Debates of 24 Nov 2015

MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
I believe I heard you mention district capitals.
Mr Vanderpuye 12:15 p.m.
Central business districts, yes, Mr Speaker.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Member, begin to wind up.
Mr Vanderpuye 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker -- [Laughter] -- let me also say, I am happy the author of the Statement said that, issues of national sanitation should not be partisan.
Mr Speaker, let me say, during the National Sanitation Day, we had pre- national sanitation day discussions and talks of bi-partisan nature. We invited Hon Colleagues for tea, to discuss the National Sanitation Day. Some of them, after attending the meeting, did not participate in their own constituencies when we had the National Sanitation Day. They did not show up. With all the motivational incentives for them to be there, they were not there. -- [Interruption] The tea was a motivational incentive.
Mr Speaker, I would want to commend few Hon Colleagues like the Hon Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, the Hon Member of Parliament for Abetifi and few others, who showed up at the programme. Some Hon Colleagues deliberately decided not to take part.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Member, can you please wind up?
Mr Vanderpuye 12:15 p.m.
And we all agreed that, if we want this country to move forward, issues about sanitation should be taken seriously and not on partisan lines. This is because at the end of it all, cholera does not know political colours, malaria does not know political colours and it is incumbent upon all of us that, when we are discussing about --
rose
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Member, are you on point of order?
Mr Bedzra 12:15 p.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker, exactly so.
Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague mentioned that, ‘some deliberately decided not to attend'. This is a House of record and I would want him to prove. Otherwise, he should withdraw the statement that, ‘some deliberately decided not to attend'. If he cannot prove, he should withdraw.
Thank you Mr Speaker.
Mr Ibrahim Ahmed 12:15 p.m.
-- rose --
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Ibrahim Ahmed 12:15 p.m.
Thank you Mr Speaker, just that I do not want us to go that far. Sometimes, we approve the Leaves of Absence. And when you approve a Leave of Absence with the reason that, an Hon Member is attending a National Sanitation Day, the approval faces certain challenges. It has happened again and again so, maybe, we do not deliberately refuse to go. Maybe, but the way he puts it -- [Interruption.]
The reason has been that, we must always be here. District Chief Executives and those technical committees should be doing that, so that when we approve Leaves of Absence and the reason is, the Hon Member of Parliament for Ashaiman is going to Ashaiman on National Sanitation Day, the Whips would approve it. But you know the difficulties we sometimes face in our offices.
So, maybe, we have to make a national policy which will make it mandatory for Hon Members of Parliament to attend. That one is a different thing.
Mr Vanderpuye 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, when we sit in a meeting and discuss issues on sanitation -- [Interruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
I am asking a simple question; Hon Deputy Minister, did you make that statement?
Mr Vanderpuye 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes, I did.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
What is your reason for making that statement? Do you have the evidence that Hon Members deliberately absented themselves?
Mr Vanderpuye 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, when you see an Hon Colleague on the day of national sanitation r ight in his constituency, refusing to take part in the sanitation exercise, it is deliberate -- [Interruption.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
I disagree with you. The fact that the Hon Member is in his or her constituency but fails to attend does not mean it is deliberate. I do not think I agree with you. Can you withdraw that portion of your statement so that we make progress? [Pause.]
Can you please withdraw that portion of your statement?
Mr Vanderpuye 12:15 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I withdraw the word ‘deliberate'.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Thank you very much.
Can you now conclude your submission?
Mr Vanderpuye 12:15 p.m.
When certain Hon Members of this House, Mr Speaker -- [Interruption.]
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:15 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minister, please resume your seat. I think we have had enough.
Yes, any other contribution? Is it a contribution to the Statement?
Very well.
Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah (NPP -- Sunyani West) 12:35 p.m.
Thank you Mr Speaker for allowing me to add my voice to the Statement ably made by the Hon Member for Manhyia North.
Mr Speaker, issues of sanitation are as important as any other national programme and for him to have drawn the nation's attention to the issues of sanitation, I think he should be congratulated on making the Statement.
Mr Speaker,one of the core businesses of the District Assemblies is to ensure that people live in a sanitary condition. Mr Speaker, it is for this reason that, at any time, when this House is considering the formula for Common Fund allocation, we do make adequate provisions for sanitation.
Mr Speaker, in fact, for the seven years that I have been in this House, almost every year, when we are considering the Common Fund formula, one of the core components has been that which we set aside in areas of sanitation gap, in areas of fumigation and in areas of even removal of refuse heaps and what have you.
But Mr Speaker, what do we see? Even though we make huge commitments to
sanitation, you go to the ground and the situation is not improving. I do not know whether it is for that reason that, perhaps, the provisions that we make are not adequate or that the people who are supposed to use those moneys are not using them for the reason for which they are set aside.
Mr Speaker, it is so serious in the sense that, you move into the hinterlands and you would see huge refuse heaps scattered all over our cities and towns.
Mr Speaker, one other factor which has contributed to the poor sanitation conditions of most of our communities is the fact that, people who are supposed to supervise and even train our people to keep good sanitary conditions, are not even being recruited after completing their study.
The Hon Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development just mentioned that there are four batches of graduates from our various hygiene institutions who have not been absorbed into the main system. For what reason were they given the training and what are they expected to do? Why is it that we spent moneys in training them but are not also getting them to do that which they were trained for?
Mr Speaker, if indeed, we want to give meaning to what we say, then we must immediately find ways of getting these people recruited, so that, at least, they can help not only in making sure that we do the right things in terms of sanitation, but also educate the people on better hygienic conditions.
Mr Speaker, the issue of national sanitation in my view, is very good. The way it is being implemented leaves much to be desired. The fact that we have it once
in a month creates the impression that now, one could leave their environment any how, wait till the month ends for the national programme to come before that awareness is created.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minister, are you up on a point of order? Yes, what is it?
Mr Vanderpuye 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member of Parliament is talking about the fact that the National Sanitation Day is a monthly affair and as such, is a sort of indication that we can have a lousy environment until the next month. I beg to differ. That is the impression he created, it is a --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minister, you may differ with him but I do not think that is a good basis for raising a point of order.
Mr Vanderpuye 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, right from the beginning, we said the monthly exercise was to create awareness of the fact that we need to create a clean environment. Nobody needs to be told in the morning to brush his teeth and nobody needs to be told --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minister, I think your point is well made. You may differ with him but that is not a good basis for raising a point of order.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon Member, can you begin to wind up? We are hard pressed for time.
MrAwuah 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if you would recall, in our last meeting, an Hon Member on our side raised a question that he wanted the Hon Minister for Local Government and Rural Development to come to this House to tell us how much they spend in organising a national sanitation day. That question has not as yet been answered and is still outstanding. We do not have the figures now, but I can tell that the figures run into millions of cedis, yet --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon Member, are you not just speculating? You do not have the facts.
Mr Awuah 12:35 p.m.
I agree Mr Speaker, I would not speculate. I know that at an appropriate time, the Hon Minister would come and answer this question. It is good to have a national sanitation day but let us have a national tag to it, depoliticise it and make sure that everybody is brought on board to ensure that --[Interruption.]
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon Member, are you up on a point of order?
Mr Ibrahim 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. We should not make it appear that somebody is hiding or preventing Hon Members from asking certain questions. We know the rules of procedure concerning Statements on the floor. They should not be made to provoke debate. If an Hon Member wants to ask a Question, admissibility of Questions by our practice lies on the bosom of the Speaker.
So, it is time for Statements and you make it appear that an Hon Member has asked a Question and Mr Speaker, your goodself is preventing that Question from being asked, it would be an affront to the dignity of this House. So, I call on my Hon Colleague to withdraw that portion so that it does not appear in our records. Other than that, somebody would one day take it and brand Parliament that we were shrouding Questions in secrecy which is very bad practice. So, I humbly make an appeal to you to order my Hon Colleague to withdraw that portion.
Mr Awuah 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I do not really get my Hon Colleague and the import of his point. Is he trying to say that it is not true that the Question has been tabled here? Is it not true that the Question was even admitted by Rt Hon Speaker? The Question on how much has been spent on the organisation of National Sanitation Day? These are facts and if you do not know or that day you were not here, let me remind you.
What happened was that, when the Question was tabled to be answered, the excuse we had was that the Hon Minister and his two Deputies had travelled up north for the organisation of National
Sanitation Day. Then when it was rescheduled, the same excuse was given that they were attending another National Sanitation Day. So, Mr Speaker, I am not in any way saying that your goodself has not admitted the Question; you have. What has not been done is the Hon Minister for Local Government and Rural Development making himself available to answer the Question.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Very well.
I do not think we should belabour -- Yes, Hon Deputy Majority Leader?
I do not know if the facts as presented by him are correct, that a Question was tabled but the Hon Minister for Local Government and Rural Development was not available to answer. I cannot vouch that I was present throughout all these things but if it is true, let us just bid our time and make sure that the Question resurfaces for the Hon Minister to come and answer. I believe that should end it.
Hon Members, this brings us to the end of Statements because we do not have enough time. There is a lot of work to be done, so Deputy Majority Leader, we are in your hands.
Mr Agbesi 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, item number 5 Presentation of Papers.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Very well. Hon Members, Presentation of Papers.
Hon Deputy Majority Leader, which of the Papers is ready for presentation. 5(a), is it ready?
Mr Agbesi 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with your permission, if the Hon Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Develop- ment could lay the Paper on behalf of the Minister. [Interruptions.]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Yes, Deputy Minority Leader? [Pause.] He is seeking leave for the Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development to lay it on behalf of the Hon Minister for Food and Agriculture.
Mr Nitiwul 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, technically, we do not have a problem. I think the Hon Member for Manhyia South wanted to raise an issue before, maybe we could go to that.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:35 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minority Leader, we have brought the issue of Statements to a close and we are starting with the Presentation of Papers.
Dr Prempeh 12:35 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise on article 102 of Ghana's Constitution reinforced by Standing Order 48 (1) and (2). Standing Order 48 (2) says that;
“If at the time of sitting a Member takes notice or objection that there are present in the House, besides the person presiding, less than one- third of the number of all the Members of Parliament, and after an interval of ten minutes a quorum is not present, the person presiding shall adjourn the House without Question put until the next sitting day.”
Mr Speaker, the only reason I am bringing this up again is that, last Friday, the Rt Hon Speaker presiding, cautioned Hon Members of the governing bench against the loaded nature of today's Order Paper. Even though most of them retained their seats, they are not here. We cannot on Standing Order 48 (2), proceed to do serious Government business when Government Members are not turning up in their numbers to defend Government policy. [Hear! Hear!] That is bad for this House and we are not sleeping, we are wide awake.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think where we are, the Deputy Majority Leader has made an application. We are not taking a decision; it is just about presentation of Papers. Our practice and procedures are clear. We are not here to take decision, it is just presentation of Papers.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Very well.
Hon Members, let us have some order. An issue has been raised and by the rules, I direct that the bell be rung. Within ten minutes, we would see what happens.
Yes, Hon Deputy Minority Leader?
Mr Nitiwul 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, like I said, the rules allow the Majority side to ask for the Hon Deputy Minister to lay the Paper on behalf of the Hon Minister, but we would have always wished that Hon Ministers are present themselves, especially when the issues we are dealing with are very technical.
We are not saying that the Deputy is not clothed enough to do it or is not competent enough. No, but when it comes to some of these things we would wish that the substantive Hon Ministers themselves come and do it. But in this circumstance, we would allow that.
Mr Speaker, just to talk about what the Hon Member said. We sounded a warning to the Hon Speaker, and secondly, we told him as well that we would demand that more than half of the Members of Parliament are always present to take a decision from hence. This is because we have been told by the First Gentleman of the land that we are sleeping in this House. So, every decision we have to take from hence, we demand that more than half --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minority Leader, I have given a decision and a ruling and so it ends it. The bell be rung.
Yes, Hon Deputy Majority Leader?
Mr Agbesi 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, you have given your ruling in accordance with the rules; that the bell will be rung and ten minutes after, you will come back to it. So, let us proceed because you have given your ruling.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Yes, Hon Deputy Minority Leader, the Hon Deputy Majority Leader has asked for permission for the Hon Deputy --
Very well.
So, Hon Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development. Item number 5(a)
PAPERS 12:45 p.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Item number 5(b), Hon Minister for Transport?
Mr Agbesi 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, again, we seek permission for the Deputy Minister to lay the Paper on behalf of the Minister.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Deputy Minister of which Ministry?
Mr Agbesi 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, Deputy Minister for Transport.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Very well.
Yes, item number 5 (b), Deputy Minister for Transport.
By the Deputy Minister for Transport (Mrs Joyce A. Bawa-Mogtari)(on behalf of the Minister for Transport) --
(b) Convention on Compensation for Damage to Third Parties Resulting From Acts of Unlawful Interference Involving Aircraft (Montréal, Canada, 2nd May
2009).
Referred to the Committee on Roads and Transport
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Yes, item number 5 (c).
Mr Agbesi 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, --
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member?
Dr A. A. Osei 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, you called item number 5 (c), and the acting Majority Leader is still not bowing. Is he not in action?
Mr Agbesi 12:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I was seeking your permission to lay the Papers on behalf of the Majority Leader. [Laughter.]
So, with your indulgence, I am seeking Mr Speaker's permission to lay the Papers on behalf of the Hon Majority Leader.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Yes, Hon Deputy Majority Leader, that is item number 5 (c) (i).
By Deputy Majority Leader (Mr Alfred Kwame Agbesi)(on behalf of the Majority Leader) --
(i) Report of the Auditor-General on the Accounts of District Assemblies for the Financial Year Ended 31st December, 2014.
(ii) Report of the Auditor-General on the Management and Utilisation of District Assemblies Common Fund and Other Statutory Funds for the Year Ended 31st December,
2014.
(iii)Performance Audit Report of the Auditor-General on the Manage- ment of the Expanded Plantation Programme (EPP) of the National Forest Plantation Development Programme (NFPDP), Ghana.
(iv) Report of the Auditor-General on the Statement of Foreign Exchange Receipts and Pay- ments of the Bank of Ghana for the Half-Year Ended 31 st December, 2014.
(v) Report of the Auditor-General on the Public Accounts of Ghana (Consolidated Fund) for the Year Ended 31st December 2014.
(vi) Report of the Auditor-General on the Public Accounts of Ghana (Polytechnics) for the Periods Ended 31st December, 2013 and
2014.
Referred to the Public Accounts Committee
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:45 p.m.
Hon Deputy Majority Leader?
Very well.
Hon Members, the issue of quorum has been raised, the bell has been rung, ten minutes has ran out and we still do not have a quorum.
ADJOURNMENT 12:45 p.m.
  • The House was adjourned at 12.53 p.m. till Wednesday, 25th November, 2015 at 10.00 a.m.