HonMembers, having regard to the state ofaffairs in the House, I direct that the HouseSits outside the prescribed period inaccordance with Standing Order 40 (3). I must say that I got a little carried awayby the argument, so, I missed it. It is aminute past two. Having regard to what the HonMajority Leader has said, and theferocious threat by the Hon MinorityLeader, it clearly indicates that we shouldstand it down. I think we should standthe Bill down and do something else. I amsure we have something else to do, afterthat we discuss it. It is not a very big deal. If we agree onthese matters, once we come here, wewould take it one afternoon. Let us stand it down, consult HonLeadership, and with the very good advicethey give, we take will it from there. Otherwise, we would open a floodgateand every Ministry would say that theywant a particular percentage. Before theAdministrator of the District AssembliesCommon Fund knows what is happening,he would have a zero per cent. So the National Disaster ManagementOrganisation Bill, 2015, is stood down.That brings us to the end of theConsideration Stage of that Bill for today.[Pause.]
In any event, Mr Speaker, I would wantto believe that the passage of this Billcannot affect the allocation to the DistrictAssemblies this year. [Interruption] Itcannot, because the appropriations havebeen done already, which did not factorthis one into it. So, nobody should attempt-- If people have their eyes on preyingfrom that, they cannot. [Uproar.] I tell them, if people have their eyes onand they would want to prey on that, it isa no-go area. Mr Speaker, Hon Woyomeis signalling and agitated in his chair. Theycannot go there. But Mr Speaker, I guess we should getit right that, it is not about 45 per cent ofthe entire allocation. It is three per cent ofthe total allocation which is less than fiveper cent. But however that one is, it is stillsignificant an amount. How much does ittranslate to? Mr Speaker, this is because there areother competing demands. For instance,out of that total, we are required to makesome allocation to the disabled personsin the districts. They are never done, andI would want to believe that if we had theMinister for Finance here, he would resist.This is because, no Minister for Financewants any ring-fencing of any amount forany purpose. That is another matter, but Mr Speaker,I think we should get it right. If the HonMinister has any idea about what theanticipation is, even for next year, heshould tell us that, all right, it may translateinto and yield so much, and into the 216districts, that is if the allocation is sameacross board. But of course, we do knowthat, it is not across board. Some havehigher amounts than others. On theaverage, it may translate into so much.
[Interruption] -- by the Constitution?No! I am not talking about decentralisedoffices. I am talking about whether it isone of the decentralised departmentsunder the District Assemblies.[Interruption.] Not yet! So, Mr Speaker,if we are minded to take some amount fromit, then we should talk about doing that inthe formula, and not directly as it is beingproposed. I am told that, there is a proposedamendment to that. Mr Speaker, the second point I raisedis the quantum. If you look at thedepartments under the district assemblies,and some of them very critical, and thereare proposals to even decentralise thehealth and education sectors, then we aretaking three per cent of their fund to onlyNADMO, I think, it has to bereconsidered. That is why it was stooddown for consultations to be done. Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Ministerfor the Interior said the issue has beeninterrogated. That is all. He has notdemonstrated how it has beeninterrogated. [Interruption.] No, Cabinetis advisory. It is not like the British Cabinetwhich has collective responsibility. Whatwe deal with here is executive presidency.The executive authority is in thePresident. That is why we would alwayshave most of them coming with executiveapproval. I sit in Cabinet and we are consulted,but the decision is taken by the executivePresident. [Interruption] As what? Thankyou, Sir. [Laughter.] Mr Speaker, again, I would want to urgethat this clause be stood down forreconsideration.
