Debates of 4 Mar 2010

MADAM SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:50 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon Members,
Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Wednesday, 3rd March, 2010.
Pages 1-9 --
Mr Joseph B. Aidoo 10:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, page 9, under “Public Accounts Committee”. “The Committee met on Tuesday 2nd March, 2010 at 12.05 p.m. and considered the Reports of the Auditor- General on the Public Accounts of Ghana (Public Boards, Corporation and Other Statutory Institution) for the periods ended 31st December 2004 and 2005 in respect of the following: --”
You have “Institution” there. But Madam Speaker, if you look at the break- up you have:
“(i) University of Ghana, (UG)
(ii) Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST)
(iii) University of Cape Coast (UCC)
(iv) Institute of Professional Studies
(IPS).”
Madam Speaker 10:50 a.m.
“s” should be there?
Mr J. B. Aidoo 10:50 a.m.
Yes, “s” should be

there.
Madam Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Page 10 --
Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi 10:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, sorry to take you to page 10. “Prof N. Opoku-Agymang”; the “e” is missing.
Madam Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Number --
Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi 10:50 a.m.
Number (viii) -- “Vice Chancellor, UCC”.
Madam Speaker 10:50 a.m.
Hon Members, the Votes and Proceedings of 3rd March, 2010 as corrected is adopted as the true record of proceedings.
We move to the Official Report of Friday, 26th February, 2010 --

Hon Members, in the absence of any corrections, the Official Report of Friday, 26th February, 2010, is hereby adopted as the true record of proceedings.

I have admitted a Statement which stands in the name of the Hon Member for Sawla/Kalba, Mr Donald Dari Soditey.
STATEMENTS 10:50 a.m.
Mr Donald Dari Soditey (NDC -- Sawla/Kalba) 10:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to make a Statement on the effect of a recent rainstorm disaster which hit Kulmasa, a town with a population of over two thousand people.
Madam Speaker, Kulmasa is the fourth largest town in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Northern Region of Ghana.
Madam Speaker, precisely on Saturday,
the 20th of February, 2010, a strong devastating rainstorm hit Kulmasa town ripping off the roofs of over seventy-three houses.
Madam Speaker, public properties were also affected, which includes two primary schools, a CHPS compound and the Central Mosque. Madam Speaker, several electricity poles were also destroyed leaving Kulmasa temporarily disconnec- ted from the national grid.
Madam Speaker, over seven hundred people, mostly women and children were rendered homeless. The victims are at the moment putting up with relatives in nearby communities like Gindabuo and Nyoli.
Madam Speaker, foodstuffs and other personal belongings were also destroyed in the disaster and the cost of destruction runs into several thousands of Ghana cedis.
Madam Speaker, as a result of the rainstorm, teaching and learning had become difficult for both teachers and pupils since they are sitting under trees without teaching equipment or aid, such as blackboards, textbooks and so on.
Madam Speaker, teachers are therefore, forced to use improvised teaching and learning materials.
Madam Speaker, the cost of damage is too much for the District Assembly alone to bear.
Madam Speaker, for this reason, I am
appealing to the Government through NADMO, NGOs and civil society, individuals as well as my fellow MPs to
come to the aid of the people of Kulmasa community.
Thank you for allowing me to make this humble and short Statement in this august House.
Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Joseph Y. Chireh) 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to make a few comments on the Statement, ably made by my Hon Colleague, the Member of Parliament for Sawla/Kalba.
Incidentally, my constituency shares border with part of his constituency that is under distress. So we know that storms do not have boundaries as far as District Assemblies are concerned. The effects have equally affected some parts of my constituency and it is important that the call he has made, fortunately, the Hon Minister for the Interior who has responsibility for NADMO is here, so he would take on board the suggestions we are making.
Madam Speaker, but we see that the problems, particularly, in the rural areas, are that, housing is poor and any little storm creates problems. It is a wake-up call for all of us to look at how we can improve housing in our communities.
Again, the constructions that are done for public institutions like schools, clinics and CHPS zone compounds and the rest, we need to emphasize the standards there to ensure that quality work is done so that they can resist the storms that occur. After those initial storms, I just passed through the area again yesterday morning on my way back to work in Accra.
It is very sad to see the same people looking for water after the storm had destroyed their things -- water has become difficult to come by as they begin to clear their lands. Incidentally, dry
Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Joseph Y. Chireh) 11 a.m.


conditions would not allow them to do so.

So when we are in a zone like Kulmasa and the surrounding areas, we would have difficulties; one day rain keeps us out and the following day we are looking for water to even give to our animals and for domestic purposes. That is why I would urge that proper planning be done to take care of all these things. But I would urge NADMO and other NGOs and people who are willing to support the call to give relief items to these deprived people.

Madam Speaker, I thank you for

the opportunity to add my voice to the Statement.
Dr Kofi Asare (NPP -- Akwatia) 11 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to contribute to the Statement.
As ably said by the Hon Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, the storms do not have district borders and after sweeping through the northern territories, they landed in my constituency in Topreman yesterday, causing a lot of devastation -- [Interruption.] Hon Fritz Baffour, your father was an engineer; you can go and inspect there for me.
Madam Speaker, schools have been de-roofed, houses have been destroyed and there are many in my constituency in Topreman who are putting up with friends as has been said.
The Hon Minister for the Interior who has responsibility for NADMO should also look at us in Topreman in the Akwatia Constituency. I can assure him that there will be no Jihad in this, and he will have a peaceful working atmosphere.
But Madam Speaker, more seriously,
we are also calling on the Hon Minister for Local Government and Rural Development to impress upon the District Chief Executive (DCE) at Kwaebibrem that when he is starting the housing project,
since Topreman has been devastated, he should start from there by putting up the District Assemblies Housing Scheme so that my people will also benefit from the President's vision.
Madam Speaker, I thank you for
allowing me to contribute.
Mr Gershon K.B. Gbediame (NDC -- Nkwanta South) 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I also rise to associate myself with this Statement and to say that, it is a perennial problem. Around this time of the year when the rains want to set in, there are storms, especially, school buildings normally get their roofs ripped off and when it happens like that, a number of school children like the maker of the Statement said, are under the mercy of the sun and other vagaries of the weather.
Madam Speaker, it is in this vein, as it is always said, ‘prevention is better than cure' -- One way by which we can prevent this perennial problem is to encourage schools to plant trees, and these trees are going to serve as wind- breaks. There are some schools, like the primary school at Frankadua, along that line, anytime I am passing, I always see very fine trees that are growing on the compound and it is so nice.
I think that schools should take advantage of the Greening Ghana Programme to embark on massive tree planting on their campuses; it will not only serve as shade or beautifying the school but it will also go a long way to prevent some of these disasters that we experience over the years.
For that matter, I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the Hon Minister for Lands and Natural Resources to collaborate very well with the Hon Minister for Education, if possible, to make it very compulsory for all schools to plant trees on their campuses.
This is my little contribution and I also
associate myself with the Statement.
Dr Matthew O. Prempeh (NPP
-- Manhyia): Madam Speaker, I rise to support my Hon Colleague who made the Statement and wish that such Statements, even though we look at the aspect that is devastating as has happened in the constituency, we bring to the fore something that is happening in this country.
Where is our state of preparedness for these emergencies? When I hear Hon Colleagues who have got these mishaps in their constituencies lamenting, when one needs the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), one cannot find them. When one needs the support, one cannot find the support.
So when I heard the Hon Minister for Local Government and Rural Development supporting this Statement, I was wondering, what has happened to the Assemblies' share for mishaps, disasters when the third quarter of last year's Assemblies' revenues have not been paid? So, when an Assembly wants to support, they are in arrears of over 80 million of the third quarter of the District Assemblies Common Fund.
So I was expecting that Government lives up to its responsibility by resourcing these institutions; and not only resourcing them, but asking them for their plans because from the length and breadth of this country, disaster is happening everywhere. We should not wait and say that it will never happen in our country, that we would hardly have an earthquake.
But if it happens, what are our plans? Where are we going to? So, Madam Speaker, we should be asking for more information as to the state of our preparedness for disasters because it is with us, it is going to be with us for the
future or for many more years to come.
So, the Hon Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, and the Minister responsible for the Interior who is in the Chamber, has to inform this House what plans the Ministry has for this country in case of a major disaster.
Madam Speaker, thank you.

Dr Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan (NDC

-- Mion): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to support the Statement that has been ably made by the Hon Member for Sawla/Kalba (Mr Donald Dari Soditey).

Madam Speaker, indeed, we need to sympathize with the people of Kulmasa for this disaster, and to urge government agencies to come to their aid as soon as possible. In particular, that, their farm produce, as he has well stated, have also suffered. That means that, it is not only about shelter, but also about their food to last them into the coming season.

Madam Speaker, the problem we have as a country is that, our own habits somehow facilitate the visit of such disasters on us. Even in colonial times, every school was protected by trees after putting up the school building. Indeed, whole communities had windbrakes protecting them.

Madam Speaker, in my village, Sang, there was a teak plantation which was deliberately posted in the direction that some of these rainstorms are coming from so that the entire communities would be protected. In the last few years, we have harvested all the teak trees and converted them into electric poles. And nobody knows whether we planted similar quantities of teak trees in the same locations to protect these very communities. So, I think that our development planning process must be
Mr Gershon K.B. Gbediame (NDC -- Nkwanta South) 11:10 a.m.


total, and it must include at all times. And without any apology to our economy, ‘at all times' must include plans to protect our environment and ourselves in due course.

Madam Speaker, indeed, when the Tamale roads were being re-done -- thank God we have very good roads in Tamale now. There were some trees that were to be cut down or they were cut down. And in fact, it took the personal intervention of the former President, J. J. Rawlings to protect a few of those trees.

Indeed, in 2005/2006 when there was a rainstorm that affected Tamale people, it was only that section of Tamale that was not severely hit. That means that if the former President had not intervened to preserve these trees, indeed, that area would have also been affected.

As I speak, there is a body of opinion

that the NORRIP Forest that is left in Tamale should be cleared and planned for housing. And nobody is looking for land to plant trees to protect the very houses that will be built if those trees are cleared. I hope that reason will prevail and that forest will be protected.

Madam Speaker, lastly, I think that

we need a national plan, so that whole communities will be protected, whole areas will be protected and the entire country will be protected so that we do not get confronted with such natural disasters that are occurring annually.

Madam Speaker, thank you very much.
Madam Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Thank you very
much.
Hon Members, Statement time has ended and we now move to item 4 -- Public Business.
Hon Members, we continue with
the debate to thank His Excellency the President on his Message on the State of the Nation, which he delivered to this House on Thursday, 25th February, 2010.
Hon Members, the debate resumes now. As usual, I have the list of contributors for today; and I will call on Hon Papa Owusu- Ankomah.
MOTIONS 11:10 a.m.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah (NPP -- Sekondi) 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this debate.
Indeed, in Parliament, there are only about two occasions when a Member had the opportunity to contribute substan-tially to Government business. Debate on the Message on the State of the Nation and of course, debate on the Financial Policy.
But I must say that having been in this House for some time, the decorum demonstrated and exhibited by Hon Members during the delivery of the President's Message is, probably, the best, and this House should commend itself for that. [Hear! Hear!] It also demonstrates that this House, particularly, the Minority is prepared to contribute to the development of this nation.
One of our Hon Colleagues opposite stated that, in our contribution to this debate, we must be objective. I agree with him, but the fact is, in his objectivity, he never saw anything wrong with the President's Message. Can you fault someone too who, in his objectivity, does not see anything right with the President's Message, where we talk about

Madam Speaker, but I must say that the manner of the President's delivery was indeed far better than that of last year. It was laced with humour, and there was a genuine sense of the President calling on us to move ahead together. [Hear! Hear!] But there is more -- [Laughter] -- to mere words. Words must be backed by action. For those of us who know President Mills, we know that he is sincere, but sincerity is not everything.

What the people of this country want, is a Government that can show or point to a direction where we all can follow. But after we have put aside the comity and geniality, after we have got beyond the brandishment, what can we say about the President's perspective on the state of the nation? The President says the state of the nation is good. So far, so much better. He says on page 4 under the subheading, “New Atmosphere” that:

“Our nation has become an example of African Democracy of which all Ghanaians can be proud.”

I dare say, by African standards, we have made a lot of progress, but there is more that we ought to do.

He also says on page 6 that:

“. . . the Government has earned commendation from the private sector, both national and inter- national, and has sent a clear message of its determination to come to terms with the economic challenges.”

That is good.

On Page 8, oh, the President says:

“We took over a run-down economy characterisd by unbridled spen-ding and far too much sole-sourcing that did not offer value for money.”

I am glad to say that we quickly halted the rapid depreciation of the Cedi, and by the middle of 2009, it had begun to appreciate against almost all the major currencies of the world.

But the fact is that, the cedi's value is 20 per cent less than it was when this Government took over in January, 2009. So it is not “so far, so much better”

11.20 a.m..

Madam Speaker, the President talks about flagship projects. What is he going to do with the oil money, what he says is the Atta Mills legacy? But I looked at it and it is more often a repetition of Manifesto promises.

Integrated Iron and Steel Industry under the past Administration, research was conducted, the amount of investment involved was huge and the assessment of the International Steel Industry was that, having regard to steel prices, it was unrealistic to have an iron and steel industry. The President says it is going to be a flagship project. What about the private sector? The President says the economy has stabilized. That may well be so, but he should please ask what the private sector is saying from his Minister responsible for Trade and Industry.

Indeed, since this Government took over, the cost of doing business in Ghana has become higher. And I must say that, when the President says everything is rosy, I feel sad. I hold in my hand Wall Street Journal, February 18th -- this is an extract from page A18 of February 18 -- it is more like the editorial. I do not know whether some members of the
Madam Speaker, this -- Madam Speaker, there is an ultimate paragraph, it says 11:10 a.m.
“Attracting foreign investment has been a pillar of Ghana's develop- ment strategy, . . .”
I believe we all agree with that. With the Government pitching itself as the gateway to West Africa, yes, we all agree as a country, we want to be the gateway to Africa.
“Spooking new investors by repudiating contracts will rapidly ruin the country's prospects for long term development.
Madam Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Hon Member, let me take a point here.
Ms Hannah Tetteh 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I would like to rise on a point of order. And I refer specifically to Standing Order 92 -- [Interruptions.] I refer to Standing Order 92 but -- [Interruptions.] Madam Speaker, I would like to inform some of the Hon Members on the other side of the House that I was a Member of Parliament before them and so I can teach them, they do not need to teach me. [Interruption.]
Ms Tetteh 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, on the point of order, Standing Order 92, I say that the Hon Member for Sekondi is
misleading the House.
Madam Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Order! Let us hear the Minister.
Ms Tetteh 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, why I say that the Hon Member is misleading the House is because he is quoting, indeed, from an article in the Wall Street Journal, which at the end of the day is nothing more than a statement of opinion and therefore cannot be considered as a statement of fact.
Ms Tetteh 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, as the Hon Minister responsible for Trade and Industry and as a member of Cabinet -- [Interruption.]
Madam Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Order! Order!
Ms Tetteh 11:10 a.m.
-- And also as a Minister who is a member of the Government's economic team, I am in a position to have information on other issues other than what goes on at the Ministry of Trade and Industry. [Interruptions.] On the specific -- [Interruptions] -- if I may address Madam Speaker because I think that is the most important thing -- [Interruption.]
Madam Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Order! I think the Hon Minister is entitled to address me, so let me listen to her point and rule on it.
Hon Papa Owusu-Ankomah, shall I
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I thank you very much and I thank the Hon -- [Interruption.]
Ms Tetteh 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, by the rules of the House, I address Madam Speaker when I am raising a point of order, not the Members of the House. And I have not yet finished making my point of order. May I, please, be allowed to finish?
Madam Speaker 11:10 a.m.
Hon Members, let us be patient, let us listen to her point of order. [Interruptions.] Fortunately, the Hon Minister was a Member of this House before and seems to know the rules. Let us listen. What was the point of order?
Ms Tetteh 11:10 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the point of order that I raised and I referred specifically to Standing Order 92, was that the Hon Member was misleading the House. I further went on to say that the Hon Member was misleading the House because he was stating an article in the Wall Street Journal which at the end of the day is a statement of opinion and not a statement of fact
Therefore, to create the impression that an opinion of a writer is a judgement by the private sector on the Government of His Excellency President John Evans Atta Mills, is tantamount to misleading the House.
Madam Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Hon Members, I would have decided otherwise had Hon Papa Owusu-Ankomah just gone on but he did say he was quoting with my permission and we all know that he was quoting somebody's opinion but whatever value that is, is another matter. It is a question of opinion. Have you finished quoting?
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 11:30 a.m.
I was quoting the last paragraph and then I will

comment. It is important. It says

“The Obama Administration have so far been silent on the shadows now haunting the country it heralded as a source of hope and leadership in Africa. Getting the country back on the track of moderate good governance and respect for the rule of law would be an important example to set on the poorest continent.”
Madam Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Hon Papa Owusu- Ankomah, address the Speaker.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker, and I will want to refer to the Hon Minister's Statement that it is an opinion. That is precisely my worry, because this is the “Wall Street Journal”. It is -- [Interruptions] -- it is the leading daily in the world when it comes to forming opinions on investment on the private sector. If this is the opinion it holds of Ghana, then it is important that this Government -- and that is the point I am going to emphasise -- ought to try and erase.
I do not agree with everything that it is saying, but that is the impression and that is why I want Government to listen. I am not -- yes, that is the point I am making. The Wall Street Journal is not an ordinary run of the mail journal. It is the leading -- [Interruptions] -- journal on investment in the world. We have Wall Street Journal, Asia, et cetera. Wall Street Journal, European edition. So if you have such an editorial opinion being given on Ghana, it is damning and we should all be concerned as a House.
Madam Speaker, I would also want to say that it seems that we have a tale of two countries. One country with very enterprising and hard-working people and another country of leadership where we all belong -- the enterprising people of
this country look upon us for leadership, look upon us to give them vision and inspiration.
It is not by mere words, it is not by mere wishes, it is not when a President says “oh, you expected that, you are saying that I had to put money into your pockets but that is not what I said”. What the people of this country want is a leadership that will give them hope, vision -- without action, it is just a dream.
The President's vision must be grounded on action; when we talk about integrated aluminium industry, based on bauxite, let it be backed by action. Let us know what the Government intends to do, the steps that the Government has taken. When we talk about iron and steel industry, let that be backed by action.
I am urging this House as a whole, including those of us in the Minority, that the world is moving at a fast pace, it is not waiting for Ghana. And I can assure Government that, for those of us who Sit here, would not just criticize. We will want to take a new step in a new direction towards governance. And, please, the Executive should not patronize Parliament, it is not for the Executive to determine the priorities of Parliament.
The President has demonstrated that oh, he wishes Parliament well. Of course, last year, he spoke about MPs fund, and stated to his regret that he could achieve it this year. He says, Members of Parliament, whatever constituency office.
Is that the priority that this House has given itself? No. Our priority is to have offices. Have offices in Accra, that is the priority and I am urging this House, particularly, appealing to the new Leadership, to let this House determine its priorities and give them to Govern-ment for funding, not for the Executive to come and say something and then we clap -- [Hear! Hear!] -- the Executive is giving
us crumbs from the table, no.
We deserve to give ourselves better; let us determine our priorities; let us know our funding because this is the House of the people and my Colleagues opposite know we have been through this before. I have been through this before when I was here in 1997; I was a firebrand but age has tampered my fire.
Yes, it has been tampered with reality. And having been in government for 8 years and occupied 6 Ministerial portfolios, I appreciate the challenges facing this country. It is not easy. So please, if the President has appealed to us to work together, I will say that this House is prepared to work together with the President.
We are appealing to the President to show the way, not him alone, but with collaborators so that it will not be as if the President and his followers are singing from different hymn books.
I thank you Madam Speaker, for this opportunity. You know I do not speak too much -- [Laughter] -- but I am grateful for this unique opportunity.
Thank you very much. Minister for Justice and Attorney
Madam Speaker 11:30 a.m.
Order! Order! [Interruptions.] Please, let us listen.
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu 11:30 a.m.
And Madam Speaker, to expatiate on the issues of governance -- [Interruptions.]
Mr Isaac Kwame Asiamah -- rose
-- 11:30 a.m.
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Hon Asiamah, I have just given the floor to another contributor --
Mr Isaac K. Asiamah 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I think the motion on the floor is to thank His Excellency for the message on the nation. Madam Speaker, I believe that at least, Parliament should be seen as independent, should be seen as reflecting the general interest of the nation.
Madam Speaker, when you have a member of the Executive coming here to thank his appointing authority and to support somebody who appointed her, is it a clear case of lacking human resource on this side, lacking quality expert knowledge to debate us? If they lack the requisite qualified Hon Members to debate us on this side, they should tell us. We do not want any unnecessary Executive interference in this House.
This House should be seen as truly independent of the Executive. In the opinion of some of us, this trend is dangerous for our democracy and indeed, it is not healthy for our democracy to find an Executive who is not a Member of Parliament, coming to debate and especially when the President who appointed her has given a Message and Parliament is supposed to give quality debate for Ghanaians and with respect, his own appointee comes here to defend him.
Madam Speaker, it is indeed not healthy. We expect other Hon Members here to also talk. They have other Hon Members of Parliament here; they should get up and speak; they should speak; they should let us have a healthy debate. We do not want the Executive to come here and to debate us all the time.
It is not healthy for our democracy and, indeed, I ask your permission, Madam Speaker, to disallow the Hon Minister from participating in the debate. It is not good for this country and Parliament should be seen as, indeed, independent.
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Order! I have to rule on this first.
Mr Cletus A. Avoka 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, my Hon Colleague on the other side is not abreast with the Constitution of this country that has brought him to this House.
Madam Speaker, the Constitution which is the supreme law of the country allows the President, Vice-President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers to participate in debates in this House. [Uproar.] For the avoidance of doubt, let me refer this august House to article 111 of the Constitution, and with your permission I read:
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Order! Order, please.
Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah -- rose
-- 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Hon Minority Chief Whip, are you challenging the constitutional provision just read?
Mr Opare-Ansah 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I will definitely not try to do that. The Hon Majority Leader gave an indication that the President can also join in the debate but as he himself quoted, the President has no space in joining in the debate in
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Hon Members, I need to hear nothing more. I am prepared to rule on this matter.
The Constitution is the first law of the land. It cannot be superseded by conventions or any other rules and quite rightly, it is not the President who can come here and debate. I think the Hon Majority Leader meant Vice-President, not the President.
But the Constitution, article 111 says the Vice-President and Ministers could come here and debate matters and shall be entitled to participate in proceedings of Parliament and shall be accorded all

Thank you, Hon Members.
Mrs Mould-Iddr i su 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, I was at the point of thanking His Excellency the President for the exemplary State of the Nation Address -- [Interruptions.]
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Order! Let us hear the Hon Minister.
rose
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Hon Member, if you are going back to the ruling, that would be wrong, I have already ruled on that matter.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, this is a different matter.
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Yes.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, the Public Business before us today is the motion number 4 on today's Order Paper, that is page 1. Hon Members contribute to this motion or against it or associate themselves with it The Hon Minister started by saying that she has “risen to support the President's speech”.
We support the motion because at the end of the day we either have to approve it or reject it. So, you cannot rise on the floor of this House and then contribute to a speech, thus, support a speech. You either support a motion or you contribute against it
I would want the Hon Minister, I believe that she is learning -- she is a new person in this House and therefore, I would want her to take note of this practice
of the House. We do not support the President's speech. We support a motion, we contribute to a motion and I want her to take this on board.
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
But she can thank the President. Can she also say she thanks the President?
Mr J. B. Aidoo 11:40 a.m.
Madam Speaker, no problem with that. But we are all speaking to the motion; we are supporting the motion or -- [Interruption.]
Madam Speaker 11:40 a.m.
Thanking the President --
Hon Minister, let us carry on. Take note of this wording. We attribute a lot of importance to words and their meanings.
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu 11:50 a.m.
Madam Speaker, His Excellency the President referred to the governance state of this nation in his Address. I would like to speak on the Constitutional Review Commission process which His Excellency spoke about, and he also referred to Transition Bill and Madam Speaker, on page 20, he referred to the anti-corruption agencies.
Madam Speaker, in respect of the
constitutional review exercise, as we know, this is ongoing. It is chaired by a legal professor of international repute and excellence. It has started its work in earnest and the membership of the Commission reflect broadly the genre of members that are needed to provide the strategic inputs into any constitutional review process.
As we know, Madam Speaker, the basic principles for a constitutional review exercise are that, it should be open, it should be transparent and it should be inclusive and we believe that these have been achieved.
Among o the r th ings tha t the
rose
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
I am not seeing
anybody.
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu 11:50 a.m.
This Bill seeks
rose
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
If it is a point of
order, show me the Order.
Dr Prempeh 11:50 a.m.
On a point of order.
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
What subsection?
Dr Prempeh 11:50 a.m.
92 (a) -- [Interruptions.]
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
What is the point
of order, so that I decide, what (a) says?
Dr Prempeh 11:50 a.m.
I will list them, they
are about five. I do not know by what measure that a paid advert in a Financial Times turns round to become the most leading paper in the world so we should believe it. A paid advertisement by this Govern-ment in Financial Times is being quoted by part of the Executive to support -- [Interruptions.] That is one.
Madam Speaker, two; having a head
of SFO or CHRAJ and not giving up enough funds for the head to work with. When you look at the Budgets from 2008 to 2010, the budgets for CHRAJ and SFO have been cut and which we have approved. So Madam Speaker, I would like you to encourage the Hon Minister for Justice and Attorney-General to stick to her adulation of the President's speech and not confuse issues. Because having a head does not necessarily mean giving it enough resources to work with, because the Budget we approved in this House tells us that in 2010, they have been given less funds than in 2008.
Madam Speaker 11:50 a.m.
Hon Prempeh, your name is on the list, when it gets to your turn, you can bring this to the notice of the House.
Yes Hon Minister, we are guided by time here.
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu noon
The Economic and Organised Crime Agency will have the capacity and the necessary legal and regulatory framework to fight organized crime in all of its many manifestations in this country.
Particularly, Madam Speaker, it will be enabled to fight the drug menace,
cyber crime and other organized criminal activities to do with bank fraud, et cetera. It will thus enable the governance of this country to be strengthened when it comes to anti-corruption initiatives.
Indeed, Madam Speaker, it will also have the mandate to ensure that it is well placed within the phalanx of the security and investigative agencies, to assist in areas of mutual legal assistance, trans-border crime and other newer areas of crime which we are combating today, especially those which have been facilitated by enhanced technology.
Madam Speaker, my office is in collaboration with the United States (US) Department of Justice and the United Kingdom (UK) Crown Prosecution Service. We are enhancing the capacity of the prosecutors in this country to enable them address and tackle effectively these areas of specialised criminal activity.
Mrs Catherine A. Afeku noon
Madam Speaker, on a point of order. Madam Speaker, we are debating the State of the Nation Address; the Hon Minister for Justice and Attorney-General is not really debating the State of the Nation Address; everything she is saying is totally different from what His Excellency the President told this House. So I want your guidance, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker noon
My guidance is that she is dealing with topics -- [Laughter] -- and broadening on the topics. I will hold the same view if these matters were not
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu noon
Madam Speaker, I would like to make reference also in my concluding remarks to the fact that, governance of this country, as you can see, exemplified by His Excellency's exemplary State of the Nation Address has faced challenges.
We came to meet challenges -- [Interruptions] -- and that is why His Excellency, on page 20, stated that there was one other governance issue close to his heart which was corruption and Madam Speaker, he went on to say that even if we cannot totally eradicate corruption, we must try. And it is in that context, Madam Speaker, that I made my representation as to the efforts that the Government has been making in order to strengthen the institutions which fight corruption in this country.
Madam Speaker, I thank you for your indulgence.
Madam Speaker noon
The next Hon Member to speak will be Hon William O. Boafo.
Hon Member, you have the floor.
Mr William O. Boafo (NPP -- Akropong) noon
Madam Speaker, a little over a year ago, His Excellency the President came to this House and delivered the State of the Nation Address. And in respect of security and related matters, His Excellency indicated that he would spend the period of 2009 going round visiting the various security agencies, holding
Mr Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo noon
Madam Speaker, on a point of order. Madam Speaker, my Hon Friend on the floor is talking about something we do not know. [Interruptions.]
Mr. Pelpuo noon
If it is about the motion on the floor, he should tell us so that we would go with him. He started by making reference to the last State of the Nation Address and he is quoting certain things, we do not know the direction he is going. He should let us know whether he is talking about the State of the Nation Address so that we would know and cope up with him. Mr Speaker, he should speak to the State of the Nation Address which is before us now.
Mr Speaker noon
Hon Member, the point he is making is that, you should speak to the motion on the floor. What do you say to that?
Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah noon
Madam Speaker, if I heard my Hon Colleague properly, I think he is seeking for the Hon Member to state that he is associating himself with the motion on the floor.
Madam Speaker noon
Let us hear the Order. Hon Member, what Order?
Mr Pelpuo noon
Madam Speaker, Order 93(4). The motion on the floor is on the State of the Nation Address and you can either mention and take side with the motion, go along with it or otherwise. So it should be within the context. Over here, it is about context and reference. [Inter- ruptions.]
Madam Speaker noon
Order! Order!
Mr Pelpuo noon
Madam Speaker, he
should stay within the context of the State of the Nation Address and he should state it that he is debating it for us to go along with him. He has not stated he is going along with the motion or otherwise; he stood up and he is talking on something that is not known to us. So it is important for him to state it and let us know that he is on it.
Madam Speaker noon
I think the Hon Member has just got up to contribute to the motion and he was entitled to quote the report of this House, that is of public knowledge but he did not finish. So he is entitled, provided he is speaking to the motion.
Hon Member, carry on.
Mr Boafo 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker, as I was
quoting,
“We will therefore be spending this year, holding a series of durbars with the officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces, the Police Service, the Prisons Service and the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS). Through these durbars we will be able to identify their concerns and factor these into our State of Nation Address for 2010 and also the Budget for 2010.”
Madam Speaker, with this preamble, I

Madam Speaker, it is very sad that the President came to this House and we did not hear anything about this promise that he gave to us last year. We did not hear anything at all and we are very sad and we would like the drafters of his speech to always revisit the previous years, and assess what he said in this House before they prepare the draft for the current year.
Mr Avoka 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker, my very
good Friend is misleading the House.
When the President said last year that
“we shall”, or “he will undertake”, you said “we”, your report said “we”. Madam Speaker, the President works with Cabinet. I was Minister for the Interior at the time last year. The President had met members of the Ghana Armed Forces in his capacity as the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces.
The President does his work through Ministers, so he does not need to come here and recount that the Minister for the Interior had gone here or the Minister for

Defence had gone there -- [Interruptions] He does not need to. It is not the duty of the President - [Interruptions] -- Madam Speaker, the President does not need to individually or single-handedly perform functions of State. I refer him to article 76 (1) of the Constitution and with your permission, I quote:

“There shall be a Cabinet which shall consist of the President, the Vice- President and not less than ten and not more than nineteen Ministers of State.”

And then clause (2) says:

“The Cabinet shall assist the President . . .”

-- in the running of this country. So the President does these. When the President comes to address the nation, he does not say that he as an individual would perform those functions. He performs those functions through the Ministers and other chief executives. So do not say that because the President did not come to repeat what he said last year, he has made a mistake. It is misleading, he does not know the work of government.
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Hon Hackman, you
rose
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Yes, Papa Owusu-
Ankomah?
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 12:10 p.m.
Madam
Speaker, it is really unparliamentary for any Member to speak to another Member with his back facing the Chair, that is why we prompted him.
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Well, I did not like the sight either -- [Laughter] -- So let us take note. You can speak but face the Chair.
Mr Boafo 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker, with
regard to what the Majority Leader said, I was referring to the President undertaking to factor the visit into the State of the Nation Address for 2010 --
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Yes, carry on, Hon
Member.
Mr Boafo 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker, in the
last year's State of the Nation Address, the President also indicated that they were going to review the Narcotic Drugs Control Enforcement and Sanction Law of 1999. Nothing was presented to us in this House in respect of that particular law.

Several Hon Members -- rose --
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Those who are standing, are we going to go back or are we going forward with listening to Hon Boafo's speech -- because I do not see that a point of order has arisen? If we are not going to go back, then please, let us go forward.
Hon Asiamah, if you are going back
say it and I will --
Mr. Isaac K. Asiamah 12:10 p.m.
Not back,
but Madam Speaker, I rise on Standing Order 48, about the quorum of the House. Madam Speaker, it is so sad that such a critical State of the Nation Address is being debated and we have the Majority side having deserted this House -- [Interruptions.] They have virtually left the House and they have imported
Ministers of State to come and debate for them. Their side is virtually empty and that is unfortunate.
When the whole Parliament is debating the State of the Nation Address, delivered by a President they have so much campaigned for, instead of them to come and indeed, debate the issue, they have deserted Parliament and they are nowhere to be found. Their side is virtually empty. So I am raising a point of order on quorum. Some Ministers have invaded this House and Members of Parliament have left the House. That is very unfortunate, Madam Speaker.
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member,
I think Members of this House are Members of this House and quorum is made up of Members of this House, not only one side. So, even though you have noticed something, if the quorum is comprising the whole membership, we are on sound footing. If you are saying this to warn them to come, probably, you will warn this side also to come. But it is well taken, let us get on.
Mr. I. K. Asiamah 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker,
I believe if you count both sides, I do not think we will get -- so it is important we take note of that.
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
I think you should think more of your side than the other side, that will help us here. But all I can say is, quorum is made up of all Members of this House. We are one body.
Yes, Hon Boafo, your time is going
but carry on, I will take account of the interruptions.
Mr Boafo 12:10 p.m.
Thank you, Madam
Speaker. I was going to say that 5 minutes of my time has been taken --
Madam Speaker 12:10 p.m.
Yes, I agree, so five
more minutes.
Mr Boafo 12:10 p.m.
Madam Speaker, as I
was saying, all these things were touched upon by His Excellency the President in the State of the Nation Address for this year. But we have to take note of the fact that the President mentioned something about armed robbery, the control of drug trafficking and the outrageous fire outbreaks in the country.
But Madam Speaker, the fact is that, so far as these events are concerned, it is our humble consideration that the efforts at control of armed robbery, drug trafficking and the fire outbreaks are dependent upon the resourcefulness and the ingenuity of the security agencies and not with the support of the Government.
MR. FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon
Members, order! Hon Member, continue.
Mr. Boafo 12:20 p.m.
Madam Speaker, I was on the point that it is very surprising for the President to come to us and glorify himself with the achievements of the security agencies in respect of the reduction in armed robbery and also drug trafficking because these were not done with the support of the Government but through the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the security agencies in the management of the scarce resources which have not in any way been increased since January, 2009 -- [Interruption.]
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 12:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I stand by Order 91(a). And it is just that the basis for the submission of this Hon Member is very misleading.
Mr Speaker, he started by quoting from 2009 State of the Nation Address presented by His Excellency to this House and I have it. And he quoted from page seven, the first paragraph and Mr. Speaker, with your indulgence I read -- [Interruptions]--
“We will be holding a series of …”
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon Members, order! He is making a point, let me listen to him.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon Members, how can somebody make a point of order on a point of order? I have to listen to him first.
Mr A. Ibrahim 12:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with your indulgence, I beg to quote:
“We will be holding a series of durbars with the officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces, the Police Service, the Prisons Service and CEPS to illicit from them directly at first hand what their concerns and needs are.”
When he got to that stage, my senior Colleague diverted. Instead of adding,
“The feedback will assist in the review of conditions of work for officers and men in order to boost their morale and improve efficiency.”
-- His Excellency never said from this State of the Nation Address that he will report back to us in the second year's State of the Nation Address. That is the basis for his submission which is very misleading and he must be called to order.
Thank you.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon Minority Chief Whip?
Mr Opare-Ansah 12:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if you recollect, at the commencement of the debate on the President's State of the Nation Address in 2009, there was an issue raised by an Hon Member on the floor whether we should debate this version of the State of the Nation or we should debate what was captured in the Hansard.
Indeed, the President presented a document to the House which the then Hon Majority Leader had to lay for it to become official for us to debate because clearly, there were two versions of the President's State of the Nation Address -- what he actually said and what was in the document that was given to us. So, what the Hon Member is quoting is what the President actually said here.
Prof. Mike Oquaye 12:20 p.m.
And Mr Speaker, just for our general guidance and for due processes of this Honourable House. Whenever, respectfully -- and this is established parliamentary practice and it must be held in whatever matter we are debating upon -- whenever any matter has been captured by Hansard, reference shall be made to the Hansard thereon and then we proceed.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon Member, continue.
Mr Boafo 12:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as I was saying, the Government has not added anything to the stock of equipment and materials that the previous Government left with the security agencies. So, it was through these materials that they have been able to achieve the reduction in armed robbery and also the drug trafficking.
Mr Speaker, there are also certain issues which we must seriously consider as threat to security. And these are the issues which I would like the House to take into account. Mr Speaker, these issues relate mainly to failing promises.
By reference to failing promises, I want to indicate that it is an erosion of public confidence in the Government and it is threat to security. What are these failing promises? Mr Speaker, we talk about the 40 per cent quota that the Government promised the women of this country which they have not been able to fulfil.
Mr Boafo 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am referring to volume 62, number 16 Official Report of Thursday, 19th February, 2009. Mr Speaker, column 474, paragraphs two and three, with your permission, I would like to read:
“Incidentally, this year marks the 100th anniversary of Dr Kwame Nkrumah's birth and as a nation, we should commemorate the event in an appropriate and befitting manner.
Among others, we intend to honour Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's memory with a national holiday to be known as Founder's Day; and we shall be presenting appropriate legislation to Parliament.”
Mr Speaker, there is no legislation on this promise presented to Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, we have also the delayed implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) which is causing low morale, so far as the security agencies are concerned. Now, they live on low salaries and they are expecting the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS). Yet the President was so silent on this issue. The whole nation, the working force, is expecting something from the President --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon Member for Mion, do you have a point of order?
Dr Ahmed Y. Alhassan 12:20 p.m.
The Hon Member is contradicting himself along the way.
A few minutes ago he just said that crime is coming down because of the ingenuity of the security services. He has just said that morale in the security service

is low. How do you achieve this with low morale? It is not right.
Mr Boafo 12:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the morale is low not in general terms but the morale is low in specific terms. [Uproar.] The morale is low in low salaries. The morale is low in poor housing accommodation. The morale is low in lack of incentives. The morale is low in poor health delivery. The morale is low in practically everything that is conceivable to raise the morale of our security agencies.
Mr Speaker, we have also the issue relating to the fuel reduction. Instead of fuel reduction, what we have now is the high level sky-rocketing prices of fuel in this country.
Mr Speaker, we have also the Whistle Blower's Act. What happened in the Odoom's case sends wrong signals to persons who want to proffer information under the Whistle Blower's Act, and this is a threat to security. How can people voluntarily proffer information to the security agencies when they know that if they do that they are going to be exposed?
This is a threat to security and this is something the Government should take into account. Threat to security is not only in terms of lack of equipment to the military or to the police but it is also the way certain issues touching on security issues are handled in this country.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon Majority Leader?
Mr Avoka 12:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, my Hon
Colleague is misleading the House. He says that people do not volunteer
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:20 p.m.
Hon Member, I hope you have got the point of order raised by the Hon Majority Leader? What is your response?
Mr Boafo 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, my response is in respect of the single case of Odoom and Ampong; the former Accountant and the Chief Director of the Ministry of Sports in respect of the case involving our own Hon Member for Asawase, Alhaji Muntaka. Mr Speaker [Interruptions.] These two gentlmen, Mr. Odoom proferred information to the Government. It turned out that he is a victim of unknown circumstances; he has been dismissed and he is being prosecuted. [Interruption]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon Member, under our laws, who is a whistle- blower? [Interruptions.]
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
I want to make a ruling and I need -- [Inter- ruptions.]
Hon Members look at Order 99; under Order 99, the person in the Chair suo moto can bring the House to an order if a Member is breaching the rules. The Hon Majority Leader raised a point and he is trying to supply the information and
I wanted to find out from him, who is a whistle-blower under our law. That is all that I am asking him.
Mr Boafo 12:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, so far as my assessment of the facts of Odoom's case is concerned, in my candid opinion, Odoom could be considered as a whistle blower -- [Interruptions.] Mr Speaker, they are asking about the law. I am a lawyer, the Majority Leader is a lawyer, and with the greater respect, Mr Speaker is a lawyer; you can have a different view from what I hold but it is only the court which could determine that is right or not --
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon Member, if you know, therefore, that it is the court that can pronounce who is a whistle-blower, then on what basis did you say somebody is a whistle-blower? Are you a court? [Laughter.]
Hon Member, this is an issue that involves an Hon Member and he is likely to rise on his feet, especially so when you mentioned his name, and he is entitled to respond. I do not want this debate to degenerate to that level. Yes, so I want you to withdraw and veer away completely from there and continue to make your submission.
Mr Avoka 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to assist this august House. In fact, in the case of the person that he referred to, the court ruled that he is not a whistle-blower. So you cannot mislead the court; you cannot mislead this august House. He is a conspirator; we do not have the judgment here, but we can produce it; the court has ruled, he knows, that Odoom is not a whistle-blower. So he cannot continue to be referring to him as somebody who gave information and he is being victimised. He is misleading the House.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon Members, I would give the Hon Muntaka the opportunity to speak because his name has been mentioned and he has been standing on his feet.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon Muntaka, then I would get to you.
Prof. Oquaye 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, maybe, my intervention may make it unnecessary for the Hon Member to -- [Interruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Very well.
Prof. Oquaye 12:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if the Hon Member happens to speak, maybe, there may be further speeches.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member originally on his feet made a very general statement. My heart jumped when the Majority Leader challenged him to specifics. Mr. Speaker, it was not necessary, respectfully, and I believe it is a way of practice that maybe all of us can adopt in such situations, because they sort of provoke certain reactions
Mr. Speaker, if my Hon Friend, originally on his feet will simply proceed with his line of argument without our further going into this matter, I think it would be very good to everybody. That is my humble opinion.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon Members, thank you very much. I am clear in my mind, based upon the facts available to me in that case, that the people involved who were mentioned are not whistle- blowers.
Hon Member, continue and make your submission. They are not whistle-blowers.
Mr Boafo 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the other issue regarding threat to security is in respect of excessive taxation. Mr. Speaker, the promise was that there was not going to be any excessive tax, but we have an excessive tax on Akpeteshie -- [Inter-ruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon Muntaka, do you have a point of order?
Alhaji Muntaka 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker -- [Inter-ruption..]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Do you have a point of order? What is the Order?
Alhaji Muntaka 12:30 p.m.
I am on my feet because my name was mentioned -- [Interruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
What is the Order?
Alhaji Muntaka 12:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the rules of this House is that any time an Hon Member mentions another Hon Member's name in any matter, the Speaker is to allow the person mentioned to, at least, respond and that is why I am on my feet, for fairness. I need to be heard once he has mentioned my name.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
I agree with you entirely, but the point also is that when you get up on your feet, the rules are very clear, where you want to interrupt. So let us know; it is not only that your name has been mentioned. Maybe, the person who mentioned your name might have said something which is in breach of the rules or in mentioning your name; he has said something which was wrong. That is why your situation is covered under the rules; that is why I am asking you under which Order you are coming.
Alhaji Muntaka 12:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am coming under Order 92 (1) (b). [Pause.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
92 what?
Alhaji Muntaka 12:30 p.m.
92 (1) (b) or even better 86 (5) and Mr. Speaker, with your indulgence, I will quote:
“A Member who has spoken to a Question may again be heard for the purpose of explaining some material part of his speech which has been misunderstood, or vindicating his
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Hon Member, I thought I made a ruling on this matter that the gentleman involved is not a whistle-blower and that speaks for itself, allowing us to have a very civil debate in this matter. Once I have made that ruling, I do not know why you would still want to speak. I agree entirely with you that if your conduct had been impugned, you had a right to rise on a point of order to say what you want to say.
But in so saying, the Hon Member for Akropong, Mr Boafo did not in anyway impugn your conduct, except to say the person was a whistle-blower. He did not attack your conduct to the best of my understanding of what he said; he never attacked your conduct in his speech; he never did.
What the Majority Leader got to find out, to verify was who has been a whistle- blower, who has been exposed and he then mentioned a factor in relation to your case. But he did not attack your conduct and I made a specific ruling that that person is not a whistle-blower. That case is a notorious case, we all know of the case and we say he is not a whistle-blower.
Alhaji Muntaka 12:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, once you have ruled, I leave it at that.
Thank you.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:30 p.m.
Very well.
Hon Member for Akropong, kindly continue.
Mr Boafo 12:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the other leg of threat to security is the persistent interference with the work of the security agencies. [Interruption.] Mr Speaker, we were expecting the President to tell us
something about the nudity parade which took place at Nalerigu and the alleged BNI Official who went about shooting in Chereponi but we did not hear anything about it.
Mr Chireh 12:40 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr
Speaker, the Hon Member on the floor was a Deputy Minister for Defence and he knows that each institution including the police lay before this House a report which includes their activities over the year, including actions they have taken against people. It was not for the President to come and isolate individual cases in the State of the Nation Address. So he should really look at the issue well.
How can a President be reporting on an incident in one village? Can he -- so that was the only incident he knows about? I want him to stick to the principles and what is in the State of the Nation Address and not details as to what disciplinary action has been taken against any person. If he wants the details, he should ask a Question and the Minister for the Interior will give him the Answer.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
Hon
Member, continue.
Mr Boafo 12:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like
to conclude that no amount of political
Mr Boafo 12:40 p.m.


Mr Simon E. Asimah (NDC-- South

Dayi): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to, first, thank the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Prof John Evans Atta Mills for the eloquent and creditable manner in which the State of the Nation Address was presented, and also to contribute to the debate on the floor of the House.

Mr Speaker, there is one thing that

I want to quote under “money in our pockets”, page 8 of the State of the Nation Address and with your permission, I quote:

“We took over a run-down economy characterized by unbridled spen- ding and far too much sole-sourcing that did not offer value for money.”

Mr Speaker, we all know that this

country was in a very chaotic economic situation when the NDC took over and this is what the President referred to. Mr Speaker, we all know that drilling a borehole in Ghana costs about GH¢4,500 without a pump. We also know that when one installs a pump with a borehole, one would be paying GH¢5,500 [Inter- ruption.] But Mr Speaker, I hope my Hon Colleague would do me a favour because I have been in the water sector for the past 14 years.
Mr Dominic B. A. Nitiwul 12:40 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, I come under Standing Order 92 (1) (b). Mr Speaker, the Hon Member is seriously misleading the House when he states on authority that we all know that when you drill a borehole without a pump, it would cost GH¢5,000. Where is the evidence? There are several companies in Ghana which have various prices when they drill. For him to come and tell us in this House without giving evidence, that it costs GH¢5,000, Mr Speaker, he should withdraw or give us the evidence because I know that a place like the Northern Region where the water table is very deep, it would cost more to drill a borehole than in the Eastern Region where the water level is shorter. So for him to come and profess to be a professor of what he does not know, he should come back -- [Interruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
Hon
Member, he is giving a certain figure and you are also giving a certain figure. So you are disputing his figure and you say he should produce evidence but you, the one disputing the figure too, has not made any figure available to the Chair.
Hon Member, continue.
Mr Asimah 12:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, like I was
saying, if we look at what happened under the NPP Administration in the area of borehole drilling, we would weep for this country. Mr Speaker, I have a document in my hand from the Public Procurement Authority where an approval was given to the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) and with your permission, I read:
“Application for sole-sourcing for drilling of boreholes in vulnerable and guinea worm-endemic com- munities in Ghana.
Mr Opare-Ansah 12:40 p.m.
On a point of order.
Mr Speaker, I come under Standing Order 93 (4) and I cannot see the relevance of what the Hon Member is saying to the subject under debate. Besides, he is flashing a document that he is the only one holding a copy of -- probably, because he was in charge of that same department at the time and he now wants to put the blame on the NPP because he has run to the other side.
Mr Speaker, I suspect he was the Director at the time and he was responsible for causing whatever damage he is trying to lay at the doorsteps of the NPP. He should share the document with us and let us see who signed it; otherwise, there is no relevance to this debate on the State of the Nation Address and he should stop proceeding in that direction.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:40 p.m.
Hon
Member, kindly continue and make your contribution, except that Hon Members who want to see copies of the document, make them available to them.
Mr Asimah 12:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I continue.
“After a careful study of the corres-pondence and attachment, the authority is satisfied with the information provided and hereby wishes to inform you that in accordance with sub-section 40 of Act 663, approval is granted you to sole source the underlisted companies for the construction of 795 boreholes, five boreholes per district in ten regions at a total cost of $4,860,000.00”
Mr Speaker, the issue is that approval
has been given to drill a borehole in each district, five for that matter at a cost of $6,000 per borehole. But we know that
in Ghana -- and I am saying that I have worked in the sector for 14 solid years. Nobody can challenge me on that; I know what I am talking about -- Instead of $4,500, it was to be drilled at $6,000 --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon Member, I do not know the point you are trying to make, but I must say that, there is no law that fixes the price for the drilling of boreholes. I do not want to take part in the debate, but I know people are quoting, 7,000, 8,000 at certain places. You are quoting in dollars and the exchange rate and other factors have to be taken into account. So if you can veer away from that point and make the submission you want to make --
Mr Asimah 12:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you.
Mr Opare-Ansah 12:50 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr Speaker, the Hon Member on his feet should remind himself that the Procurement Act is an Act of Parliament, and it does provide for sole-sourcing. The person that made the application to the Public Procurement Board (PPB) must have made their case, based on which the PPB then made this decision and communicated to them.
Unfortunately, he is only communica- ting to the House by reading a portion of the communication which is the response from the PPB, giving approval for the sole-
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon
Member, I have already given a certain direction to him. If your submission has been that within the industry that you have come from, the Government of Ghana has set a certain ceiling and that document that you have, has exceeded that ceiling, then you will be making a point.
But reading that document per se without telling us that there is a certain directive that we should not go beyond it, and that that document sought to go beyond a certain ceiling within the water sector, then there is a difficulty in the way you are going. So kindly take that on board and make your submission.
Mr Asimah 12:50 p.m.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr Speaker, the point I am making is that, they are right that, one cannot have six thousand across the board, but that is what this document is saying -- [Inter-ruption.] In each region, you drill a borehole for six thousand, it is not correct. And I am saying that experience has shown that the average cost of drilling a borehole is $4,500, that is what I am saying. But Mr Speaker -- [Intaerruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Hon Asimah, I have given a certain direction on this matter. So you proceed along these lines and make your submission.
Mr Asimah 12:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I want to continue with my submission, and here, I quote from page 18 of the Message delivered by the President -- [Pause.]
“It is a matter of fact that the exclusive National Honours Class of the “Order of the Star and Eagles of Ghana” awardable only to Presidents of Ghana is discrimina-tory and inappropriate. I have therefore decided that the National Honours Instrument of 2008 which created that Class should be repealed.”
Mr Joe Baidoe-Ansah 12:50 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr Speaker, the Hon Member just said that the award shows that the President is non-partisan and non- discriminatory. Mr Speaker, by what he said, he is inferring that the award was brought for partisan and discriminatory reasons -- [Interruption.] Mr Speaker, I believe that that statement is really uncalled for. It is uncalled for because it is a national award, it is an award by this nation.
So for him to describe the act in that derogatory term, is not fair, and he needs to withdraw what he said, it is not fair. That was not what the President said, he did not say it is partisan. And it does not lie in his mouth to interpret it as partisan because if it is a presidential award, no matter who the President is, that person is entitled to an award.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:50 p.m.
Maybe, he is referring to the party of the Presidents -- [Laughter.]
Mr Baidoe-Ansah 12:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, what he said was that it is partisan and discriminatory. The award has nothing to do with any particular party. It is an award that is due to any member of our society who becomes a President. Whether one is NDC, whether one is NPP, whether one is Independent, the award says that whoever occupies that seat as President is entitled to it. So it cannot be partisan.
Mr Avoka 12:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with due respect, his point of order is not in order at all. When he says the Order or the award was discriminatory, it is a fact, because it is meant for a particular group of people; you must be a President before. Yes, it is a fact,
that is a fact. And if he says it is partisan, it means that it is related to a particular group of people, Presidents. That is partisan. It means it does not apply to everybody; that means it applies to a peculiar group of people, a certain set of people, that is partisan. It does not mean that you must be with party A or party B, no. It belongs to a peculiar group or identifiable group of people and that makes it identifiable, that is partisan. So the Hon Member is not addressing the issue.
Mr Asimah 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I just want to continue by saying that the President is non-partisan, non-discriminatory and he will continue to look at all Ghanaians as Ghanaians. It is for this reason that he is saying that he will bring back the Non Discriminatory Honours Warrant of 1st July 1960 executed by the first President of this country, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
I am calling on all Hon Members that when this Instrument is brought before this House, we should all support it because it is the only way by which we will stop the self-glorification. It is the only way by which we will stop the discrimination. It is the only way that the President of Ghana would not award himself.
I thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the floor of Parliament.
Dr Matthew O. Prempeh (NPP -- Manhyia) 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise to contribute to the debate on the motion on the Address of His Excellency John Mills without Atta. It was the State of the Nation and that only could have been the Address from 19th February, 2009 till he spoke to us on 25th February, 2010. On 19th February, after about a month in
Mr Opare-Ansah 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker, you directed the Hon Member who just finished making his submission -- that when he is done with his submission, he should lay the document that he was quoting from and we would like to see it laid now.
Thank you.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
I did not direct that he should lay it. I directed that he should make copies available to those who want to see it.
Hon Asimah, make the copy of the document available to the Hon Minority Chief Whip.
Mr Opare-Ansah 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe the proper thing -- I did request that he lays it. So I believe the appropriate way by which all Hon Members can have copies is when he lays it so that the Table Office prints copies for us.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
Hon Member, I have directed that he should make a copy available to you.
Hon Prempeh, you have the floor.
Dr Prempeh 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker, 19th February 2009, I quote my President:
“Last December, the people of Ghana sat in judgement and ruled in favour of NDC and our agenda for a better Ghana.”
So everything that was said was for the betterment of Ghana. “So far so much better”, the President tells us after a year in office. In 2009 in his State of the Nation Address, certain emphatic pronounce- ments were made, like,
1) A Legislation will be put in effect to guarantee a Founder's Day on behalf of Osagyefo -- which was not achieved.
Mr Chireh 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order of relevance. We are debating the Statement delivered by the President. I want my Colleague there to address the issues here. Instead of him to start by deviating, I hope that he will go to the point and raise issues with this present Statement before the House, and not go over what his Colleagues have already said and wasting our time. He should be relevant.
Dr Prempeh 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am talking about a President who said all he said last year, and we should not take it?
He came to this House to say this time, his word is his word. I do not know which word he was talking about.
Mr Speaker, in 2009, we were told there would be a Presidential Transition Bill, which was not done. On page 7, he said he would bring to closure those who killed Ya-Na and it has not been done. He told us that Issah Mobilla and the several women who were killed, he would bring them to a closure and he has not done it.
Mr Speaker, more importantly, these
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
Hon Muntaka, is it a point of order?
Alhaji Muntaka 1 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker. My Colleague is grossly misleading this House. Mr Speaker, this House, we are very much aware that the President works through his Ministers. The Presidency works through Ministers and there is a “Meet-the-Press” series which happen every month in this country. He is very much aware of that.
He should also remind himself that in that same State of the Nation Address, the President was speaking after an election and he was talking in terms of the 4-year mandate given him. So he cannot say that all that he said were things that he had to do in a day. Most of the things that he is saying are in the pipeline and they are coming.
So Mr Speaker, he should address himself to the issues -- the President works through Ministers.
Dr Prempeh 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker, he said he will begin a monthly radio broadcast to

1.10 p..m.
Dr Ahmed Y. Alhassan 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
I think my Friend is seriously misleading this House.
First of all, instead of debating the motion, he is debating some other motion. That is number one.
Number two, in all cases, I agree with him that he is very good at listing what the President said but he should tell us what time frame the President gave to fulfil those promises before he can be held accountable one year on, for not fulfilling those promises.
Dr Prempeh 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if my Hon

Mr. Speaker, more importantly, when he promised a constitutional review last year in this Budget, he has fulfilled it and he came to tell us he has fulfilled it. So the President himself, starting from 2009 to 2010 -- let me start from where he began and I will continue and stop where he ended.

In the National Health Insurance

Scheme, it is unfortunate that Mr Speaker, you are the Chairman of the Board and you are presiding and so it might not be palatable but I will say it. The Government owes the National Health Insurance Scheme GH¢150 million, and that was contained in the report that the National Health Insurance Secretariat presented to the Committee on Health just last week -- GH¢150 million is in arrears
Mr Chireh 1 p.m.
On a point of order. I
think that my Friend knows how to dramatize issues but the documents he is referring to and the reasons he is giving for dramatization of a crisis that does not exist -- I plead with him to stick to the debate and raise issues relevant to the debate. He should not be referring to documents that he has not presented to us and we are not privy to.

We are talking about one-quarter but this was for five whole years to pay back what Government owed the Common Fund. I want him to stick to the debate and not introduce extraneous matters, unrelated to what we are debating today.
Mr. First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
Hon
Dr Prempeh 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think, in swathing, that contribution has ruled in my favour, so I will continue.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
Hon
Member, I have not made any ruling -- [Laughter] -- I asked you to continue.
Dr Prempeh 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker, will you
rule? An admission of the fact that the third quarter of the District Assemblies Common Fund has not been paid is honesty in Government and I admire him for his honesty but that honesty should go forward. One does not pay for the fourth quarter when one owes the third quarter. That is the chicanery of their behaviour; that is the trickery of their actions.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
Hon
Member, the point that he has made -- I did not want to make a ruling because I thought that you had got a point and I just wanted you to continue.
Dr Prempeh 1 p.m.
All right, let me continue.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
The
point that the Hon Minister for Local Government and Rural Development made that this is not the first time that they have to restructure debts -- In 2002 -- [Interruptions.] He mentioned it. He said that in 2002 they restructured -- [Interruptions.] Hon Member, he says that it was done in 2002 and so you should take that on board in your debate.
Mr Asamoah Ofosu 1 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
we are talking of “a better Ghana”. If we always want to talk about first time, is that why the President said this is not the first time Ministers are taking their girlfriends abroad; this is not the first time Common Fund has not been paid; this is not the first time -- then we will never end?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
Hon
Member, you are totally out of order. Continue.
Dr Prempeh 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, on the state of health, I want to quote the Constitution before I continue, article 34 (2) and it reads:
“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; (of the Constitution, Directive Principle of State Policy) 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”.
rose
Dr Prempeh 1 p.m.
Oh, quoting the Constitution, too, Standing Orders? [Interruptions.]
Mr Cletus Avoka 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, my Hon Colleague is quoting the wrong article in the Constitution under which the President addressed this House. Mr. Speaker, I refer him to article 67. Mr. Speaker, Article 67 reads and with your kind permission, I want to quote:
“The President shall, at the beginning of each session of Parliament and before a dissolution of Parliament deliver to Parliament a message on the state of the nation”.
So this is the beginning of the session of Parliament that he has come to address us. So he is coming under article 67 of the Constitution not 34. Article 34 means he can come any time during the course of the year or during the course of the life of Parliament and address us. So he is coming under Article 67 and not article
34. He is misleading the House by quoting the wrong article of the Constitution under which the President delivered the State of the Nation Address.
Dr Prempeh 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I am
waiting for your ruling.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1 p.m.
Hon
Member, if you want my ruling, my ruling is that the President came under article 67, the other article 34 (2) that you quoted talks about a report. So it can be in the form of a report submitted to this House and not necessarily coming to address this House in a form of a report. To that extent you are talking about two separate things.
Dr Prempeh 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, it has gone
on record, this ruling you have given and I will quote you sometime in future. Thank you; I will like to veer.
When I compare 2009 Message on the State of the Nation, it was comprehensive and it was detailed and in 2010, it was sketchy, evasive and out of order -
Mr Speaker, on the state of health, from Wa through Bolgatanga, Zabzugu / Tatale to Keta, including Enchi, the health system is crumbling.
Alhaji Muntaka 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I
believe yesterday my Hon Colleague was not in the chamber?
Dr Prempeh 1 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday does not matter.
Alhaji Muntaka 1 p.m.
When he says it is collapsing, he is grossly misleading
the House. One, Mr. Speaker, the sub- scription to the National Health Insurance Scheme has increase by about 1.9 million over the last one year.
Mr. Speaker, in terms of payments to providers, the increase is 198 per cent as against the previous year. Mr. Speaker, if we are talking about the numbers of free maternal care it has gone up by 88.9 per cent, Mr. Speaker, if we are talking about even outstanding Bills to be paid as we speak now, the outstanding Bill is 76 million Ghana cedis. Same time last the outstanding bill was over one hundred million Ghana cedis.
Mr Speaker, So if my Hon Colleague rises and creates the impression that the Scheme is being collapsed, then I want him to provide the basis in terms of figures and substantiated evidence that the Scheme is collapsing. The Scheme is doing far better today than a year ago.
Dr Prempeh 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I thank him for his enlightenment that in the NDC Government of 2009 the Schemes was owed ¢100 million and in the NDC Government of 2010 it is owed ¢76 million. I thank him for that enlightenment -- arrears here, arrears there, arrears every-where -- [Interruptions.] Get Fund --arrears! [Interruptions]-- Mr Speaker, I want to continue.
Mr Wisdom Gidisu 1:20 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, the Hon Deputy Ranking Member who is also my best Friend is misleading the House. In 2007, on the Health Committee we had the chance to tour the whole country. We saw the problems on the ground.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Dr. Prempeh, kindly continue.
Dr Prempeh 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I will want to plead with your Chair that if the Hon Member feels enlightened enough to speak he should submit his name to his front bench and bring his comments. These are unwarranted, unnecessary, and in fact -- I would like to continue.
The basic necessities of life are food, shelter and clothing. So when you have a responsible government, it thinks about all the three things. So, in our President's Message he highlighted all those three things. He highlighted housing, food, shelter and clothing. He highlighted shelter. Our President told us how it is an eyesore to see children sleeping around and so he had sent his Vice-President to
go to Korea “to put the nail in the coffin”.
I have said and I repeat, that when the coffin is brought to Ghana we on this side will never go to that funeral because housing is very important to Ghanaians.
Mr Raphael K. Ahaligah 1:20 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr. Speaker, the Hon Member -- [Interruptions.] I am a senior citizen and I know so much in this country. I want to tell him that during their time -- [Interruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Order!
Mr Ahaligah 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I want to tell him that during their time, throughout the whole country, they built houses half way, quarter way, whatever it is and locked them -- [Interruption.] So what is he talking about?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Hon Member, that is a point of argument.
Dr Prempeh 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, a social democratic government like what we have in place will champion the cause of the poor and the vulnerable in society and I applaud the Government for that but we should put our words and our money where our mouth is.
Mr Speaker, when it comes to addressing issues of the vulnerable and the poor in society, let us listen to what has happened in the last year. When we started the School Feeding Programme, some people came and destroyed it; when we started mass transport, some people came and dismantled it; when we started affordable housing project, some people came and discontinued it; when we started the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) --
It was unbelievable that my President will speak out of script and say that he did not promise to put money in the Ghanaian pocket. The LEAP project put money directly in the pockets of people. And when you came, what have you done? You have thrown it away --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:20 p.m.
Hon Member, start winding up because I do not want to take any interruption from your end. So kindly wind up and --
Dr Prempeh 1:20 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, there has been a government in this country that had instituted the National Health Insurance Scheme; there is a government in this country now that wants to continue with the National Health Insurance Scheme but when the right hand is trying to do well with the National Health Insurance Scheme, the left hand is not paying the statutory payments; that is my worry. When one sits in the National Health Insurance Authority trying to do good for Ghanaians, somebody in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning is starving him of funds. We must be held responsible, that is what I want.
Mr Speaker, before I end, as you want me to end, if this Government cannot expand LEAP, if this Government cannot expand the School Feeding Programme,
Mr Fritz F. Baffour (NDC - Ablekuma South) 1:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for granting me this opportunity to contribute to this motion. [Some Hon Members: You are reading.] I am too tall so I have to bend. [Laughter.] Thank you for granting me this opportunity to contribute to this motion to thank His Excellency President John Atta Mills for his impressive State of the Nation Address to Parliament so ably moved by my Hon Colleague from Garu/Tempane, Mr Dominic Azumah.
I would like to dwell on one or two aspects of the President's Message, the first being his acknowledgement that the NDC Government cannot do it all but would need honest and sincere inputs from the Opposition or Minority grouping in Parliament or without. Honesty and sincerety are what I will stress on.
It seems as if sometimes our partisan considerations become too important for us because we want to score points, grand- stand and play, act in a manner that does not augur well for this country of ours.
I am also exceedingly glad, if I want to talk about the aspect of the oil and gas industry -- I was pleasantly very, very happy when he mentioned my late father Dr R. P. Baffour, in saying that if the oil and gas resources of this country are managed well enough, we will be able to embark on certain interventions that would accelerate the development of this country.
One of my Hon Colleagues said that they had evaluated the iron and steel industry, and found it too expensive. But
Mr Opare-Ansah 1:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member on his feet is misleading this House, the entire nation and trying to change the course of history.
Mr Speaker, I would like to remind him that nations like Singapore do not have vibrant steel industries and yet they are developed. So if he wants to say that some nations or most nations that devel- oped early on during the steel age did so because they had vibrant iron and steel industries, he should correct himself. He should not say that no nation has devel- oped without iron and steel industries. There are many examples of developed nations today that have no iron and steel industries whatsoever.
Mr Baffour 1:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague on the other side of the House is aware that certain iron and steel prod- ucts are produced in Singapore and in Malaysia. Do we have a car industry in this country? And where do we get our raw materials from, if we do not have an iron and steel industry or a nearby iron and steel industry in this country? Where? Singapore has got Japan; it has got Korea; it has got all those countries around it, very close to it. We do not have it.
I am talking about a vibrant iron and steel industry and we have the capability of doing so. But that is not the crux of my debate. The crux of my debate is that when the President mentioned at a certain time some of the developments that he was embarking on, we heard the word “slow” and then he interjected “but sure”.
I was a little mortified then because the thing is not “slow” but “sure” but “steady
Mr Baffour 1:30 p.m.


and sure”. Because in our -- [Interrup- tions] -- The words “steady and sure” are more applicable to this Government because this Government inherited an economy -- [Inter-ruptions]-- and the litany will continue. A run-down econo- my; an economy that was chaotic, ill-run and ill-managed.
Mrs Catherine A. Afeku 1:30 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr Speaker, I have a copy of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) doc- ument with the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning's name on it and on page three, Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies, 2009 -- 2012 -- It actually states that recent economic and social achievements, real GDP -- [Inter- ruptions.] I am trying to correct the Hon Member; he says they inherited a chaotic economy and there is a document here to disprove that fact.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
Hon Member, make your point straightaway?
Mrs Afeku 1:30 p.m.
The point here is that the Hon Minister for Finance and Eco- nomic Planning travelled all the way to Washington DC and hailed and praised his predecessor; he actually said, “We took over from a 3.7 per cent GDP to 7.3 per cent in 2008”; it is here. So please, he should withdraw that statement; they did not inherit a chaotic economy.
Thank you.
Mr Avoka 1:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, I must apol- ogise that I did not make this intervention earlier in the morning. But the Business Committee, in consultation with Madam Speaker, has agreed that in view of the volume of work today, there will be an extended Sitting.
We agreed that we will take four Hon Members from each side of the House for the morning session, take an hour break, take lunch and come back and continue. So Hon J. B. Aidoo will be the fourth Hon Member to speak on the Minority side of the House and there will be one Hon Member to speak from this side of the House and we will take a break after that.
We are organizing lunch for Hon Mem-
bers because they will not have time to go to town and eat and come back. After that we will ring the bell and come back and take a few more Hon Members to speak or do some little work before we close for the day.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Majority Leader. I have been duly briefed. So for now, the last per- son before we suspend the discussion on the State of the Nation Address is Hon J. B. Aidoo and we will take one Hon Member from the Majority side of the House.
What I did not get clear from my brief- ing is whether we are going to continue with the other item or we are breaking completely. Because the understanding I got from my brief was that after this, we will suspend the debate on the State of the Nation Address and go on to consider the Alternative Dispute Resolution Bill, 2009.
Then after, we will get back to look at the debate on the State of the Nation. So let us get that clarified for the Chair, so that we know exactly what we are doing.
Mr Baffour 1:30 p.m.
The litany of promises -- Ghana School Feeding Programme has become a model for developing nations. We are now trying to sort it out. The railway sector, $90 million from the Euro bond -- [Interruption.]
Mr K. T. Hammond 1:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, he is making his contribution but kindly advise him to posit it within a context. He is telling us about what we may have said in 2000 which he says we have not done. He is not telling us those who collapsed those industries and those who sold them to themselves to start with. That, he is not talking about. So he has to talk about that before he talks about the promises which he says we did not fulfill.
Thank you Mr Speaker -- [Interrup- tions.] They know that they sold them for themselves to their companies.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
Hon Member, kindly continue.
Mr Baffour 1:30 p.m.
Unlike some of my Hon Colleagues, I am going to be brief.
The railway sector -- we were go- ing to get US$90 million from the Euro bond to finance rehabilitation. I think we are restructuring the financing for the rail- ways. And the real estate worker housing scheme, the “Job 600”, all of them have not been started. So when we talk about the litany of promises, I think we have got to look in the mirror. I think the Minority should look in the mirror. The thing is that, we have a President who is sincere, honest, and has decided to put together a vibrant economy based on a very strong founda- tion and not on unnecessary risk-taking.
On that note, I would like to con-grat- ulate the President for his Address and thank him most profusely for a wonderful Address.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
Very well. My plan is that after the first four Hon Members, as you rightly mentioned, the Second Deputy Speaker will take the Chair from there. So that is what we will do so that those presiding also do not collapse.
Mr Avoka 1:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, so the under-
standing is that we continue the debate.
Mrs Gifty Ohene-Konadu 1:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am raising a concern. I overhead the last Hon Member who spoke asking where the Pwalugu Tomato Factory and Juapong Textiles Factory are located -- [Interruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
Hon Member, you know that you are using the back-door. You are using the back-door, so I have called Hon J. B. Aidoo. He has the floor.
Mrs Ohene-Konadu 1:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
want to show him where they are because the Hon Minister for Trade and Industry visited the Pwalugu Tomato Factory re- cently. So I want to show him where they are. [Interruptions.] Allow me.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:30 p.m.
Hon Mem- bers, we are continuing. Those who want to go out can go out and come back. Hon J. B. Aidoo, you have the floor.
Mr Joseph B. Aidoo (NPP -- Amenfi East) 1:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for this opportunity, for me to continue with the contribution to the debate.
Mr Speaker, I am on my feet to associ- ate myself with the motion on the floor of the House. And Mr Speaker, I will start by saying that the State of the Nation Address is a communication from the President of Ghana in which the Chief Executive of the land reports on the condition of the
cally on the platform of this particular paragraph. Mr Speaker, I will want to refer Hon Members to the NDC Manifesto because the President has indicated that he and his team are committed to the prom- ises in the NDC Manifesto. Mr. Speaker, the “King James Version” of the NDC Manifesto -- [Laughter.] -- the one I am holding -- Mr Speaker, when you go to pages 16 and 17, within two years in office -- and this is what he indicated. And Mr Speaker, I beg to quote:
“The NDC will mobilize additional external resources to be able to ex- pand and improve the quality of the School Feeding Programme to cover all primary schools countrywide.”
They will do this within two years [In- terruptions.] All that I am saying is that we will hold the President and his team to their words; we expect that by the end of this year, all primary schools country- wide, without exception, should be part of the School Feeding Programme. We want Ghanaians to take note of this.
Mr Speaker, what does the NDC Manifesto say about taxes? Mr Speaker, again, in the “King James Version” of the NDC Manifesto, I will refer this august House to page 45, and this is what the NDC Manifesto says:
“The new NDC Government will not introduce any new taxes. Fur- ther, tax policy will be used to en- courage people to work. Individuals should be taxed less”.
Mr Alfred W. G. Abayateye 1:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on a point of order. My Hon Friend on the floor says “King James Version” of the NDC Manifesto. The
Mr Avoka 1:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, our intention is that we will continue with the debate on the State of the Nation Address when we come back from the break. The Chair- man of the Committee on Cons-titutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and the learned Minister for Justice and Attor- ney-General are not available for us to take the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Bill.
Mr Opare-Ansah 1:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe in the consultations that we held early on, we had wanted to take into con- sideration the ADR, but since we noticed that the Minister for Justice and Attor- ney-General is not available, I think I will agree with the suggestion that we continue with the State of the Nation Address when we return from the break.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Hon Members, should we break or we should continue? I think that from experience in this House, people can go to eat and come, one at a time, while we continue. This is because when we break completely, get- ting Hon Members back to the floor of this House, from my experience, is extremely difficult.
Mr Opare-Ansah 1:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, indeed, the suggestion early on had been that Hon Members will slip out in threes, fours and fives to take lunch and come back while debate continues. But Madam Speaker was of the opinion that we tried it before during the Budget Statement and we could break and actually come back.
So it depends on the sense of the House; if we think we can go and eat while debate continues and come back to join in, that even gives us more room for the debate and also to be able to complete the day's

country.

Mr Speaker, we expect nothing less

than that; the Chief Executive of the country, should come to the floor of the House to report on the condition of the country. Mr Speaker, this is what the Chief Executive, in accordance with our Constitution, rightly did. And he summed up, Mr Speaker, if you take the State of the Nation Address -- I am talking about the Official Report because there are so many versions. I will refer you to the Official Report of Thursday, 25th February, 2010, column 1292. Mr Speaker, with your per- mission, I quote:

“The State of the Nation is good!”

He went on to say that

“It is so far much better.”

Mr Speaker, further, in the same col- umn, paragraph 6, the President said and with your indulgence, I quote:

“Madam Speaker, I must also say that --”
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Hon Mem-
bers, I refer you to Standing Order 40 (3) that having regard to the state of the busi- ness of the House, I direct that Sitting be held outside the prescribed period.
Hon Member, continue?
Mr J. B. Aidoo 1:40 p.m.
Thank you Mr.
Speaker. Mr Speaker, I am quoting what the President said:
“Madam Speaker, I must also say that there is still a huge amount of work to be done -- but you can be sure that your President and the team that he leads are committed to our manifesto promises.”
Mr Speaker, I am going to base my argument and my contribution specifi-

individuals by reducing individual tax rate”.

Mr Speaker, what do we find today? And the President says that he is com- mitted to his promises, NDC Manifesto promises. Mr Speaker, I want to find out if the President knows about the anxieties out there. I want to know if the President really knows the struggles out there. Peo- ple are suffering.

Mr Speaker, Ghanaians are crushing under basket-load of taxes. That is what is happening now and that is the condition of the state at the moment. That is what we expected the President to come to the floor of the House to announce to Ghanaians.

Taxes have increased. They said they were not going to introduce any new tax, they introduced a tax. on fuel. Do they know the implication? Mr Speaker, they introduced a tax on food, because once they introduce a tax on wheat -- we do not produce wheat in Ghana -- it means that the ordinary food, bread is going to be affected.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Hon Wis- dom Gidisu, do you have a point of order?
Mr Wisdom Gidisu 1:40 p.m.
Precisely so, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, I think we have a document in front of us and that is exactly what everybody is expected to speak on. But my Hon Colleague, for the past 10 minutes that he stood on his feet, con- tinues to read from a different document. Mr Speaker, we are not speaking on the Manifesto of NDC; we are talking about the State of the Nation Address delivered to this House. Mr. Speaker, he must be called to order.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Hon Mem- ber, the Hon Member, before quoting from the Manifesto indicated that the President referred to the Manifesto in the State of his Nation Address. So he can refer to it to make his submission. What he cannot do is to debate as if the issue before us is the debate on the NDC Manifesto. But he can make reference to it to support his point. He can make reference to the Manifesto to support his point but he should not debate as if the whole debate is about the NDC Manifesto.

Hon Aidoo, have you finished your submission?
Mr J. B. Aidoo 1:40 p.m.
No, Mr Speaker, I have not finished. But the point is that when an Hon Member is on the floor, it could be -- [Interruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Hon Member, he has made the point and I have made my ruling, and I have called you to continue your submission.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 1:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am making these references because last year when the President of the United States of America came to the country and appeared before this august House and the nation, our own President, Professor Atta Mills indicated that there were certain elements that he and President Obama shared in common.
Now, when you take the State of the Nation Address of Ghana and you take the State of the Union Address of the United States of America, Mr Speaker, you would come to realize that what I am doing here now is really pointing to the indicators of what had been expected in the President's Address -- conditions in Ghana. That is what we are talking about, that is what we expected from the President -- nothing
else.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Hon Mem- ber for Sege, as much as possible, I will be very strict with the Orders. So if you do not have a strict point of order, do not get up. Do you have a point of order?
Mr Abayateye 1:40 p.m.
Yes, please.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
I am lis- tening to your point of order.
Mr Abayateye 1:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague has stated that even sachet water is with tax. Please, the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning has come out to say that “pure water”, sachet water is not among -- [Interruptions.] It is in the newspapers. So he is misleading the whole country.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
The point being made is that they are not collecting taxes on sachet water. That is the point being made.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Hon Dep- uty Majority Leader, is it a point of order?
Mr Pelpuo 1:40 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker, a point of correction. The Hon Member has talked about the fact that we promised not to tax individuals and he said at the end that today there are taxes all over. And it is still true that the taxes are not about individuals, they are corporate taxes. So it is true, the Manifesto is true that we are not taxing individual Ghanaians. These are corporate taxes and he should take note of that.
Manifesto of the NDC is not in versions, so I want him to come clear on where he is quoting from. We want to know where is the King James Version of the NDC Manifesto.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:40 p.m.
Hon Mem- ber, they have not written “King James” on the document you are holding. They have not put “King James Version” on it. At least, you have exhibited the document to all of us to see which shows that it is a legitimate document to quote from but it is not a “King James Version”, so continue.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 1:50 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is not the practice of Hon Members to debate Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, you rightly know that at the Appointments Committee where you and I are members -- you are the Chairman -- Mr Speaker, this issue of which version of the NDC Manifesto came up and there was one manifesto which was signed; there was another which was not signed. Eventually, the one I am holding, which has not been signed, was dubbed the “King James Version” of the NDC Manifesto -- [Interruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
Hon Mem- ber, there was no decision by anybody that that one should be called “King James Version”. That is the point I am making. But I said the document you are holding is a legitimate one. You can quote from it and make your submission.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 1:50 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I will quote -- and quote copiously -- from this document. Mr Speaker, this is what the Minifesto says --
“Individuals should be taxed less, Ghanaians should be taxed less; to create adequate incentive for work and increase productivity. People should decide how to spend their money. The NDC tax policy will be to increase the disposable income of
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:50 p.m.
So let me hear from you first, then I will hear from the Hon Majority Leader.
Mr Hammond 1:50 p.m.
I will Sit in the mid- dle next time.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
Hon K. T. Hammond, you know how we address ourselves in this House.
Mr Hammond 2 p.m.
Hon Member for Sege, he wants to speak for the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, he should not misquote him. We were in this House. This House enacted a Bill into a law which put that tax on water. We were all here. He purports to speak for the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Plan- ning who is not here and he wants to lie to this House. You cannot do it. He should not come here and lie on behalf of Hon Ministers who are not here.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
Hon Ma- jority Leader?
Mr Avoka 2 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
Hon Majority Leader, the point being made is that, if Parliament has enacted a law, do you review the law by a press statement or you come back to this House to review it? I think that the proper thing to do, Hon Majority Leader, I know that if indeed -- the law is that -- if what he is saying is true that we passed that law, as he is alleging, if it is true, I do not have the law before me, then if that law is there, the proper thing to do is to come back to review or revise it.
Mr Avoka 2 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, that is the correct position. But sachet water was not included in the law. It was not included. It was not part of the law.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
Hon Sec- ond Deputy Speaker.
Prof. Mike Oquaye 2 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the power to impose tax, make laws, this power rests with us and we must jealously guard it.
Mr Speaker, we all know also that something which is written cannot be expunged by mouth -- fundamental principle of law. Mr Speaker, the law is so clear that the application thereof by the VAT Service is illustrated by what has been given.
Mr Speaker, if this is being contended by any person, body or authority, that per- son should stop talking about it, he should come to this Honourable House and do the proper thing.
Alhaji Muntaka 2 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this House did not pass any law imposing taxes on sachet water; it has not. [Interruption.] Go and look for the law for us to read it now. We never. There was an ambiguity on those who were to implement it. And the argument came even from the Hon
Chairman of the Finance Committee that so far as this Parliament was concerned, that law did not include sachet water.
Therefore, subsequently, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in- structed the VAT Service not to include it. It is not as though the law was passed, the sachet was part of it and now someone sits outside Parliament to review it. This House never added sachet water.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
Hon Mem- bers, I do not have the law before me and it is difficult to know whether sachet water is included or not because we passed the law in this House.
Yes, Hon Member for Sege, I would take you and take Hon Majority Leader on this matter and take Hon K. T. Hammond.
Mr Abayateye 2 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am the Hon Vice-Chairman of the Finance Com- mittee and when we were deliberating on that -- Hon Papa Owusu-Ankomah is sitting straight before me, he was there -- when we were deliberating this issue, they made it plain to us that sachet water was not part of it. I am holding in my hand the Daily Graphic of March 2 -- “NO TAX ON SACHET WATER” on its front page. With your permission, I want to quote -- [Interruptions.] The law which was passed is Act 787; it specified :

“The Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning explained in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday that the Ministry had not touched the law in any form but he believes that since sachet water was an identifiable item with a specific name, it would have been expressly captured as sachet water under the Act if the rationale for the . . .”
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have a lot of respect for the new Hon Deputy Majority Leader, but on this note, on this very score, I will beg to differ. Mr Speak- er, before I make every point, I have my basis, I have my basis for doing so.
Mr Speaker, when we take the Daily Graphic, Friday, 26th February, 2010, page 40, there is an advertisement from VAT Service and Mr Speaker, with your permission, I quote -- [Interruptions.] -- Advertisements, Daily Graphic -- it is not coming from me Aidoo, it is coming from VAT Service.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
What date of the Daily Graphic?
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2 p.m.
Friday, 26th Febru- ary, 2010 -- last week Friday, page 40. This is the advertisement and Mr Speaker, with your permission, I read:
“The VAT Service wishes to inform the general public and in particular producers of distilled, bottled and other packaged water (including sachet water) . . . ”
It is here, including “sachet water”. [Interruptions.] The Act 787 of 2009 imposes 20 per cent ad valorem excise duty on the above-mentioned products. Mr Speaker, this is coming from VAT Office, and when you impose a tax of 20 per cent on sachet pure water, do you know the implication? Workers, ordinary workers, labourers who are working and sweating in the sun, you impose 20 per cent --[Interruption.]
Several Hon Members -- rose --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
Yes, I will take two on this one, because you are now acting as the --
Mr K. T. Hammond 2 p.m.
That is right, the Leader of the Minority -- [Laughter.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2 p.m.
Hon Mem-
bers, I have taken note of the fact that the recently passed Interpretation Act says that we can make reference to parliamentary documents, if I should just put it broadly. The Hon Members of the Finance Com- mittee are telling us that, when they were bringing the Report to the House, they were clear in their minds that sachet water was not included. And they mentioned no other person than the former Leader of this House, the Hon Member for Sekondi. I would call him to help this House.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 2:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am glad you have called upon me. I be- lieve Government misled the Committee. [Laughter.] That is what I can say because the Committee, in its deliberation was very clear that this would not apply to sachet water. And we asked specifically and the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning con- firmed that it did not relate to sachet water.
However, VAT Service, which is an agency under the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, says that with that interpretation it includes sachet water. And I have had an occasion to tell the Hon Chairman of the Committee to advise the Government to bring a Bill to amend that
is what even most of the parties are now using. Then we have the gallon, distilled water in very big, big gallons, not bottled water. They are also packaged.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
Hon Members, at this stage --
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
Hon K. T., I think you are -- as Acting Minority Leader --
Mr Hammond 2:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thanks for the privilege. I think the Hon Chief Whip is about to contribute, so I will quickly do mine before I lose my privilege.
Mr Speaker, my Hon Friend, the Mem- ber for Abokobi/Madina, Alhaji Sorogho or so -- My own Brother too, I do not know his name. [Interruptions.] Mr Speaker, if a chief lawyer is talking, he should not intervene and make statements like that. They are very dangerous.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
Hon Mem- ber, you are taking us back. You went from Committee, came to the floor of the House;
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
Very well, you have quoted enough.
Mr Abayateye 2:10 p.m.
So, please, we did not
pass a law on sachet water.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
Hon Sec- ond Deputy Speaker.
Prof. Oquaye 2:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, when it comes to matters of interpretation of the law, incidentally, it must be left to the rules of interpretation and to the practi- tioners of that. Mr Speaker, I was going to mention specifically and I am glad the Hon Member for the other side has said that “distilled, bottled and other packaged” -- [Interruptions.]
Mr Speaker, when you have talked about “distilled, bottled”, what is the “oth- er packaged” known in Ghana? If anybody will tell me that from the other side.
Mr Speaker, you know very well -- [Interruptions.] Mr Speaker, I do not think the shouting helps in parliamentary debates.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
Hon Sec- ond Deputy Speaker, you have the floor.
Prof. Oquaye 2:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
It says “distilled, bottled and other packaged”. The rules of interpretation that we know very well mean that all other packaged ones. The sachet is the other packaged. Otherwise, any person should tell me any other form apart from “distilled, bottled”.
Mr Speaker, you know, this is typical of the sui generis rule. So if anybody -- in fact, the VAT people have advertised the way they have, because if they do not collect this, they will be flouting the law as the law now stands. If anybody -- and I am afraid, the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, whom I respect

particular provision. And I am surprised, up till now, I have neither seen nor heard anything from it.

So, presumably, it is applicable to sa- chet water. We were relying on the expert advice of CEPS which had a certain table -- I mean, this thing was withdrawn and brought back at the committee level.

So I will urge the Hon Leader of the House, because I agree with what the Hon Second Deputy Speaker, Prof. Oquaye is saying. That was not the intention of Parliament at the time. During the course of debate, you would recall that many Hon Members of the Minority, not being privy to the proceedings before the Finance Committee, were saying that it included sachet water; and VAT says it includes sachet water.

This relates to imposition of tax; Parliament's motion or through a Private Member's Bill cannot amend it; it only has to come from Government under article 108. And if the desire of Government is that it should not apply to sachet water, they should bring the amendment. I do not know why they are wasting time.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
Hon Mem- bers, I know why I am allowing one or two people to pass comments on this matter.
Alhaji Amadu B. Sorogho 2:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, when the Hon Second Deputy Speaker was speaking, he said “bottled water and other packaged water”. And to him, apart from “bottled, distilled” water, there is no “other” water apart from the “sachet” water and I am saying that it is not true, and I want to give him -- He said if one person can give an example.
Mr Speaker, go to the market now, we have got water which is packaged in 24 -- not in bottle, packaged nicely in only 20 millilitres plastic and covered nicely. That
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
Hon Gyan-Baffour, you are a member of the Finance Committee too?
Prof. Gyan-Baffour 2:10 p.m.
No, Mr Speaker.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
You are not? Very well.
Hon Members, I think that I allowed Hon Members to speak on this matter because the confusion is not only in this House; it is also out there. But as a House that passed that legislation, it is important to know exactly what was the intendment of the House when that piece of legislation was being passed.
But clearly, even among the Members here, there is total confusion. Somebody said they have been misled and then may- be, the Committee also came and misled the House. The understanding was that, sachet water was not to be included, but the explanation given by the Hon Member for Wenchi (Prof. Gyan-Baffour) is that once there is a certain classification and you use that classification, then it affects all manner of things and I think that if there is any step to be taken to clear all the doubts in the minds of the people of this country, it must be done through the due legal process.
Hon Member, continue.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I can see from your face that you are enjoying the debate. [Interruptions.] Why should I wind up? Mr Speaker, if you at -- [In- terruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
Hon Mem- bers, I know how many minutes is left for him, in spite of all the interventions. So do not worry; he should continue.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:10 p.m.
There was a long in- tervention, Mr Speaker, and the steam of my contribution is almost drowned now; I would try and pick up.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
But I think we have dealt sufficiently with that matter. So move to another point.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:10 p.m.
I know; the point is that if there is a defect, that defect of the law ought to be remedied. But an Hon Minister cannot just sit in the comfort of his own and then try and announce to the public -- [Interruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
Hon Mem- ber, you are breaching the rule against repetition. You are repeating the points that have been said and canvassed on the floor. Move to another point.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, Hon Members have challenged my argument and that is why -- I just want to refer you to the advertisement.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:10 p.m.
Hon
Member, look at the rules of debate; you cannot be repeating points. You have made the point, it created responses from Hon Members of the House, from both sides of the divide and we have arrived at a certain understanding. Now proceed and make your next point.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I have to conclude on that point, then I would continue. [Interruptions.] If you were my student, I would have given you 3/10, [Laughter.] But you were never my student at the university. Mr Speaker, the advertisement says and with your permis- sion, I read:
“All producers, manufacturers of distilled, bottled and other packaged water including sachet water are therefore requested to contact the nearest VAT Office for registration and any related assistance before Monday, 1st March.”
So it means it is effective from 1st March. Mr Speaker, as I said, the price of water including even distilled water to the hospitals -- You do not know; distilled waters to the hospitals for infu- sion, they have all been affected. Food, as I mentioned -- wheat, ordinary bread, meat pie, maame oh dendeh, they have all been affected.
Mr Speaker -- [Interruptions.] Well, you say ntro, but the ordinary man out there knows what I am talking about. Mr Speaker, I am making all these references with respect to taxes, because when you take the State of the Union Address by President Obama, this is what he said about taxes and with your indulgence, Mr Speaker, I would quote him:
“We cut taxes. We cut taxes of 95 per cent of working families. We cut taxes for small businesses. We cut taxes for first time home buyers. We cut taxes for parents trying to care for their children. We cut taxes for 18 million Americans paying for college as a result; millions of Americans have more to spend on gas and food and other necessities. All of which help businesses to keep more workers and we have not raised income taxes by a single dime on a single person.”
This is what President Obama said on taxes in the United States.

you are taking us back again --
Mr Hammond 2:20 p.m.
No, Mr Speaker, the point I am making is that ultimately, if this is becoming an issue and we all do agree, at least, the lawyers do understand that in the context of the ejusdem generis rule, the other packages he is talking about, whatever water he is talking about falls within that; that would be taxed by VAT. So Mr Speaker, please, we appeal to the Leadership, get the Hon Minister on who alone -- on the authority of the President, can have this thing sorted out. We will not accept his press statement; we want something in this House to that effect and then we take it from there.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Hon Member, it is not you saying that you would not accept the statement. There is a legal principle that has been espoused. But equally, we have also the agencies that collect the -- So if the agency is not collecting it, then the impact, the fears that we are expressing is also not there.
Yes, Hon Member for Wenchi, Prof. Gyan-Baffour.
Prof. G. Y. Gyan-Baffour 2:20 p.m.
Mr. Speak- er, I think the confusion arose because the VAT Service was not very specific about the product. You see, we have every produce, as what is called the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC). When you put that classification there, it covers almost everything within that bracket.
For instance, this package, sachet, whatever -- If it is called sachet here, the international classification does not recognise sachet. So once you put it there, it affects all these packaged materials. So I think the VAT Service should go back and say that, yes, it is this classification, excluding what we refer to here as sachet. If it does not do that, no matter what we talk about here, because they are using that classification, it would capture everything that is actually packaged, that includes
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Hon Member, after 10 o'clock, where were you? Because you were supposed to be in the House.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, while coming to the House, I was caught in traf- fic and I saw the convoy. [Inter-ruption.]
Mr Avoka 2:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with all due respect to my Hon Colleague, I think he is playing to the gallery. How would he know who were in that convoy? [In- ter-ruptions.] If there are foreign nationals whom the President was conducting into the Castle, how would he know? We know the President for what he is. Even travel- ling outside or within Accra, the President would not go with 12 Ford Expedition vehicles. It is not true.
In any case, at 10 o'clock, he was here, how could he be in the Chamber and be seen at the Castle side-watching cars? He should stop misleading the House.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Hon Mem- ber, the figure you are giving is not correct
Mr Speaker, he is tediously repeating himself. Some of the issues he is bringing up are very extraneous to the issues at stake and he is insisting -- [Interruptions] -- what is he talking about? Hon Albert Abongo and every other person he is men- tioning are not here to defend themselves. We do not know what the Hon Member is talking about. He is definitely out of order. Mr Speaker, I will call on you to rule him out of order.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Hon Mem- ber, continue and wind up.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, such in- terjections ought to be completely ignored.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Hon Mem- ber, kindly wind up.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am winding up.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Hon Member, I say, now, you should wind up.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:20 p.m.
Oh, Mr Speaker, do not bully me.
Mr Speaker, we are talking about excessive spending and it is very, very important. Would we think that this is irrelevant?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:20 p.m.
Hon Mem- ber, I do not intend invoking Standing Order 99 (2) for very good reasons. But you should move on and wind up. I told you to wind up and conclude.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:30 p.m.
Hon Member, make your final submission. I have been timing you and because of the interventions, I have allowed you all along when you started. So make your final submission.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I had hardly started when all these interventions came. I am now even on my second -- [Interruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:30 p.m.
Hon Mem- ber, make your final submission.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I hope you are not bullying me?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:30 p.m.
You know I cannot bully you. You are a very senior Hon Member of this House.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, but you have the power to bully me.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:30 p.m.
No, I cannot bully you. Make your final sub- mission.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, on profligate spending last year, fresh from elections, His Excellency the President came to this House and reinforced the position of the NDC Party on the issue of profligate spending.
Mr Speaker, this is what he said and with your permission, I quote from the State of the Nation Address,
“Rescue Plan for a Better Ghana”.
I think today, what we have is the State of the Nation Address “Partners in Vision”. As to what “partners in vision” mean, maybe, we have to find out from the other side. Mr Speaker, this is what he said last year and I quote. We can find it

because I also saw the convoy and it was four. [Uproar.] I saw it. But continue. I saw the convoy today at 10 o'clock.
Dr Prempeh 2:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I hope the convoy would not become a subject of the debate because I was with His Excellency, following him in the Western Region and it was a four vehicle convoy with a helicop- ter in tow. That is even more expensive. [Interruptions.] But I hope it does not become a debate and you would let Hon J. B. Aidoo continue.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:30 p.m.
I agree entirely with you.
Yes, Hon Member, continue.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we are talking about the conditions in the country at the moment. Mr Speaker, let me take you to the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing on the issue of prof- ligate spending.
Mr Speaker, the former Hon Minister, our good Friend, Hon Albert Abongo from Bongo -- [Interruption] -- from Bongo District. Mr Speaker, immediately he was relieved of his post, the furniture and everything in the office have been refur- bished. Everything had been changed.
Mr Pelpuo 2:30 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr Speaker, I am coming on Standing Order 99 (2) and it is that
“Mr Speaker having called the atten- tion of the House to the conduct of a Member who persists in irrelevance or tedious repetition, either of his own arguments or of the arguments used by other Members in debate, may direct the Member to discon- tinue his speech”.
Dr Matthew Prempeh 2:30 p.m.
On a point of order. Mr Speaker, I want to draw the Hon Member's attention to a ruling that you have given, that we should stick to what evidence we can give.
Ghana Airways, in particular -- the time we started dis-membering Ghana Airways was in 1998, when the building on Princess Street in London was sold. [Inter-ruption.] This is not an argument. So, if he is going to stick to the President's Message, he should stick to it. [Interrup- tion.] -- Point of correction.
He should know -- [Laughter] --1998, it was not NPP; it was your own Government that sold Ghana Manganese for US$500,000 when the ore on the ground was US$800,000 --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:30 p.m.
Hon Mem-
ber, continue.
Dr Alhassan 2:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank my Hon good Friend (Dr. Matthew Prem- peh) for supporting my point. The point is, a quick decision to sell Ghana Airways, and the President is saying that he will strive to take the right decision, not a quick decision.
I also believe that the realistic nature of the President made him to state that even members of his own party should feel free to criticize him. That clearly sends a mes- sage to the rest of the country, that if you have a good idea that can help the nation, please, come out with it. Transparency, reconciliation and harmony.

I also believe that the choice of the theme for this year's State of the Nation Address: “Partners in Vision”, I think, underlines the humility that is supposed to define the characteristics of a good President.

Mr Speaker, I would like to just com-

ment on the President's statement about the agricultural sector. The President did say that the key goal for agriculture in this country is food security, which is the principal concern of most Ghanaians. Mr Speaker, yes, food security is not a new thing in our agricultural set- up, but it has to assume different dimensions as you travel on the road of progress because -- I quote the President:

“Good quality food is both the highest priority and the highest cost item.”

If the President can apply himself and recognize and realize this, and can apply himself to bring policies that will bring this cost down, I think we can only do the best thing by supporting such a policy.

Mr Speaker, the handling of surpluses of our agricultural produce has always been a difficulty, and we lose a lot to post- harvest difficulties. That is why, I believe that a lot has been said about the Buffer Stock Management Agency. But suffice it to say that holding our surpluses in stock, certainly, will promote our food security drive. And indeed, in many instances, what had often happened was that foreign countries, our neighbours do come up to mop up the surpluses. If we had an agency such as that, we could hold these surpluses for days that we would run short of food.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, to my last issue, I will conclude on that last issue --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:30 p.m.
Hon Member, I am giving you one minute to conclude.
Mr J. B. Aidoo 2:30 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, since
you are forcing my hand to conclude, what I will say in a gist is that conditions of Ghanaians are not the best. The discontent out there, the apprehension out there, the struggles out there and the anxieties out there do not suggest a state of a nation that is good.
The burden of Ghanaians, those who knew poverty have their situation now worsened. Mr Speaker, and with this huge tax load on the backs of Ghanaians, there is little hope for Ghanaians.
Mr Speaker, on that score, I will say that the State of the Nation Address, clear- ly, was insipid.
Dr Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan (NDC -- Mion) 2:30 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to debate the State of the Nation Address so well de- livered by His Excellency the President of the Republic, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills.
Mr Speaker, let me start by making a
general comment. I think that the President spoke from his heart. He was very honest and carried his audience with him from start to finish. Unlike others who tried to debate what the President did not say -- I have read the President's State of the Nation Address carefully. And I think that the use of certain phrases and certain words were a mark of a President who is trying hard and his best to take the entire
MR. SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
Hon
Member, I heard my predecessor asking that you conclude, so please, not just a point, but a concluding remark, a sentence or two.

It is also possible that those who are processing to secondary products can also buy grains from the Buffer Stock Manage- ment Agency. It is heart-warming that such an agency is taking over infrastructure that was previously owned by the Ghana Food Distribution Corporation (GFDC).

It should send a signal to the managers of our economy, that of course, when we try to divest public goods into public hands and we are not succeeding, and there is the need for public interest to use such items for public good, we should not feel embarrassed to take them over so that we can use them in the interest of the nation. I think that this step should run through other sectors of the economy as well.

Mr Speaker, a lot has been said about

what was achieved in terms of our ag- ricultural productivity last year, and the controversy was more about rice even up to this morning.

Let me say that I have in my hand the statistics of the Statistics Research and Information Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which figures Hon Debrah quoted very copiously yesterday when he was making his contribution. And in 2008, this country produced three hundred and one thousand, nine hundred and twenty-two (301,922) metric tonnes of rice.

In 2009, this country produced three hundred and ninety-one thousand four hundred and forty (391,440) metric tonnes of rice. Of course, if you strike the differ- ence and divide it by the figure of 2008, you get 30.2. That clearly indicates that it is not a fallacy that rice production in this country increased by 30 per cent. And these are figures from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Because most of the yellow maize that is fed all the poultry in this country is imported. So I want to caution that as a nation, until we have produced such that we can take care of ourselves and our livestock industry, we cannot clap our hands and say that we have succeeded. So please, let us take this on board.

The second point I want to make about statistics is that, the figures that we are getting are coming from our credible sta- tistical departmdents -- Statistical Service and MOFA. These agencies are starved of the logistics to get us data that we can all say it is good data. It is time as a country that we financed and resourced our data gathering agencies so that we do not argue in this Chamber about which figure is right and which one is not --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
Hon Member, kindly conclude.
Dr Alhassan 2:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I just
started.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
Hon Mem-
ber, nobody has been intervening, taking away your time.
Dr Alhassan 2:40 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, it is good that the President intends to expand the Fertilizer Subsidy Programme and there must be some explanation offered. In fact, what the policy has been doing in the past is to subsidize a fraction of the total volume of fertilizer consumed by farmers of this country, a fraction of the total volume. I think what the President intends to do is to try to expand the subsidy so that all fertilizer can be subsidized for all crop farmers to benefit. That is what the President meant by extending the subsidy to cover all crop farmers.
Youth in modern agriculture -- youth in agriculture is a global problem. It is not only a Ghanaian problem and my humble suggestion is that as a country, we try to sit as stakeholders in this type of enterprise
Dr Alhassan 2:40 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this is my very last point.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:40 p.m.
Hon Member, in a sentence or two. I heard my pedecessor talking in that diretion.
Dr Alhassan 2:50 p.m.
I just wanted to say that the problem of premix fuel was so critical that in fact the previous Government had to create a Ministry of Fisheries to try to solve the problem but it remained with us but at least, today, we have fewer problems with premix fuel than previously. I believe that what we can do is to try the best we can to support the President and his management team that is managing agriculture so that this country can grow its economy sustainably through agriculture.
I thank you very much for the opportunity.

Mr Samuel Atta Akyea (NPP - Akim

Abuakwa South): Mr. Speaker, thank you for this unique opportunity to add my voice to the debate on the floor regarding the State of the Nation Address delivered by the President of the nation, Professor Atta Mills.

In the first place, I would like to address some of the lofty ideas contained in the State of the Nation Address. Very interesting ideas, that Members of Parliament will have a Constituency Development Fund, that is very novel and interesting. But if he should measure that against the fact that the little monies received into the District Assemblies Common Fund are always in arrears, I become a bit nervous whether or not it is not one of the things they say but they cannot perform.

Presidential Transition Bill, so that anytime there is a change of government, we will not have problems because we will be guided by law; that is a laudable idea.

Oil and Gas Revenue Management Bill, the President is concerned that as a nation, it is important we do not become fixated with the oil that we are going to sell but the monies should be properly channelled according to law for the betterment of the country.

But I am told, Mr Speaker, that he did not originate the idea. As a matter of fact, this was the baby of the NPP.

One thing that the President said which really touched my heart was an integrated aluminium industry based on bauxite. I think that is a wise vision of the President. It is the argument that oil might save this country. But the real issue is that we should be wise, as I can see, the President is very wise, that we should not put all our eggs in one basket and the bauxite industry in Ghana, holds the future of this country.

I am reliably informed that President Kufuor did extensive work and research on these matters and the expert reports are there, that if the President will look at Kyebi bauxite deposits alone, we will go far so far as our fortunes are concerned.

May I touch on his concern about a paradigm shift so far as the agricultural sector is concerned. Are we going to be a country with a perennial problem of im- porting food when we have arable land? If he has ideas to change this situation for us to export food because we have more than enough to eat, I will give him a standing ovation.

Mr Speaker, what value should we place on presidential promises? That is my concern -- lofty ideas. When he was not the President, for the first time I heard

Ghana will lead a donor conference on northern Ghana with the aim of raising an additional US$200 million from Ghana's development partners and the private sector in order to assure the new authority a firm and financial solid foundation”.

I regret to say that for one reason or the other and for reasons best known to the President, the SADA and even the start-up or seed money is in a sorry state. We do not want to talk about it. He is no- where close to his big promise to my good friends from the North that he will improve the North and will give a beginning point in the neighbourhood of GH¢200 million. What value should we place on presi-den- tial promises?

Some of my Hon Friends in this House who are from the North are excited that they have been given Ministerial positions, fine, that is good. You want to respect the good people of this House from the North who have the competence and the capabil- ities to be in Ministries, I approve of that.

But if they are happy with this arrange- ment and the President is merely placating the North with Ministers, rather than solving the fundamental problem which the SADA captured, I think the Hon Members of this House from the North, you have been short-changed and you should be alive to your respon-sibilities and wake the President up so that the development of the North will be com- prehensive and not in the way of trying to give Ministerial positions to my good people from the North.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
Order!
Order! We would want the contributions to go as smoothly as possible.
Prof. Atta Mills 2:50 p.m.
“The initial start-up contribution to this fund shall be GH¢200 million with annual contributions from Government of one hundred million cedis each year for 20 years. Once established, the Government of
rose
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:50 p.m.
Hon
Member, do you stand on a point of or- der with regard to this latter part of his contribution?
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 2:50 p.m.
Rightly so Mr
Speaker. I stand by Order 91, he is grossly misleading the House. Mr Speaker, for the sake of the records, I want a point to be made clear.
My Colleague said one of the reasons the NDC was against ROPAA was be- cause of historical antecedents.
I want it to be made known to him clearly that the NDC Government and even from the State of the Nation Ad- dress that was delivered, was not against ROPAA but rather was against its im- plementation. He should take it for free.
Mr Akyea 3 p.m.
I am grateful, Mr Speak- er. I wish to submit that if the NDC has repented and now they will give credit to the people outside as part of us, we do not need any bipartisan committee to do what has been assigned constitutionally to the Electoral Commission. That is a waste of resources. What the NDC Administration should do is to make the money available -- they control the purse -- to the the Electoral Commission and not interfere, as to what the Electoral Commission would do to ensure that all our brothers outside who remit us would have the capacity --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
And
sisters --
Mr Akyea 3 p.m.
-- And sisters. And that is
why we should look at the e-voting criti- cally and we should resource the Electoral
Mr Akyea 3 p.m.
I am about to wind up.
Mr. Speaker, the elementary position is this, that it is not the noise outside there that will secure the imprisonment. There is what we call the due process and I do not expect the President addressing the whole nation on the health of the nation to begin to intimidate people as if prosecution is automatic.
The evidence on the wall is clear, that when there is a frenzy to prosecute, they will get embarrassed by the courts. That explains why the killers of Rokko Frim- pong have been set free because there was no reason at all to believe that they were connected. But to appease populism, they said “we would sort out some problems”.
So I am pleading with the presidency to concentrate on how he is to improve upon the lot of Ghanaians and leave prosecution to the security agencies. Prosecution is not a political matter. The security agencies are very competent; the Criminal Inves- tigations Department (CID) and the rest of them are very competent. Let them do a professional job, if not, Ghana is going to descend into political persecution and it is very, very worrying.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
Order! Order!
Mr Akyea 3 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, with due respect, I am beginning to understand why the President is doing so because with due respect, the NDC has no political ances- tors. The only man they have is President
Hon Member, you may continue but mind you, you have about seven minutes left.
Mr Akyea 3 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I will be able to do it. I crave your indulgence. If my good Friend, Dr Alhassan will sit down and will not distract me --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
Please, we have not noticed him. Kindly make your submissions.
Mr Akyea 3 p.m.
So Mr Speaker, I wish to submit to this Honourable House that the performance deficit of the President is remarkable. I wish to repeat that the performance deficit of the President is remarkable and that there is a world of difference between what you say and what you do. So we should see our President in the realm of doing rather than coming to romance us with beautiful words in the State of the Nation Address.
ROPAA is significant because I am educated that the single reason the NDC was against ROPAA was because of the historical antecedents.
Mr Speaker, in the dispensation of terror, I am referring to the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) first and then the Provisional Defence Council (PNDC) -- a lot of Ghanaians fled this country for fear of their life and they went to other countries and they made money and they have been remitting us. Every Ghanaian of average intelligence knows that part of our economy is based on remit- tances. So how can people give us money and we deprive them the power to vote?
But the main fear of the NDC was that because of our antecedents and having chased people out of this country because of shabby treatment, if we gave them the opportunity to vote, they would vote against them. If the President has repented and he believes that the people

Commission that has the constitutional mandate under article 43 of the Consti- tution to do its job. We do not need any Executive interference and this legion of committees and all the kind of things for the Constitution to work. The Presidency should leave the Electoral Commission alone, resource them adequately and Ghana will be fine.

I will address the issue of corruption which the President spoke about. Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that the Presi- dent is being pushed to fulfil a campaign promise. The campaign promise is this: that “we will jail the NPP Ministers”. I am telling you, they failed to realise that when you are campaigning, the language is different and when the reality dawns, the language is different.
Mr Avoka 3 p.m.
-- On a point of order.
Mr. Speaker, my very good Hon Col- league is alleging or stating that the NDC had indicated that they would jail NPP Ministers. I cannot recall -- He has not given particulars as to when, where and who made this allegation. In fact, it is a very, very serious allegation. The NDC is a very well-disciplined party; we believe in the due process of law and we could not have said that we would jail NPP Min- isters when we are not the courts of law. He should withdraw it because it has no substance -- it has no basis.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
Hon
Member, please, continue and wind up.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.


Rawlings and therefore, the NDC is becoming politically covetous. They are becoming more CPP than the CPP people themselves and they are doing all manner of things to make Kwame Nkrumah the founder of this nation.

In fact, if they do not have political ancestors, they should wait and travel the political mileage; very soon, they will have one and then when they have one, they should go and glorify their political ancestor because what is going on in this country is not fair.

Mr. Speaker, with your permission, let me quote you a very interesting issue which is very, very significant to this debate by Dr J. B. Danquah, what Dr J. B. Danquah said on the 9th of January, 1960 -- [Interruption.] What he said? With your permission, I would like to quote what Dr. Danquah said on the 9th of January, 1960:

“When independence was achieved, the Convention People's Party had not been formed. The inauguration of independence took place when CPP was in power but the priest who baptises a child, is not by any chance the child's parents.”

And that is what we should understand, that people had started the business of our independence long before Nkrumah was brought onto the scene to come and help as a General Secretary. He was the only paid member of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). The rest of them were comfortable and they were doing genuine politics.

So, I crave the indulgence of Mr Pres- ident that if there is a frenzy to have polit- ical relevance and political antecedence,

they should not foist Kwame Nkrumah on this entire country.
Mr Pelpuo 3 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, the Hon
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
Order!
Mr Pelpuo 3 p.m.
That the NDC has no political ancestor and that is why we are glorifying Nkrumah. Mr Speaker, for his notice and the notice of all those who are backing that statement, Kwame Nkrumah was the first President of this country. He has a legacy. That legacy is respected by all politically minded people who want to see progress in this country.
The NDC is in that light respecting the legacy Kwame Nkrumah has left behind. He is an ancestor to Ghanaians who want to associate themselves with progress and development and in that respect, we do not need to go and say that there was an NDC at independence before he becomes an ancestor.
So, Mr Speaker, I want you to draw his attention that making those very sweeping statements are touching on the sensitivity of other people and might not augur well for this debate. He should stick to the State of the Nation Address which we are debating now and not about prosecutions which we have not said and about ances- tors where it is not necessary at all.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
Hon
Member, you will agree with me that
the National Democratic Congress (NDC). That is when he becomes a statesman and I pray that he should have wisdom not to talk but to perform.
I am grateful for this opportunity.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim (NDC -- Tain) 3 p.m.
Thank you Mr. Speaker, for the opportuni- ty given to me to contribute to the motion, that is to thank His Excellency the Presi- dent on the State of the Nation Address. I will just make some few comments.
This State of the Nation Address that was delivered to this House was very impressive, very informative and to con- clude, it was a blueprint that we will solve and consolidate the democratic foundation of mother Ghana.
Mr Speaker, when I heard this State
of the Nation Address being delivered by His Excellency, especially when he was touching on some outstanding problems in the country, just to consolidate our democratic dispensation and he touched on the passage of a Transitional Bill, Mr Speaker, you and I will agree that the idea of passing a Transitional Bill in this country is a necessity. One may ask, why should a sitting Government, just two years in office, be proposing the passage of a Transitional Bill at this time. The answer is clear.
The man is a very peace-loving Ghana- ian, he is a law lecturer, he is a technocrat, and he is a patriotic Ghanaian who is very sincere as was said by my senior Colleague, Hon Papa Owusu-Ankomah this morning.
One important thing is, when you get
your testimonials and credentials being given by your political opponents, it shows the true picture of you.
Mr Speaker, the President said a
Mr Akyea 3 p.m.
Mr. Speaker, in concluding
this contribution, I do not believe that po- litical covetousness is a virtue. I believe that as my good Friend was trying to urge upon the House, sensitivity is not one way. Inasmuch as he is trying to push and foist the Great Osagyefo on us, some people are not happy -- [Interruption.] To try and make him a founder and -- [Interruption.] We should leave the good people of this country to judge, without any -- [Inter- ruption.]
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3 p.m.
Order!
Mr Akyea 3:10 p.m.
We should leave the good people of this country to judge whether he should be the founder of this country or not. It is very, very important.

Mr Speaker, finally, I wish the Presi-

dent well. I was very, very excited to see him stand on his feet and he was very strong on words and you could see a lot of energy in the President. I pray to God to give him more strength so that the work of the presidency will not have a toll on him.

I am also praying to God that our Pres- ident should think more about Ghana than
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:10 p.m.
Hon Member, in conclusion -- [Interruptions] -- that is why I have not allowed some obvious interrupters. They got up but I want you to proceed.
Mr A. Ibrahim 3:10 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in con-
clusion, most of our Hon Colleagues are saying that the President's State of the Nation Address was very brief and I want to tell them that, the President, because he is very sincere, that is why he brought only things that he can finish within a record time because next year, he would be reading the same State of the Nation Address.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:10 p.m.
Order!
Transitional Bill -- let us look at where we came from. From 1992, we started this Fourth Republican Constitution, with a lot of problems. I cannot say the start was 100 per cent, but in any case, we found the country Ghana going on the democratic path.
We started from handing over from a military government to a civilian gov- ernment and simply because the political actors at that time were the same, we did not encounter a lot of problems.
Mr Speaker, in 2000, when we had to have a transition, because of the fact that there was no blueprint, no masterpiece, there was no law regarding the transition, it became a problem. Some party won the elections all right, but what was supposed to be the guiding principle to make sure that power was handed over peacefully? Because of the fact that we had a very good Government at the time, he was in the Castle, he invited the winner of the election to the Castle in 2000.
The winner went there with his cam- paign car. Very wretched of course, but because of the fact that the man at that time was peaceful, he ordered the protocol to get a Mercedes Benz for the winner, took good care of him, got the Castle security to guide him. All these courtesies were given to the winner, even though, I would say, that they were conventions because there was no law guiding that.
Mr Speaker, in 2008, I will say that it is not every time that we may have a very peace-loving and patriotic Ghanaian handing over to another one. In 2009, what did we see? There was no invitation to the winner of the election to come to the Castle to be given those same courtesies.
Mr Speaker, what happened was that the winner of the election had to go to the
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:20 p.m.
country, since Senegal 1992, Ghana's Black Stars were not able to get to the final stage of the African Nations Cup.
Mr Speaker, last year in 2009, His Excellency came here and in his State of the Nation Address, he promised that he would do everything possible to make sure that the Black Stars, the Black Satellites and the national teams are able to rise to the highest. Mr Speaker, since January 2000, every national team that went into a competition, the best they could do was to get to the semi-final.
Mr Speaker, what did we see, after 18 years? We went to Angola, we got to the final and we brought the silver. Mr Speak- er, not only that, the Black Satellites, the only African country on the continent of 53 nations, was the first in the era of His Excellency, President John Evans Atta Mills to win the Golden trophy and they brought it here.
Mr Speaker, some people though were dreaming, they questioned whether it was true. How come that somebody was not able to do it, but within one year the Government had been able to do it? They were even challenging His Excellency the President to make sure that they bring the trophy to the floor of the House -- in Parliament for them to see it.
Mr Speaker, not just that, this Black Satellites were able to rule the whole world -- they brought Gold. The Black Stars were able to rule Africa to a certain stage and they brought silver.

Mr Speaker, there is a very impressive thing that is happening in our nation at this time; the emphasis in those days was only on football. His Excellency the President, when he came into office, within five
Mr A. Ibrahim 3:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, that is
why he came and gave a very brief State of the Nation Address.
Mr Speaker, there is a saying that he
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:20 p.m.
Thank
you very much, Hon Member.
Majority Leader, this brings us then to
the end of the list. Any indication?
Mr Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo 3:20 p.m.
Mr.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:20 p.m.
There is nothing vital?
Mr Pelpuo 3:20 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there is noth-
ing and if we could adjourn.
Mr Speaker 3:20 p.m.
Very well.
Prof. G. Y. Gyan-Baffour 3:20 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I agree with the Hon Deputy Majority Leader that, maybe, we can close for the day.
ADJOURNMENT 3:20 p.m.
  • The House was adjourned at 3.24 p.m. till Friday, 5th March, 2010 at 10.00 a.m.