever measures that the Government puts in place for the people of this country. And so, the President has said that let us share in the vision that he has for the development of this country.
Mr Speaker, having said that, I would want to dwell on just a few areas that the President hammered on in the State of the Nation Address. The President touched
Mr Kofi Frimpong 12:55 p.m.
On a point of
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon
Member, that is not a point of order. Hon Members, please, let the contribution flow.
Hon Member, you may please, continue.
Mr Abongo 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, what I
was saying was that, we require this
type of development that will ensure that Government is not stressed up in terms of providing other social infrastructure that the people need. What we have now is that, we are spreading at a very fast rate, putting pressure on Government to provide social infrastructure to go along with the type of development that we have.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon
Member, kindly wind up at this stage.
Mr Abongo 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, His
Excellency also talked about development of infrastructure with the find of oil in this country and he mentioned water. I think that water is so important, water is crucial for the health of the people and the growth of the industry in this country.
What we have is that the growth of
industry, for instance, in Tema and Accra is being stunted because we are not able to provide the right quantities of water to deliver for the growth of the industry.
Mr Speaker, Government has gone ahead to negotiate some very important interventions to be made in the water delivery sector. As I speak to you, an agreement is being concluded for the construction of a new water plant at Kpong that will deliver forty million gallons of water a day to Accra/Tema area. This, I believe should be before Parliament before the end of the first quarter of this year.
Another provision is that, two proposals
are before the Ministry for discussion, that will ensure that an additional sixty million

gallons water delivery capacity is also constructed along downstream -- the Akosombo Dam. When these two projects are brought on stream, I believe that the shortage of water in Accra and Tema will be a thing of the past within the next three to four years. I think that this House should be encouraged by this effort, that is being made under this Government to ensure that such problems are things of the past.

Mr Speaker, you will also agree with me that --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
And in
conclusion --
Mr Abongo 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with the
finding of oil, the shift in growth will now be in the Western Region, particularly Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing is working hard introducing investors into investing in the water infrastructure for Sekondi/ Takoradi.
Mr Ghartey 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on a point
of order. Mr Speaker, I thought I heard the Hon Member on the floor talk about water in Sekondi/Takoradi. But Mr. Speaker, since 7th January, 2009, he should go and ask at Esikado in Sekondi/Takoradi, there
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
Hon
Member, if you would please, conclude.
Mr Abongo 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I will be
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
We
have all agreed on the time.
Mr Abongo 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, these are
Mr Joseph B. Aidoo 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
on a point of order. Mr Speaker, in the President's State of the Nation Address, eleven paragraphs were devoted to the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing and Mr Speaker, there was not a single mention of water in the eleven paragraphs. The President only talked about housing and the former Minister for that Ministry, Mr Speaker, is talking copiously on water. He should speak to relevance because Mr Speaker, the debate should be such that we talk about what the President had said on the floor of the House.
Mr Speaker, if the President had talked about water, I would have allowed him -- [Interruptions] -- and the President never mentioned anything about water, he did not care about water. He was not interested, he even did not mention anything about what was happening in Accra -- the shortage of water, he never cared to mention anything about that. So please, the Hon Member on the floor should not go there, he should talk about housing. I will agree with him on the Korean housing and all that but not water.
Mr Abongo 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think that the Hon Member would also agree with me that the President mentioned water. If you look at the second paragraph of page 9, he says and I quote:
“This will include the national power grid, an extensive road network, major extension of the water supply systems, . . .”
Mr Maxwell K. Jumah 12:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on a point of order. Mr Speaker, in talking about water and the major extension that the Hon Member on the floor is talking about, he mentioned Kumawu Water Project. Mr. Speaker, we want to know the new projects started by the President as far as water is concerned. The Kumawu project, we all know, came to this House during the last Parliament. [Inter- ruptions.]
Please, Hon Member, tell us what has been initiated by this Government. Do not come and paint us something that is already done and say that it is yours.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Hon
Member, that is no point of order. But Hon Member, please, conclude.
Mr Abongo 1:05 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, in concluding, I would also like to mention that work is ongoing to make sure that the Wa-Techiman Water Projects come to fruition and it is part of the programme for His Excellency the Vice President's visit to South Korea. Issues related to funding for the Wa-Techiman Water Project will also come up for discussion.
Dr Kojo Appiah 1:05 p.m.
None

Atwima Kwanwoma): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to speak to the motion on the floor of the House.

Various names have been given to

the Address made by the President in fulfilment of the constitutional requirement. But there is nothing that best describes the Statement than the words of the indefatigable Minority Leader, Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu. In his words, he said:

“There cannot be any shred of doubt that the one year rule of Professor Mills' Government that he addressed to this House and to this nation can be captured in one simple phrase “a catalogue of failed promises.”

Mr Speaker, indeed, the NDC-led Government promised Ghanaians in its 2008 Manifesto to focus its policies on reducing poverty levels in the country. One would have thought that this current Government would build on the marvellous achievements of the past Government.

Indeed, the achievements of the past Government have been acknowledged by the NDC Government itself. As they themselves admit in the Paper that they submitted to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as contained in Appendix 2, Attachment 1 of the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies, 2009- 2012, and with your kind permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to read:

“The combination of higher output growth, declining inflation, impro- ved social spending under the GPRS framework contributed significantly to lower poverty levels.The national
rose
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Deputy
Majority Leader, do you rise on a point of order?
Mr Pelpuo 1:05 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker. Mr.
Speaker, he is creating a wrong impression and presenting wrong figures to the House and I think if left uncorrected, it would go to tarnish the image of this House in the way we understand economic figures. At the moment, we are aware that inflation is stabilized and it is even coming down. And again, we also know that the economy is in the best of footing now, it is stabilized. But he is quoting figures to show that the economy is strangulated, inflation is rising and it has the cause of many many things he is talking about.
Mr Speaker, I think he is completely misleading the House and must be called to order.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Hon
Member, would you help us with some counter figures?
Mr Pelpuo 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
You
may proceed.
Mr Pelpuo 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, at the
moment, the economy as we have now has cut down on the huge deficit we have come to meet, which was over 14 per cent. Now, the deficit is just about 9.4 per cent.
Mr Speaker, again, we were running at a very high speed in inflation; now, inflation has come down drastically to 14 per cent, which was not the case when we took over office. It was up to 18 per cent, now, it has come down to 14 per cent. And again, the growth rate has increased from last year when it was 4.7 per cent, it is now 5.8 per cent. So all these are reasons for us to say that the economy is in the best of footing, and not the kind of gloomy picture he is painting, Mr Speaker.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:05 p.m.
Hon
Member, thank you very much for the points of correction.
Hon Member, you may proceed.
Dr Appiah-Kubi 1:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I do
not think he corrected me; he misled the House and the whole nation. One, the economic growth has not improved but has rather declined from 7.3 per cent in 2008 to 4.7 per cent in 2009. These are statements of facts. And let me tell you, as a result of the improved expansion in the economy between 2001 and 2008, the Government increased its revenue by more than 10 percentage points to the GDP, and this is what we thought the current NDC Government would build upon and expand the economy.
The past Government succeeded in expanding the economy by more than four times, from US$4 billion in 2000 to about US$16 billion. That has never been achieved over an eight-year period. So continue from there, that is what we expect you to be doing.
rose
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Member, do you stand on a point of order?
Alhaji Sorogho 1:15 p.m.
Exactly so, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, my Hon Friend said the GDP growth was 7.3 per cent when we met it, but refused to mention the general GDP growth for the African region which stood at 5.5 per cent. Mr Speaker -- [Interruptions.] I am coming, I am coming. Mr Speaker, the NDC raised it; attained 4.7 per cent at a time that the general African growth was 1.1 per cent. He should go and do his mathematics. Which is better? You do not give rough ideas and -- [Inter-ruption.]
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Member, quote Ghanaian statistics.
Please, continue.
Dr Appiah-Kubi 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the current Government - [Interruptions.]
Dr Appiah-Kubi 1:15 p.m.
Instead of growing the economy, is currently pursuing a contractionary policy which is geared towards decelerating the economy. In 2009, for instance, Government expenditure declined by 12.4 per cent and in real terms by more than 30 per cent. Investment which is the potential for creating jobs, for building infrastructure, reduced by more than 77 per cent. It is therefore, no wonder that this economy cannot employ people.
Mr Speaker, indeed, poverty reduction is seriously under threat because of unemployment. Unemployment today is also rising and my Hon Colleague would bear me out; it is a fact that the serious challenge that this economy now faces is the rising levels of youth unemployment. But why is unemployment rising?
It is a simple economic theory; very, very simple. The demand for labour is derived from the demand for final goods and services and where the demand for final goods and services is contracting, output demand would fall, people would not employ and unemployment would then rise. It is a simple economic theory. I want the NDC-led Government to just buy it, that while other economies in the western world are expanding their economies -- are spending more, what are they doing? They are rather adopting contractionary policies; decelerating the economy and that is the major cause of unemployment challenge that we face right now.
Talking about unemployment, in 2006 for instance -- Even the formal sector seems to be contracting. In 2006 for
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Member, you will address the Chair. Please, continue.
Dr Appiah-Kubi 1:15 p.m.
The seriousness about this lack of proper planning in the economy is the fact that the NDPC is supposed to have a commission of representatives from the sector Ministries, from Parliament, from the regions, quite a large number of people who are supposed to think for the nation. Fourteen months down the line, the Government, Prof. Mills' Government has only thought it wise to appoint only one person who is the chairman to head the Commission. In other words, the Commission has now turned out to be a one-man Commission. [Interruptions.] A one-man Commission without members, but with a chairman. This shows the level of attention that this current Government attaches to proper policy planning,
Mr Speaker, indeed, the country badly needs a medium to long-term develop-ment plan, that focuses on employment- intensive growth path for poverty reduction. Such a plan should lead to the realisation of three interrelated components: A growth component -- Deputy Minister, I hope you are listening -- employment component and a poverty focus.
These are the three interrelated components that an employment-oriented growth policy should have and I hope the NDC-led Government would develop one and not allow the sectors to design policies which would not give us a holistic approach to tackling the unemployment challenge that we face. Indeed, the current incremental approach of the Government of treating unemployment as a sectoral issue, linked to specific programmes in the agriculture, industrial and other sectors would not help us to solve the
rose
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Member, do you rise on a point of order?
Alhaji Abukari 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. -- [Interruption.]
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Order! Order!
Alhaji Abukari 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I hope the Hon Member will come out with statistics to support the sort of falsehood he has been spreading all along. He has turned himself into a prophet of doom for this country. This country can only get better, it can never get worse. He seems not to appreciate the fact that there is this economic crisis around the globe
If he appreciates, he would know that Ghana is not an Island on its own. But in any case, even with the bad economic glut in the country, I think that Ghana is poised to take off - He knows it and he knows that our per capita income has gone up. Please, if the Hon Member does not know, he should see me outside after this Sitting and I would teach him a few things.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Member, I thought you were going to give us a few data on the upward trend.
Dr Appiah-Kubi 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank him for his optimism. But we cannot run away from the fact that per capita income in 2009 declined in absolute terms and if they want a proof, they should look at the Annual Progress Report (APR) -- [Interruption.] The NDPC. We had a report that in 2008 the per capita income rose to about 712 dollars.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon
serious unemployment challenges that confront the nation, because the approach lacks details on employment targets and how employment outcomes would be monitored.
Using this approach, the employment does not or cannot become consistently seen as a means to improve access to income and lower poverty rate --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:15 p.m.
Hon Member, you would be winding up.
Dr Appiah-Kubi 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is, indeed, worrying that in the two years to come, the country will for the first time experience an increase in poverty levels. -- [Interruptions.] This is a fact and it comes out of the findings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which you yourselves have submitted -- [Interruption.]
Mr Avoka 1:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on a point of order. Mr Speaker, the Hon Member is speculating that in two years to come, poverty levels would increase. There is no forum here for speculation; it is not based on any statistical facts. So he should talk about facts and not speculating about the future.
Dr Appiah-Kubi 1:25 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, according to the new findings which are available to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, it would be rising by as much as five hundred thousand in the next two years and the Deputy Minister knows about it. What is even amazing and affecting negatively poverty reduction is the trend reduction in per capita income. Between 2000 and 2008, per capita income increased from 365 to 712 dollars. In 2009, under the NDC led- Government,
Dr Appiah-Kubi 1:25 p.m.


Mr C. S. Hodogbey (NDC -- North

Tongu): Mr Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to comment on the State of the Nation Address and on the motion moved by our able Member of Parliament. Just to be very brief.

I want to take it from the Hon Member who just contributed that in two years' time, Ghana's poverty will go up. That is very false.

Why I am saying that it is false is that the entire Address made by the President is geared towards the intentions of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy II (GPRS II). The GPRS II seeks to reduce interest rates meant for individuals and commercial banks so that the economy can grow up. At the same time, the Address seeks to produce enough resources for the Government to spend on programmes and activities. The President's Address also goes on to ensure that we have stable prices - [Interruption] - for our goods and services.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon Member, I have not called you. As much as possible there was as little interruption as possible. Kindly let the contributions flow.
Hon Member, continue.
Mr Hodogbey 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, and to further go on, the President's Address went
taxes, we have put them back to stop the importation of rice so that our local rice production could go on.
When we talk of the controversial money in our pocket, it is true. Today, if you look at the consumer price index, it is lower. Today, if you look at the disposal income to Ghanaians, it is higher. Today, if you look at the interest at which banks, financial institutions contract loans and give to individuals, the rate is lower than before. [Uproar.] Today, inflation which we inherited from them at 18 per cent has now gone down to 13.5 per cent.
Dr Appiah -Kubi 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, he talked about the GPRS that the current Government is still fulfilling -- it is still using the GPRS II. The GPRS II expired in 2009. I do not mind if the Government has not even prepared a new development plan. It has only the budget. So we cannot be implementing it -- [Interruption.]
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Order! Order!
Dr Appiah-Kubi 1:25 p.m.
The second one is that the interest rate can never be lower than the previous one. Today, interest rate ranges between 25 and 33 per cent. Even the base rate, the prime rate of the Central Bank is now 16.7 per cent. How then can it be - It is still higher than what it used to be in 2008. So it cannot be lower than the previous interest levels --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
When it comes to these economic discussions, matters of data, statistics and so on become very relevant. We must be patient enough to have them from all sides and particularly those who may have them to help with the debate.
Hon Member, continue.
Mr Hodogbey 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the rate at which banks are supposed to loan, has been reduced to 18 per cent, no more
Member, conclude.
Dr Appiah-Kubi 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, indeed, poverty alleviation requires infusion of resources not only to broad sectors but should be directed into programmes and projects. The NPP-led Government created certain social expenditures called the poverty reduction expenditures in certain sectors and this includes basic education, feeder roads and other things. Over the 8-year period, these poverty reduction expenditures experienced consistent increases. For the first time, in over more than eight years, the poverty reduction expenditures experienced absolute reduction of about 20 per cent and that is in the budget.
There is no government that has implemented more social problems than the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government. Let us ask ourselves, which government introduced the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme? NPP: Capitation Grant? NPP: National Health Insurance? NPP: School Feeding Programme? [Some Hon Members: NPP.] --
The LEAP Programme [Some Hon Members: NPP]; Free Maternal Health Care? [Some Hon Members: NPP]. What does one have to say against these social problems? [Some Hon Members: Free bus? NPP. Health Insurance? NPP.]
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon Member, would you kindly conclude?
Mr Appiah-Kubi 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I wanted to talk about the oil and gas revenue -- [Interruptions.]
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Hon Member, I am afraid you would have to conclude. Order! Order!
Dr Appiah-Kubi 1:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the President wants to create the impression that the panacea to our problems lies

on to say that we have paid our debt, we continue to pay our debt, we are reducing the arrears - [An Hon Member: Which debt?] I mean the judgement debt and the debt you left behind. [Interruption.]
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Order! Order!
Mr Hodogbey 1:25 p.m.
We are reducing the debt that you left behind, and we are paying the arrears too -- [Interruption.]
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:25 p.m.
Order! Order! Hon Member, continue.
Mr Hodogbey 1:35 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, he has been able to stabilize the currency. Today, the cedi is appreciating against the most famous foreign exchange, the dollar and other ones -- [Hear! Hear!] --which one cannot negate. If they read the foreign exchange report, which was passed on to Parliament some few months ago, their Government failed to ask those banks who collected foreign exchange to be transferred to the Consolidated Fund. They did not do it but our Government is trying to ensure that foreign exchange receipts are sent to the proper place.
Mr Speaker, the previous Govern- ment's credit from 2001 to 2010 actually went up to almost 589 per cent but credit to agriculture dropped from 19.1 per cent to 12.6 per cent. Money to import rice in their time, because the importation of rice was in the hands of some of their consortiums, they were able to raise rice importation from 9.5 per cent to 23 per cent and this has led to the shrinking of local rice production.
When we came to power, we removed some of these taxes, and some of the
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:35 p.m.
Hon Member, you must be winding up.
Mr Hodogbey 1:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it would have been easy for the Electoral Commission to exercise that function but because of so many lapses in the Act, that is why the President is calling that there should be a review, a look at it, at those changes we have to make before we implement the Act to be possible.
On that note, I thank you very much.
Mrs Catherine Abelema Afeku (NPP -- Evalue-Gwira) 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the State of the Nation Address. Mr Speaker, I would like to be informed by article 27 and with your indulgence, I will read that, that will give you the background of what I want to contribute today. Article 27 of our Constitution states and with your indulgence, I quote.
“27 (1) Special care shall be accorded to mothers during a reasonable
because he did not talk about us, that he will increase the threshold of women in his Government and he was actually emphatic, he said 40 per cent. When there was the reshuffle which is very common with all Governments, I was expecting and hoping and I am sure alongside a lot of women that the President would use that opportunity to augment the number of women in his Administration. What did we see? The same old story.
Mr Speaker, lest we were confused, there were three able women who were already on his list, and they were removed around. So no one should be confused with the names that were mentioned in the media because Hon Zita was moved from Ministry of Information to Tourism, there was nothing new, she just moved
The same happened to Hon Juliana Azumah; she just moved from Tourism to Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs and the same thing happened to Hon Akua Dansua, from Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs, to Ministry of Youth and Sports. I did not hear any new name of a female in his Cabinet. So I am just wondering if, maybe, the President forgot to add us in his Address or he is planning on doing that. We are still waiting.
Mr Speaker, I also want to talk about what he actually said because the Budget statement was actually presented on his behalf and so it will be apt to say what he said. On page 186, column 539, I will read the last paragraph. It says:
“There will also be a revision of the National Gender and Children's Policy;”
Not a word on it in his State of the Nation Address.
You go down to 187 and it is stated and I quote:
“In line with the commitment to
35 per cent as he was saying. Let me continue.
They say that the President failed to put money in the pockets of Ghanaians. With low interest rates, fertilizer inputs to farmers, increase in agricultural production, even though it is not fiscal money put into the pockets of Ghanaians, they are indirectly increasing money that gets into their pockets. If you look at the capitation grant, it has been increased.
If you look at the School Feeding Programme, we have expanded it. If you take the school uniform, today, parents will no longer buy uniforms for their children. [Hear! Hear!] So you are putting money indirectly into the pockets of our parents.
Mr Stephen Yakubu 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member is grossly misleading this House. The President said they had been able to increase rice production to 30 per cent. The Hon Member said 23 per cent. The President does not believe in putting money into people's pockets, he does believe in it. I want to know whether he is in team A or team B or team C -- why is he talking like that?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Hon Member, you are out of order.
Mr Hodogbey 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, now, let me come back to the famous ROPAA. PNDC Law 284 was supposed to be amended. If it had been judiciously amended, ROPAA should not have come in at all. Act 699 actually was not able to specify who truly is a Ghanaian outside this country. Is it anybody who holds a Ghanaian passport? Is it anybody who

period before and after child-birth; and during those periods, working mothers shall be accorded paid leave.

“(2) Facilities shall be provided for the care of children below school-going age to enable women, who have the traditional care for children, realise their full potential.

“(3) Women shall be guaranteed equal r ights to training and promotion without any impediments from any person.”

Mr Speaker, I want to repeat the last one.

“Women shall be guaranteed equal rights to training and promotion without any impediments from any person.”

Last year, His Excellency graced this august House and gave us his State of the Nation Address. On page 26 of last year's Address, he did promise Ghana, precisely women, that he will endeavour to set up gender budget units in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and he will even resource the Ministry in charge of Women and Children's Affairs to ensure that gender budgeting is part and parcel of his “better Ghana” agenda.

Mr Speaker, unless I was given a wrong copy, I have combed the State of the Nation Address for 2010 from page one to the end and not a single sentence was on gender. That is, indeed, sad. At least, the promise was not redeemed not even given the hope that there were some level of progress, some level of empowerment as stated clearly in article 27. It is not me saying it, it is the Constitution that guides us.

Mr Speaker, the President also promised us, it was not part of his speech
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Are you
rising on a point of order?
Alhaji Muntaka 1:45 p.m.
Rightly so, Mr
Speaker. Mr Speaker, this House is a house of procedures. On the floor of this House, you cannot just begin to talk without referring to your source of information. Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague is grossly misleading this House when she says that, it is everywhere in the dailies that maternal mortality is going up. This is absolutely incorrect. She should get to the Ministry of Health, get the annual progress report, all the specifics are there.
Mr Speaker, one thing that I also want to remind my Hon Colleague of is that the State of the Nation Address is not a Budget Statement, it is not a platform to give every single specific detail up to the extent of talking about fire in the market. Mr Speaker, I think that she should address the issues appropriately.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Hon
Member, that is more of an opinion than a point of order.
Hon Member, please, conclude.
Mrs Afeku 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would
justifiably ignore my Colleague from Asawase and actually go as far as telling him to read the Public Agenda dailies that they put in our cubicles. Mr Speaker. I am a woman, I have given birth to three children and I do empathise with pregnant women who will have to leave hospitals to go and get medication and come back. Meanwhile, the NHIS, from the previous Administration, had given us that hope. So I will just ignore him and speak. I was actually talking -- [Interruptions].
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Hon Members, having regard to the state of business in the House and the time, I direct that Sitting be held outside the prescribed
period, in accordance with Order 40 (3).
Hon Member, you may continue.
Mrs Afeku 1:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, oil and Western Region. Women, precisely from my constituency, Evalue-Gwira and the oil districts along the coast are actually looking forward with eagerness to the Oil and Revenue Bill that the President has promised us that it will come to the House.
My concern is local content, the previous happenings and how we are being treated, Ghanaians to be precise, in this upcoming industry -- seeks for us to get guidance in the legislative framework that will be placed before this House. I am talking for women in the region that will be mostly affected.
I was hoping to hear that the President
would lay emphasis on the catchment area that if and indeed, a Bill does come, there will be special emphasis in the region in terms of human resource development. It was very generic but again, when you come to the Western Region, there is no Cabinet member from the Western Region who can lobby on our behalf. The less said about that the better.
Mr Speaker, the oil investment, I pray
and do pray that the people of the Nzema area, Western Region to be precise, would be given ample opportunities, so the teeming youth who have banked all their hopes on this oil would not be sorely disappointed. Some kind of policy, local content, that takes into consideration the needs and aspirations of all the youth in Ghana with special emphasis on the people in the catchment area, would be most welcome.
Mr Speaker, on communications, if
you look at what our dear President told
achieving MDGs targets by 2015
…”
This is really where my heart dropped. He did not even mention the targets that we are going to achieve, not a word, but this is what was said in his budget statement.
“. . . Government will focus on the socio-economic empowerment of women by building on ongoing interventions on women empower- ment through the following:
Promote women in political decision-making as a composite index for enhancing good governance . . .”
On good governance in the State of the Nation Address, Mr Speaker, there was not a word. Mr Speaker, I would like to take you to girl-child education.
At least, he did mention education, getting children from schools under the trees and disabled children which, of course, his predecessor had already started and was running with it. But we were hoping that our dear father of all people in the nation would give us hope that young girls who are trailing behind in schools -- look at the BECE results, the girls who were pregnant, who could not even take the examination and those who took and how they performed poorly -- but at least, that something will be done alongside empowering them to do well in the BECE so that they will be co-equal partners with their male counterparts. Zero mention.
Mr Speaker, what truly saddened me was the past events that affected women. Not just women in Asafo Market but women who have lost treasures, the little wares that they had to labour and sell to feed their families, our father did not even give us a word of condolence, that
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:55 p.m.
In
conclusion, Hon Member? Hon Member, you will kindly conclude.
Mrs Afeku 1:55 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we are still
waiting as a committee to hear on the Vodafone Committee that sat and reviewed the sale of Vodafone. It would send the right signal if the House would be given the totality and the conclusion of that Committee's work so that investors will be given that kind of assurance that yes, indeed, Ghana is the gateway to West Africa.
Mr Speaker, I would like to conclude by saying that it is the first time. I do recall with nostalgia when President Kufuor would be giving his State of the Nation Address and right after, the debate will follow with so much passion and vigour. Look at what we see today. First day of the debate of the State of the Nation Address in 2010 and there is so much disinterest.
Nobody is interested from Government side. That just shows you that when the President said he is slow but sure, it is true. We are looking forward for a fast but steady government, not slow but sure.
I thank you for giving me the
opportunity to share my words. I thank you.
Mr Samuel A. Jabanyite (NDC -- Chereponi) 2:05 p.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to add my voice in thanking the President for his presence in this House last week Thursday, on the 25th of February and giving us the State of the Nation Address in accordance with article 57 of our
Management Agency is going to guarantee a ready market sort of, whereby farmers would not have the problem of, or would not entertain the fears that whatever they produce would not be bought.
You will recall that in the last administration, several efforts were made to increase rice production and I will refer specifically to 2006 where so much money was pumped into the agricultural sector to produce rice. Indeed, farmers from all the three northern regions including the Volta Region went into rice production. But what happened? After harvesting, buying became a problem because we could not actually get so many people coming out to buy. So in trying to reverse this situation and to make it more prudent, I think the creation of this buffer agency will go a long way to do that.
Again, this will also avoid the situation of glut. Where we have so much bumper harvest, this agency will absorb immediately all the stocks that we have in the system. Again, we think that it is going to ensure stable prices because once we absorb all the produce in the system, it will in a way establish a price, create a price mechanism whereby both buyers and suppliers will be satisfied with.
We also think that all the actors here in the supply chain, that is the producers, the buyers and then the consumers, there would be a direct link and a relationship whereby these things will be distributed equitably. That is on the creation of the Buffer Stock Agency.

He did also mention here that, he has created the agricultural mechanisation centres. Yes, I think it is a very laudable idea; in all the districts,. it is very important that we create the agricultural mechani- sation centres. The essence of it is that, poor farmers who have no money to acquire agricultural machinery on their

us and with your permission, I will refer to the Hansard, column 1296 and I quote, with your indulgence:

“Madam Speaker, as we announced in November, we will facilitate the development of a reliable, cost-effective and world-class communications infrastructure.”

That is it.

Mr Speaker, the past Government involved Huawei technology, a Chinese Government grant and we are criss- crossing the nation with broadband facility to every hamlet, every village. It was started by the NPP Administration. So if the President, in his first State of the Nation Address actually stated that he would do justifiable continuity and he is continuing something good, the least he could have done was to have given us the credit that since my predecessor laid the groundwork, to lay all the fibre optic to ensure that every community would have access to internet, “I am continuing”, but it was not said and I was sorely disappointed.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
Hon
Member, you will kindly conclude.
Mrs Afeku 2:05 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it would be
unfair to go on without putting in a word to the Right to Information Bill. The Bill is coming up but if you look at the initial stages on it, there is a lot of work to be done. I know the Government has been touting that it is the first one, it has been in Cabinet since 2002 and they are bringing it. But I would urge Ghanaians to make an input in that Right to Information Bill so that it will not be a document that just exempts every information. I really urge participants to put in their word so that the Bill will be conclusive.
nation's Constitution. Prior to the President's visit to this
august House, in November 2009, the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, on his behalf, presented to this august House and indeed, to the entire nation the Budget Statement of the nation. Budget Statement here refers to the projections and expenditure of the nation in the coming year.
The Hon Minister also, indeed, indicated to us the performance of the various sectors of the economy and by and large, every one here in this House agreed that the agricultural sector, indeed, is the backbone of the economy and probably, if enhanced could develop further, could help us come out of our economic woes. In so doing, a lot of measures were taken in the agricultural sector.
In view of this, in the President's visit to this House, he did touch on various sectors of the economy but I like to dwell or probably comment on the agricultural sector because what the President mentioned and the steps he outlined, indeed, are best practices, looking at what other countries have been able to do. So, I will probably like to just mention some of them and explain and probably justify why Government thinks that if we go that way, it will help us.
For instance, if you look at the agricultural sector, he explained that we had established a buffer stock management agency. The reason for this is four-fold. The establishment of this Buffer Stock Management Agency is to enhance a ready market. You and I will agree that in agricultural economy, our farmers on this part of this country are referred to as optimum satisfisers. An optimum satisfiser is someone who believes in certainty and not in assurance. So the establishment of this Buffer Stock
Mrs Afeku 2:05 p.m.
Again, the President also mentioned
the establishment of an agricultural development and investment fund. When this Fund is established, we would go a very long way to assist peasant farmers to be able to access loans to increase production.
The President also mentioned in his State of the Nation Address that the issue of premix fuel is being resolved and I think it is very, very crucial here. What is important for us here is that, now, the peasant fisherman can at his village at any point in time go to buy fuel to go on fishing. The peasant farmer is also guaranteed that the fuel will always be there for him at a price that is within his quest. So I think it is very laudable and we should commend the Government.
But just as I say we should commend the Government, I think we should also encourage all the actors, I mean the Ministers and all the people in the agricultural sector who are the key players here to ensure that what the Government has said here -- And we think it is visible, we should ensure that we support the Government in achieving this.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:05 p.m.
The last contribution will come from the Hon Owusu-Ansah.
Mr E. A. Owusu-Ansah (NPP Kwabre West) 2:05 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker,
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 2:05 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr Speaker, my Senior Colleague is grossly misleading this House. This is simply because on 16th December, 2009, he was standing here thanking His Excellency the President for doing the right thing for the Judiciary for the first time since independence. He himself said that. Today, he is here saying that the President does not recognise that arm of Government. Is he not contradicting himself?
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:15 p.m.
Thank you, Mr
Speaker. My “small” Hon Brother, I will forgive him; he does not understand the intricacies of parliamentary work. That time, the reference he made, we were debating the Budget that had been submitted by the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning for and on behalf of the President. Now, I am talking about the State of the Nation Address that has been read by the President.
So wherein lies the contradiction? In any case, Mr Speaker, the former Administration under His Excellency President Kufuor had started automation of courts in this country, a very great milestone in the administration of justice.
Mr Felix Twumasi-Appiah 2:15 p.m.
Mr.
own can have access to these machines on a timely manner, so that they can produce efficiently.
You will agree with me that our agricultural sector is a rain-fed agriculture, so that when farmers can have such machninery at the right time, it will go a long way to boost their production.
Quite apart from the establishment of the mechanization centres, we were also told that Government is making it possible that individual farmers can acquire these tractors on their own on hire purchase, and other farm equipment -- And I think that is quite a laudable idea that we should commend Government for.
The President also did mention input subsidy especially to all crop farmers. Yes, we had a feel of it last year when the three northern regions, where fertilizer was subsidized but this did not reach out to all farmers. The President assured us in his State of the Nation Address that he is going to make sure that this is increased, and it is very laudable that all farmers can have access to some of these things at subsidised prices.
The President also mentioned that he is going to, and I think the House here even ratified a loan on the out-grower scheme. You will agree with me that Government alone can never promote agriculture to the fullest. It has to be done in partnership with the private sector and in countries that rely heavily on agriculture, what they have to do to come out of the situation, is to go the out-grower scheme way, whereby Government partners, the private sector to develop the farmers, produce the stocks and then purchase from them, through this buffer agency system, farmers get their direct benefits and the nation grows. So I think it is in the right direction that we do this.

for the opportunity to contribute to the debate to thank His Excellency the President for the State of the Nation Address which he delivered to the House on 25th February last week.

Mr Speaker, I sat attentively in the House listening to His Excellency the President and thereafter, I have read the State of the Nation Address in print over and over and over again.

Mr Speaker, sadly, His Excellency the President did not mention once the state of the Judiciary, the administration of justice in this country.

Mr Speaker, in my opinion, that is not surprising. One would have expected that as a pillar of governance, as one of the arms of governance, a very powerful institution in the administration of justice and as a professor of law, I thought that at least, if the Judiciary did not take the centre stage in his State of the Nation Address, at least, some remarks about the state of the Judiciary would have been made; but sadly, that was absent.
Mr Felix Twumasi-Appiah 2:15 p.m.
Mr.
Speaker, on a point of order. Mr Speaker, our Standing Orders provide and it is very clear -- and with your permission, I wish to quote since that matter is still pending in the court, that reference shall not be made any --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Order
what?
Mr Twumasi-Appiah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
Order 93 (1) and with your indulgence, I quote:
“Reference shall not be made to any matter on which judicial decision is pending in such a way as may, in the opinion of Mr Speaker, prejudice the interest of parties to the action.”
Mr Speaker, clearly, this matter is still pending in the Judiciary and our Standing Orders clearly provide that reference shall not be made to the matter. So Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague on the floor should refrain from making reference to such a matter to the extent that it should not jeopardize the outcome of the matter before the Judiciary.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Re-
ference shall not be made to such pending matter in such a way that it would prejudice -- So please, argue to the fullness of the prejudice so that we can understand you and see the justification. In other words, how would what is being said necessarily be prejudicial? And if you would read something to that regard, then one can appreciate the essence of the argument.
Mr Twumasi-Appiah 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
it is very, very prejudicial in that the matter -- as you said, the man just made a pronouncement. In the event that this gentleman is found guilty -- and I think he is already coming to a conclusion here that the man just made his view known -- just made his view known. I thought we should leave that to the court. That is a very prejudicial matter, it would prejudice the outcome of the matter in court.
He has already concluded that he just made his views known. Whether it were his views and they were reckless views or not, I thought we should leave those matters to the court to decide. The matter is, as we still speak now, pending in the court.
Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah -- rose
-- 2:15 p.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Hon
Owusu-Ansah -- Unless you wanted the Hon Minority Whip to assist in that regard.
Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah 2:15 p.m.
Mr.
Speaker, since you have already ruled the Hon Member --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
I have not ruled, please.
Mr Opare-Ansah 2:15 p.m.
You have not
ruled?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
I have not ruled on the matter.
Mr Opare-Ansah 2:15 p.m.
I have heard you calling --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Yes, I wanted to hear him.
Mr Opare-Ansah 2:15 p.m.
Well, I just wanted to make a suggestion that I failed to see the prejudice in what my Hon Colleague is advancing.
Mr Cletus A. Avoka 2:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with respect, I disagree with my Hon Colleague on the other side. The matter is sub judice; it is before a court of competent jurisdiction. Against that background, it is prejudicial for us to continue making statements bordering on that matter. It is prejudicial and I am surprised that my Hon Colleague on the other side is saying
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:15 p.m.
Hon
Members, please, let the debate flow.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:15 p.m.
Mr. Speaker,
as I was saying, automation is used as an instrument in the administration of justice in speeding up cases in a court. The former Administration had done well; we expected his Administration to also do something to lift up the automation process.
Mr Speaker, court houses, court buildings all over the country, some of them are dilapidated.
The previous Administration took it as a matter of great concern to put up court houses. If you go to Kumasi, there is a Court of Appeal complex there and this is the first time a Court of Appeal has been established outside Accra, to take over all the appeal cases from up North, Brong Ahafo and Ashanti Regions. One would have thought that His Excellency the President would also have told the nation that the state of the court buildings that his Administration is putting up, sadly, he was silent on it.
Mr Speaker, the welfare of our Judges and the court staff -- Again, it is a matter of great concern that up till now some Magistrates live in rented quarters. One would have expected that His Excellency the President would also address this important concern; but again, there was no word about it. Mr Speaker, last year, His Excellency the President made a categorical statement and with your permission, I read:
“Regarding the Judiciary, we will ensure adequate contribution without
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon Owusu-Ansah, you would continue with your statement without veering into anything that would influence the judge in one way or the other.
Please, continue.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:25 p.m.
Thank you very
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Please,
so long as you do not go into that area. I do not know whether you would go there or not. But just proceed in such a manner that that obvious will not be part of your statement. That is all.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:25 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, so
far, I have just mentioned the name of the accused person -- [Interruptions] -- Mr Speaker, I have not given the facts of the case, so how is it that my statement is going to influence the court? The matter is sub judice, I understand -- [Inter- ruptions.]
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Order!
The Hon Member says he is not going there, he will proceed. Proceed, Hon Owusu-Ansah.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:25 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. The young man made his view -- [Interruptions.]
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Order!
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:25 p.m.
And soon thereafter, a multitude of policemen led by an NDC officer went to the radio station and got the boy arrested. In a matter of a few hours the boy was before court. Mr Speaker --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon
Members, order! Unless the Hon Member on his feet is allowed to reasonably land, no one can rule on that matter.
rose
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Do
you rise on a point of order, Hon Deputy Majority Leader?
Mr Pelpuo 2:25 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker. Mr.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon
Deputy Majority Leader, I am sorry I will have to cut you. Please, when you bring in matters of “derogatory remarks”, and so on, you are really going far. If anyone tries to make such remarks, I will stop him from that side. So please, do not introduce it .
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Because I do not know, as I sit here, of any derogatory remarks and let it not be said.
Mr Pelpuo 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, please, not
here, in a press statement --
of the boy. Mr Speaker, that did not end there -- [Some Hon Members Do not go there!] Mr Speaker --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon
Owusu-Ansah, you will quickly establish the nexus between what you are saying and the State of the Nation Address so that we do not use this as an opportunity to revisit certain matters. You will quickly raise the nexus then I will understand.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if
they would have patience, I will soon raise the nexus --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
But if
you will also go quickly to the nexus.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:25 p.m.
Yes, that is so. Mr Speaker, then thereafter, after the arraignment of the -- [Interruption.]
Mr Avoka 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my dear

He could have said, “with the haste”, “the hasty manner in which the police sent the --” He said, “indecent haste”, he is imputing a negative image on the Ghana Police Service. Mr Speaker, he should quote any law in Ghana which prescribes when a case can be sent to court by the police. He should tell us when a case can be sent to the court by the police. Is it one day, two days, five days? Anytime that the police are satisfied, they can arrest one in the morning and then the same hour, send the person to court. What is the indecent haste about that? It is unparliamentary and he should withdraw it.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon
Owusu-Ansah, you would want to rephrase to establish any good faith.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Please,
I do not want to know about press statement, please.
Mr Pelpuo 2:25 p.m.
All right, I concede.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
It is not
in the interest of the House.
Mr Pelpuo 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I concede
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Order! It is not in the interest of this Honourable House that I should dabble in press statements, please. But you may go on.
Mr Pelpuo 2:25 p.m.
All right. So Mr Speaker,
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon Owusu-Ansah, please, proceed. When you go too far then I will rule you out of order.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I will
disregard the “small boy”.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
No,
you will not disregard that, but you will nevertheless proceed and it will all depend on the boundary that you would like to overstep or not to overstep. Please, go ahead.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:25 p.m.
Thank you, Mr
Speaker. Mr Speaker, after the boy's arrest and his arraignment before court, this side of the House took issue with the indecent haste that had been exhibited by the police in the arrest and arraignment
Mr Avoka 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with all
due respect to the Chair and to my Hon Colleague, if somebody uses a word or a term we think is unparliamentary, the practice is for him to withdraw that one, so it would be expunged from the records -- [Interruptions.] Then he can go ahead to rephrase it. The fact that he has rephrased it does not mean that the offensive part has been taken away. It is still there.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Hon Owusu-Ansah, if you would kindly withdraw that so that we make progress.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I will
take a direction from you because early on, you had asked me to rephrase my --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
The
idea is that bad motive is being impugned.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:25 p.m.
Very well, Mr
Speaker. But I proceeded exactly on your direction. You said I should rephrase my statement, which I did. So if you are giving me another direction, Mr Speaker, I withdraw the “indecent haste”, and say that the police with haste arraigned the young man before court.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Very
well, proceed. But Hon Owusu-Ansah, respectfully, I will want you to establish the connection quickly then we would make progress.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:25 p.m.
Order!
And please, you will not truncate debate in this manner, so the Hon Member will make his point. But please, establish your nexus quickly.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:25 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I started laying a foundation with the statement that there is a creeping danger which every Ghanaian ought to be concerned about.
Mr Speaker, immediately after this boy's arraignment before court, His Excellency the President made a statement about the custodial remand of two weeks that the boy had been slapped with by the court and he said it was harsh. Mr Speaker, in his position as the President of this country, if a matter is pending before court, he has no locus at all in the matter -- [Interruptions] -- and once it is a criminal case -- [Interruptions.]
Mr Avoka 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if my Hon Colleague wants to straighten the records, he can organise a press release or a press conference after this, outside this Chamber and talk about the aspirations of the President. But as far as the State of the Nation is concerned, what he is saying now is not within the bounds of the Address that the President delivered. So he is digressing and wasting the time of this Honourable House and he should be ruled out of order.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.
Hon Member, this is where I speak about nexus. Please, make the connection quickly so that we avoid these.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the President came before this House and talked about governance -- [Inter- ruptions.]
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:35 p.m.
He came here and
talking about nexus; otherwise, we would be in a limbo.
Hon Member, please, continue and be winding up.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thought that this one is within everybody's knowledge?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.
Once you decide to use it as a point of debate in the House, you produce it.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with your permission, I would read a few lines:
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.
Order!
Order!
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:35 p.m.
“ . . . has expressed concern over a two-week remand custody handed out by an Accra Circuit Court to a radio commentator, Nana Darkwa Baafi.”
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.
Order! Order! Hon Members, we shall not drum down contributions. Please, continue.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my point is that the President has no authority at all to meddle in a matter that is before court. [Hear! Hear!] Mr Speaker, when we marry this with another statement that was made by one Mr Kwashigah over the conviction and sentence of one journalist, Raymond Archer, when Mr Kwashigah criticised the conviction and sentence -- Mr Speaker, when we marry the two together, one coming from the President and -- [Interruption.]
Mr Pelpuo 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am coming
talked about governance and we believe that governance involves the court as much as the police and all the security agencies. So if the President is meddling with the court process and he himself comes here to talk about governance, then am I to be stopped from making reference to it?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.
Hon Member, what is the source of your statement? [Interruptions.] Please, let us do it right. Respectfully, what is the source of what you are attributing to His Excellency the President? Did you pick this from the newspaper or where? Give us a source.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this was carried on air - [Interruptions] -- and it was again carried in the Daily Graphic of 20th February -- [Inter-ruptions.]
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.
Order!
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:35 p.m.
The Daily Graphic, the opening headline:
“President expresses concern about Baafi's remand.”
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.
Do you have it there?
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is here. [Hear!Hear!] If you wish, I will show it to you; it is here. [Interruptions.] No, not you, Mr Speaker. Go and show it to him. [Interruptions.] If you want to see it. [Hear! Hear!] “President expresses concern over Nana Baafi's remand”.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.
Hon Member, anytime you want to rely on something, a document, a publication, the proper practice of debate requires that, as a foundation, you bring that first, then we know where we are. That is why I kept on

This one, it appears innocuous; today he has made a comment about the remand of a young man.

It appears to be in the interest of the young man. Tomorrow, if he makes another comment about judgment that is too light -- [Interruptions.] If he makes a statement about a judgment that is too light --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.
And in conclusion --
Mr Owusu-Ansah 2:35 p.m.
-- That would be a slow inroad into the administration of justice.
Mr Speaker, with all that has been said, it is my view that His Excellency the President, his State of the Nation Address did not carry the necessary weight, the necessary vision -- Unfortunately or fortunately, he has captioned his State of the Nation Address as “Partners in Vision”. But the statement was visionless. When he had made hundred days in office, Mr Speaker, His Excellency the President marked himself with 80 per cent.
Now, with this Address that he has rendered before the House, it is my turn also to mark him. [Hear! Hear!] And Mr Speaker, I would not give him more than 40 per cent. [Laughter.] Even the 40 per cent, he would struggle to make it because the State of the Nation Address did not mention the Judiciary; it was silent about the administration of justice in the country. And all the promises they have made, most of them have not been fulfilled.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.
Time is
far gone. Nevertheless, I would ask if the Hon Majority Leader has anything special to tell us; otherwise --
Mr Cletus A. Avoka 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it looks like the business of the day has been done; there are committee meetings to be attended to. So with your pleasure, we may wish to adjourn.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.
Hon Minority Chief Whip, do you have any special matter to raise?
Mr Opare-Ansah 2:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, only to comment that we try to commence business on time tomorrow to give more space to Hon Members who have not yet had the opportunity to make their contributions.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:35 p.m.
It is very important because this is very, very important business so that Hon Members would have full discussions and contributions on this very important matter.
ADJOURNMENT 2:35 p.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 10 a.m.
Hon Owusu-Ansah, what do you say to that?
Mr Owusu-Ansah 10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, if a President is making inroads into the administration of justice, then the nation is -- [Interruptions.]
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 10 a.m.
Order! Order!
Mr Owusu-Ansah 10 a.m.
The nation is at risk and he must be told; otherwise, all of us would get up one day and all our rights are whittled away. That is the state of the Judiciary and when this one is coupled with the Propaganda Secretary's remarks about Raymond Archer, then genuine danger is staring us in the face, Mr Speaker --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 10 a.m.
Please, continue and wind up.
Mr Owusu-Ansah 10 a.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that all of us, including His Excellency the President should know where the lines are drawn so that the Presidency, the ruling party and the Executive would not interfere with the genuine responsibilities of the Judiciary.