Debates of 19 Nov 2010

MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:45 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:45 a.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:45 a.m.
Hon Members, Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 18th November,
2010.

Hon Members , the Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 18th November, 2010 is adopted as the true record of proceedings.

We do not have any Official Report
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE 10:45 a.m.
Majority Leader/Chairman of the Business Committee (Mr Cletus A. Avoka) 10:45 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Committee met on Thursday, 18th November, 2010 and arranged Business of the House for the Sixth Week ending Friday, 26th November,
2010.
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its Report as follows 10:45 a.m.
Arangement of Business
Question(s)
Mr Speaker, the Committee has programmed the following Ministers to answer Questions asked of them during the week:
No. of Question(s)
i. Minister for Energy -- 5
ii. Minister for Women and Children's Affairs -- 1
iii. Minister for Environment, Science and Technology -- 1
iv. Minister for Local Government and Rural Development -- 5
v. Minister for Food and Agriculture -- 5
vi. Minister for Roads and Highways -- 7
Total Number of Questions -- 24
Mr Speaker, in all, six Ministers are expected to attend upon the House to respond to twenty-four (24) Questions during the week. The Questions are of the following types:
i. Oral - 22
ii. Written - 2
Statements
Mr Speaker may allow Statements duly admitted to be made in the House.
Bills, Papers and Reports
Mr Speaker, Bills may be presented to the House for consideration and those already before the House may be taken through the various stages. Papers and committee reports may also be laid.
Motions and Resolutions
Mr Speaker, Motions may be debated and their consequential Resolutions, if any, taken during the week.
Questions
Mr Speaker, in view of time constraint and the exigencies of the state of business in the House, the Business Committee wishes to urge Hon Members to co-operate with Mr Speaker in the allotment of time for Questions. This recommendation will enable the House operate within the time frame prescribed under Standing Order No. 60 (2).
Mr Speaker, with the expectation that the above recommendation would provide ample time for the House to transact Public Business, especially the consideration of the Petroleum Revenue Management Bill, 2010 and the debate on the Financial Policy of Government, the Business Committee wishes to recommend that only Hon Members whose Questions are constituency-specific may be allowed to

ask their respective Questions including supplementary questions.

Post-Budget Workshop

Mr Speaker, the Business Committee wishes to remind Hon Members that a post-Budget workshop has been scheduled for Leadership, Chairpersons and Ranking Members of committees and Committee Clerks. The workshop is expected to be held from Friday, 26th through Sunday, 28th November, 2010.

Mr Speaker, the Business Committee once again wishes to inform the House that Chairpersons and Ranking Members of committees responsible for the consideration of annual estimates of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as provided for in Standing Order 140 (4), are to attend the post-Budget workshop, that is all the Select Committees and the following Standing Committees:

(i) Judiciary,

(ii) Special Budget,

(iii) Gender and Children, and

(iv) Finance.

Furthermore, Chairpersons and Ranking Members of committees on Government Assurances, Poverty Reduction Strategy and the Public Accounts Committee are also expected to participate in the post- Budget workshop.

Debate on the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government

Mr Speaker, debate on the Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana for the year 2011, is expected to commence on Monday, 29 th November, 2010. Mr Speaker, the intervening period is expected to enable Hon Members to have enough time to prepare for a meaningful debate on the Economic Policy of the Government, the debate is therefore, expected to be concluded on Friday, 3rd December, 2010. The Business Committee accordingly urges Hon Members to avail
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its Report as follows 10:45 a.m.
themselves for the debate.
Sittings on Moday/Extended Sitting
Mr Speaker, as was mentioned in the presentation of the previous Business Statements, the Business Committee wishes to remind Hon Members that the House is expected to commence Sitting on Mondays, effective 22nd November, 2010.
Mr Speaker, the Business Committee also recommends that extended Sittings be introduced during the week, possibly from 22nd November, 2010. It is envisaged that this arrangement would allow time for as many Hon Members as possible to contribute to the debate during consideration of the Petroleum Revenue Management Bill, 2010 and the Economic Policy of the Government for the 2011 financial year.
Closeed Sitting
Mr Speaker, a Closed Sitting of the House has been scheduled for Wednesday, 24th November 2010, immediately after adjournment of the House to discuss general welfare matters of Hon Members and other pertinent issues.
Conclusion
Mr Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 160 (2), the Committee submits to this Honourable House the Business of each Sitting of the week and the order in which it shall be taken during the week. Monday, 22nd November 2010
Questions --
*649. Mr George Kofi Arthur (Amenfi Central): To ask the Minister for Energy when the

following communities will be connected to the national electricity grid:

(i) Chichiso No. 2

(ii) Antobam

(iii) Akyemkrom

(iv) Nyamebekyere

(v) Adidaase

(vi) Aku Nkwanta

(vii) Togo

(viii) Ahwiafutu

(ix) Chichiso No. 1

(x) Kwaboakorm

(xi) Supanso.

*650. Mr George Kofi Arthur (Amenfi Central): To ask the Minister for Energy when the following Communities will be connected to the national electricity grid:

(i) K. Boateng

(ii) Grant

(iii) Jerusalem

(iv) Domeabra (Camp) via Juabo

(v) Nso Nyame Ye (via Adj. Manso)

(vi) Amokrom No. 2.

(vii) Mmerewa Mmerewa

(viii) Annankrom.

*705. Mr David Nana Larbie (Awutu Senya): To ask the Minister

for Energy what measures are being put in place to ensure that the electrification project in the Awutu Senya Constituency is completed.

*706. Mr Robert Sarfo-Mensah (Asunafo North): To ask the Minister for Energy when the on- going electrification projects in the following communities in the Asunafo North Constituency will be completed:

(i) Asumura

(ii) Anyimaye

(iii) Mfante

(iv) Manukrom

(v) Boakyeasua

(vi) Tweapease

(vii) Pomaakrom.

*758. Mr George Boakye (Asunafo South): To ask the Minister for Energy why there is shortage of kerosene in the country, especially in the rural areas and what the Ministry plans to do to solve the problem.

Statements

Presentation of Papers --

Report of the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation on the Local Government (Creation of New District Electoral Areas and Designation of Units) Instrument,

2010 (L. I. 1983))

Motion --

Second Reading of Bills --

Petroleum Revenue Management Bill, 2010.

Committee Sittings.

Questions

*666. Nana Akomea (Okaiko South): To ask the Minister for Women and Children's Affairs what plans the Ministry has to prevent the exploitation of infants and children in street begging.

*667. Mr Hennric David Yeboah (Afigya-Sekyere East): To ask the Minister for Environment, Science and Technology what measures the Ministry has taken against the company that has polluted the water bodies in the Agona township.

Statements

Motions --

Adoption of the Report of the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation on the Local Government (Creation of New District Electoral Areas and Designation of Units) Instrument,

2010 (L. I. 1983)

Second Reading of Bills --

Petroleum Revenue Management Bill, 2010.

Committee Sittings.

Questions --

*530. Mr Kwasi Ameyaw- Cheremeh (Sunyani East): To ask the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development what
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its Report as follows 10:45 a.m.
measures the Ministry is instituting to ensure that Assembly Members who ended their term in August/ September 2010 are paid reasonable and acceptable end of service benefits.
*531. Mr John Agyabeng (Agona East): To ask the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development when the Ministry will implement the reduction of Unit Committees from 16,000 to 5,000 and the membership of each Committee from 15 to 7.
*532. Mr John Agyabeng (Agona East): To ask the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development when the fiscal decentralisation agenda which obliges the District Assemblies to embark on decentralised budgeting within the medium-term will be operationalised.
*585. Nana Yaw Ofori-Kuragu (Bosome-Freho): To ask the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development when the newly created Bosome-Freho District Assembly will be provided with office accommodation.
*599. Mr Kwasi Ameyaw- Cheremeh (Sunyani East): To ask the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development what measures the Ministry is putting in place to ensure the restoration of ceded revenue items that were taken away due to provisions of the Internal Revenue (Registration of Business) Act, 2004 (Act 684).
Statements
Motion --
Adoption of the Report of the Committee of Selection on Changes
in the Membership of Committees.
Consideration Stage of Bills --
Petroleum Revenue Management Bill, 2010.
Closed Sitting.
Committee Sittings.

Questions --

*538. Mr Simons Addai (Techiman South): To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture why work on the irrigation project at Kaniago in the Techiman Municipality has come to a halt.

*539. Mr Simons Addai (Techiman South): To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture why the Tanoso Dam is not operational.

*584. Mr Samuel Ayeh-Paye (Ayensuano): To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture why fertilizer coupons are not yet ready for farmers to purchase subsidised fertilisers for the main farming season this year.

*596. Mr Leo Kabah Alowe (Chiana/Paga): To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture when all the dams in the Upper East Region will be dredged and rehabilitated to promote dry season irrigation farming in the region.

*597. Mr Simon Atingban Akunye (Pusiga): To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture how many dams will be allocated to the Pusiga Constituency to boost the agricultural sector performance especially during the dry season.

Statements

Presentation of Papers --

(a) Report of the Joint Committee on Finance and Health on the Financing Agreement between the Government of Ghana and Opus 7 s.r.o. Limited of Austria for an amount of four hundred and forty-two million euros (€442,000,000.00) for the supply of 200 ambulance cars, 50 mobile clinics, 2 air ambulances, 10 educative mobile units, construction of 12 District Hospitals and technical training in Ghana.

(b) Report of the Joint Committee on Finance and Health on the Request for waiver of tax and duties amounting to $20,794,637.00 on goods and services to be implemented in the AngloGold Ashanti (Ghana) Malaria Control Project in the three northern regions.

(c) Report of the Finance Committee on the Export Credit Facility between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and Unicredit Bank Austria AG (Bank Austria Creditanstalt) for an amount of seven million, three hundred thousand euros (€7,300,000.00) for the supply of Steel Bridge Components for the construction of bridges on Wa -Walewale network of roads and Twifo Praso.

Consideration Stage of Bills --

Petroleum Revenue Management Bill, 2010

Committee Sittings.

Questions --

426. Dr Kojo Appiah-Kubi (Atwima Kwanwoma): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the road from Brofoyedru- Foase, which connects the two parts of Atwima Kwanwoma constituency would be tarred.

427. Dr Kojo Appiah-Kubi (Atwima Kwanwoma): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the road between Trede (Sabin Akrofrom) Junction to Deikrom in the Atwima Kwanwoma Constituency would be tarred.

*430. Mr Frank Boakye Agyen (Effiduase Asokore): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the following roads in the Effiduase Asokore Constituency in the Ashanti Region will be bituminized:

(i) Edffiduase-Asamang

(ii) Nkwankwaanua-Senchi

(iii) Effiduase-Ntumkumso.

*434. Mr Frank Boakye Agyen (Effiduase/Asokore): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the road from Dwansa through Seniagya and Effiduase towards Mampong which serve as diversion from Kumasi towards the North will be constructed.

*451. Ms Esther Obeng Dappah (Abirem): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the bridge connecting Pankese and Bramkrom will be completed in the Birim North District.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I wish to comment on a matter of procedure.
On page (2), item (7), we are told that a Closed Sitting of the House has been scheduled for Wednesday, 24th November, 2010 to discuss general welfare matters. Mr Speaker, if that is the case, then it is not properly described as a Closed Sitting.
Mr Speaker, a Closed Sitting, according
to Order 44 is a formal Sitting of the House, save and except that the galleries are cleared; it is part of the Business of the House. My understanding of item (7) is that, it is an informal meeting of Members to discuss matters relating to Hon Members. That being the case, it is not properly described as Closed Sitting and I wish the Business Committee should take note of this and then next time we do not commit this same error.
We have been saying it -- Close Sitting, Closed Sitting - but in actual fact, Mr Speaker, as you very well know, it is not a Closed Sitting, because it is not really, part of the Business of the House where a record can be kept and decisions acted on as if it is a decision of the House.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah 10:55 a.m.
Mr Speaker -- [Interruptions.] Mr Speaker, the issue raised by the Hon Member for Sekondi is - [Interruption.]
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:55 a.m.
Do you have a point of order, Hon Member for Nabdam? What is your point - Because nobody has said anything, so -
Mr Asaga 10:55 a.m.
No, the Hon Member, I cannot see his face. I cannot recognize him - [Laughter!]
  • [Mr Opare-Ansah removes his goggles.
    • Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    Can you
    recognize him now?
    Mr Asaga 10:55 a.m.
    No - [Laughter.] That is the Minority Chief Whip. Initially, I thought that was Mr Kofi Wayo. [Laughter!]
    Mr Opare-Ansah 10:55 a.m.
    You recognize me now? Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, the Hon Member for Sekondi has raised a very important matter. Indeed, when the Committee met and the issues were discussed, I think the intendment of the Committee was to have a Committee
    of the Whole and not a Close Sitting. I think the Clerks might have captured it wrongly. In fact, this particular -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    Hon Member, listen to the submission made by the Hon Member for Sekondi; it cannot be Committee of the Whole. So I think that clearly, there is going to be a meeting after adjournment to discuss matters concerning Members of the House, period.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 10:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, if you listen to me, you would understand why it is a Committee of the Whole. It was occasioned by the request last week by the Hon Member for Bosomtwe, for the Governor of Bank of Ghana to come to this House to brief us as to why releases are not being made into the Treasury Account, irrespective of the letters that had been sent from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the Controller and Accountant-General Department.
    Upon Madam Speaker's direction, the Hon Majority Leader was to duly investigate the matter. When this matter was discussed at Committee, we felt that we needed to find space sometime next week to have the platform for the Governor to meet the House. And as you rightly know, Mr Speaker, the Governor cannot have space with Parliament Sitting at the plenary, either in Close-Sitting or Sitting with the galleries open. So the decision was that, let us have a Committee of the Whole. And subsequent to that, then we could have dissolved into some meetings of the House to discuss House matters. So the intendment is to have a Committee of the Whole -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    So it is two in one?
    Mr Opare-Ansah 10:55 a.m.
    It is two in one, Mr Speaker.
    But Mr Speaker, secondly, if you

    would permit me, I would add that one of the issues that also came up was whether your goodself would be able to admit Urgent Questions or not, and the Committee found it a bit difficult to have access to these Urgent Questions to programme them for the week ahead, because of Madam Speaker's absence. So if you would give us some guidance in that direction; in Madam Speaker's absence, what happens to the admissibility of Urgent Questions.

    My third issue has to do with, Mr Speaker, the direction by Madam Speaker last week; if you look at the Official Report of Friday, 12th November, 2010, column 1085, paragraph (5), Madam Speaker, speaking here and with your permission, I beg to quote:

    “But on the other matter which I refer to you about the Bill, let us have your report next week; we would come to decide what to do.”

    Mr Speaker, today is the last day of the week and this is a matter referring to the University of Ghana Bill and the printing of a Bill which contains clauses not approved by Parliament as an Act, and Madam Speaker directed a number of weeks ago; last week when it was reminded -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    Hon Member, I thought after that direction, Madam Speaker tried to discuss the matter with Leadership to see how to handle the matter. That is my understanding from Madam Speaker. So I think that the matter is still with Madam Speaker and would be handled with the Leadership of the House, then we see how to handle that matter.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 10:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this was a clear directive by Madam Speaker, and if I should go a little back, in her submissions, she actually spoke about it having taken too long and that we cannot wait any longer, and so she gave specific directives to the Hon Majority Leader and Leader of the House and Chairman
    of the Business Committee to make sure that this week, we actually got a report on the matter. And today being the last day of the week, and reading the Business Statement, there is no indication for any action next week; we have not also had a report on the matter this week, and that is my concern, Mr Speaker.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    Hon Minority Chief Whip, you are a member of the Business Committee and -
    Mr Opare-Ansah 10:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    Are you a member of the Business Committee?
    Mr Opare-Ansah 10:55 a.m.
    Indeed, I am.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 10:55 a.m.
    Very well.
    Mr Opare-Ansah 10:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, per the Standing Orders, anybody holding my office would be a member of the Business Committee. Mr Speaker, although I am a member of the Business Committee, this directive of Madam Speaker was not directed to the Business Committee. It was directed to the Leader of the House, who happens to be the Chairman of the Business Committee.
    Mr Avoka 10:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, let me correct two misrepresentations.
    One, the issue of the University of Ghana Act was addressed to Leadership, not just the Majority Leader; that is a misstatement, it was addressed to the Leadership. He is part of Leadership and he is also a member of the Business Committee and we were at the meeting yesterday. I am surprised that against the background of his two positions he would get up and belabouring this point here.
    But I want to assure Hon Members, it is just that there are time constraints. Indeed, we are pressed with time to present a report to the Emoluments Committee
    and he would agree with me about the constraints we have in arranging time to put all these together. So we shall certainly address the issue.
    Secondly, Mr Speaker, we did not fix Wednesday, 24th November, 2010 for the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to come for a Committee of the Whole meeting or a Closed Sitting, it is not true. We did not.
    There were certain welfare matters that we talked and we said that the Business Committee alone could not take decision on those matters and that we needed to meet as a collective body to be able to address those issues. It is not an issue that I would want to put on the floor of the House as to the matter that we had, but it concerns the issue of extended Sitting and then what should be done.
    So we did not agree -- I stand to correction - But the Business Committee did not say that, as part of the business, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana would be coming here on Wednesday to address or resolve this matter, no. He was limited to certain welfare matters affecting the programme of the House.
    Dr Anthony A. Osei 11:05 a.m.
    Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, I do appreciate the power constraints that the Hon Majority Leader is talking about. At least, if we can be informed as to the state of the investigation because that matter is too serious for this House and that is why some of us are concerned that, if we have passed an Act, and there are certain situations that need to be well discussed, it should concern all of us. So we should at least, be told where we are.
    Maybe the Committee has reached a certain stage and by next week, we resolve it. You see, we are not hearing anything about it and that is the concern that some

    of us are talking about. Because I think that matter is too grievous because we do not know what other legislation may have been changed so that we can begin to take steps to make sure these things do not happen.

    We are about to pass the Budget, supposing we pass an Appropriations Act and something like that occurs, it would be most grievous. So this is why some of us are really concerned that at least, we ought to be told that Leadership has met, a team has been put in place, they are to report back next week; then we can be assured so that we are not worried. Some of us are not sleeping well on this matter, I can assure you.
    Mr Avoka 11:05 a.m.
    I promise - the concern is well founded - I promise and I pledge that when we leave here, I will meet the Hon Minority Leader and other Members and we see how we can sort out this matter.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:05 a.m.
    Hon Members, this matter should not be a very difficult matter for us to solve as a House. You know, the last time we passed the Plant Bill, we realized there was a problem, they brought it, but we met and devised a means of addressing that problem. So this one, the initiative should come from the House to solve that problem. The initiative can come from the House.
    Yes, Hon Member for Ashaiman -
    Mr Alfred K. Agbesi 11:05 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have a concern about an order made by Madam Speaker. This is a matter involving a referral to the Privileges Committee of this House concerning the Africawatch magazine. Mr Speaker, that is the matter concerning the October issue of the Africawatch magazine.
    Mr Speaker, the November issue of the Magazine has produced another article in which the Editor of that Paper has said
    that Madam Speaker was wrong in making that referral to the Privileges Committee.
    Mr Speaker, the matter did not end there but he stated categorically that he has never been invited by the Privileges Committee, he has never received any letter; and even that, if he had received a letter, he is making it point blank that he would never appear before the Privileges Committee because to him, first, Madam Speaker's order was wrong. Secondly, the Privileges Committee has no power under the Constitution to ask him to appear.
    I believe, Mr Speaker, this is a very, very serious matter concerning Parliament as an institution. It is also a serious matter concerning the powers of any of your committees, particularly the Privileges committee as to whether committees of this House have power to invite anybody to appear.
    I want to believe that maybe it is true, the Clerk to the Committee has not invited him, but whether he has been invited or not, I believe that he cannot on his own say he would never appear before the Committee and that if he is charged before that Committee he would proceed to the Supreme Court to challenge the order of Madam Speaker and challenge the powers of the Privileges Committee.
    Mr Speaker, I am saying that the
    powers of this House and the Privileges Committee are being called to question and we as a body must be seen to be protecting the powers of this House. Mr Speaker, whether he goes to the Supreme Court or not, that is not the issue because as a citizen he has the right to go there.
    But the point I am making is that, our committees must be seen to be working -- Our Committee on Privileges. Has that Committee invited the gentleman to appear and he has refused? If so, let us
    Mr Dery 11:05 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have listened to the Hon Member for Ashaiman make his submissions. I think at this point, they are out of place as far as the Business Committee's Report is concerned. Because it has been referred to a Committee - Privileges Committee - and I think that it is not a Privileges Committee Report that we are dealing with here. While we are all interested in the matter, we should not be seen to be bending rules whenever we have personal interest in a thing. I think my Hon learned Colleague can consult the Chairman of the Privileges Committee and I am sure we can move the matter that way.
    Mr Speaker, having said that, while agreeing with the Hon Majority Leader that this matter about the University Act should be dealt with, I would want us to have a time frame within which this matter should be dealt with. That is because this is an alleged affront to our legislative powers, that is to say, the very foundation of our operations. I think that while the word “subvert” was found inappropriate the last time and was stepped down, it still constitutes a potential threat to our powers. So I would want the Hon Leader to give a firm commitment that sometime next week, this matter would be resolved to save us from going through the more direct approach of having to amend the law on the floor of the House.
    Mr Speaker, finally on the matter of the Governor, I think that the Hon Chief Whip has alluded to the Official Report. I think Madam Speaker referred the matter and actually at the Business Committee we discussed it but I do not intend to re-state what the Business Committee discussed,
    except to say that, the Leader should give us an assurance that he is going to consider the issue and see what the appropriate steps would be so that we can put it right. Because clearly, it is in the Official Report of Friday, 12th November, 2010, column 1085, paragraph 5 and you can see it clearly that Madam Speaker referred it. But I think that we can work that out here.
    So let us give ourselves next week to resolve these matters and however we put it, whether it be Committee of the Whole or whatever, let us agree that by the next Business Statement to this House, if these matters are outstanding, then we have cause to take the Leader of the House, who is the Leader of the Whole, both sides, on.
    Mr Speaker, with these, I would propose that we adapt the Business Statement subject to these conditions that I have humbly proposed.
    Mr Augustine C. Ntim 11:05 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have a little concern about the Business Statement, item number 4 on the post- Budget workshop.

    Yes, in as much as I agree that Leadership should be given the chance to be trained, so that they would be able to make input sufficiently into the Budget, at least, during the debate, I think it is about time that Leadership also considered the back-benchers. We also need to understand the Budget because it is so technical. So that at any point in time when we are contributing, then we would also be informed. And I think it is an issue which I want to put before the Leadership to also consider seriously.
    Mr Mathias K. Ntow 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker,
    Hon Dery who is also the Deputy Minority Leader made a statement concerning the contribution made by Hon Agbesi on the man who calls himself the Managing Editor of that --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
    Hon Members, this matter has been referred to a Committee, so why do we want to bring this matter up? Let the Committee finish its work and bring its Report then everybody would have a chance to -- and I think that the intervention by the Hon Deputy Minority Leader should end the matter.
    Mr Ntow 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, if you could allow me to make my point. The point I want to make is that, he mentioned that Hon Agbesi has a special interest. What I want to say is that, it is not on personal issues. This issue concerns the entire House. Every Hon Member of Parliament is concerned. We have all been implicated therefore if he raises it then it is for the benefit and welfare of the House and not an individual. That is the point I want to make.
    Mr Dery 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I suspect that because of the location of my Hon Colleague he did not hear me. I said that, because we all here have special interest in it, we as Members of Parliament (MPs) should not be seen to be bending the rules because of that self-interest, all of us, not Hon Agbesi alone, please.
    I have said that we Member of
    Parliament collectively have interest in that matter. Nevertheless, we should be guided by rules and that the matter has been referred to a Committee and until the Committee so reports to this House, it is

    out of order for us to discuss it especially at this stage when we are dealing with the Business Committee Report, period.
    Mr P. C. Appiah-Ofori 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, whatever we do in this House, we must place national interest above any consideration, not party interest, not our personal interest but national interest.
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
    Hon Agbesi, do you have a point of order against Hon P. C. Appiah-Ofori because he is on his feet?
    Mr Agbesi 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, before you called him when the Deputy Minority Leader was making his point, I got up but I did not catch your eye. [Interruptions.]
    Mr Speaker, in actual fact, he made a statement. He made a statement that I have a personal interest in the matter. Mr Speaker, this is a matter that concerns me -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
    The Hon Deputy Minority Leader clarified the position so what is your problem? He says he said “personal interest” in terms of the House. He says he said it in terms of all Members of Parliament. So he is not referring to you as an individual. That is the point he has made, that he is not referring to you as an individual.
    Mr Agbesi 11:15 a.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker. I understand you.
    Mr Appiah-Ofori 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have lived in Nigeria before and I witnessed
    the way certain prominent personalities in the country duped the nation, quote me that I am saying this. [An Hon Member: Through oil management.] Yes. Some of them owned vessels and they would go to where the oil was being produced, they would pump it and then take it away, depriving the nation of the necessary revenue that should accrue to the nation.
    We have by the grace of God got this product, should we sit down for this to happen to us? Because of that, I have proposed an amendment for the Exploration and Production Bill to prevent this. My amendment is as simple as that.
    We have to involve Ghana Navy, that any vessel coming to take oil must be searched --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
    Hon Member, are you moving your amendment to a non-existent -[Laughter] -- to a Bill, which is not currently before us now? Hon Member, you are hiding behind Business Statement to make your submission. You are using the back door.
    Hon Member, if your concern is that they should bring Oil Exploration and Production Bill, that is it. The man in- charge of Government Business is here, he has taken note of your concerns.
    Mr Appiah-Ofori 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I went to him and he refused to listen to me. He said he was bringing it today and that should not be entertained. What are we doing as a country?
    Mr Moses A. Asaga 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think Hon Appiah-Ofori is out of order because we are looking at the Business Statement for today. We are not looking at the Exploration and Production (E and P) Bill and we gave opportunity for everybody to meet the Committee and to be able to make an input. So if he has a Nigerian experience, he is suppose to
    Mr Dery 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I agree with Hon Asaga that this is not the appropriate time to deal with the matter. When we come to the revenue, it can be raised as a preliminary point.
    In the same vein, he cannot begin to address the matter as well. So let us say that the timing is wrong and that when we get to Motion number 5, then we can deal with the preliminary matters.
    Mr Asaga 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think what the Hon Deputy Minority Leader is saying is actually emphasizing my point. I am only telling him that he is out of order. That is all therefore - [Interruptions.]
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
    Hon Asaga, wind up.
    Mr Asaga 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I have made my point. It is premature for --
    Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I do not agree with Hon Moses Asaga and my Hon Deputy Leader. We are discussing the Business Statement for next week. This Bill features in it. The Hon Member last week raised an issue with it, still the Business Statement shows that next week we are going to deal with it. Page 2 of the Statement shows that we are starting today and continuing next week. He is saying that, last week when he raised the issue, Madam Speaker said it should be appropriate for the E and P to be dealt with before this comes.
    Mr Speaker, apart from that we have to address the issue of article 269 of the Constitution, the summary of the Commission. So that if we are going to do something which would pre-empt or which would be negative or both contrary to the Constitution and he has raised it
    earlier and it has not been addressed should he allow us to go on and we say that he should wait until that Motion is moved? Mr Speaker, he has every right to state his case now, because it appears in this Business Statement and he is right in raising it and it ought to be addressed now.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:15 a.m.
    Hon Members, we are talking about business for next week.
    Mr Dery 11:15 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think, what Madam Speaker said was not just that it should be brought but it should be brought before the Revenue Management Bill. Therefore, if we get to Revenue Management it could be raised as a preliminary point. I did not say it should be moved. It should be raised as a preliminary point to be considered before they move it. Yes, I agree that it is preliminary. But let us close the matter on the Business Statement.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:25 a.m.
    Hon Members, that brings us to the end of the -
    Mr Avoka 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think an
    Hon Member raised an issue back there and I think it is worth considering. He said among other things that, while he appreciates that Leadership, including committee Chairmen, Ranking Members can build their capacity, we should think of the possibility of extending it to the generality of Members of Parliament to also build their capacity. I think we take note of that and we will explore the possibility of involving the entire Members of Parliament to build their capacity. I think that point is well noted.
    Thank you.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:25 a.m.
    Hon
    Members, that brings us to the end of the consideration of the Business Statement.

    Hon Members I have admitted two Statements today. The first one stands in the name of the Hon Second Deputy Speaker.

    Mr Samuel K. B. Manu —rose—
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:25 a.m.
    Hon
    Balado, what is it about?
    Mr Balado Manu 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, sorry I could not catch your eye. What I was going to say in respect of what we were discussing is that, Madam Speaker made a ruling. The Hansard should be there so we should look for the Hansard and go through the ruling of Madam Speaker so that we do not go wayward or do anything that will counter to Madam Speaker's ruling.
    STATEMENTS 11:25 a.m.
    Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye (NPP - Dome-Kwabenya) 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this Statement relates to places of convenience, a prerequisite of humankind.
    Mr Speaker, on the occasion of the celebration of World Toilet Day - [Interruptions] - It appears some people are not aware - [Interruptions.]
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:25 a.m.
    Hon
    Members, the Second Deputy Speaker has the floor, let us listen to him.
    Prof. Oquaye 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, it appears some Hon Members are not aware of this globalize Day.
    Mr Speaker, on the occasion of the celebration of World Toilet Day, I feel obliged to make this Statement in this Honourable House and I thank you for the opportunity.
    Mr Kojo Adu-Asare (NDC - Adenta) 11:35 a.m.
    Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement ably made by the Second Deputy Speaker.
    I was listening to radio two days ago and one of the presenters said that today was going to be commemorated as the ‘world's toilet day' and somehow it sounded very funny but it also brought out some very strong concerns as regards this very issue and the day has come for us to talk about this rather unconventional subject.
    Driving along our main roads or
    highways has always created some kind of spectacle that we find very difficult to accommodate because sometimes you are caught in the middle of some turbulence in the bowels and finding an appropriate place to do such a thing has always been difficult and people are always compelled to do what they would not have done given the right environment to do it.
    It is for this reason that when the Ghana at 50 was about to be celebrated and we all heard that some toilet facilities were going to be built along our highways-- It was very gratifying to some of us; unfortunately, that was not to be.
    I think that this Day brings us that opportunity as a nation to look into that subject once again. Tourists come to this country more often and the beaches where, in most countries, are the most expensive locations for tourism and hotel resorts, in our case, it is a free-range area where people go to do their own thing and the sad aspect of it is that, closer to these beaches are the locations of the Metropolitan, Municipal or District Assemblies and ask yourselves whether we have people who have been tasked or mandated to handle these issues.
    Some of the things you hear people say when they are interviewed as regards why they choose to do these things along the beaches -- the normal refrain is that the air at the beach makes it easier for them to do their thing.
    We are using this opportunity to tell them that the cholera and all kinds of sicknesses and diseases that characterize those areas is as a result of this unwarranted behaviour.
    But then, you also asked a question -- [Interruption] - when you look around you find the inscription “Don't urinate here”, you ask yourself, where should people go and urinate?
    So instead of having “don't urinate here, it is expected that you find “urinate here”, and that means that a place has
    Mr Kojo Adu-Asare (NDC - Adenta) 11:45 a.m.
    been constructed or built for that purpose. Whatever, we travel around the world as Members of Parliament and businessmen or whenever we all know that the best practices is that we have places that the city authorities have built up and in this modern age, we have places where you can even slot coins that will give you access into such place and as a nation, I do not think we are too primitive not to go that direction. So I believe this is a wake- up call to all of us.
    Other places where toilet facilities have been provided; especially the water closet type in some of these communities, people do not feel like using it and I think it is because they have not been toaught how to do it. Some of them enter and still squat on top of the water closets thereby soiling the places for the next persons usage.
    So, we are using this opportunity today to plead with Government or the city authorities to provide these amenities for the communities in this nation, so that next year, when we get the chance to commemorate this Day again, we will have a better story to tell.
    Mr Speaker, I am very grateful.
    Mrs Gifty Eugenia Kusi (NPP -
    TarkwaNsuaem): Mr Speaker, I wish to congratulate the Hon Member who made the Statement on the World's Toilet Day.
    Mr Speaker, God who created human beings has provided for excretion which is a very good health exercise. Human beings are compelled to look for a place of convenience once the system is ready to excrete. Mr Speaker, the issue of provision of good facilities cannot be underestimated.
    I want to concentrate on households which do not provide adequate toilets and expect tenants to cue and pay at public
    places of convenience. I think landlords should be made to convert at least one of their rooms for facility of convenience. Even though I know that it is a by-law in most District Assemblies, Mr Speaker, some landlords do not comply and I want to urge the Minister Local Government Rural and Development to ensure that District Assemblies enforce these by-laws for landlords to comply.
    Again, I want to urge filling stations along major roads to provide more toilets because most of the time, it is only one or two and sometimes the places are not up to standard and some have even used wooden structures and the places stink; sometimes you cannot stand there to urinate. So I want these rules to be enforced, to ensure that toilets at filling stations are of the best for travellers.
    On this note I want to commend the private persons who have put up decent places of convenience just around Winneba round about and Linda Dor on Kumasi road; private people could emulate their examples and get places of convenience along the major roads for tourists to make use of.
    Mr Speaker I thank you for the opportunity.

    Deputy Minister for Energy (Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah((MP): Mr Speaker, I rise to support the Statement and in doing so -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Very brief
    comments, we have another Statement.
    Mr Buah 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I want to
    thank the Hon Member for making the Statement. It is very very important how we manage prudently human waste.
    Mr Speaker, I think that in stressing how important it is, I will call on us -- especially schools in Ghana, to
    start inculcating in our children from kindergarten the importance of how we manage human waste. We must educate our children from kindergarten up to the primary schools and to the SSS level that it is really important that the way we manage human waste, the way we urinate, the way we spit are really critical and they actually indicate the level of civilization that we as a country has achieved.
    Mr Speaker, as we talk about that, I think the responsibility on churches in this area cannot also be overemphasized. I, my view it is unchristian for example, to use public places that are not authorized - it is un-moslem for example to use our beaches that are prohibited as places of convenience.
    We must call on churches and our religious institutions to emphasise that. I think that these are areas of opportunity that we can really educate our people on the need to maintain and manage human waste in effective way.
    Mr Speaker, in terms of the management of these toilets and public places, we must also learn how we keep these areas clean. In fact, we must dream about visiting toilets instead of dreading them. The reason why people do not go to toilets places that have been established is because they are not maintained and it is very, very inconvenient visiting such places.
    I think we call on local government authorities and those who are in the positions to manage these places to ensure that these are effectively being managed. It cannot be overemphasised how important it is that as we advance as a people, we must begin to understand that there are certain standards that we must continue to really cherish.
    We must stop spitting in public, we
    must stop urinating in public, we must really echo these ethics so that people who visit our country would know that these are things that we cherish. I think that if we continue to do that, the kind of tourism that we all want in this country will go on.
    We spend so much money, Mr Speaker, on health services, and I think that human waste and how we manage toilets and others contribute tremendously to this area. And if we begin to really increase and manage our toilets effectively, we will save so much money, save lives and this country would be better off.
    I thank Mr Speaker, for the Statement.
    Mr Maxwell K. Jumah (NPP -
    Asokwa): Thank you, Mr Speaker, for allowing me to support the Statement by the Hon Member.
    Mr Speaker, when it comes to toilets, it is almost a national disgrace. A group of tourists, American delegation came to Ghana and among them was a very prominent politician. They visited Asante Mampong for a festival and something like basic need -- and they say it in American slang, if you allow me: “when you gat to do it you gat to do it”. When it comes to “you gat to do it” as the Americans say it, it happens.
    Then this politician, we were struggling to get a place of convenience for him, in fact, I was so embarrassed and I did not know what to do. The person left the country and when he was in the United States (US), he made a statement that he will never ever come to Ghana because of that particular incident.
    Mr Speaker, the Urban Environmental
    Sanitation Project was initiated a long time ago; PNDC time and it is still in effect. And one of the elements of that project is that if you decide to put up a toilet in your house, through the sponsorship of the World Bank, Municipalities will pay 50
    Dr A. A. Osei 11:45 a.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, my Colleague said he was “mayor of Kumasi”. There is no position like “Mayor of Kumasi”. He was the Metropolitan Chief Executive. So on what basis does he say that he was a “mayor of Kumasi?” There is no ‘mayor of Kumasi”, he was never a ‘mayor of Kumasi'. He should correct himself.
    Mr Jumah 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, if he does not
    know, I will teach him. We have a Mayor of Kumasi and a Mayor of Accra. They have been there since time immemorial.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Hon
    Member, is that position in any of our laws?
    Mr Jumah 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, that is why we have an English word called “alias” like they call me “Kofi Ghana”. [Interruptions.]
    Mr Speaker, we need as Members
    of Parliament to help educate our constituents, that they need places to stay, they need places to cook their food and one other thing that their must have is a toilet.
    Mr Speaker, I will not go further.
    Thank you very much.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Hon Members , I wi l l take two more contributions on this matter.
    Mr Gabriel K. Essilfie (NDC -
    Shama): Thank you Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the Statement ably made by the Second Deputy Speaker of the House.
    Mr Speaker, we all are aware of what has been going on in our country regarding this issue of toilets and urinals that are not available and as a result, we see our people easing themselves or defecating all over the place.
    Mr Speaker, the issue that I have is not necessarily what is happening but rather how we are enforcing the ordinances that we have in our books. Mr Speaker, I come from a community or a constituency that is blessed with beaches, but I find it very difficult even to go to any of the beaches because any time go there, what I see is an eyesore. It is difficult for me when I get tourists or visitors from the US, Britain, all over the place and they want to go to our beaches, for me even to be able to go there.
    The problem has been that we are not enforcing the ordinances that we have on our books. When you go to the beach and you find somebody squatting and defecating, as soon as you tell the person you will have the person arrested, the first thing he will ask you is, so where do you want me to go, and that is indeed, the right question.
    So it behoves we the politicians, our local government to make sure that toilet facilities are provided throughout the various communities so that people can use them and then once that is available to them and you see somebody going against the law, then you can have the person arrested.
    Mr Speaker, let me share, with this House, one experience that I had about three, four years ago when I was not in this august House. I came from the US and I went to the Arts Council to buy some artifact to take to the US. And right there, I saw a whiteman, standing there
    urinating, just against the wall the Art Council. Everybody there was standing and was looking at this man and they said nothing, but I bold enough because I knew where he came from, that would never be allowed.
    So I went to him and I asked him, my friend, why are you urinating here? I was saddened when he said “ah! but in Ghana, this is what you people do”. As a Ghanaian, I took it as an insult.
    It means that we have been recognized as people who do not even take pride in areas which other nations brag about and we do all kinds of things that are eyesore in the nation and that whiteman felt that it was all right for him also to do the same thing. And I said to him, “no, this is not allowed, so wind up your urinating and get out of here because it is not proper.”
    Mr Speaker, to sum what I am saying up, I would like to encourage, now that we have the Eco Brigade that is really cleaning our beaches, for them to be empowered, so that when they see people defecating at our beaches or urinating all over the place, they can at least go to them and call them to order. I do it; when I am driving and I see anybody standing on the road side urinating, I stop and shout on the person; “my friend, this is not the place for you to urinate, so go somewhere”. We should take the lead and teach our people the right thing to do and I think the nation will go a long way.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.
    Ms Shirley A. Botchway (NPP - Weija) 11:55 a.m.
    I thank you, Mr Speaker for giving me an opportunity to contribute to the Statement by the Hon Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament.
    I believe a very important topic

    and a very important Day that is being commemorated all over the world. It is so clear that we have been conditioned as Ghanaians and probably even Africans, that things that are done in private, are a source of embarrassment to most of us. I say this because of the reaction when the Hon Second Deputy Speaker started his Statement.

    When we are embarrassed, one of the ways we show it is to laugh or to trivialize an issue and I think that it is important, even though a few of us are saying that why are we making a statement on “toilet”? Mr Speaker, it is so clear that the health of a people can clearly be linked to a nation's wealth and therefore, how we treat our sanitation matters is quite important and it should be highlighted as much as we can.

    I want to zero in on the role of the Metropolitan, Municipal, District Assemblies (MMDAs) and especially their work in granting building permits to citizens. It is so clear that permits are granted to people even though they do not make provision for toilets or places of convenience in their homes. And even if it is done, the work of the building inspectors in going round to monitor, find out whether the building is being constructed in the proper way does not, I do not believe include them making sure that everything that is specified on the building plan is actually what is on the ground.

    This is where most houses, especially, within the metropolitan areas end up not having toilets. As a Member of Parliament, I am sure it is not just me but other Hon Members have experienced when they have meetings and durbars with their constituents. One of the things that constituents would ask a Member of Parliament is, we want a public toilet, we want a place of convenience for our community. [Hear! Hear.] If the rules that people who build or construct houses
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:05 p.m.
    Hon
    Members, that brings us to the end of the first Statement.
    I will call on the Hon Member for Mion (Dr A. Y. Alhassan) to make the second Statement.

    Ghana Senior High School

    GHANASCO @ 50
    Dr Ahmed Alhassan (NDC - Mion) 12:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make a Statement on Ghana Senior High School, Tamale at 50 .
    Ghana Senior High School, Tamale ordinarily referred to as GHANASCO was established in 1960 as one of the Ghana Education Trust schools. It was the second public senior high school to be established in the Northern Region after Tamale Senior High School -TAMASCO.
    Fifty years on, GHANASCO has every reason to celebrate its golden jubilee with pomp and pageantry because the school has contributed to nation building through its products who can be found in all walks of national life either as nurses, medical personnel, politicians, teachers, agriculturists, lawyers, soldiers, businessmen, traditional rulers, journalists, et cetera.
    Mr Speaker, the theme for the celebration is “Secondary Education in Ghana - the Role of GHANASCO at 50”. Highlights of the celebration include a
    Homecoming summit for all old students often referred to as OGAs, Candle Light Procession and climaxed by a Speech and Prize-giving Day on the school's compound on Saturday, 20th November, 2010. H.E. John Dramani Mahama will be the Special Guest of Honour.
    Mr Speaker, from a humble beginning, Ghanasco has produced some of the finest medical personnel for the health sector. Indeed, one of the top current Maxillofacial Surgeons at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, University of Ghana Medical School is an old Ghanascan - Dr A. E. Abdulai.
    The school has its products as legal luminaries and can boast of a Court of Appeal Judge. In the area of corporate governance and business, two examples stand out. The current Managing Director (MD) of Stanbic Bank in Ghana is an old Ghanascan. The recently resigned MD of the Graphic Communications Group Limited as also a Ghanascan. At the New Times Corporation, Madam Tina Aforo, is in-charge of the Foreign Desk.
    In the political front, Mr Speaker, GHANASCO is srepresented by three siting Members of Parliament, the senior most being Hon Sumani Abukari , MP for Tamale North who is a pioneer student of GHANASCO. Hon Sumani Abukari completed his ‘O' level in 1964. The first GHANASCO product to be called to the Bar as a qualified lawyer in 1972.
    The other two Members of Parliament are Hon Moses Aduko Asaga and my humble self. Hon Mahama Ayariga is a Ghanascan. One of the Deputy Clerks of Parliament, in the person of Alhaji Ibrahim Gombilla is also a Ghanascan. There are others in the Parliamentary Service.
    Mr Speaker, the nation's second gentleman of the realm H.E. John Dramani Mahama, the Vice-President of the Republic is a true breed Ghanascan. He completed both is ‘O' and ‘A' Levels

    in GHANASCO in 1976 and 1978 respectively. Hon Moses Asaga, myself, the Vice President and others had a good time together as classmates for seven years in this great school.

    All three of us served on the editorial board of the school magazine and as prefects with Dr Sulley Gariba during our young adult years in the sixth form.

    The school still requires further investments in order to provide adequate teaching and learning facilities for the current crop of students, and those who will pass through the halls of this school in the years to come.

    The science laboratories need to be properly equipped for the study of science in tandem with current level of technological advancement. There needs to be an expansion of dormitories, classrooms, the assembly dining hall, the ball, staff accommodation and communal facilities. This school must be properly equipped and resourced to train the youth of this country, and prepare them to take the place of the illustrious alumni of this institution in the future.

    Mr Speaker, on this occasion all OGAs join hands and hearts to say thank you to all the teachers who sacrificed to bring GHANASCO and its products to the limelight.

    The first Headmaster, Mr Purser and Mr Bentum Williams, a pioneer teaching staff, who are still alive, deserve special mention. We are grateful to them all for making us what we are today. They really lived and worked within the tenets espoused by the schoo'ls motto, “Dani Suma ni Sugio”, that is, Patience and Perseverance.

    On the occasion of the golden jubilee, we the OGAs congratulate the Headmistress and Staff and wish them well.
    Alhaji Sumani Abukari (NDC - Tamale North) 12:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this wonderful Statement about a great institution called Ghana Senior High School or in short GHANASCO.
    Speaker, the school started as Ghana College, one of the institutions that was put up by the Great Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah from the Ghana Educational Trust Fund. It was one of the schools he put up across the country to bridge the gap, especially between the North and the South when it came to education. Mr Speaker, I was one of the pioneers of that school and I am grateful as always to Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and the Ghana Educational Trust Fund for offering me that opportunity to go to senior high school.
    Mr Speaker, the school was opened in 1960 -- Please, with your permission, those of you talking there, Hon Minister, please, if you will keep quiet and listen. Respect the Chair, please. Respect the Chair, listen to what I am saying.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:05 p.m.
    Hon Member, I am in-charge.
    Alhaji Abukari 12:05 p.m.
    Yes, Mr Speaker. I went there in 1960 - some of you do not know that, that was when I went to secondary school. Mr Speaker, in our time we were used as one of the numerous educational guinea pigs because we had to do our ‘O' Level in four years, because there was an attempt at the time to see whether they could reduce the number of years in secondary school from five to four. With us, they realized that they had to go back to the old system, but we were made to do the four years, and I proceeded to Tamale Secondary School for my sixth form education.
    Mr Speaker, GHANASCO was - I should say, is one of the greatest schools that the country has been blessed with, because in those days, we were rubbing shoulders with the Achimota's, the Prempeh's and the Opoku Ware's in any field you can think of. And in doing so Mr Speaker, let me say that I would pay glowing tribute to our first Headmaster, Mr K. L. Pursah, a man with Jamaican origins. Mr Pursah later on moved to Kpando Senior High School where he became a very successful Headmaster again.
    Mr Speaker, this man ensured that he brought to our school all the values and training he had in Britain to the extent that we had to be playing cricket, lawn tennis and all those things which we thought was a bother. He thought us how to play chess, we taught it was a bother, he thought us to sit down and listen to classical music. Initially, it was very boring, but with time, we started tuning ourselves to classical music. Mr Speaker, and like the Hon Member who made the statement said, the school has produced a lot of illustrious sons and daughters of this country including one great Alhaji Sumani Abukari who is supporting this Statement.
    Mr Speaker, I will say without doubt that Ghana owes a lot, especially the northern Ghana owes a lot to Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah for all of us having the secondary education that we might never have had; we are grateful to him.
    We are grateful to all the pioneering teachers, like Mr Bentum Williams, the late Mr Aryetey and those people who pioneered - because initially, it was difficult to get teachers for us; we happened to get a lot of sixth form leavers to come and help us because that was the year in which the academic calendar was changed and those who left sixth form in June could not go straight to the university, they had to stay home for another year
    before they moved to the university and we took advantage of that to recruit a lot of them to that school to teach some of us and I think they did a wonderful job.
    Mr Speaker, Ghana Senior High School is now 50 years and we say Ayekoo to all the pioneering masters and teachers. We say Ayekoo to all the wonderful students it produced, we say Ayekoo to everybody who has gone through that institution with all the problems that we had - shortage of water, chasing snakes around, sleeping with scorpions, sleeping on the floor - at least, we learnt a lot and we learnt that we should not ease on the side of the road, we should not urinate by heart on the side of the road, we should learn to clean our bathrooms.
    So Mr Speaker, if you come to my house, my bathroom is always clean. Sometimes I have to scrub it at weekends because of the training I got from Ghana Secondary School.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
    Mr Kobina T. Hammond (NPP - Adansi/Asokwa) 12:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I congratulate Tamale Secondary School for the -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:05 p.m.
    Hon Member -- Continue.
    Mr Hammond 12:05 p.m.
    I congratulate them for the anniversary that Mr Speaker, they have chalked -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:05 p.m.
    Hon Member, which schoo l a re you congratulating? [Laughter.]
    Mr Hammond 12:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I mentioned it the first time. I thought it is GHANASCO. Even though I am not a product of the school, Mr Speaker, I know very well it is called GHANASCO. But Mr Speaker, while congratulating them, I am a bit disappointed in my Hon Colleague who just sat down. How could GHANASCO, while competing to be one of the best, be competing with schools like
    Mr Enoch T. Mensah 12:05 p.m.
    On a point of order. Mr Speaker, he is completely out of order and I do not even know whom he is talking about; “that Hon Member who just sat down”. He even did not mention his name.
    Mr Hammond 12:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, you know I can never be rude to my Hon Brother sitting down there. I mean the Hon Member, I said.
    Alhaji Abukari 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, my
    Hon Colleague and very good Friend who refused to go to Hajj this year will remember that when I talk of 1960/64, he probably was a baby. Being a baby at the time, he could never have appreciated which schools were the best schools because we played games with some of these schools and defeated them -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Hon
    Member, he was not a baby at that time.
    Alhaji Abukari 12:15 p.m.
    He was a kid. He had
    not gone to primary school; he was a baby.
    Mr Hammond 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, 1960/64?
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much. That
    was exactly the point I made. I was four years by the time he went to that school; that is fine. I acknowledged that.
    Mr Speaker, growing up, I got to know
    that the schools he should have been competing with even in 1960 would have been Adisadel College - 1910 - He should have been competing with “Kwabotwe”
    - 12:15 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Hon K. T.
    Hammond, how old were you in 1960?
    Mr Hammond 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I proudly
    say, I was four years at the time.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Are you
    sure of that?
    Mr Hammond 12:15 p.m.
    Ah come on. Mr
    Speaker, it is a long time ago; it is about 46 years now.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Very well.
    I have another record of your age. That is why I am asking you whether you are sure.
    Mr Hammond 12:15 p.m.
    Yes, sure, I am. No,
    Mr Ghartey 12:15 p.m.
    On a point of order. Mr
    Speaker, appearances are deceptive. Do not let Hon K. T. Hammond's appearance deceive you. He tells me to put on record that he is a very handsome man. He is my classmate so I can confirm that his real age, his proper age, is what he is saying. Hon K. T. Hammond was four years old in 1964. Mr Speaker, I was three - [Laughter] - We were not in the same crèche though, but I was three.
    Mr Hammond 12:15 p.m.
    So, you see, Mr
    Speaker, I have done better than him. But at any event, one of the reasons for which I think I should be contributing to this subject is also because in the course of the last debate, a very important matter was left out and I thought that we should fix it in to make the subject complete.
    Mr Speaker, while the discussion was
    Mr Ghartey 12:15 p.m.
    On a point of order. I thought they said 1964. I have just been told that it is 1960. Mr Speaker, 1960, I was not born - [Laughter] - It has to go on record that in 1960 I was not born. If it was 1964, then I was three.
    Mr Hammond 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, that is the
    argument. In 1964, I was four, you were three. I am one year older than you. In 1960, we were not born. No, I was born in 1960; you were born in 1961. Is that not it? Mr Speaker, are we getting our mathematics screwed-up or something? I think we are right.
    Anyway, the point I was making is
    that while we are talking about - Hon E. T. Mensah is completely fazed. What is the problem? The Budget is fazing him or what?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Hon K. T.
    Hammond, do you want to contribute to the Statement?
    Mr Hammond 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, whilst
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Hon
    Member, you are out of order.
    Mr Hammond 12:15 p.m.
    Thank you, very much, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Moses Asaga (NDC -- Nabdam) 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I want to associate myself with the Statement that has been made by Hon Alhassan Ahmed Yakubu (Member
    for Mion).
    Mr Hammond 12:15 p.m.
    On point of order. I
    have not finished. Mr Speaker, there is a problem going on here. I thought Hon Moses Asaga was on a point of order.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Hon
    Member, you have nothing to contribute to this Statement.
    Mr Hammond 12:15 p.m.
    Oh, you finished it for me?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Yes, I
    finished it for you.
    Mr Hammond 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I did not
    realise that.
    Mr Asaga 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in the
    early 1960s and 1970s, there were four government secondary schools in the entirelly of the North, and Ghana Secondary School was one of the four schools which included Government Secondary School, Navrongo Secondary School, and Bawku Secondary School.
    Among all these schools, the senior school was the Government Secondary School and the next school was actually Ghana Secondary School which was six months older than Navrongo Secondary School and one year older than Bawku Secondary School.
    We are proud to have been educated in that school and we must give our gratitude to our first President of the Republic of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, because without him, some of us would not have attended school.
    Apart from just our individual achievements, I also want to take this day to congratulate all the accelerated schools that were built by Dr Kwame Nkrumah in the 1960s. I believe today, a number of schools are having their golden jubilee celebrations, and these celebrations would not have been realistic without Dr Kwame Nkrumah's vision.
    I therefore want to say, that when you have a visionary leader him you must give praise to that visionary leader. And today Dr Kwame Nkrumah is receiving one of the best tributes that he could have been accorded with.
    Mr Speaker, it has already been mentioned that H. E. Mr John Mahama, the Vice President, was a product of Ghana Secondary School and that I was a direct mate of his including Hon Dr Ahmed Yakubu. We were the three most musketeers of the school right from Form Five up to Upper Six Form and we could always give most schools a run for their money. Hon Avoka knows that NAVASCO and Bawku Secondary School always had a tough time beating us in sports. We always ranked top too in any northern inter-colleges athletics.
    In football, Mr Speaker, I am happy to inform the House that, when Abedi Pele was in Form One, I was in Lower Sixth Form and he is a product of that great school. And Abedi Pele, we all know,
    captained the Black Stars, he played in Europe and he was nominated African Best Player of the Year on a number of occasions. This shows that GHANASCO was an all-encompassing institution. It produced intellectuals and it also did
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    Hon Member, you know that the gentleman you were referring to, the late B. A. Fuseini, who was a former Deputy Majority Leader of this House -
    Mr Asaga 12:25 p.m.
    And an Hon Member of Parliament -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    And an Hon Member of Parliament and former Deputy Majority Leader passed away long ago, so we cannot be doing that now. You are paying tribute to your school but not to the late B. A. Fuseini.
    Mr Asaga 12:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, since I am committed to paying the one-minute silence and since I am on the floor, I would just say “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” to Hon B. A. Fuseini.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    Hon Members, that brings us to the end of the second Statement.
    At the Commencement of Public Business, item number 5 on Order Paper.
    Mr Avoka 12:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, unfortunately, is not here and I am applying to you to humbly permit the Hon Deputy Minister, Mr Seth Terkpeh who has been doing business with us in this House to move the Motion on behalf of the substantive Minister for Finance and Economic Planning.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Minority Leader -
    No, the Leader has made a proposal and I called you. If you want to defer to Hon Joe Ghartey, I have no objection, but I want to hear from you.
    Mr Dery 12:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I certainly have no problem with Hon Terkpeh standing in for the Hon Minister for Finance and Economic Planning except that I have seen my Hon Colleague who has been standing and I thought that as a Leader, I should facilitate the work of the House by referring him -
    Mr Ghartey 12:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, with the greatest of respect, I rise to seek your direction in this matter, the matter I am about to raise. In seeking your direction I take cognisance of the fact that quite apart from the fact that you hold the high office of the Hon First Deputy Speaker, you are also a master of the proceedings and

    procedures and the Orders of this House.

    Mr Speaker, you called for the commencement of Public Business and the Motion number 5 on the Order Paper, which we are seeking to read the Second time is the Petroleum Revenue Management Bill, 2010. But there are two issues that, perhaps, I must bring to your attention as a concerned Hon Member of this House for you to direct us on. One is constitutional and the other is procedural.

    Mr Speaker, with respect, I would start with the procedural one. This matter was raised before this House on Friday, 12th November 2010. In the Hansard of that day, Hon P. C. Appiah-Ofori (Member for Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa) raised the matter. And Mr Speaker, I refer specifically to column 1084.

    Hon P. C. Appiah-Ofori raised the matter that if we are bringing a Bill on Revenue Management, how can it be brought when we have not brought one on Exploration?

    Mr Speaker, it became a subject matter of much discussion. But there are two very important aspects of it that, with the greatest of respect, I want to bring to your attention - the contribution of my very good Friend and Senior Colleague, Hon Member of the House and Majority Leader and the ruling of Madam Speaker.

    The contribution of my learned Friend and Leader of the House is at column 1086 of the Hansard, the third paragraph and he says -- Mr Speaker, with your permission, I beg to quote:

    “Madam Speaker, the Petroleum Exploration and Production Bill has suffered some reverses of late at the committee stage or committee meeting. Indeed, I have been briefed by the Hon Committee Chairman that he was in the process of

    withdrawing that Bill to repackage it.

    Our attention was also drawn to article 269 of the 1992 Constitution that requires that there must be a Commission that should be put in place to regulate natural resources, like we have Forestry Commission, Fisheries Commission, et cetera.

    Against the backdrop of the legal position and other developments, I have been informed by the Hon Chairman of the Committee and the Hon Deputy Minister for Energy that they were in the process of withdrawing the Petroleum Exploration and Production Bill, and that subsequently, in the not- too-distant future, they will be laying before this august House, the Petroleum Exploration and Production Bill with regard to petroleum.”
  • [Official Report of 12/11/10, column 1086]
  • [Official Report of 12/11/10, column 1089]
    • rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    Hon Member for Nabdam, do you have a point of order?
    Mr Asaga 12:25 p.m.
    Yes, Mr Speaker. The point of order is that we have listened to him on the issue about the Speaker's ruling and I am thinking that that should have been the end of it, then you take charge. This is because where he is going to is what we have debated several times at the committee meeting, so - [Interruption] - I am coming - [Interruption] - But it is not yet on the floor. It is only when the Motions are moved that they become relevant.
    What he is quoting is not the same as the Petroleum Revenue Management Bill. A lot of us are confusing the Petroleum
    Exploration and Production Bill with the Petroleum Revenue Management Bill. The two are not the same and I must - [Interruption] - Please. So I think that Mr Speaker, I want you to look at my submission that where he is going to is not yet before the House.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
    Hon
    Member, let him conclude his submission, then I will give the directives that he expects from me.
    Mr Ghartey 12:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you
    very much.
    Article 269 of the Constitution which the Hon Majority Leader and Leader of this House alluded to in the paragraph I have just read from the Hansard of 12th November, 2010 states as follows and with your permission, I quote:
    “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, Parliament shall, by or under an Act of Parliament, provide for the establishment, within six months after Parliament first meets after the coming into force of this Constitution, of a Minerals Commission, a Forestry Commission, Fisheries Commission and such other Commissions as Par l i ament may de te rmine , which shall be responsible for the regulation and management of the utilization of the natural resources concerned and the co-ordination of the policies in relation to them.”
    Mr Speaker, the question whether
    Parliament is interested in establishing our Oil and Gas Commission, now is beyond dispute because we have been told that by the Hon Majority Leader. It was at the committee level; the Hon Majority Leader has brought it into the House.
    If you look at the Bill that we are
    about to deal with, if we look at the Memorandum, it is called “Petroleum Revenue Management Bill”. When you look at the Memorandum, it says:
    “The purpose of this Bill is to provide for a framework that will guide the efficient allocation, collection and management of petroleum revenue for the benefit of . . .”
    and it goes on and on.
    The second paragraph talks about the assignment of responsibilities from collection to final utilization.
    Mr Speaker, with the greatest of respect, the key words in article 269 of the Constitution are “regulation, “management of utilization and co- ordination”. Those are the key words in article 269 of the Constitution. This Petroleum Revenue Management Bill also seeks to deal with utilization of the natural resource.
    Mr Speaker, it is my humble submission
    that if we have come to the conclusion that we need a Commission for this purpose, then that law must come first because that is the law that would influence us in passing other laws relating to petroleum.
    I, therefore, pray that as at the committee level, good sense prevailed and we all agreed, after it was raised by some of us that the Bill establishing the Commission should be passed, I pray that even at this stage, it is not too late for us to do what is right.
    The people of Ghana in 1992 voted in a referendum for a Constitution. In

    that Constitution, they decided that the natural resources of this country must be managed, utilized, regulated, co-ordinated in a particular way by an independent Commission.

    Mr Speaker, if you look at the

    Constitution, there are independent constitutional bodies such as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and so on. Then there is another level of independent bodies and that level of independence is the body such as the Lands Commission, et cetera. Mr Speaker, there is a history behind it.

    The history is that in the constitutional development of our history, we had reached a stage in 1969 and subsequently, in 1979 and 1992, we decided that natural resources should be regulated by independent Commissions. If we have set up a Commission for Fisheries, if we have set up a Commission for Forestry, if we have set up a Commission for Minerals, why do we not want to, first of all, bring the Bill for a Commission for Oil and Gas and after which all other things would follow?

    If Madam Speaker has ruled that even before we bring the Petroleum Revenue Management Bill, we should bring the Exploration and Production Bill and if the Committee and the Hon Majority Leader have alluded to it that before we bring the Petroleum Exploration and Production Bill, we shall deal with the Commission, then, Mr Speaker, it stands to reason that we are about to tread on very dangerous grounds and I urge you and this House to hold our horses while we bring the Commission's Bill.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
    Hon
    Mr Dery 12:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the point that we need to note is that, yes, it should be brought but one cannot pass without the other. Your “reasonable time” appears to be at large. The “reasonable time” appears to be at large but the point is - [Interruption.]
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
    Hon
    Members, order! Let us listen to the Hon Deputy Minority Leader.
    Mr Dery 12:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think that
    we should all be tolerant of views even if we do not agree with them, and I will continue.
    Mr Speaker, we are talking about a
    Commission which should perform the functions, among others, of managing and co-ordinating the utilization of the resource - [An Hon Member: No!] -- Please, give me the chance to explain to them. Why?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
    Deputy
    Minority Leader, you have the floor.
    Hon Members, let us listen to one Hon Person at a time. So let us listen to the Hon Deputy Minority Leader and after that if there is any other Hon Person, I will listen to him or her.
    Mr Dery 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, let me reiterate the point that article 269 of the Constitution talks about, inter alia --
    “...shall be responsible for the regulation and management of the utilization of the natural resources concerned --”
    and the only use that we have of oil is the money that it brings to us.
    So, Mr Speaker, all we are saying is that - And the Majority Leader agreed that this matter was discussed at the Committee. There is no difficulty, indeed, before all these happened, we had a Bill which was
    prepared at the time that I was privileged to be a Minister of State on the subject matter, which means that it is something that can easily be brought here.
    Fortunately, the Hon Deputy Minister for Justice and Deputy Attorney-General is here and we need to be careful that we do not start to deal with the revenue to the detriment of the basic thing.
    For instance, Mr Sspeaker, the regulation of the exploration and production is very important. If we should get the kind of oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, because we do not have a law to regulate it, all the 1.9 per cent that we expect to get will be useless.
    In the same way that you are saying “reasonable time”, I am only saying the “reasonable time” should be such that it is before this Bill is passed. That, that “reasonable time” should be pegged; that is all that I am asking.
    Madam Speaker said at column 1089 of the Official c Report of 12 November
    , 2010
    - 12:45 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Hon Members, I have already directed that we should proceed. We should bring the Bill on the Commission, on this matter within a reasonable time.
    Hon Members, the passage of a law involves a lot of processes. It is not as if today we start the process, then the Bill is going to be passed today into law and become effective. Because of time constraint, the better approach now is that let us start the process. Nobody is denying that we do not need a commission and as you rightly pointed out, the Hon Majority Leader has conceded to that point earlier.
    Let us start the process now and then we can wait for - We will still let the Executive bring the other Bill. Let us start the process.
    Hon Members, I have ruled accordingly.
    Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, while respecting your ruling, I want only to point out that the said Commission, if you look at article 269 of the Constitution carefully, it says that and with your permission, I beg to quote:
    “. . . and such other Commissions as Parliament may determine, which shall be responsible for the regulation and management of the the utilization of natural resources
    . . .”
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Hon Members, if you look at the provision of article 269 of the Constitution closely, even the regulation that has been taking place all these years, when we have been giving licences to oil companies to do their exploration and regulating them, is a lot that we could raise a lot of questions. Hon Members -
    Some Hon Members 12:45 p.m.
    It is wrong!
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    And we started operating this Constitution as far back as January, 1993. Now, one could say that well, at that time we had not discovered oil in commercial quantities, so nobody had addressed his mind critically to this issue.
    The point is that the passage of a law takes a process, this is only part of that process.
    Mr Ebo Barton-Odro 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to allay the fears of Hon Members. [Interruptions.] Please, please.
    My Hon Minister attended one of the meetings and came back and drew our attention to this issue that has been raised. A draft is already before me in my office. [Interruptions.] Please, please. So, why do we not, as directed by the Hon Speaker, just make sure that we work within time? Within reasonable time, it will come before this House. That is all I can say.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Hon Members, I have directed; let us go on. I am happy that I called the Hon Deputy
    Attorney-General and Deputy Minister for Justice because when this issue cropped up in the Committee, I had the privilege of speaking to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice who some two weeks ago was telling me that they were doing the draft at that time.
    Hon Members, we have just approved the Business Statement for next week and in that Business Statement, we are saying that we are taking all these matters. What we should be doing now as a House is to rather put the necessary pressure on whoever is in charge of this Bill to bring this Bill to this House within that time. And therefore - That is what you are doing. Then let us proceed. -- So that is what you are doing?
    Very well, Hon Members, let us proceed.
    MOTIONS 12:45 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
    Hon Members, we all know as a matter of fact that this Paper was laid yesterday and it should have been captured on the Order Paper. What I should have done really was to draw the House's attention to it and then we move the Motion for the Suspension of the Standing Orders; to draw the House's attention to that omission and then to move for the suspension of those Orders. So Hon Members --
    Mr Avoka 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to crave your indulgence and my Colleague's that in the light of what is going on, this is a very, very important Bill and it is of national interest that everybody is taken on board.
    Mr Dery 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think the proposal --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
    Hon Members, in view of the suggestion coming from the Hon Majority Leader who is in-charge of Government Business, that we defer it -- He is in-charge of Government Business and he is saying that the Government Business before us should be taken on Monday. I have no objection but to agree to - And he has been supported by the Deputy Minority Leader that we take this Motion on Monday and therefore, since that is the wish - Hon Members, so the Motion [Interruption] Order, Order. The Motion is accordingly deferred to Monday.
    Mr Cletus A. Avoka 12:55 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, today being Friday and having scheduled other committees to meet, I beg to move, that we now do adjourn until Monday at l0.00 o'clock in the forenoon.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:55 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think the proper directive ought to be given on this. A procedural Motion has been moved, it is still hanging. I believe that --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
    It has not been seconded, so it will not enter the Votes and Proceedings and that ends the matter.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:55 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I just wanted that bold directive from you, that because it is hanging, it has not been seconded -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
    It has not been seconded and the rules of the House say, that when it is not seconded, it will not enter the Votes and Proceedings and that ends the matter.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:55 p.m.
    That is so,
    Mr. Speaker. Since you quote the rules of the House, the rules provide that if there is a Motion as properly captured on the Order Paper -- If a person wants to move for a withdrawal or standing it down, since it is now the property of the House or it is in the domain of the House, the House will have to be indulged. So the proposal has come from the Hon Majority Leader and I agree with him.
    The Hon Deputy Minority Leader has also concurred by way of supporting but it is still subject to the indulgence of the House before you --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
    Which of the proposals?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:55 p.m.
    The proposal to stand down the Motion.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
    The Motion has not been moved, it was a procedural Motion that was moved but was not seconded, and the rules say that when you move a Motion and it is not seconded that ends the matter, and the matter is ended. It will not be in our record, so it is as if you have not moved it.
    It is when it is seconded, then you need the leave of the House and the indulgence of the Speaker to have it withdrawn.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:55 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I believe that we are talking about two different things. I am saying that the Hon Majority Leader has made an application to the House to defer Motion No. 5 on the Order Paper and I am saying that I agree with him. The Hon Deputy Minority Leader has concurred; he has supported that application. But I am saying that deferring it is still subject to the indulgence of the House; that is all that I am saying. But of course, it is procedural and I am not saying that I am against what the Hon Majority Leader has said. -
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
    Hon Minority Leader, a proposal has been made that this matter be deferred. It has

    been supported by the then available Leader for the Minority side. I have also taken note. He is in-charge of Government Business. If he brings his business and he says that “this business I brought today, let us do it the next day”, once the proposal has been supported by the Minority side we leave it there. But there is a Motion moved, have you seconded the Motion -- the adjournment Motion?
    Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:55 p.m.
    Mr. Speaker, I would not have any problem seconding the Motion. But since you proposed to us that the Hon Majority Leader is in charge of Government Business, we want a clear and succinct interpretation of “being in-charge”. How is he in charge of Government Business? [Interruptions]
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:55 p.m.
    Thank you very much.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    ADJOURNMENT 12:55 p.m.