Debates of 12 May 2015

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 11:15 a.m.
WELCOME ADDRESS 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon Members, let me welcome you to the Second Meeting of the Third Session of the Sixth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
I thank the Almighty God for seeing to your well-being during the Easter recess and bringing you all safely back to the House this morning. It is my prayer that the Almighty God will continue to extend His hand of favour and divine mercies over this House during the course of this Meeting and the period thereafter.
Hon Members would recall that in my Closing Remarks, prior to the adjournment of the House, I wished those of you scheduled to contest primaries in your respective constituencies during the Easter recess, well. I understand those
ANNOUNCEMENTS 11:15 a.m.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SPEAKER 11:15 a.m.
OFFICE OF PARLIAMENT 11:15 a.m.
OSU-ACCRA 11:15 a.m.
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Hon Members, the Communication is referred to the Appointments Committee for considera- tion and report to the House.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 11:15 a.m.
Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 26th March,
2015.
  • [No correction was made to the Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 26th March, 2015.]
    • Mr Speaker 11:15 a.m.
    Hon Members, we have the Official Report of Thursday, 26th March, 2015 for correction.
  • [No correction was made to the Official Report of Thursday, 26th March, 2015.]
    • Mr Speaker 11:25 a.m.
    Item number 3 on the Order Paper -- Business Statement for the First Week of the Second Meeting, by the Chairman of the Business Committee.
    BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE 11:25 a.m.
    Majority Leader/Chairman of the Business Committee (Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin) 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I stand on behalf of
    Majority Leader/Chairman of the Business Committee (Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin) 11:25 a.m.
    the Business Committee to present the Business Statement of the First Week of the Second Meeting of the Third Session of the Sixth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
    Mr Speaker, the Committee met on Wednesday, 25th March 2015 and arranged business of the House for the First Week ending Friday, 15th May 2015.
    Mr Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 56(1), the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows:
    Arrangement of Business Question(s)
    Mr Speaker, the Committee has programmed the following Ministers to respond to Questions asked of them during the week:
    No. of Question(s)
    i. Minister for the Interior -- 1
    ii. Minister for Trade and Industry -- 1
    iii. Minister for Transport -- 1
    iv. Minister for Food and Agriculture -- 2
    v. Minister for Finance -- 5
    vi. Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development -- 1
    vii. Minister for Roads and Highways -- 6
    Total number of Questions -- 17
    Mr Speaker, eight (8) Ministers are expected to attend upon the House to respond to seventeen (17) Questions during the week.
    Statements
    Mr Speaker, pursuant to Order 70 (2), Ministers of State may be permitted to make Statements on Government policy. Your goodself may also admit Statements to be made in the House by Hon Members in accordance with Order 72.
    Bills, Papers and Reports
    Mr Speaker, Bills may be presented to the House for First Reading and those of
    urgent nature may be taken through the various stages in one day in accordance with Order 119. Papers and committee reports may also be presented to the House.
    Motions and Resolutions
    Mr Speaker, Motions may be debated and their consequential Resolutions, if any, taken during the week.
    Conclusion Mr Speaker, in accordance with
    Standing Order 160 (2) and subject to
    Standing Order 53, the Committee submits to this Honourable House the order in which the Business of the House shall be taken during the week.

    Questions --

    *395. Mr Johnson Kwaku Adu (Ahafo Ano South West): To ask the Minister for the Interior what plans the Ministry has to provide Ahafo Ano South West District with a fire tender.

    Statements

    Consideration Stage of Bills --

    Conduct of Public Officers Bill, 2013.

    Committee sittings.

    Questions --

    *399. Mr Francis Adu-Blay Koffie (Prestea/Huni-Valley): To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry whether there are plans by the Ministry to turn Aboso Glass Factory into a technical institute.

    *400.Mr Justice Joe Appiah (Ablekuma North): To ask the Minister for Transport what plans the Ministry has to rehabilitate broken down buses of Metro Mass Transit to improve public transport system in the country.

    *402. Mr Kwame Asafu-Adjei (Nsuta/ Kwamang/Beposo): To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture the status on “Census of Agriculture (CA)”.

    *403. Mr Kwame Asafu-Adjei (Nsuta/ Kwamang/Beposo): To ask the Minister for Food and Agriculture the status of the Broiler Project started in September, 2014.

    Statements

    Consideration Stage of Bills --

    Conduct of Public Officers Bill, 2013. (Continuation)

    Committee sittings.

    Questions --

    *345. Mr Augustine Collins Ntim (Offinso North): To ask the Minister for Finance what measures have been put in place by the Ministry to ensure that reports on the releases of the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) are submitted to Parliament in accordance with Act

    852.

    *346. Mr Augustine Collins Ntim (Offinso North): To ask the Minister for Finance the status of the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) of GH¢29.9 million allocated to the Ministry of Health in the 2013 Budget Statement to finance critical projects in the Ministry and for which work has been stalled for the past several years.

    *347. Mr Justice Joe Appiah (Ablekuma North): To ask the Minister for Finance what steps the Ministry is taking to release adequate funds for the efficient running of correctional centres in the country.
    Majority Leader/Chairman of the Business Committee (Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin) 11:25 a.m.


    348. Mr Boniface Gambila Adagbila (Nabdam): To ask the Minister for Finance what steps are in place to review Travel and Transport, Out- of-Station allowance and per diem for Civil Servants in view of increased prices of goods and services.

    *404. Dr Stephen Nana Ato Arthur (Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/ Abrem): To ask the Minister for Finance the current status of the Tier 2 Pension Scheme which has been of major concern to pensioners in particular and Ghanaian workers generally.

    Statements

    Motion --

    Third Reading of Bills --

    Conduct of Public Officers Bill, 2013.

    Committee sittings.

    Questions --

    *401.Dr Stephen Nana Ato Arthur (Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abrem): To ask the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development the current status of premix intervention for fishermen in the coastal regions of Ghana.

    *220. Dr Kojo Appiah-Kubi (Atwima Kwanwoma): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways what steps the Ministry is taking to tar the K r om oa s e - A bu r a s o - Ya b i - Akosomo road.

    *221. Dr Kojo Appiah-Kubi (Atwima Kwanwoma): To ask the Minister for

    Roads and Highways what steps the Ministry is taking to repair the Ampeyoo-Trede link road, which is now in a deplorable state.

    *222. Mr Mohammed Salisu Bamba (Ejura-Sekyedumase): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the following roads will be rehabilitated: (i) Drumankuma- Kantankani (ii) Ashakoko- Asuogya (iii) Sekyedumase to Drobon.

    *223. Ms Grace Addo (Manso- Nkwanta): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the tarring of the Pakyi I to Antoakrom road in the Manso-Nkwanta Constituency will be completed.

    *224. Ms Grace Addo (Manso-Nkwanta): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the Pakyi Banko to Asarekrom road in the Manso- Nkwanta Constituency will be rehabilitated.

    *244. Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh (Sunyani East): To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the Sunyani-Wawasua and Wawasua -Kurasua Numbers I and II feeder roads will be reshaped and tarred.

    Statements --

    Committee sittings.

    Mr Speaker, this is the Business Statement for the First Week of this Meeting.

    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker 11:25 a.m.
    Any comments?
    Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh 11:25 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want the Leader of the House, though he has given the skeleton, to put meat on the fact of when we are going into -- [Interruption.]
    Mr Speaker 11:25 a.m.
    Hon Member for Manhyia South, that is not the Business Statement presented by the Hon Majority Leader. In my opening remarks, I made the point that Hon Members would be briefed. So wait for that time, because we are now on the Business Statement for the First Week.
    Dr Prempeh 11:25 a.m.
    Thank you.
    Mr Speaker, but if we are going to be briefed, then it should have found some expression in the Business Statement for the First Week. That is why I asked so that it would be captured.
    Mr Speaker 11:25 a.m.
    Very well.

    Hon Members, Question time. We have the Minister for the Interior in the House to respond to a Question from the Hon Member for Ahafo Ano South West.
    ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 11:25 a.m.
    MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR 11:25 a.m.
    Minister for the Interior (Mr Mark O. Woyongo) 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, as part of the policy of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Fire Tenders are provided to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) who provide the requisite infrastructure.
    The Ahafo Ano South Distr ict Assembly had indicated since March, 1998 that it was setting up a Fire Station at Mankranso which has still not materialised. The GNFS is ready to provide Ahafo Ano South District with the Fire Tender when it meets the major pre- requisite by providing the infrastructure for setting up a Fire Station.
    Mr Adu 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the importance of a fire tender to a District cannot be over- emphasised as you know. So what effort has the Hon Minister put in place to impress upon the authorities of the District Assembly to provide the fire tender?
    Mr Speaker 11:35 a.m.
    Hon Member, I am not too sure whether that is a supplementary quesstion but I would ask the Hon Minister to respond.
    Mr Woyongo 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, as indicated, it is the responsibility of the Assemblies to provide the infrastructure and normally we would advise Hon Members of Parliament to help the Assemblies by maybe using part of their Common Fund for some of these infrastructure. So I would want to suggest to my Hon Colleague that he should take it as a project by using his Common Fund and other resources, I suppose that would be very helpful.
    We would also try to talk to the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area to give the issue of a Fire Station priority attention and get the infrastructure for the Fire Service.
    Mr Adu 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, does the Hon Minister not think that allocating one to the chiefs and people of the district through the Distr ict Assembly can motivate them to put up a place before it is released to them?
    Mr Woyongo 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, when we are doing the allocations we take the security of the fire tenders into consideration. These are very expensive equipment and that is why we insist that we have the requisite infrastructure before we can do the allocation.
    Mr Speaker 11:35 a.m.
    Hon Member, your last supplementary question.
    Mr Adu 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, if the Hon Minister talks about infrastructure, what exactly is he talking about? What are the structures that should go into it?
    Mr Woyongo 11:35 a.m.
    If I got you right, you are asking about the kind of structures. I do not have the design of a typical fire station, but it is something I can easily get from the GNFS for you. Maybe, when you come later on to the office, I can easily get that for you.
    Mr Boniface G. Adagbila 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, it looks like the Ministry for the Interior shifts certain responsibilities to the Assemblies and also has an eye on the little Common Fund for the Hon Member. If we want to follow this pattern, I am sure that we would sit here for the next 50 years and we will not get any good infrastructure built by most of the Assemblies.
    Once the Ministry has conceptualised this kind of partnership arrangement, it is proper to make an arrangement during the budget year and find out how much of the Common Fund from the District Assembly -- and negotiate, possibly, for the small amount of the Hon Member of Parliament (MP).
    Mr Speaker 11:35 a.m.
    Hon Member, your question?
    Mr Adagbila 11:35 a.m.
    What strategic programme has the Ministry itself put in place so that you can mobilise these funds and have a more focused direction to
    provide the infrastructure rather than leaving it to the Assemblies and Members of Parliament?
    Mr Woyongo 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Ministry has a very limited budget. I would appreciate it if this House could make that recommendation so that we can have the bulk of the money to take care of these infrastructural development that we are all yearning for. But let me say that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development also plays an important role when we talk about infrastructure for some of these Services, like the Police Service and the Fire Service.
    So the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development also makes an input and that is why we expect that the Members of Parliament using their Common Fund, the District Assemblies also using their Common Fund and the District Development Fund (DDF) and any other revenue that they may derive from the Assembly, some of these resources could be channelled into the construction of these infrastructure.
    Mr Ignatius B. Awuah 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I just want to know from the Hon Minister whether there has been any standing agreement between his Ministry and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for the provision of those infrastructure.
    Mr Woyongo 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, there is no standing agreement. I think it is a gentleman's agreement and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development allocates the resources. The Assemblies are supposed to prioritise; they determine their priorities. So if it is about fire service then you would give priority to a fire station; if it is a police station, they give priority to a police station.
    The Assemblies also, like I said, get District Development Fund (DDF), Common Fund and other resources from even their own resources. If they want to make these services a priority, they will make them their priority.
    Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, if I understood the Hon Minister, by appropriate infrastructure, he is referring to the structure or a place to keep a vehicle. But the vehicle is supposed to be used to extinguish fire in an environment where there are untarred roads, monchumonka roads; how will appropriate infrastructure alone frustrate the work of the Fire Service?
    Mr Woyongo 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think we do not need to over-emphasise the importance of the infrastructure because the Fire Service have personnel and they have to be accommodated, they have to have a watchtower so that as and when there is a fire outbreak anywhere from the watchtower, they can detect that fire. That is why it is good to have the infrastructure, not just for the Fire Service Van but also for the personnel themselves; that is why it is important to have the infrastructure. But if there is no water, what do you do? How will they fight the fire? So, that is why we also emphasise on the need for the Assemblies to begin to sink bore holes dedicated to GNFS.
    Ms Sarah A. Safo 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, in the Hon Minister's Answer, paragraph two; he indicated that they are waiting on the Assembly to put up the fire station before they can move on to provide the fire tender. I would want to ask the Hon Minister if there is any interim arrangement on the part of the Ministry in cases such as this, when the fire stations have not been built yet, to curb the issue of numerous fire outbreaks in that constituency. If yes, we may want to
    know; if no, are there any plans in the pipeline?
    Mr Woyongo 11:35 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the interim arrangements are these:
    (1) for the fire tender to be based at the regional office of the Ghana National Fire Service and serve those districts which do not have fire tenders.
    (2) to send a Fire Service tender from the nearest station to the station that does not have a fire tender to stand by so that in case of any fire in that district where there is no fire tender, that fire tender will do the service.
    Mr Anyimadu Antwi 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister would agree with me that with or without the infrastructure, there could be a fire outbreak within the district. Why is the Ministry placing the responsibility of providing these facilities on the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development when we expect that this must be their responsibility as a Ministry?
    Mr Woyongo 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, as I indicated earlier, the Ministry has a limited budget. There are over two hundred and seventy districts and we cannot budget for all of them, that is why we expect that the various District Assemblies would make provisions for this, probably from their Common Fund, the Distr ict Development Fund (DDF), and Internally Generated Fund and from other Resources.
    This is because the Ministry alone cannot budget for say the GNFS or the Ghana Police Service. We have a limited budget, that is why, we think that everybody should play his role.
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Hon Kofi Frimpong?
    Mr Kofi Frimpong 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister goofed seriously by saying -- [Interruption.]
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Please, withdraw the word, “goofed.”
    Mr Frimpong 11:45 a.m.
    All right, thank you very much, I have withdrawn that.
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Ask your question.
    Mr Frimpong 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, can the Hon Minister tell us the number of districts that we have in Ghana and how many have been provided with fire tenders?
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Please, that is not a supplementary question.
    Hon Kofi Frimpong, rephrase your question.
    Mr Frimpong 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister said we have 270 districts and I would want to know the number of districts that we have in Ghana and the number of distr icts that have been provided with fire tenders.
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Hon Minister, did you mention 270 districts?
    Mr Woyongo 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I was talking about districts we served once the Ghana National Fire Service is concerned -- [Interruption.]
    We do not distribute fire tenders to distr icts. There are some areas we distribute the fire tenders to which are not necessarily districts.
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    So, the 270 that you mentioned referred to fire districts but not in terms of political districts?
    Mr Woyongo 11:45 a.m.
    Yes, Mr Speaker, fire districts and not political districts. For political districts, I know we have 216.
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Very well.
    Hon Minority Leader, I think that we have spent some time on this Question -- Hon Members, this is a Constituency specific Question but I have allowed a number of you to ask questions and now --
    Hon Member for Manhyia South?
    Dr Prempeh 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, as the Hon Minister for the Interior has said, there are 270 fire districts, but would he be able to tell us the different types of fire tenders and which specific one the Hon Member sought for in his district?
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    That is not a supplemen- tary question.
    Dr Prempeh 11:45 a.m.
    Oh!
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Hon Member for Wenchi?
    Prof. Gyan-Baffour 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, extinguishing fire is an integrated effort by various Ministries; we need water, we would need the tender, and we need a whole lot of things. So, is the Hon Minister telling us that until we get all these factors in place, we should allow those places to burn out? Is that what he is telling us, that he does not have the necessary infrastructure in place and therefore he is not going to do that?
    Mr Woyongo 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this is far from what I meant. What I am saying is that, if we have a district which has not got the infrastructure, we can still service that district from a nearby district which has all the services and all the infrastructure. We can still service that district. That is exactly what I mean.
    It does not mean that if an area does not have a fire tender in place, or because it does not have the infrastructure, we would not service the area. We would service the area but from the nearest station which has all the infrastructure the water and everything.
    rose
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Hon Minority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, in furtherance to the question asked by the Hon Member for Wenchi, the State is enjoined to ensure balanced development in all the regions and in every part of the country, especially, the rural areas and to bring them up.
    Now, the policy is that, if the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly (MMDA) provides the requisite infrastructure, then the Ministry would serve the fire tender -- [Interruption] -- The value is the same, contextually. The Hon Majority Leader should understand. The Ministry says not until the MMDAs are able to provide the requisite infrastructure, they are not going to provide the fire tender.
    Mr Speaker, it is not for nothing -- He puts the onus on the District Assemblies; yet, it is not for nothing that in the allocation of funds to the assemblies we recognise the importance of inequality, which is why we have indexed fifty per cent on equality.
    We have also indexed forty-five per cent to the need factor. As for the responsiveness, the ability to provide these things, is only three per cent. So, we recognise that already the situation is inequitable. So how does he reconcile their burdening the district assemblies when
    the State recognises and -- Hon Majority Leader, would you refrain from coaching?
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Hon Minority Leader, address the Chair.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, how does the Hon Minister reconcile this policy of his Ministry with what obtains at the assembly level such that Parliament, in its wisdom, has indexed such percentages of allocations to the various assemblies? How does he reconcile the two?
    Mr Speaker 11:45 a.m.
    Hon Minister?
    Mr Woyongo 11:45 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this has always been the practice. If there is the need for us to change the practice and give the Ministry for the Interior adequate resources to put up infrastructure for the Ghana National Fire Service, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Prisons Service and other services, we would happily do that. We are just inadequately resourced, that is why we are unable to do this and that is why we ask the Assemblies to use some of their Common Fund resources and prioritise; they should prioritise. If it is the fire service that is a priority, they should put up the infrastructure and we would provide the personnel.
    If Police Service is a priority, they should provide the infrastructure and we would provide the personnel and the equipment. That has always been the practice and if we have to change it, we would have to do it collectively.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is not the practice. I am asking him how he reconciled this with the constitutional provision. It is not their practice, how do they reconcile it?
    Mr Woyongo 11:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I think we can only reconcile this when we are given the resources to implement what he is talking about. If we are not given the resources, how then do we reconcile?
    Mr Speaker 11:55 a.m.
    Hon Members, that brings us to the end of Question Time. Hon Minister, we thank you for attending upon the House to respond to questions from Members.
    Hon Members, at the Commencement of Public Business, Presentation of Papers; 6 (a) by the Hon Minister for Finance.
    Mr Bagbin 11:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister for Finance is committed to another equally important assignment and has mandated his deputy to come and lay this Report for and on his behalf. So, I am seeking your kind permission and the indulgence of my Hon Colleagues to permit the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance to lay the Report for and on behalf of the Minister for Finance.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this is the first Sitting of this Meeting and I would have thought that we would begin on a very sound footing. Unfortunately, we are told the Hon Minister is unavailable, but the Hon Deputy Minister is Parliament-friendly, so we may accommodate him except his ways, sometimes, we are not too sure, but we will accommodate him.
    PAPERS 11:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 11:55 a.m.
    Presentation and First Reading of Bills.
    Hon Majority Leader, are those Papers ready to be laid?
    Mr Bagbin 11:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, all the Papers on page 2 under item number 7 are ready for presentation.
    Mr Speaker 11:55 a.m.
    Hon Members, Presentation and First Reading of Bills, item number 7 (a) (i).
    Dr Anthony A. Osei 11:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, when you first said “Presentation and First Reading of Bills,” my good friend, the Hon Deputy Minister, got up and took a bow so I am wondering what is going on.
    Mr Speaker 11:55 a.m.
    Hon Members, Presenta- tion and First Reading of Bills, item number 7(a) (i); Supplementary Appropriation Bill,
    2015.
    BILLS -- FIRST READING 11:55 a.m.
    Mr Bagbin 11:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, there are still a few things to be fine-tuned on item 8, that is the Chieftaincy Amendment Bill, 2013 and we want to ask for more time to do that. We can go to item number 12.
    MOTIONS 11:55 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 12:05 p.m.
    Any seconder?

    Deputy Minority Leader (Mr Dominic B. A. Nitiwul): Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion ably moved by the Hon Leader of the Delegation who is the Hon First Deputy Speaker.

    Mr Speaker, the two most important items that were discussed during that particular Meeting were the very things that he raised and included the issue of giving the Pan-African Parliament the powers of a Parliament. As we have the Parliament today, it is more of an advisory Parliament with advisory powers instead of legislative powers.

    The Pan-African Parliament, has been advocating for legislative powers all the time and the Revised Protocol, for once, is giving the continental Parliament the powers a normal Parliament should have, and that is the legislative power. But unfortunately, it needs to be ratified by Member States.

    Although most Member States have signed on to it, they need to ratify it and Ghana is one country that the continental body is hoping that we would ratify it which would encourage other Member - States to also do. We have got the impression that our Government is prepared to bring it to Parliament for us to ratify the Protocol for us to move forward.

    Mr Speaker, we recently went to Nigeria on the same matter to be educated on the need to ratify that and for the Pan-African

    Parliament to have the powers they are supposed to have.

    Mr Speaker, it is not for nothing that Ghana and some other African nations are held in high esteem. They hope that we would be one of the countries that would quickly give this legislative power to the Pan-African Parliament by ratifying it.

    Mr Speaker, the issue of Boko Haram also came up very strongly as reported by the Hon Member who moved the Motion and the continental body was of the view that countries in and around West Africa should try as much as possible to help Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon to curb the menace of Boko Haram. It looks like it is working, the strength with which Boko Haram began has started coming down drastically over the last month.

    We hope that the plea by the Pan- African Parliament would get to the ears of most African countries to contribute not just in cash, but also in logistics to enable them flash out Boko Haram from Nigeria and the surrounding countries for all of us to have peace, especially in Nigeria and Cameroon.

    Mr Speaker, I want to end by encouraging the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration -- It looks like I saw her here but she is gone - - To expedite action on the Protocol and bring it to Parliament so that as we go back for the Pan-African Parliament session, we could report that at least, this is the stage Ghana has reached and that Ghana would be one of the few countries and the first country to sign on and ratify this protocol for us to move from the advisory function to the legislative function where Parliament would be the body that would select the people to go there, but not within Parliament.

    As we have today, one must be an Hon Member of Parliament from one's respective country before one could go to Pan-African Parliament. But, we want to move away from that to have a situation where Hon Members do not need to come -- In fact, one needs to come out of Parliament but Parliament would be the delegates and the voters and the college that would select the people to represent. We would vote for the normal five people to represent but they do not need to come from Parliament.

    They would have a five- year fix term which can be renewed for another five years, so that if one is an Hon Member of the Pan-African Parliament, one does not become an Hon Member in one's country. One has to resign if one decides to take up that position. If one is also out of Parliament, then one is strictly an Hon Member of the Pan-African Parliament but not an Hon Member there and an Hon Member here. And I think it is a good idea for us to follow -- to have people concentrate on doing the work of the Pan- African Parliament.

    With these few words, I support the Motion.

    Question proposed.
    Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka (NDC -- Asawase) 12:05 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to support the Motion moved by the Hon Deputy Speaker and seconded by the Deputy Minority Leader and to add that, like he rightly mentioned, one of the most important agenda of the Pan-African Parliament for the past five years has been to get to be a legislative house.
    Mr Speaker, if you would remember, your goodself was there --
    Mr Speaker 12:05 p.m.
    Are you sure, it is more than the five years.
    Alhaji Muntaka 12:05 p.m.
    The inception is 10 years, and when it was coming on board, the understanding was that in five years' time, it would be given the legislative power.
    Mr Speaker 12:05 p.m.
    Very well.
    Alhaji Muntaka 12:15 p.m.
    But unfortunately, for the second five- year term, the House has been struggling to have that done and you remember when your goodself was there, this was one of the very important items almost every Hon Member of the Pan- African Parliament was championing.
    Today, we are lucky to say it has been granted by the African Union Commission (AUC). But, the second leg has to do with the ratification. With about 54 member- ship, we need to have 28 members ratifying it before it comes into effect.
    Mr Speaker, at the time that we have a sitting President in Ghana who was once a Member of Pan-Africa Parliament and even a Chairman of the Western caucus and a Speaker of Parliament who also happens to be one time, Member of the Pan-African Parliament, I think Ghana would find it more difficult to explain, each time we go for session, why at least, Ghana and some other three African Heads of State-- who have been Members have not so far ratified.
    Mr Speaker, I was reminding the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration this morning and she gave every indication that they are working assiduously towards bringing it to the House and I gave her the assurance that if it does come to the House, we are very optimistic that it is not going to keep long at all. It would go through all the necessary stages so that we can get it ratified.

    Mr Speaker, as we even talk about ratifying the Treaty on making the Pan- African Parliament a legislative body, I want to take this opportunity to remind the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration that, there is a total of 49 decisions taken at the AUC level that requires ratification by individual national Parliaments.

    I would be very happy if they can tabulate this to be sure which ones have been done and those that have not been done, should be quickly done. It does not speak well for our Heads of State to go and agree to do something and then when it is left with bringing it to their individual national Parliaments for ratification, they go to sleep on it.

    Mr Speaker, it is sometimes sad when one travels across Africa and sees how we all talk about one Africa, one people and one voice and with the greatest respect, one does not even see the flag of Africa flying in any other country. I think we need to begin to let out children understand what the unity of Africa is in for all of us. I want to say that a lot of time was spent in Midrand and a lot of countries spent a lot of resources, sending delegations and what have you, to deliberate on issues that could affect all of us.

    For us as a country and for that matter, a Parliament, even though I know this Parliament has not a single Treaty waiting for us to ratify, I wish to entreat the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to do well to make sure that this is brought to Parliament for us to work on it.

    Mr Speaker, there was this question about what is going to happen to those Hon Members, because it is this national Parliament that will elect those five. I have always said, even at Pan-African Parliament, if one comes to Ghana and

    takes our District Assemblies' concept, every Member of Parliament is an associate Member of the Distr ict Assembly. We can do same, because there are only five members and they would be associate members of this House. They will have a seat but may not have a voting right.

    All their expenses and other things would be absorbed by the existing Parliament and they will not be stationed like Ambassadors, wherever the Pan- African Parliament may be, but they will only go like, the delegation that we currently have—Always visit during Sitting.

    So the perception that it was going to come with an additional huge cost to individual countries, is neither here nor there. I believe that the commitment is that, we have agreed to be one body; Africa, and we decide to have a Parliament and we need to give that Parliament a legislative power.

    Mr Speaker, I will not be able to comment on this Report presented by our Hon Leader of the Delegation without touching on some issues that affect all of us in Africa, especially with xenophobic attacks. It is true it may not be in this Report, but looking at the spirit under which this Report is presented and the relevance it has with the Pan-African Parliament sitting in Midrand, which is in South Africa, the fear is, what is even going to happen to the various countries' delegations as they are now preparing to go for a session in South Africa?

    Mr Speaker, we are preparing to move a Motion at the Pan-African Parliament. We have communicated to do that when we get to Midrand in South Africa, to debate and suggest to AUC that we need to move the Pan-African Parliament from South Africa. If one cannot accommodate other African countries, one has no business—

    Dr A. A. Osei — On a Point of Order
    Dr A. A. Osei 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, my good Friend represents this august Parliament there. I do not recall him bringing this matter for us to discuss, but he said; “we are prepared”. Who does he represent? He has not given us the opportunity to debate this matter and he is moving ahead to move a Motion.
    Mr Speaker, he should be reminded that he is there to represent us. This matter must be discussed internally and when we agree then he would be in the position, but this business about, “we are prepared to”, I think it is improper and he needs to shy away from that. It is not the best. Let us discuss it before he even contemplates that he wants to move a Motion.
    Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Hon Members, the Point of Order is sustained because you made a point that it is not in this Report. At the end of the day, it is this Report that is going to be adopted.
    Secondly, you are representing this House and therefore, if you want to raise such a major issue which affects relationship even between Ghana and South Africa, it is such a very important matter that I think it should be brought to the floor of the House, debated, a position taken by the House before you go and canvass it on the floor in the Pan- African Parliament.
    Alhaji Muntaka 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is in that spirit that I took the opportunity to say that—
    Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    Hon Member, so you should have included it—You should have found space in this Report so that when they adopt the Report, we can fully debate it and take a position on that matter. As at now, it is only your view alone. It is a very important point that has been raised by the Hon Member for Old Tafo.
    It is not in this Report, but if the Members of the Pan-African Parliament think that this is a very important matter that they want to put in this Report or raise, then they have to use a proper mechanism to bring this matter to the floor of the House for it to be debated.
    Do not forget that the issue that you are raising has a relationship With the foreign policy— with the foreign relation of Ghana with South Africa and so it is a major issue and if you want to take it, you are at liberty to take it but you have to come properly.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I believe that we must acknowledge the distinction. The people who go from here to the Pan-African Parliament are not our delegates. They are representatives, and that is why the Protocol provides that a country's Parliament cannot restrain them — They cannot put any impediments on them. They are representatives and not delegates. That is the distinction that I want to make.
    Alhaji Muntaka 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am very happy the Hon Minority Leader has just said it the way I wanted to say it.
    Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    I know that there is a provision in the Protocol to that effect, but they are bringing a Report for us to adopt. The Hon Member is raising an issue which is not captured in this Report. If you look at the Protocol, it states that, they are representing the people of Africa and we are also Africans, including the Hon Member for Old Tafo — [Laughter]—He is an African and so he is representing the Hon Member for Old Tafo. So the Hon Member for Old Tafo has the right to raise the issue —However, technically, I agree you are right.
    Alhaji Muntaka 12:15 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, with the greatest of respect, my Hon Colleague from Old Tafo has the right to raise the issue, but the most important thing is that,
    Alhaji Muntaka 12:15 p.m.


    we do not need, as Members of the Pan- African Parliament from this House, to debate it and take the position of this House. We are not delegates—We are representatives—
    Mr Speaker 12:15 p.m.
    It is not in this Report so the issue of relevance.
    Alhaji Muntaka 12:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I agree with you.
    You will remember that before I started --
    Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    “You agree with me”, do you want me to rule you out of order?
    Alhaji Muntaka 12:25 p.m.
    No, Mr Speaker, not that.
    I said that before I raised it. I laid the foundation and I said that this Report was prepared and we were supposed to have moved it at the last meeting and that it was when we were not able to do it -- And it was during the recess that these xenophobic attacks happened. And because Pan-African Parliament is also sitting in South Africa where we will be going, I was only giving information to Members of the Pan-African Parliament and not Ghana's delegation --
    Members of Pan-African Parliament across the Africa region are planning that when we go, this is what is going to happen. It is a way of informing this House about some of the things that the Pan- African Members and not Ghana's delegation are going to do.
    Mr Speaker, in terms of relevance and it not being in this Report, I agree. But when I gave the foundation and you did not raise any objection, my understanding
    Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    There are other mechanisms that you can use; there are other tools available to you that you can use to bring this matter to the floor of the House because your issue is also a very important one.
    Alhaji Muntaka 12:25 p.m.
    Very well, Mr Speaker.
    But in order not to waste more time because others who may not be Members may want to contribute to this Motion, I believe that we need to get conscientised about our African identity, and if you look at this Report, Mr Speaker, the number of conflicts across Africa is very worrying. If you look at us as developing countries with a lot of struggles, the number of conflicts that have been reported here are very worrying. And most of them start with some political struggle.
    If you look at the number of the countries that have been mentioned and their security situation, it started with a President trying to change a tenure of office and on and on.
    The issue of abusing and not respecting each other as well as others taking to arms are things that we continuously think about as Africans to find a lasting solution. Once we have agreed to be democratic, let us adhere to democratic principles so that our people will be the beneficiaries of the democracy that we have embraced in Africa and not for them to be suffering from all the poverty and struggles of conflict and what have you.
    Mr Speaker, with these comments, I would want to thank the Hon Leader of the Delegation for moving the Motion and I would urge the House to support the Motion.
    Thank you.
    Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    The last two, Hon Member for Effutu and then the Hon Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation?
    Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin (NPP -- Effutu) 12:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is really a privilege to catch your eye; I am grateful. Mr Speaker, getting this rare opportunity, may I say that --
    Mr Speaker 12:25 p.m.
    Hon Member, there is a Motion before us.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:25 p.m.
    Yes. [Interruption.]
    Mr Speaker, I would like to touch on the general security of the African people. Although in the Report, we have been told that the Pan-African Parliament has no legislative powers. It was also captured that it has advocacy powers, we are well aware of the political instability in Libya as a result of which a lot of Africans are trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
    Mr Speaker, monitoring the international media for the past two weeks, the European Union is trying to take very drastic actions against those who try to smuggle people to Europe.
    In fact, last week, there was this matter of them taking a decision to bomb some boats and some of the European Members of Parliament were themselves criticising that decision. Unfortunately, we have not heard anything coming from African Leaders or the Pan-African Parliament.
    People die on daily basis in their thousands and the reason is to seek greener pastures in Europe. I believe that this is a matter which is not only of security concern but a human right issue which I would like to impress on our representatives to consider as very critical in the next Session.
    If we really represent the African people and as a result of economic hardships and political instability, our people try to migrate in search of greener
    pastures and perhaps in search for peace and they end up dying without getting any support from the African Leaders, then there is a problem.
    Again, Mr Speaker, last week, the European Union considered this at the United Nations (UN) level. Again, unfortunately, there was no such open support from the African Union (AU) for the need to protect the rights of Africans who cross the Mediterranean Sea. That is also a matter of concern. We allow the European Union Members to debate on matters like these and take decisions on how they are going to take care of our people without ourselves showing interest.
    I think it is a serious indictment on us. Yes, we are aware that we are constrained by way of resources but we also know that we have resources in abundance and if we put them to proper use, perhaps we can alleviate the burden of our people.
    So, Mr Speaker, without going further, I would want to urge our representatives to take these two concerns very seriously and get the Pan-African Parliament to make a strong Statement and to engage our EU partners strongly on this so that our people who migrate to Europe will be well catered for by way of their welfare and their security.
    I am exceedingly grateful to you, Mr Speaker.
    Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (Mr Mahama Ayariga (MP) 12:25 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to contribute to the Motion urging the adoption of the Report of the Representa- tives from the Parliament of Ghana to the 5th Ordinary Session of the Third Parliament of the Pan- African Parliament.
    Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (Mr Mahama Ayariga (MP) 12:25 p.m.


    Mr Speaker, mine is going to be a very brief one. First and foremost, let me congratulate the Pan-African Parliament and commend them highly for the quality of discussions that took place in that Parliament which has been captured so eloquently in this Report. In particular, let me appreciate their concern about the Ebola virus and its devastating impact on some African countries and their efforts to mobilise international attention to address that particular issue.

    Mr Speaker, on the specific issue of the transformation of the Parliament into a legislative arm of the AU, I think it is important for us to look at the Report carefully and have a clear sense of exactly what it is that they seek to do and I am very interested in this matter from the stand point of both International Law and Constitutional Law and the relationship between the Pan-African Parliament and the various domestic municipal Parlia- ments.

    Mr Speaker, this is particularly important because of the debate that is taking place in the Chamber today regarding how to even debate issues whether the Hon Member is speaking as a Member of Ghana's Parliament or as a Member of the Pan-African Parliament, and which is the appropriate forum to even have this debate and what is the impact of a debate like that on the relationship between two sovereign nations.

    I think that these are very critical matters and so when the instrument does get here, we should take our time and look at it very closely. From what I read from paragraph 2.3 of the Report; it seems to me that the intention is to create a legislative arm for the AU, not for Africa in the sense of a legislature for Africa, that

    will simply propose model laws for the Assembly of Heads of State to consider and possibly adopt and not to impose a super legislative body for all Parliaments on the African continent.

    I think that, that process has serious constitutional implications for the individual States and what their Constitutions say about legislative powers. So, we need to be cautious about our reading of what it is that is happening at the Pan-African level in relation to the individual Parliaments of various member States.

    So, while I support the call on the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to bring the Protocol to us to look at, I also would like to urge with caution that perhaps, there is a very limited agenda intended here and so we should be guided by that very limited agenda.

    Otherwise, Mr Speaker, I would want to add my voice to the debate that calls for support for the Motion that has been put before us.

    I thank you very much.
    Mr Speaker 12:35 p.m.
    Hon Member, do you want to wind-up? Hon Minority Leader? Very well. Then I would take one, each.
    Hon Minority Leader, then I would call on the First Deputy Speaker to wind-up.
    rose
    Mr Speaker 12:35 p.m.
    I thought we were going to close the debate.
    Mr Ebo Barton-Odro 12:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, after I have heard from the two Hon Members, I would wind-up.
    Mr Speaker 12:35 p.m.
    Very well. Hon Minority Leader?
    Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, do I have to speak before the slim macho? [Laughter.]
    Mr Speaker 12:35 p.m.
    Very well, Hon Minister for Employment and Labour Relations? This is not really any contentious issue, except that the last person to speak was the Hon Minister from my right. So, I had to call somebody from my left. It is on that basis that I called you before him. It does not really matter since the leader of the delegation would be winding-up.
    Minister for Employment and Labour Relations (Mr Haruna Iddrisu) 12:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, let me thank you for the opportunity to associate myself with the adoption of the Report --
    Mr Speaker 12:35 p.m.
    Very brief.
    Mr Haruna Iddrisu 12:35 p.m.
    And to commend our very distinguished representatives for the work that they are doing.
    Mr Speaker, I would limit myself just to two issues. One; the role of Ghana and the role of President Mahama as the ECOWAS Chairman in fighting the Ebola pandemic. I know that only yesterday, the head of the development partners commended Ghana for accepting to play the role that we played with the United Nations (UN) in combatting Ebola.
    Even as we continue to pray that Ghana is continuously free from the menace, we should not take things for granted. We need to work assiduously to ensure that we never become a victim of it.
    I am also happy to know that Liberia has finally been declared Ebola-free subsequent to the health experts making an evaluation of what pertains there. My advice, Mr Speaker, is that our very distinguished Hon Members should come back here with best practice from the
    ECOWAS Parliament as to what we can learn to improve the functionality of our own Parliament.
    I have read something here about the role of the Speaker in respect of budget and financing of the ECOWAS Parliament. What lessons does it offer us?
    With these few words, Mr Speaker, I would end by responding to an earlier comment made by my Hon Colleague on immigration. I believe that we need to examine the overall immigration problems in the sub-region vis-a-vis the inhuman treatment that Africans are subjected to when they try to cross whether to Spain or to Italy is very embarrassing and the European Union (EU) itself is beginning to review its immigration policy.
    Only yesterday, the United Kingdom (UK) Governor was protesting at the level of the foreign office how many persons were to be distributed to them in terms of permissible immigrants who should enter United Kingdom. I believe that in Ghana, we also must learn some lessons. But we have to deal with the factors that hold our citizens to be proud of our country and not to endanger their lives in seeking greener pastures abroad.
    With these few comments, Mr Speaker, I associate myself with the Motion.
    Minority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu) 12:35 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
    In contributing to the Report that has been presented to us by the Hon First Deputy Speaker who leads the representatives to the Pan-African Parliament. Mr Speaker, I just would want to make a few observations. First of all, the Protocol underpinning the Pan- African Parliament provides for it to be an advisory body to the Authority of Heads of State and Governments in Africa.
    Mr Ebo Barton-Odro 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I wish to address one or two issues raised in the course of the contributions from Hon Members of Parliament.
    First of all, with regard to the legislative powers sought to be given to the Pan- African Parliament, it is not as if any laws would be imposed on any African country. We are going to go by model laws. So, the Pan-African Parliament would propose a model law and then the various member countries as they legislate would be guided as much as possible. It is not a question of being forced. As much as possible, there would be model laws that we could look at, reject or revise in any form to suit our own circumstances.
    Mr Speaker, with regard to the issue of membership, if you look at paragraph 12.2 of the Report, I would just read the portion under membership:
    “With the coming into force of the Protocol, Members would now come from outside National Parliaments. The national Parliaments would however constitute national electoral colleges to select Members to function as full time parliamen- tarians, not dependent on their membership of national Parliaments, as is currently the case.”
    Mr Speaker, so that gives us an idea of what the membership would look like.
    With this, I would thank Hon Members for the interest shown in this Motion and that we would continue to do our best to bring the Reports.
    Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Alhaji Muntaka 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in line with your suggestion in the morning for the various Caucuses to meet and other Business Committee meetings, I would want to move, that this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at ten o'clock before noon.
    Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    ADJOURNMENT 12:45 p.m.
  • The House was accordingly adjourned at 12.50 p.m. till Wednesday, 13th May, 2015 at 10.00 a.m.