Debates of 16 Jul 2019

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:17 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:17 a.m.
Mr Speaker 10:17 a.m.
Hon Members, Correction of the Votes and Proceedings of Monday, 15th July,
2019.
Mr Speaker 10:17 a.m.
Hon Members, Correction of Official Report of Tuesday, 18th June, 2019.
Hon Members, any correction?
Mr Joseph Dindiok Kpemka 10:17 a.m.
-- rose --
Mr Speaker 10:17 a.m.
Yes, Hon Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice?
Mr Speaker 10:17 a.m.
Thank you very much.
Any further corrections?
Hon M embers, in the absence of any further corrections, the Official Report of Tuesday, 18th June, 2019 is hereby adopted as the true record of proceedings.
Hon Members, the item listed 3, Statements. [Pause.] We have two Statements; one is in the name of Dr Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, and the other, in the name of Dr Kojo Appiah-Kubi.
Yes, Hon Dr Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo?
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 10:17 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I understand that the Statement in the name of Hon Dr Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo was done yesterday; he was given the opportunity yesterday to make the Statement.
Mr Speaker 10:17 a.m.
Was it taken?
Mr Iddrisu 10:17 a.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker. It was on population. It has been
captured on page 9 of the Votes and Proceedings, the item numbered 7.
“The Hon Member for Wa Central, Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo made a Statement to commemorate World Population Day which falls on 11th July each year.”
Mr Speaker 10:17 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member.
Is the Hon Member for Chereponi present? His Statement is on climate change; Hon Samuel Abdulai Jabanyite.
Mr Iddrisu 10:17 a.m.
Mr Speaker, Hon Samuel Abdulai Jabanyite is not in the Chamber. Many of them travelled up north to pick up their nomination forms and get them completed for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries which is oncoming. So Mr Speaker, you may consider that another day.
Mr Speaker 10:17 a.m.
Very well.
We will wait, just in case -- That is the only Statement available.
Hon Members, at the Commencement of Public Business, item listed 4 -- Presentation of Papers. Item numbered 4(i).
Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah 10:27 a.m.
Mr Speaker, item numbered 4(i) was stood down at the Committee, so it is not ready. I would want the Table Office to take note.
Mr Speaker 10:27 a.m.
Items numbered 4(ii) and 4(iii).
PAPERS 10:27 a.m.
Mr Speaker 10:27 a.m.
Item numbered 5 -- Minister for Education.
Ms Sarah A. Safo 10:27 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Motion listed as item number 5 stands in the name of the Hon Minister for Education.
The Hon Deputy Minister for Education was here with us yesterday, and did the other leg of this Motion. I am informed by the Hon Majority Chief Whip that he has indicated that he would do it on behalf of the Hon Minister for Education who is currently out of the jurisdiction.
Mr Speaker, it looks like the Hon Deputy Minister is not here yet, but he has shown indication that he would be with us in a few minutes.
Mr Iddrisu 10:27 a.m.
Mr Speaker, we could anticipate the arrival of the Deputy Minister for Education; but fundamentally, there is an Hon Minister responsible for tertiary education in the person of Prof. Yankah. We expect him here because this is a higher education Bill -- University of Business and Integrated Development Studies Bill, 2018.
Yesterday, the University of Technology and Applied Sciences Bill, 2018 -- As the Hon Deputy Majority Leader may recall, at the Business Committee meeting, I reminded her that it would be important to take these two Bills together so that we appreciate the dynamics of the split of the University for Development Studies into two.
Mr Speaker, whether the Hon Minister is in town or not, it is not an excuse. There is a dedicated Hon Minister for tertiary education who must move this Bill. Where is Prof. Yankah, the Hon Minister responsible for tertiary education? We have a difficulty in accepting the Hon Deputy Minister standing in when we talk about higher education. There is an Hon Minister responsible for higher education, so the Hon Deputy Majority Leader should not just tell us that the Hon Minister for Education is out of the jurisdiction. Where is the Hon Minister responsible for higher
education? There is a dedicated Hon Minister of the President. Where is he? He must come and lead this process because it is an important education policy.
So, Mr Speaker, when the Hon Deputy Minister comes in, save your guidance, we are not likely to accommodate him because in my view, the justification is weak. If Hon Matthew Opoku Prempeh is not available, there is a dedicated Hon Minister for tertiary education. We want him to come and lead the debate on this.
Ms Safo 10:27 a.m.
Mr Speaker, yesterday we did the first leg of this Motion. Actually it was a proposal by the Hon Minority Leader last week that we take the two together so that we could deal with them in a conjunctive manner.
Unfortunately, yesterday we had to deal with the first leg. The Minority and your good Rt Hon Self indulged the Hon Deputy Minister, Dr Adutwum, who handled the first leg of this Motion.
Mr Speaker, indeed, there is an Hon Minister of State at the Ministry of Education. That is what I know. I do not know Minister of State for tertiary education. There is no such thing.
Again, Mr Speaker, it does not lie with us to choose who at the Ministry would represent the Hon Minister in his absence. So the indication we had from the Hon Minister when he asked for leave of absence was that the Hon Deputy Minister, Dr Adutwum, who indeed came yesterday and started the first leg --
So Mr Speaker, I am not formally informed, but I am sure he is the Hon Deputy Minister who the Hon substantive Minister had probaly worked with on this issue. The Education Committee Chairman is here, and I am sure that they handled it at the Committee level with that Hon Deputy Minister.
So Mr Speaker, in this vein, it is only fair that the one who had taken them through the processes, in the absence of the Hon Minister, be allowed to take the Motion. He actually started yesterday.
On that note, I would indulge the Minority to accommodate the Hon Deputy Minister who has indicated that he would be in the House, but is not here at the moment.
Mr Speaker 10:27 a.m.
Anyway, Hon Members, the Hon Deputy Minister is not even here. So can we go on with other matters in the interim?

Speaker, I know the Hon Leaders have spoken about the issue of the Hon Deputy Minister.

I, however, have a personal conception about the general commitment of Hon Ministers and their responsiveness to this Parliament.
Mr Speaker 10:37 a.m.
Hon Member, respectfully, the Minority Leader himself was on his feet, and I pleaded with him that we would want to wait until at least, we have reached the river then we would see how we would cross it, whether with a bridge or with a pontoon.
So let us wait.

Hon Apaak would read a Statement on behalf of Hon Jabanyite, so that we make some progress.
STATEMENTS 10:37 a.m.
Dr Clement A. Apaak on behalf of Mr Samuel Abdulai Jabanyite (NDC -- Chereponi) 10:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
I rise to make a Statement on the Floor of this august House on the implementation of Ghana's National Adaptation Plan (NAP) in reducing incidences of climate change. This Statement seeks to examine the main features of climate change in Ghana, assess future climate projections, analyse the impact of climate change to Ghana's development, consider the case of adaptation planning in development, review earlier strategies to climate adaptation and conclude by making a strong case for the National Adaptation Plan (NAP).
Mr Speaker, Ghana has been experiencing extreme and erratic weather patterns for decades. This has led to frequent national disasters such as flooding, windstorm, heat waves and drought, with differential negative impact on the livelihoods of women and men. The degree of impact is influenced mainly by the country's geographic span, the incidence of poverty, gender relations and unique ecological zone conditions.
Mr Speaker, Ghana's National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process seeks to address the country's vulnerability to climate change by integration and adaptation into Ghana's medium and long-term development plans in a coherent and coordinated manner.
Mr Speaker, the northern part of Ghana records one rainy season, which begins in May and lasts until September. The Southern sector experiences two rainy seasons; the first which starts from April to July, and the second from September to November. A historical data on Ghana's temperature indicates that temperatures have increased by 1.0°Celcius since 1960, at an average rate of 0.21°Celcius per decade. The rates of increase have generally been more rapid in the north than in the south.
Mr Speaker, between 1960 and 2003, the average number of hot days per year increased by 48 (an additional 13.2 per cent of days), the number of hot nights per year increased by 73 (an additional 20 per cent of nights), the frequency of cold days per year have decreased by 12 (3.3 per cent of days) and rainfall was particularly high in the 1960s, but decreased to relatively low levels in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Ghana has seen an average of 2.3 milimetres (mm) decrease per month per decade between 1960 and 2006.
Mr Speaker, studies conducted over the years indicate that Ghana will continue to get warmer. Average temperatures are projected to increase by 1 to 3 degrees Celsius by
2060, and between 1.5 and 5.2 degrees Celsius by 2090. Rainfall rate will continue to be uncertain and difficult to predict and sea level rise will continue to affect the vulnerable coastal areas. National data shows that sea level has risen to 2.1mm per year over the last 30 years, indicating a gradual rise of 5.8 centimetres (cm) 16.5cm and 34.5cm by 2020, 2025 and 2080 respectively.
Mr Speaker, the above revelations have damming consequences for Ghana's economy because Ghana relies heavily on climate sensitive sectors; mainly agriculture, energy, health, sanitation, manufacturing and households' well-being. Coupled with the country's low adaptive capacity, this threatens to slow or reverse Ghana's development progress, and could have dire consequences for the long-term development agenda of the country.
Mr Speaker, although Ghana's economy has grown considerably in recent years and great progress has been made on improving the well- being of the population, sustaining this growth trajectory into the medium to long-term will be challenged by the increasingly negative impacts of climate change. Recognising this, the Government has committed to mainstream climate change into the development agenda. Some of the key and foundational climate policies to ensure that this happens include the

National Climate Change Policy, National Adaptation Planning Framework, Sustainable Develop- ment and Green Economy policy and the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.

Mr Speaker, different institutions and agencies (both public and private) have also initiated adaptation efforts at the local, regional, and national levels, a critical feature of all these policy initiatives is the commitment to and operationalisation of gender equality to optimise the chances for addressing inequalities across the experience and impact of climate change.

Mr Speaker in spite of all these efforts, not much is achieved; a critical review shows that there is inadequate coordination among the various actors. Solutions are often centered on resolving sector specific challenges, without taking into consideration the linkages among them. Again, the Government's efforts towards adaptation have been implemented at the national level. More importantly, climate disasters recur and have long term impacts. Approaches to tackling the challenges have often been short-term. Particularly, at the district level, women and various communities have thus not been able to build the needed

long-term resilience to the changes in the climate.

Again, climate vulnerability is not the same across communities or even households. As a result, there is a need for context-specific adaptation solutions that address the local needs of both women and men in the various districts. Climate change impacts on both men and women in different ways. The adaptation strategy must therefore be gender responsive, ensuring that the needs of both men and women are considered in the design and implementation of the adaptation projects and programmes and both men and women should equally be involved in decision- making around adaptation.

Mr Speaker, from the forgoing, it is apparent therefore that Ghana's NAP process should seek to put in place medium to long-term systems and structures to address climate change impacts and ultimately, resilience adaptation strategies.

The NAP framework provides an overall strategic direction for Ghana in developing, coordinating and implementing its NAP process. The framework clarifies the overarching vision and structure for NAP process and its added value, and describes the benefits of the NAP process in the context of Ghana. The NAP process will address the medium and long-

term adaptation needs in a coherent and coordinated manner. Again, Ghana's NAP process will adopt community-based and ecosystem- based approaches, and will be designed to ensure that it delivers multiple co-benefits in relation to sustainable development, poverty reduction and climate change adaptation.

Above all, it will ensure greater buy- in and ownership for the NAP processes by relevant stakeholders. The framework encourages participation in adaptation planning processes by different stakeholders and socioeconomic groups, including the youth and women.

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a passionate appeal to Colleague Hon Members to become ambassadors to the NAP process by supporting the relevant decentralised departments and schools in their various constituencies on the NAP

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.

10: 47 a. m.
Mr Speaker 10:37 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member, for this presentation.
Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh (NPP -- Nsawam-Adoagyiri) 10:37 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am grateful.
I would want to congratulate the Hon Dr Apaak for the Statement.
Mr Speaker, in recent times, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has repeatedly reported that the Bank of England and the Bank of France have warned the world on the threat of climate change. The threat of climate change has become real now than before.
Mr Speaker, researchers have proven that about 90 per cent plus of the agents that facilitate and cause climate change are anthropogenic factors. What it means is that human factors contribute more than 90 per cent of climate change in the globe now. That is a good beginning, and a good signal to the world that a solution is not far-fetched, and that the world could overcome climate change because the thrust of the causing agents are human centred factors.
Mr Speaker, it is not in controversy; that is where we would have to focus on. In recent times, in the southern parts of Africa, Mozambique specifically recorded massive torrential rainfall, which submerged a significant number of suburbs and cities. Therefore the evidence of climate change is all over us, and it is not far-fetched.
Mr Speaker 10:37 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member.
Dr Bernice A. Heloo (NDC -- Hohoe) 10:37 a.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, I could not agree more with my Hon Colleagues who spoke earlier, and whose statements are very apt and relevant to our times.
Mr Speaker, climate change is something that concerns all of us, and it dwells with us. Sometimes, some people find it difficult to appreciate the impact that climate change has on us.
Mr Speaker 10:37 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member.
Mr Kennedy Nyarko Osei (NPP -- Akim Swedru) 10:37 a.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
I would like to add my voice to the Statement ably made by my Hon Colleague.
Mr Speaker, climate change is real. Whoever says that climate change is not real is not telling the truth. And several reports have indicated so. If we look at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report on climate change, it clearly shows that most of the impacts of climate change we face today are as a result of anthropogenic activities. These are activities that are being done by human beings and these activities have dire or serious effects on the environment.
It is causing the melting of the glaciers, and causing draughts and high rise in temperatures. These are things that are causing problems and we all know. What we need to do as Hon Members of this House — when I engage my Hon Colleagues, I try to find out the level of understanding of climate change even among ourselves as Hon Members of Parliament. We need to build our capacities; let us understand what the real issues are.
Now, we see high precipitations; we see the level of rainfalls causing floods. Let us look at the various wetlands we have in this country. They have now been turned into refuse dumps. These are wetland areas that serve as retention areas; when it rains and it overflows, it controls the flood level. Now, we have turned those areas into refuse dumps; some are for the purpose of agriculture but
Mr Samuel Nartey George (NDC -- Ningo-Prampram) 11:07 a.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, the issue of climate change is one that we could not run away from. It is a present and growing danger. For some of us who have farming communities in our constituencies. We realise that even the rain patterns have changed and it is beginning to affect the ability of our farmers to predict the farming season
rightly. And even when they predict and plant well, at times the storms or unexpected rains due to climate change, come to wipe out the entire crops that have been planted.
Mr Speaker, the reality is that the third world or the developing countries are bearing the brunt of climate change. The depletion of the ozone layer, which is exacerbating the problem of climate change, is being done by the developed countries; the likes of China; the likes of Germany; the likes of Australia and the likes of the United States of America. Their activities are affecting the rest of the world. And the issue is that those of us in developing Africa who barely contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer and the problems of climate change are bearing the biggest brunt.
There is a study that states that if Germany, Australia, China and America reduce their dependence on coal-powered generation of electricity, it could slow down climate change by about five per cent per annum. Recently, the German Government said they were going to stop or end the production of electricity by coal in 2039. Mr Speaker, how fast and how much damage would have been done to
developing countries by the time that happens?

Again, we must also be mindful of the kind of arrangements that we enter into as developing countries. It is a thing of joy for us when we hear that many of these companies in Europe would want to come and open assembling plants for cars but one of the things we must be careful about is to ensure that they would not come and produce diesel engine vehicles in Africa. This is because in Europe, the European Union has banned the production of diesel vehicles, so we should not let Africa become the next dumping ground for diesel vehicles. They could come here and set up the plants for manufacturing of vehicles but we want clean energy vehicles.

If as Parliament we take a position that we would give incentives for clean energy, it would support the Government's drive to bring in development that is sustainable to the environment and the ecosystem.

Mr Speaker, I would want to congratulate the Hon Member who made the Statement and also say that as Parliament, we must be at the vanguard of ensuring that we have a clean society and a green society. It is a thing of joy that under your watch,
Dr Kwaku Afriyie (NPP -- Sefwi Wiawso) 11:07 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement.
Mr Speaker, as we know, the phenomena of climate change started long ago, perhaps, it even started with the advent of the industrial revolution. Gradually, the world is changing and it is right under our very eyes. We
know that climate change is a stochastic process where the whole phenomena is driven by a collection of random variables. Some of these variables are global in nature, some are regional and some are very local. It is a huge subject, so I would concentrate on what is happening in our country.
Mr Speaker, the effect of the climate change denials is happening right here in Ghana and I dare say that we have to do a study to collaborate the thesis I am proposing.
Mr Speaker, four years ago, the Western North, where I hail from produced some 330,000 metric tonnes of cocoa but last year, it slumped to 130,000 metric tonnes. The main culprit was climate change and it was manifested through an increase in the insect population of mealy bugs. The mealy bug is a purveyor of a disease called Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) which has devastated the cocoa industry in Akontombra, Bodi, Sefwi Wiawso, Bia East and West Districts and parts of Ahafo.
Mr Speaker, as I speak, it looks like the cocoa belt is also moving southwards to the extent that throughout that period, the Western South which hitherto, was a very wet area has become a bit dry so the
cocoa belt is now concentrated in areas such as Asankrangwa, Wassa Akropong, Prestea and so on. Those of us who have lived in those areas thought about 10 years back that cocoa could not do well because that place was for oil palm plantation. Now, those trees that do well in poor soils and dry areas are creeping towards the Western North - I am talking specifically about cashew nut which used to be a crop which belonged to the transition belt and the Northern Region. So, this is a clear evidence that climate change is happening right under our eyes. There is also an increase in the insect population and that is why we always cry for insecticides against the cocoa pests.
Mr Speaker, it is a very serious issue particularly, for the agriculture sector in Ghana. However, some of the solutions that have been proffered have the potential also to cause problems because in the afforestation area, I noticed that a lot of exotic trees are grown in the forest zones and they use cultural practices which use line and pegs. When we do that, we may conserve the flora but the fauna do not like it. So, we must think through and look through our policies and engage with the local people who throughout the millennia have local knowledge about how to go about
these things. Yes, we should have a policy that would plant trees and aid in the carbon situations, but it is a problem which is very deep indeed. So, I would want to call for a situation where we would ingrain it into our national ethos and all our cultural practices be it agriculture or industry, should be geared towards preserving our parts of the continent for the future generation.
Mr Speaker, with this contribution, I would want to thank the Hon Member who made the Statement and also thank you for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker 11:07 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member, for your scientific contribution.
Mr William Agyapong Quaittoo (NPP -- Akim Oda) 11:07 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement.
Mr Speaker, I would want to give the scientific reasons for which climate change is real because there is a school of thought that think that climate change is a fiction and that scientists just make it up. That is not so.
Climate change is real. God created the earth to be stable, so that human beings and the flora that we find in them would be stable.
Mr William Agyapong Quaittoo (NPP -- Akim Oda) 11:17 a.m.
Mr Speaker, there are several
layers from the sun to the earth. The sun was created by God for it to serve as the first source of energy to animals and plants on the earth because it is a natural source of energy which is tapped both by plants and animals to function. However, the effect of the sun on the earth is usually mitigated by some gracious substances that God created called, ozone layer. Ozone layer is not oxygen. It is three atoms of energy combined together to give it O3. The ozone layer more or less, prevents the heat from the sun to get unto the earth. This means that if any activity of man depletes that ozone layer, then the effect of the sun would be severe on the earth.
Example of substances that deplete the earth are chlorofluoro carbons, carbon, fluorine and bromine atoms when found in the atmosphere could react with this ozone layer and convert it to other atoms like oxygen. So, human activities through indus- trialisation and the movement of vehicles that create gases to move into the atmosphere -- the gas moves to the stratosphere, gets to the ozone layer, reacts with it to form a new compound and when this happens we say the ozone layer has depleted. The effect of the depletion of the ozone layer is that heat from the sun is able to get unto the earth.

Mr Speaker, in God's own wisdom, He created a balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen for use by animals. So, if there is anything that destabilises this balance, of course, it would have a telling effect on us.

Mr Speaker, we breathe in oxygen which is produced by the plants on earth through a system called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis uses the chlorophyll in the plant in addition to the sun to produce its food and by so doing to produce oxygen. This oxygen is then used by animals. We also use the oxygen through respiration to produce carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide goes back to the plants for their use. So, there is supposed to be a balance in the cycle. Anything that is done by man to cause us to have a lower amount of carbon dioxide or oxygen in the system would have a telling effect on the earth.

Mr Speaker, what do we do? Through industrialisation, we are creating more carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons and even cutting down trees for development. It is said that when the last tree dies, the last man or animal also dies because it is the tree that would produce the oxygen that the animals including human beings -- pardon my language

-- need to breathe. Oxygen is very important to us.

Mr Speaker, so, when the ozone layer is depleted and the effect of the sun gets on to the earth, it automatically creates an increase in temperature. When we have an increase in temperature, the sea levels would rise and water bodies would deplete.

In our various homes, when we pour little water on our cemented floors, the water does not seep but vanishes after some time. What happens is that, all molecules are constantly in motion. So, the water molecules would move faster and evaporate into thin air. This is due to the effect of the sun on the earth. So, if we deplete the ozone layer and the effect of the sun on the earth increases, molecules on earth move faster, evaporation occurs and all the natural resources which are supposed to keep the balance also deplete.

Mr Speaker, so, it is true that if we do not solve these activities, water bodies for some time to come would all reduce in volume or may deplete entirely. We say water is life; if we do not have water, of course, there would be no life. So, it is important that we look at the way we deplete our forest reserves and plantations of our various countries.

Mr Speaker, again, the effect of climate change on agriculture is very grave. Some time back, a crop like coffee which did very well in this country and gave us a lot of foreign exchange does not do well now because --

There are two types of coffee; Arabica and Robusta. The one that has high value is the Arabica. We are trying to get Arabica to do well in Ghana but with the effect of climate change and rising temperatures now, we are no more able to. The research has stopped because it is not possible to grow Arabica in this country. Arabica does well only at certain temperatures which are quite cold compared to the temperatures that we have in Ghana. With the effect of climate change, the temperatures in Ghana are rising and the research that scientists conducted to ensure that Arabica could be grown in Ghana has stopped; the mere effect being that temperatures in Ghana are rising and it is therefore not possible to get Arabica to do well here.

Mr Speaker, there is another crop called okra which is a very high value type of okro grown in the temperate regions like Kenya and some other places in Africa. We realised that Ghana could grow okra but when we tried it, it was such that we could supply the European market which is
Mr Speaker 11:17 a.m.
Thank you very much, Hon Member.
Hon Minority Leadership?
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 11:17 a.m.
Mr Speaker, if the Hon Deputy Majority Leader would indulge me, we could
Mr Speaker 11:17 a.m.
Hon Majority Leader, do you have any contribution?
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 11:17 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it is an application but --
Mr Speaker 11:17 a.m.
No, are you not contributing to this Statement?
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 11:17 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I do not intend to, if we would move to the next Motion—— But if you would so permit me, I can say a word or two.
Mr Speaker 11:17 a.m.
I just would want to know your pleasure, then, I would call upon the Hon Majority Leadership.
Ms Safo 11:17 a.m.
Mr Speaker, it is agreed between the Hon Minority Leader and myself that we shelve our comments on the Statement while we allow the Hon Minister of State to take the Motion listed 5.
Mr Speaker 11:17 a.m.
Item listed 5; Motion by the Hon Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education. This matter has already been discussed and the Hon Minister of State is here.
So Hon Minister, may you briefly move the Motion numbered 5?
MOTIONS 11:17 a.m.
BILLS -- SECOND READING 11:17 a.m.
Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education (Prof. Kwesi Yankah) 11:17 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies Bill, 2018, be now read a Second time.
Mr Speaker, the object of this Bill is to establish the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies as a public tertiary institution in Wa in the Upper West Region to be an outstanding internationally acclaimed applied research and practical-oriented educational institution, dedicated to the development of business and integrated development studies.
Mr Speaker, in May 1992, the University of Development Studies was established by the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) to provide constructive interaction between academia and the community for the total development of northern
Ghana in particular and the country as a whole. The Faculty of Integrated Development Studies which was part of the University was subsequently relocated to Wa in 2002.
Mr Speaker, the right to higher education, on the basis of capacity, is a constitutional right to be observed by Government, particularly where there are disparities in access to higher education. To address the imbalance of access and guarantee equity in the distribution of national resources, it proposed to split the University of Development Studies into three autonomous universities in Tamale/ Nyankpala, Navrongo and Wa. This will be in accordance with government policy to have a publicly- funded university in each region of the country. The Wa Campus currently has the Faculty of Integrated and Development Studies, Faculty of Planning and Land Management, School of Business and the Faculty of Education. These programmes will form the nucleus of the new university.
Mr Speaker, the upgrade of the Wa campus to a fully-fledged university is recommended because the Upper West Region is the poorest in the country. The region is the least developed and least resourced. The Wa campus is also the furthest from Tamale and has a large land area
Mr Speaker 11:27 a.m.
Thank you very much. Hon Chairman of the Committee?
Chairman of the Committee (Mr William A. Quaittoo) 11:27 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion and in doing so, I present the Committee's Report.
1.0 Introduction
1.1 The University of Business and Integrated Development Studies Bill, 2018 was presented to the House and read the first time on Tuesday, 11th
December, 2018.
Subsequently, Mr Speaker referred the Bill to the Committee on Education for consideration and report. This was in accordance with Article 106 (4) and (5) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 186 of the Standing Orders of the House.
1.2 In considering the Bill, the Committee on Education met with the Hon Minister for Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, a Deputy Minister for Education, Hon (Dr) Yaw Osei Adutwum, officials of the Ministry of Education, the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE), Attorney- General's Department and representatives of the following stakeholders among others:
i. University Teachers' Association of Ghana, University for Development Studies, Wa Campus.
ii. Senior Staff Association, University for Development Studies, Wa Campus.
iii. Concerned Lecturers, University for Development Studies, Wa Campus.
iv. The Dagbon Forum.
v. Senior Staff Association - Universities of Ghana (SSA- UoG).
1.3 The Committee is grateful to the Hon Minister, the Hon Deputy Minister, the technical team from the Ministry of Education, and all other stakeholders for their input.
2.0 Reference Documents
The Committee referred to the following documents during its deliberations:
i. The 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
ii. The Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana.
iii. The University for Develop- ment Studies Act, 1992
(P.N.D.C.L. 279).
iv. The University of Environ- ment and Sustainable Development Act, 2015 (Act
898).
v. The University of Health and Allied Sciences Act, 2011 (Act 828).
vi. The National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766).
3.0 Background
As part of efforts at expanding access to public education across the country, the University for Development Studies was established in May 1992 by the Government of the Provisional National Defence Council. The objective of setting up
the University was to provide an interface between the academia and the community to stimulate the development of northern Ghana in particular and the country as a whole.
Subsequently in year 2002, the University for Development Studies (UDS) moved its Faculty of Integrated Development Studies to Wa to provide opportunities, particularly for people in the Upper West Region to access university education.
The Wa Campus of UDS, since its establishment, has provided access to university education for many students from the Upper West Region and other parts of the country. In order to promote equity in the distribution of institutions of higher learning across the country, and to meet Govern- ment's policy of establishing tertiary institutions, particularly universities in each region of the country, government has recogniscd the need to convert the Wa Campus of the University for Development Studies into an autonomous university.
The University, when established, will afford the Upper West Region the opportunity to have its own public funded university, like other regions of the country.

4.0 Object of the Bill

The Bill seeks to establish the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies as a public tertiary institution in Wa in the Upper West Region to be an outstanding internationally acclaimed applied research and practical-oriented educational institution, dedicated to the development of business and integrated development studies.

5.0 Highlights of the Bill

The Bill is made up of forty-one (41) clauses and divided into five sections as follows:

i.Establishment of the Univer- sity of Business and Integrated Development Studies (Clauses 1 to 4)

Clause 1 establishes the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies as a corporate body with perpetual succession. The aims of the University are specified under Clause 2. Clause 3 provides for the campuses of the University while Clause 4 deals with the award of degrees by the University.

ii. Governance of the University (Clauses 5 to 12)

Clause 5 establishes the governing body of the University. Clause 6 spells

out the functions of the Council. Clauses 7, 8, 9 and 10 cover the tenure of office of members of the Council, meetings of the Council, disclosure of interest and establish- ment of committees of the Council. The allowances of members of the Council and members of a committee of the Council are provided for under clause 11. Clause 12 deals with the general powers of the Council.

iii. Administration of the University (Clauses 13 to 25)

Clause 13 spells out the Principal Officers of the University. Clause 14 deals with the appointment and functions of the Chancellor of the University while Clause 15 makes provision for vacancy in the office of the Chancellor. Clauses 16 and 17 provides for the appointment and functions of the Vice-Chancellor and Pro Vice-Chancellor respectively.

Clause 18 establishes the Academic Board. The composition of the Board is dealt with under Clause 19. Clause 20 allows the Academic Board to establish standing and ad hoc committees. Clause 21 specifies the functions of the Academic Board. Clause 22 covers the appointment of a Registrar of the University. Clauses 23 and 24 provides for the appointment of a Director of Finance and other staff of the University.

Clause 25 makes provision for the internal organisation of the University.

iv. Financial Matters (Clauses 26 to 31)

Clause 26 takes care of the sources of funds of the University. The standard provision on the Internal Audit Unit is spelt out under Clause 27. Clause 28 deals with the borrowing powers of the University. Accounts and Audit, Annual Report and other Reports are covered under Clauses 29 and 30. Under Clause 31, the University is exempted from the payment of taxes, duties and other charges that the Minister responsible for Finance may determine with the prior approval of Parliament.

v. Miscellaneous Matters (Clauses 32 to 41)

Clause 32 requires the Council to enact Statutes for the implementation of the Bill. Clause 33 establishes the Convocation of the University while Clause 34 deals with matriculation.

Clause 35 mandates the University to hold a Congregation composed of persons prescribed by the Council. Clauses 36 and 37 deals with matters on the governance of students, and intellectual property. The University
Chairman of the Committee (Mr William A. Quaittoo) 11:27 a.m.
The interpretation of words and phrases used in the bill are dealt with under Clause 40 while Clause 41 deals with transitional matters.
The Bill also has a Schedule which provides for the Oath of Office.
6.0 Observations
a. Relevance of the Proposed University
The Committee observed that the conversion of the Wa Campus of UDS into an autonomous University is aimed at meeting the tertiary educational needs of the people in the Upper West Region and beyond.
The Committee noted that the Upper West Region is the poorest, least developed and under-resourced of all the regions in the country - a situation that tends to affect access to education, training and ultimately, the development of the region.

The Committee is therefore of the view that proximity to a university in the Region, will stimulate the pursuit of tertiary education and enhance the human resource capacities in the Upper West Region. It will also attract investors to the Region, increase the number of economic activities, promote infrastructural development, create job opportunities, and generate revenue for the development of the Region and the country as a whole.

b. Aims of the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies

The Committee noted that the aims of the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies are to provide higher education, disseminate knowledge related to development in business and integrated development studies, undertake research and nurture relationships with persons outside the institution in accordance with laid down principles. These principles among others are:

i. To make higher education equally accessible to all persons suitably qualified and capable.

ii. In determining the subjects to be taught, special emphasis shall be laid on courses of

special relevance to the needs and aspirations of the north-western part of the country in particular and the country as a whole.

iii. To employ the use of critical tools that include information and communication technology for teaching, research, dissemination of knowledge and administration.

iv. To institute curricula and pedagogy within the context of learner- centred and problem-based learning techniques that are practical and relevant to national needs and aspirations in business and integrated development studies.

v. To provide services through extension and consultancy in business and integrated development studies related course in higher education.

The Committee urges NCTE to ensure that the University abides by these principles in the conduct of teaching and learning, and in the governance of the University.

c. Schools of the University

The Committee observed that the Wa Campus of UDS currently has a

Faculty of Integrated Development Studies, Faculty of Planning and Land Management, School of Business and a Faculty of Education which will form the nucleus of the University.

For the purpose of achieving the aims of the University, the University shall lay emphasis on the study of business and integrated development and shall have a:

School of Business;

School of Law;

School of Social Studies;

School of Education and Life- Long Learning;

School of Information and Communication Technology; and

any other related School, Centre or Institute that the Council of the University may determine.

The Committee urges the NCTE to ensure that the focus of the University is not compromised over time.

d. Transitional Provision;

The Committee noted that the transitional provisions in the Bill is to

ensure a smooth take-off of the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies. The Bill provides for an Interim Council that would be responsible for the operations of the University until the appointment of members of the Council. A continuing student of UDS before the enactment of the Act, would graduate as a student of UDS. All ongoing accredited programmes of UDS before the enactment of the Act, would remain programmes of the University.

A matter of grave concern to the Committee is the provision that indicates that all assets and liabilities of UDS in respect of the Wa Campus shall be transferred to the proposed University on the coming into force of the Act.

No mention was made on the equitable transfer of the assets and liabilities.

In order not to hinder the smooth take-off of the University, the Committee urges the Minister for Education and the Regulatory Body responsible for tertiary education to ensure an equitable transfer of assets and liabilities from UDS to the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies.

The Committee further urges Government to make available to the
Chairman of the Committee (Mr William A. Quaittoo) 11:27 a.m.


University, adequate resources to enable it meet its needs.

e. Oath of Secrecy --

As observed in the University of Technology and Applied Sciences Bill, 2018, no provision was made in the Schedule to the Bill to ensure that Principal Officers of the proposed University subscribe to the Oath of Secrecy. This, in the opinion of the Committee, is inconsistent with Bills passed by the House.

The Committee therefore pro- poses an inclusion of an Oath of Secrecy to the Schedule of the Bill to conform to standard practice.

7.0 Proposed Amendments

In recognition of the observations made during its deliberations, the Committee proposes the amendments
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    • Mr Speaker 11:27 a.m.
    Hon Member, thank you very much. The Hon Minority Leader will make his contribution and move to --
    Minority Leader (Mr Haruna Iddrisu) 11:27 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to speak in favour of the Motion for the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, Bill, 2018, ably moved by the Hon Minister of State responsible for Tertiary Education.
    I am sure that the Hon Deputy Majority Leader will now appreciate that by the President's letter dated 14th March, there is an Hon Minister of State for Tertiary Education in the person of Professor Yankah. Therefore, it was not inappropriate for me to insist that he comes in person to move the Motion in pursuit of the establishment of a University in the other regions of Ghana.
    Mr Speaker, it is a noble thing to do and the challenges of higher education as you may understand in Ghana are at three levels; access, quality and relevance. These remain the three germane problems of higher education in Ghana. What are we doing as a country to expand access to higher education?
    Undoubtedly, this may be one of such contribution by the establishment of two other universities out of the University for Development Studies (UDS) which was established in May, 1992; thanks to the wisdom and vision of the former President, Jerry John Rawlings at the time.
    Mr Speaker, it has changed the economy of the entire northern Ghana; if you take either Wa, Navrongo or even Tamale, where the UDS Medical School and others are housed. We are fortunate today that as a country, we have a number of young graduates even though, unemployed, it is a positive thing for the country. It is better to have a population of unemployed educated graduates than one which is both unemployed and uneducated. It is also therefore, a positive thing for us.
    As I read the memorandum, particularly in paragraph 3, let me just refer to some words there;
    “…To address the imbalance of access and guarantee equity in the distribution of national resources, it is proposed to split the University of Development Studies into three autonomous universities in Tamale which is the Medical School and other institutions and including
    Minority Leader (Mr Haruna Iddrisu) 11:37 a.m.
    Nyankpala. Then we have Navrongo and Wa. We are now dealing with Wa”.
    Mr Speaker, as you may recall, we supported you to bury the Council of Elders' Chairman of the New Patriotic Party in Paga. At that funeral, H. E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had cause to announce that it was his consideration that one of those institutions in Navrongo be named after C.K. Tedam. I am sure it is a matter that we would consider as a House, but when it comes to Navrongo and the Upper East Region and its geo- politics, the likes of Colonel Minyila and Abavana also deserve some national recognition.

    Therefore, when it is said that the University should be named after C. K. Tedam who was a proud citizen of Paga, then we must also be mindful of how we would manage the expectations of the people of Navrongo and Paga relative to the sterling contribution, particularly of Lawrence Rosario Abavana and Col George Minyila. I am sure when we get to that we would deal with it. That was his eulogy and tribute to him.

    Mr Speaker, probably at the appropriate time, the Hon Minister for Education would have to apprise this House. We hear that the University of Ghana has some challenges with a loan facility that they secured and this loan facility is affecting the performance of the institution. As a learning institution, this House through its elected representatives would want to know what occasioned that loan, what was it used for and how is it affecting the performance of their role?

    We may have to have a national conversation on the future of higher education in Ghana. Mr Speaker, you were consistent with the UNESCO principle of education being a life-long exercise, so we may have to revisit this. Now, all our tertiary institutions, whether the University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology or the University of Development Studies, are all departing from their core mandates and core missions and values. When institutions are set up, all of them are interested in training persons in marketing, social sciences --

    Mr Speaker, the world is not going with marketing today. We must get the universities to redefine their mandates and stay consistent with the mandates that this Parliament gave them. We have the University for Science and Technology departing from science,

    when the world is moving into applied sciences and engineering. This university is training less in science, and is now interested in training lawyers. Also, the University of Ghana is also departing from biochemistry and physics and moving into other areas and same applies to the University of Cape Coast.

    Mr Speaker, we would need to have a national conversation on the future of higher education, even though as a country we have proudly not bequeathed to ourselves our immediate manpower needs. What does Ghana need between 2020 and 2030 in terms of our manpower requirements? We must compel the universities to produce what the country would require not what they wish to produce or what they deem as desirable.

    I think that there is a disconnect between what our universities are training in and the manpower needs of our country. Mr Speaker, given that we have taken advantage of the discovery of oil and gas, we should see the training of more persons in these areas and enterprises.

    Mr Speaker, apart from the fact that the Ghana Education Trust Fund was established and has also made significant contributions to expanding access, many of the students still have

    problems with access to accommodation and so on. What is being done to resolve some of these issues? In the Upper West Region, particularly Wa, there are problems with armed robbery around the university and its vicinity and the students always report the theft of motorbikes.

    Mr Speaker, generally, I support the principle for the establishment of the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies. The strengthening of faculty is important, therefore what kind of faculty are we dedicating to these institutions as they are being created? We must also have a blueprint on how to develop these departments in terms of access to lecture theatres and so on.

    Mr Speaker, Ghana is making significant strides when it comes to higher education, but as I said, the debate on naming one of the universities after the late C. K. Tedam may be appropriate as the President desired it. Politically, we would have to look at what to do in honour of the late Abavana and Col Minyila who also served the people of Upper East, particularly Navrongo very well and also deserve some national recognition.

    Mr Speaker, how is the National Council for Tertiary Education

    adequately resourced in order to perform its duties? We have to re- examine this because they cannot continue to depend on support.

    In concluding, on page 8, there is School of Business, School of Law, School of Social Studies, School of Education and Life-Long Learning, School of Information and Communications Technology and other Schools, Centre or Institute that the Council may determine. Mr Speaker, in stating these, did we conceptualise what our manpower needs are for the Upper West Region, particularly Wa? We could also train in agriculture and matters relating to the environment, but we just see School of Law and School of Social Studies. We are likely to produce the very numbers that are unemployed because we are not training people who are employable and we must admit this.

    Mr Speaker, maybe we should expand the scope and remit of this institution to maybe the applied sciences. We should also encourage children at the basic level to be interested in -- Mr Speaker, when Hon Quaittoo speaks on science issues on the Floor we enjoyed it, and so we should encourage people in the Upper West Region to also learn science. They should not be reduced

    to the study of law, business and social studies. Mr Speaker that is not looking into the future objectively, so we should carry this on board as we get the university established.

    Mr Speaker, I support this and I think that we should create more of such institutions inasmuch as we are dealing with the problem of access. What about quality and relevance? We would need to find answers to these questions; the relevance of higher education to our national development needs and the quality of higher education. Sometimes when we sit on interview panels and question university graduates on basic questions sometimes on current affairs, the answers that are given leave much to be desired.

    Mr Speaker, I thank the Hon Minister and we wholeheartedly support the creation of these additional universities for Wa in the Upper West Region, Navrongo in the Upper East Region and Tamale in the Northern Region. As I have said, the relevance and quality of higher education is a matter that we should consult further nationally.

    Mr Speaker, thank you.
    Mr Speaker 11:37 a.m.
    Hon Minority Leader, thank you very much.
    Mr Alex K. Agyekum (NPP -- Mpohor) 11:47 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to associate myself with the Motion on the Floor.
    Mr Speaker, I made a similar contribution on the Bill that was presented yesterday and it is on the basis of this that I would like to draw the attention of the House to the observation in the Report. It has been stated that the Committee urges the NCTE to ensure that the focus of the university is not compromised over time.
    Mr Speaker, I would still want to draw the attention of the House to the fact that the Report says that the NCTE must ensure that the university confines and conforms itself to the principle underpinning its establish- ment. Mr Speaker, but we have to always go deeper and find out why almost all the universities, especially the public universities, after their establishment, over time, veer off their core mandate and introduce certain courses that are not part of their core mandate.
    Mr Speaker, it is all because of the issue of resources not made available and this is the crux of the matter. We sometimes find a university that is trying to survive and in doing so, tries to enter into areas that are not part of
    its mandate. So, inasmuch as we are asking the NCTE to ensure that we should also resource our various public universities by providing the basic things that they require.
    Mr Speaker, apart from this, I would also want to state that in the midst of dwindling resources for education, it is imperative that the country looks at what courses our students are made to learn.
    Some time ago, we had a situation where our children would be educated, and come out of the tertiary institutions with various certificates. They would then present them to the society as what they have acquired and ask what society can offer them. I think the emphasis must now change. Society must now let its citizens be educated in terms of utility. What society wants a student to go and learn is what the society desires.

    So, previously, where people would just go and study anything and flash their certificates before us that they read this subject and want to be offered a job, there should be a reversal. Students must be educated with reference to what society requires, and resources must be channelled in the areas the Government considers to be of need to the present day. So scholarships
    Mr Speaker 11:47 a.m.
    Thank you, Hon Member, for your contribution.
    Dr Clement A. Apaak (NDC -- Builsa South) 11:47 a.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    I rise to associate myself with the Motion moved by the Hon Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education at the Office of the President. In doing
    so, I further wish to associate myself with the Report of your Committee on Education. Mr Speaker, my comments would be very brief and straight forward.
    The purpose and object of these Universities are very clearly stated and justified, but like many Hon Members have indicated, we seemed to have a challenge of institutions of higher learning, particularly our public universities so to speak, veering off their core mandates. So, while we are looking at the processes of bringing the new universities into being, it is crucial that we continue to emphasise that it is our expectation that they do not deviate from their core mandates and from the reasons for which we are working to bring them into existence.
    If it is even possible, we could consider motivating or cajoling already existing public universities to revert to their core mandates. I believe it is time that we began to focus on specia- lisation. It is not useful and helpful for each and every institution of higher learning to offer the same courses. That does not help us in our quest to develop.
    Mr Speaker, regarding your Committee's Report, I wish to make a brief comment on the transitional provisions. This is because, I believe
    this is key and important towards the smooth running of the University of Business and Integrated Development Studies when it comes into being. As a member of your Committee, I am privy to complaints raised by various stakeholders to the effect that they worry about being short-changed. The only way we can guarantee equity in as far as hiving off the Wa and Navrongo campuses of the University for Development Studies (UDS) from the parent campus in Tamale is concerned is to ensure that there is an equitable distribution of assets and liabilities.
    Mr Speaker, we are picking up signals suggesting, for example, that the Council Chairman of UDS has made a pronouncement to the effect that a transitional team has been put together by UDS. The Council Chairman of UDS, Mr Nutifafa, does not have the locus to put together a transitional team. That is a provision that would be given by the Bill when it becomes an Act. I believe that would be under the purview of the requisite State institution, the National Commission of Tertiary Education (NCTE). So, there is no need to raise any passions, generate any fear and panic or posture in a way that would cause the yet to be created ‘Wa and Navrongo Universities' to feel that they would be short-changed.
    Mr Speaker 11:47 a.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Member.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:47 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I really rose on a point of order. My Hon Colleague who just sat down would know that if a Bill or an aspect of a Bill, be it an instrument or regulation has not come into effect and anything is done between now the passage of the Bill, whatever is done is not an illegality. So he cannot say that he has picked up signals to the effect that something is going to be done. How do we situate that in the process that Parliament is embarking on? To the extent that the Bill has not come into effect, anything that is done under the existing law is legitimate, and he knows that.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you very much.
    Dr Apaak 11:47 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, perhaps, my use of “signal” might not be most appropriate, but the truth is that, the Council Chairman of UDS is on
    record to have indicated that UDS has put together a transitional team to ensure, to quote him, “the smooth transition of the yet to be created campuses”. This is the point I sought to make, so I do not believe there is any matter for conversation.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:57 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, the point is that, if any action is embarked on, to the extent that it is situated within the context of the current law, it is not an illegality. That is the point I want to make strongly to my Hon Colleague.
    Mr Speaker 11:57 a.m.
    Yes, any further contributions?
    Mr Speaker 11:57 a.m.
    Yes, Hon Alexander Afenyo-Markin?
    Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin (NPP -- Effutu) 11:57 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to add my voice to the debate on the Floor.
    Yesterday, we considered a Bill for the establishment of a university in Navrongo. Today, we are looking at your Committee's Report which seeks to set in motion the process to get another in Wa.
    Mr Speaker, I have also chanced upon a Report which addresses the
    issue of the challenging water situation in Tamale. Clearly, in all sectors, not only in education, there is a concerted effort at addressing the socio- economic needs of the people of this country. On this occasion, we can see significant steps taken to address these challenges in the northern part of the country with the creation of two universities, and a €233 million investment for water in Tamale - they are very significant.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to premise my contribution on four issues and one is local content. If you look at page 2, paragraph 3 of the Report, with your permission, I beg to quote:
    “The objective of setting up the University was to provide an interface between the academia and the community to stimulate the development of northern Ghana in particular and the country as a whole.”
    Mr Speaker, clearly, upon the setting up of this university, it is expected that there would be an interface between the university and the local people. How can this be done? It should just not be a mere talk; it should be put into action. I therefore look forward to an amendment when we come to the Consideration Stage, where we will
    categorically state that local content should be part of the core responsibilities of the university.
    Mr Speaker, if you travel abroad, certain towns and cities have become university towns and cities because such universities paid attention to such communities and their development. It is unfortunate that in Ghana, the universities that have been established so far, cannot boast of even setting up an endowment fund for the local community. The universities in this country cannot boast of reserving certain procurement related activities aimed at boosting the local economy. This is not happening.
    I therefore call on those who are likely to manage this university upon its establishment, to look critically at local content because it has been captured in the Report that it is intended that a positive interface would be created between the university and the local community. How can this be done if there is no local content policy in place, where opportunities are created to address unemployment situations and all that? Then the university would not be relevant for the local people and they will see them as independent of the communities. Mr Speaker, you know the results. People in such communities are likely to call on leadership to intervene on their behalf.
    Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin (NPP -- Effutu) 11:57 a.m.


    Their Hon Member of Parliament, the Municipal and District Chief Executive and the chiefs will be under pressure. This should not happen in Wa and Navrongo.

    Mr Speaker, my second point is on the 100 per cent retention of Internally Generated Funds (IGFs). My respected senior at the Bar and the Hon Minority Leader of this House have argued that there seemed to be some misplaced priorities at our various universities. I agree with him on that score. How can a university build a shopping mall when lecturers do not have offices? It is all right to be ambitious, but it should be well- tailored to meet specific needs. If students do not have access to Wi-Fi and adequate lecture halls, that is a problem. It has become a trend that IGF is invested for interest and actual infrastructural developmental needs are left unattended to. It should not be the case.

    Recently, we read in the news when some banks had issues, that some of our universities had invested heavily in some of these institutions; GH¢50 million and GH¢20 million. Meanwhile, students were calling on their management to give them Wi-Fi services. Why would they go and keep the money somewhere and renege on their core responsibility?

    The sanitary conditions have to be looked at.

    Again, the pressure is on Government to provide for the university. I hope that eventually when the university is set up, the management would pay attention to these concerns because we need to utilise the resources well, so that the students will benefit.

    Mr Speaker, my third point is on the seeming polarisation on our university campuses. A university should be a place where divergent views would be tolerated, a place of rainbow relationships, and a place where all manner of tribes will congregate, debate and look forward to a better future. Somebody should not be afraid to be part of a particular university because of his tribe.

    Mr Speaker, I would paraphrase the words of Prof. Yankah, the Hon Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education said at a congregation of the University of Education, Winneba on the 21st of April, 2019. With your permission, I beg to quote:

    He said that:

    “Our campuses should not be used as a breeding ground for tribal supremacists ideologies

    and ideas. That we should see ourselves as one people.”

    That was his admonition and I agree with him. He has been there and is now in mainstream politics. He is seeing it and relying on what he has seen leading to his statement at that congregation and it is important for me to reiterate that point that at this university, all staff and management must see themselves as one.
    rose
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I can see that some of my Colleagues are eager to make useful inputs. I would therefore rest at this point and not press my fourth point, so that they would also get the opportunity. [Interruption] Mr Speaker, he says he is rising on a point of Order. I would take my seat and come back later, so that I could continue.
    Mr Agbodza 12:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague just made a statement that our universities should not become places of tribal supremacy. Mr Speaker, you have been a very good professor before; I am not aware that any university in our country currently, is a place where tribal supremacy reigns, unless he has
    got any evidence. He should tell us the source of his evidence. Which university is practising tribal supremacy?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, when one does not pay attention, one is likely to mislead oneself into raising unnecessary point of order and that is what my respected Hon Colleague just did. When there is perception and we are admonishing people on same; when there are issues and a sector Minister, Prof. Yankah, Former Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor of Linguistics, et cetera -- Mr Speaker, he has raised an issue and at the risk of being repetitive, I echoed that sentiment. Would we have to pretend? No. I have had a story told by two of my Hon Colleagues on the other Side about frustrations they went through. Mr Speaker, I would not mention names. How they got frustrated when they returned from abroad.
    Mr Speaker, I do not think my Hon Colleague wants me to use myself as an example. I would not want to. But all we are trying to say is that there is one Ghana. It is not about an Ewe, Ashanti or Akyem. It is one Ghana and all we are saying is that at the university, if it is not even real but such a perception exists, we should make sure that we do not repeat it and it should not be there.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:07 p.m.


    Mr Speaker, it is all right to be partisan but a person must not suffer because of his partisan views, and that is the point. There are some lecturers who have raised serious concerns.

    Mr Speaker, to conclude on the point of polarisation, Mr Speaker, you know — I do not want to invite you into the debate — that at our universities today, basic salary is really a matter of concern. Therefore, our lecturers are better off when they are given additional responsibilities. It is the additional responsibilities that make them look good.

    Mr Speaker, unfortunately, it has led to a huge problem. On this, I am testifying from the experiences of Hon Colleagues who are in there. I only hope that when this university is established, such a thing -- Mr Speaker, it is an admonition --

    Mr Speaker, there is a point of order. I would take my seat and come back appropriately.
    Mr Chireh 12:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am rising on a point of relevance. This is the second reading for the establishment of a university. My Hon Colleague is just making statements that if not made in Parliament, cannot be made outside. It is not good for this university that
    we want to establish. He is not giving any relevant argument. He should argue to the issues that we are discussing here. He is just roaming round the whole world and talking - [Laughter] - What is that?
    Mr Osei-Owusu 12:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, actually, I was going to raise the same matter of speaking to the Report and being relevant to the discussion. Whatever other issues there are, my friend always has ample time to make a Statement on specific matters or raise questions but for now, we are discussing the Report of the Committee and the Second Reading of the Bill presented by the Minister and we should stay within context.
    Mr Speaker 12:07 p.m.
    Hon Member, in conclusion? [Laughter.]
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in conclusion, for the records -- and I have great respect for the two senior Hon Colleagues --
    Mr Speaker 12:07 p.m.
    Hon Member, you would not comment on that. If you have any point, make it and conclude.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in concluding on my submission so far, it is important for me to point out to Hon Colleagues that at this stage of the debate on a Bill, debate is allowed. It is not an issue of --
    Mr Speaker 12:07 p.m.
    On the principles of the Bill and on the Report before this Honourable House.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:07 p.m.
    It is so, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker 12:07 p.m.
    Hon Member, you would conclude on that note or take your seat.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:07 p.m.
    Very well, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, in concluding on the principles of this Bill, it is important that all the concerns raised are well factored together and at the appropriate time, the appropriate amendment would be offered to suit the provisions therein so that this university becomes a university of choice and lives up to its relevance as captured in the Report.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh (NDC — Wa West) 12:17 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
    First of all, I fully support this Motion. As we did yesterday, this Motion is to ensure that as quickly as possible, we establish the two other universities in Navrongo and in Wa. There are lingering issues about these two institutions that we want to create.
    One of them is that these universities are unlike other universities that from the scratch, were established and then some seed money was found for them to establish basic infrastructure. Because these are existing campuses, we need to advert our minds to the need to provide substantive support and dedicated amounts to help them. This is because in almost all the new universities that we have established, we can talk about the administration block, the residence of the Vice Chancellor and the rest. But in this particular case, we need to address our minds. So I urge the Ministry of Education to look at this squarely, otherwise, having split one university into three, there would be difficulty for each one of them to stand.
    Now, the issue of the relevance of courses also has to do with many of the universities finding it easier to offer courses that would attract more people for raising what they would call their internally generated fund (IGF).

    So they tend to deviate from the mandated courses that they were established to pursue. I think that the Ministry of Education, together with the Government, needs to look at this issue squarely.
    Mr Speaker 12:17 p.m.
    Thank you very much.
    Leadership, any comments?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Minister would wind up.
    Mr Speaker 12:17 p.m.
    Minister for Education——
    Hon Minister, just by way of comments, in this day and age, there are a lot of concerns about their mandates, and we are moving towards science. Science apparently would not be taught in this university in this day of robotics, et cetera. When the scientific approach is increasingly becoming the basis of development, a University of Business -- business is also increasingly becoming scientific. There could be some very serious concerns about mere business studies without considering other broader terminologies, which would be more inclusive, especially, for a nation moving towards a scientific era.
    Hon Minister, what are your comments?
    Prof Yankah 12:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the invitation for me to make a few comments on the deliberations so far.
    I would take on board the multiplicity of suggestions that have come from Hon Colleagues on the Floor, particularly the need for insistence on relevance, equality and access; issues that were raised and expanded by the Hon Minority Leader.
    I would like to make a point on the issue of differentiation by specification, which appears to be a very touchy issue when it comes to dividing a university that was originally a single unit.
    It would be realised that if this particular University would con- centrate on business and development studies -- we can clearly see from the schools listed that it would not be for business only. Business is the focus.
    If we look at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, their area of concentration is the sciences. If we look at UDS, their area is health and related sciences. So, we are talking about niche areas, which do not necessarily mean that other areas have been ignored.
    Prof Yankah 12:27 p.m.
    The Kwame Nkrumah Univer-
    sity of Science and Technology (KNUST), a predominantly science and technology university, in spite of the apparent deviations, still remains predominantly science and techy technology. Between 60 per cent and 70 per cent of the students still belong to the area of science and technology. The University of Ghana, a predominantly humanities university, in spite of the addition of science and health-related departments, is still a predominantly humanities university.
    So we have not departed too much from the area of niche, but have at the same time included differentiation. The area that we have really ignored and missed the issue of relevance and focus, as I can mention typically, is the polytechnic, which originally should have retained the mandate of 70 per cent science and technology related, and 30 per cent humanities related; but have reversed this completely to about 28 per cent technology and then 68 per cent humanities.
    So with this in mind, the new technical universities have been given the mandate, and there is an insistence that they stick to this mandate that at least, 70 per cent ought to be dedicated to the niche area. Of course, it certainly means that they still
    have a marginal percentage where they could deal with the other courses.
    I could imagine how boring a university would be if there are only courses in humanities, and there are no areas where one could look at the interfaces between the humanities and other disciplines.
    So we always allow that margin of differentiation to allow for other non- niche areas that are important. After all, humanities universities also need the scientists and mathematicians and, similarly, the science-related univer- sities also need English and History Departments. It depends on the proportions. The emphasis ought heavily to be on the niche area, allowing a margin for differentiation where other areas wold also come in; but we would take on board the issues.

    I would like to also assure this House that if we look at the three most recent universities in the country -- the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) and the Universities of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in Sunyani and Ho. These currently maintain a 100 per cent science orientation. So they have not deviated so far, but it does not mean that they could not deviate

    and add a small percentage of enrolment dedicated to the other areas. This helps to balance it fairly.

    These are not only universities, but multiversities in the sense that they deal with multiple disciplines. They however, have a specific area that they concentrate on.

    Mr Speaker, with the issue of the interface between the university and the community, I believe it ought to be hyped, particularly, within the statute. In spite of Wa, Navrongo, Tamale and Nyankpala -- the diversity that we need. There was a core mandate that made the University for Development Studies (UDS) special. It was the community aspect of this whole enterprise, which I believe had been an ideal area of specialisation. The students spent a number of months with the community to apply themselves to the inhabitants and to issues that are germane to the interest of the ordinary people there.

    Mr Speaker, I believe that we should perhaps get a statute to flesh out the significance of this core mandate, which would make this a unique area within the universe of the universities that we have. The link between communities and academia, I believe, ought to be maintained, and I agree entirely with the Hon Member.

    Mr Speaker, I also agree that we should ensure that the transition clause makes enough provision to enable equitable distribution of assets, which is not made very clear within the current transitional provisions that have been given.

    I am fully with the Hon Member, when he says that the new universities should not be just universities by name, but also universities by differentiation and quality of infrastructure. It should not be that we have created universities just for the sake of creating them, but we should endow them with enough seed money and capital to ensure that they stand on their own feet.

    Mr Speaker, I thank you very much.
    Mr Speaker 12:27 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Minister.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    The University of Business and Integrated Development Studies Bill, 2018 was accordingly read a Second time.
    Mr Speaker 12:27 p.m.
    Hon Members, we would move on to the item numbered 6 -- Motion.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 12:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Motion listed as item numbered 6 is procedural. The Report to be presented is two in one, which would cover Motions 7 and 10.
    I therefore seek your leave to move procedural Motions listed as 6 and 9 together.
    Mr Speaker 12:27 p.m.
    Hon Member, you may go ahead.
    MOTION 12:27 p.m.
    Chairman of the Finance Committee (Dr Mark Assibey- Yeboah) 12:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 80(1) which require that no Motion shall be debated until at least forty-eight hours have elapsed between the date on which notice of the Motion is given and the date on which the Motion is moved, the Motion for the adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Facility Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of
    Finance) and Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch (as Agent, Arranger, Structuring Bank and Original Covered Lenders), as well as the UK Export Finance (as Original Direct Lenders) for an amount of two hundred and thirty-three million, nine hundred and sixty-three thousand, nine hundred and eighty-two euros and eight cents (€233,963,982.08) [including the UK Export Finance support fee] relating to financing the Design, Construction and Commissioning of a Potable Water Infrastructural Project in Tamale, Northern Region, Ghana may be moved today;
    And that notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 80(1) which require that no Motion shall be debated until at least forty-eight hours have elapsed between the date on which notice of the Motion is given and the date on which the Motion is moved, the Motion for the adoption of the Report of the Finance Committee on the Commercial Facility Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch (as Agent, Arranger, Structuring Bank and Original phase I and phase II Lenders), for an amount of forty-three million, seven thousand, eight hundred and eighty-five euros and ninety-seven cents (€43,007,885.97) relating to financing the Design, Construction and the Commissioning of a Potable Water
    Infrastructural Project in Tamale, Northern Region, Ghana may be moved today.
    Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh 12:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Resolved accordingly.
    Mr Speaker 12:27 p.m.
    Hon Member, you may please move the Motion listed as 7.
    Dr Assibey-Yeboah 12:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in like manner, I would move the Motions listed as items numbered 7 and 10 on pages 4 and 6 of today's Order Paper, which would cover the Report to be presented.

    12: 36 p. m. --
    MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:37 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Minority Leader, are you a deserted general?
    Mr Haruna Iddrisu (NDC - Tamale South) 12:37 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to second the Motion and with your indulgence, make a few comments as I would like to join the Committee that is also looking at this at a contract level.
    I was invited by the Hon Majority Leader so that we could build a consensus on what happens beyond 6.00 p. m. today.
    Mr Speaker, so if you would indulge me, I beg to second the Motion, and apply to make some remarks in seconding the Motion.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:37 p.m.
    Yes. So once that you have seconded the Motion, I would grant you leave to make your remarks.
    Mr Iddrisu 12:37 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, to support the Motion for that sum of money as has been captured by the Hon Chairman for the design, construction and commissioning of potable water infrastructural project in Tamale in the Northern Region and further extended to Damongo.
    Mr Speaker, this would end the hardships of the people of Tamale and, in particular, for those in the Damongo area. This, I pray, would bring to an end what is popularly referred to in that corridor as Nchumta; to wit, there is no water, in the Gonja language, which has been a historically perennial problem of that area.
    Mr Speaker, the people of Tamale today struggle and live without water, as the population has outstripped the production of water in the Dalon area. Therefore, it is refreshing and heart- warming to know that the Government is intervening and not just concentrating on the treatment plant in Nawuni, which is in Kumbungu, but also dedicating the water source in Yapei and locating it from Junction going into Buzunu and other areas. Probably, even the likes of Daboya could benefit from it going into Damongo, which has also been without water.
    Mr Speaker, let me come to page 6 of your Committee's Report. I have
    Mr Fuseini Issah (NPP -- Okaikoi North) 12:47 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr
    Speaker, for the opportunity to support the Motion ably moved by the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee for the provision of a loan of €276 million geared towards the design, construction and commissioning of a water treatment plant in Tamale and its environs.
    Mr Speaker, this project is geared to serve a total population of about 800,000. It is in the system to enable the Government achieve the objective of water for all by the year 2030.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to make one point that worries me when we consider facilities like this. We are told that in 2008, the water treatment plant's capacity was improved to 44,000 metric cubic thereabout per day. Even years down the line, we have had to go for another facility to improve on the same system, which was worked on in 2008.
    Mr Speaker, only if we predict our population statistics and how much water would be needed in areas like Tamale and other urban areas we would get a better return on investment in our infrastructure? We cannot go back every 11 years to put this colossal amount in such infrastructure, when we could have done a much bigger system 11 years
    ago, and this other €276 million put to another use, as a nation.
    Mr Speaker, I would still support the Motion because this project goes to support the availability of potable water. Potable water is mainly treated water, which reduces the incidence of water borne diseases such as what we had in the past as guinea worm infested. It has been reduced to the barest minimum.

    Mr Speaker, it is also heart- warming to know that while the Government, through the Policy of One Village One Dam provides water for economic activity or for agriculture, which is the mainstay of the people of the Northern Region. We are also looking at potable water, which would also improve upon the social lives of the people in that part of the nation.

    Mr Speaker, with these few words, I support the Motion.
    Mr Benjamin Komla Kpodo (NDC -- Ho Central) 12:47 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I support this Motion to obtain financing for the Tamale Water Project.
    Mr Speaker, at the Committee meeting, we thoroughly considered the request, which is in two parts; the UKEF Facility and the Tied Facility.
    Mr Speaker, as the adage goes 12:47 p.m.
    “Water is life''. So I support the Motion, but I ask again that value- for-money audit be done, because it is very necessary. We would not just take €233,963,982.08 million without getting value to that extent. The implementers of the Project should also look at the management cost of
    it because it is over €19 million, which is so high. These are estimates; but if they are implementing the project, they should look at those costs, so as to minimise the expenditure on the project.
    Mr Speaker, with these words, I support the Motion.
    Mr Daniel Okyem Aboagye (NPP -- Bantama) 12:47 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion.
    Mr Speaker, if we look at the fact that the population in Tamale has outgrown the current water system, this is quite important. The system that is in place was put up in 1972 and was upgraded in 2008. In the Report, it was stated that at some point in time, the Ghana Water Company Limited had to ration water. So, we all have to be grateful to the President and the Government for embarking on this Project.
    Mr Speaker, I agree with the Hon Member who spoke earlier that yes, “Water is life'' and there is cost in depending on somebody's money to borrow. It came up at the Committee meeting why the insurance was so expensive - €31.9 million, and it was not just based on repayment as the Hon Member said. An answer was
    whispered at the Committee meeting that it was also part of the cost propaganda because insurance is based on risk. If we keep on doing propaganda without financing -- especially, if we listen to what goes on in the media - these are all factors that are considered in pricing insurance to us. So, we all have to understand that there is cost to doing propaganda with our finances, and that is what reflects in the cost of insurance.
    In this particular case, almost about 13.64 per cent of the revenue would be used to pay for this risk, which have to pay on our own. I agree with Hon Kpodo that yes, we have to find a way to reduce this. So, must we find ways to reduce our propaganda, which in a way would end up reducing the cost of propaganda to us, in this case called insurance.
    Mr Speaker, with these few words, I thank you for the opportunity.
    Alhaji Inusah Abdulai B. Fuseini (NDC -- Tamale Central) 12:47 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity to contribute to this very important Motion.
    Mr Speaker, the decision to construct a new water system for Tamale and its environs is commendable. For a long time, the people of Tamale and its environs have
    Alhaji Inusah Abdulai B. Fuseini (NDC -- Tamale Central) 12:57 p.m.
    faced difficulties trying to access clean potable water. Indeed, many areas within the Tamale township itself face water problems perennially. In 2008, there was a conscious and deliberate attempt to increase the capacity of the Dalun Water System to 44,000 metric cubic tonnes. Even with the growth and expansion in operation, the volume of water produced by the Dalun Water System is sometimes inadequate especially in the dry season, to meet the needs of the people of Tamale and its environs.
    The people of Tamale and the engineers have always said that the most likely source of water to Tamale, apart from Dalun, is Yapei because of the availability of that resource in huge volumes.

    So it comes as no surprise that when it was confronted with the option of rehabilitating and expanding the Dalun Water System or putting a new one in place, Government elected to go with the new system. It means that Tamale and its environs which is the whole of Dagbon traditional area, would now be served with two systems; the Dalun and the Yapei systems. That is commendable.

    Mr Speaker, I see that even though the Project is Tamale Water Supply Project, communities like Yapei/ Yipala, Banyasi, Ntereso, Fufulso, Sumpini, Busunu, Kebiesu, Tailorkope, Alhassan Kura and all those communities presently in the Savannah Region would benefit. I believe they are benefiting because of the shared value that is being created, because the water source would be from this region. So, it only stands to reason that when the water is passing through the region, communities within the region benefit.

    Mr Speaker, mention has been made of Cheshegu, Nanton, Chirifoyili, Nyankpala. With Nanton and Cheshegu, I thought the most effective water delivery system for those areas would be to have put them permanently on the Dalun Water system because from Dalun to Kumbungu, one branches off to Savelugu to Gushegu and to Nanton. So their water system would not encumber the new water system which would come from the opposite direction.

    Also, looking at Pong Tamale, Dalun itself which has a water system is said to be benefiting from this Project. I do not know how they would reconcile the two systems. Would they overlap each other? What would happen?

    Mr Speaker, I thought having expanded the Dalun Water system to 44,000 cubic metric tonnes, one would consider communities within the area to the Dalun Water System and then communities that are nearer to Yapei are put on the Yapei system. So, we have two systems servicing the communities so that there is no pressure. I believe that is what is even happening in Accra.

    Mr Speaker, I just see Tamale Township. The Tamale Township is expanding; the pipelines are old. Some systems are not serviced; so, to just lump them as Tamale Township, I fear that some communities would be left out. Especially, Mr Speaker, leaving Parliament, I would want to see that as part of my contribution, some communities within the Tamale Township which have conspicuously faced water problems like Dohin Naayili, just close to the Tamale Hospital; Zogbeli, the stronghold of the NPP -- there is no water at these places.

    Mr Speaker, so, I hope that when Tamale Township is mentioned, they would endeavour to do the feasibility studies and appreciate areas within the Township which face perennial water problems.

    Mr Speaker, once again, I would thank your Committee for producing

    the Report and thank Government for addressing its mind to the water challenges facing Tamale and its environs.
    Minister for Aviation (Mr Joseph K. Adda) (MP) 12:57 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to second the Motion moved by the Hon Chairman of the Committee on Finance and supported by the Hon Minority Leader.
    Mr Speaker, the water problem of Tamale has been with us for a long time and so has the problem been with the Damongo area of the erstwhile Northern Region as well.
    Mr Speaker, I had the opportunity to answer a Question on the Floor last year and I made mention to the House that, indeed, Government was planning to have a more reliable water supply system for the northern part of Ghana. The vision of the Government is to ensure that water system is taken advantage of especially where we have the Volta River going through certain parts of the country.
    Rather than using small rivers and water intakes like the Dalun near Tamale, we thought that it was better for us to use the Volta which has a larger reservoir of water and supply a bigger catchment area than just going with one little stream or river.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:57 p.m.
    Leadership? [Interruption] - Hon Second Deputy Speaker, I will hear you.
    Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin (NDC- Nadowli/Kaleo) 1:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for this opportunity to say a few words concerning the provision of water for the city called Tamale.
    Tamale means the land of shea trees; that is just the meaning. That area has a forest of shea trees and so, it was Tamale but English changed it to Tamale. That is the meaning of the name.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:07 p.m.
    That is very close to the meaning of Bekwai. [Laughter] --
    Mr Bagbin 1:07 p.m.
    Just like Bekwai.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:07 p.m.
    Yes, the forest of palm trees.
    Mr Bagbin 1:07 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, as a former Hon Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing and also the Hon Chairman of the Advisory Committee on the Water
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:07 p.m.
    At the conclusion of the debate -- Very well, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to say a few words about

    the Report before us on the provision of potable water to the people of Tamale.

    Mr Speaker, the delivery of potable water to Tamale and its environs is justifiable. It is one area that has repeatedly seen the infestation of guinea-worm disease and I believe that the construction of this reservoir to deliver potable water would impact positively on the lives of the people of Tamale.

    In the country today, Tamale is recognised as the fastest growing city and that being the case, the provision of such basic social infrastructure and social amenities to the people should not be taken for granted.

    Mr Speaker, a few things that I would have wished that we had relevant information on - we are not informed about the period of relevance service of this facility. If it is done, how long is it going to last before perhaps, we embark on any expansion? What is the optimal population that the project is supposed to serve? Again, we are in the dark and we do not know.

    The United Nations has some standards about per capita usage of

    potable water; how does it translate into this Project. In other words, what is the anticipated population that the project is required to serve? Again, as a House, we are kept in the dark and I expected the Committee to have provided some relevant information on this. Mr Speaker, nobody knows anything about the effect of this Project on Government's proposed One District One Factory Programme.

    Mr Speaker, we have spoken about the drying up of our water bodies and I do not want to attribute it to the universal effects of climate change. In Ghana, it has unfortunately become ritualistic, and particularly in the north, that every year we resort to wild bushfires and destroy the vegetation at the fringes of the water courses.

    Mr Speaker, if we continue to engage in such practices then I would assure us as a nation that in the next 20 years, the White Volta may generate less than 20 per cent of the water that runs the course of that river. So, once we construct it, concomitantly, we should prevent the wild bushfires and also engage in serious tree planting along the Volta River and all its tributaries.

    Again, I would want to know- because once we construct this embankment what we would do is to

    prevent the usual flow of the waters in the river into the Akosombo Dam. We have not been told what the effect of this would be. It would certainly have an effect on the impounded water in the Akosombo Dam and I expected the Committee to have really delved into this and given us some assurance as to what percentage of water that is to be impounded in the Akosombo Dam would be lost to the construction of this embankment because we are not aware.

    Mr Speaker, government wants to rehabilitate water transport and if the waters lose depth then water transport would be in perils. What is the impact of what we want to do on water transports? Nobody is telling us anything, but certainly it would have an impact on the flow of untreated water into the Volta River.

    So, I believe that much as I support this Project to provide potable water to the people of Tamale and its environs, certainly we needed more information than what has been provided to us. As for the value for money, I keep insisting that when we have such projects being brought to us, this House on our own must also be in a position to engage consultants to advise us about value for money. We do not do this and we would bemoan the fact that there should have

    been due diligence and that the House should be informed appropriately. What are we doing to ourselves?

    Mr Speaker, I looked at the amount that has been set aside for the construction of the embankment for this Project. The embankment is the major project but the allocation is only US$229,953. Mr Speaker, I am too sure that we know what we are talking about for such a Project. I am not too sure that the Committee is well informed about this figure. Perhaps when we deal with the contract agreement we shall have better particulars about this, but from the top of my head I know that this figure cannot be right.

    Mr Speaker, US$229,953 for the construction of an embankment -- I could only say that it is woefully inadequate and whoever put it there, I would want to believe that it was an error because certainly this would not suffice. But maybe the contract agreement would provide further and better particulars about this.

    Mr Speaker, having said so, I believe that in principle we must support this Project; it is well intended and it has been on the drawing board for a very long time and we should commend the Government for lifting this from the back burner to the front burner.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:17 p.m.
    Hon Members, item numbered 8 and 11 Resolution.
    Hon Minister for Finance.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minister for Finance would stand in for the Hon Minister for Finance and move the Resolutions.
    RESOLUTIONS 1:17 p.m.
    THIS HONOURABLE HOUSE 1:17 p.m.
    HEREBY RESOLVES AS 1:17 p.m.
    THIS HONOURABLE 1:17 p.m.
    HOUSE HEREBY RE- 1:17 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:17 p.m.
    Hon Chairman of the Committee.
    Chairman of the Committee (Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah) 1:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Resolved accordingly.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:17 p.m.
    Hon Majority Leader, we have exhausted the business on the Order Paper for
    today and unless you have any other matter --
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:17 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I understand that Parliament shall have to reconvene in the evening, but there are serious matters that would engage our attention. We have advertised for a Joint Caucus meeting
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:27 p.m.
    Very well, in that case I will read the Communication to the House.
    ANNOUNCEMENTS 1:27 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:27 p.m.
    That was for the information of Hon Members. Consequently, I would suspend the House until 6.00 p.m. when the House shall reconvene for the Rt. Hon Speaker to take the Oath of Office of the President. I am advised that the House would reconvene into a Joint Caucus meeting as soon as I suspend the House.
    Hon Majority Leader, do you want to say something?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:27 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am informed that the Vice President would be leaving from the jurisdiction around 7.30 p.m. Of course, as the practice is, we would then have to be watching the movement of the aeroplane to ensure that it leaves the jurisdiction before the Rt. Hon Speaker is sworn in. That means maybe, we would hazard an intelligent guess of maybe, 30 minutes after the aeroplane leaves the shores of this country, then the Rt. Hon Speaker could be sworn in.
    Accordingly, Mr Speaker, we might have to Sit earlier than that. So, I guess the House could Sit at
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 7 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Minority Leader?
    Mr Iddrisu 7 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, as you suspend us, you should give your indication that we resume at 6.00 p.m. The Hon Majority Leader says 6.00 p.m. is too early because he would be in aviation space to determine when the aeroplane is outside the aviation jurisdiction of Ghana.
    Mr Speaker, I would be guided by the Supreme Court ruling on the Prof. Asare's case. I am sure many of us would read through it now until we converge as you might determine appropriate to do what is needful.
    It means that our Constitution contemplated that we respect the hierarchy in respect of the leadership of our country, and that would be done. It is admirable that there would be no vacuum. In the United States of America (USA), as you are aware, Mr Speaker, there is no interraculum; at any time, they could be invited to war. So we are learning good lessons that as a country, at any time, there is national leadership and leadership in place.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 7 p.m.
    Very well.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 7 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want us to be very certain on the time of reconvening because we do not want the situation where we would come at 6.00 p.m. and would have to suspend Sitting until
    maybe 8.00 p.m. because we cannot sit for two hours. So I believe 7.00 p.m. would be reasonable.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 7 p.m.
    Your suggestion is that we should suspend up to 7.00 p.m. instead.
    Very well, the House is accordingly suspended till 7.00 p.m.
    1.34 p.m. -- Sitting suspended.
    9.37 p.m. - Sitting resumed.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 7 p.m.
    Hon Members, welcome back. You would recall that earlier in the day, I read to the House the Communication from the Presidency informing the Speaker and the House of the absence of the President and Vice President from the country and the obligation imposed on the Speaker of Parliament under article 60(11) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.
    Hon Members, in accordance with article 60(12) of the Constitution, I now have the pleasure to invite the Rt. Hon Speaker and Her Ladyship, the Chief Justice to be conducted into the Chamber for Her Ladyship, the Chief Justice, to administer the Oath of allegiance and Oath of Office.
    ACTING PRESIDENT 7 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 9:48 p.m.
    Hon Members, Order!
    Hon Members, on your behalf, I wish to congratulate Mr President on his assumption -- [Hear! Hear!]--
    I would now invite the Hon Minority Leader for his congratulatory message, before I come to the Hon Majority Leader.
    Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 9:48 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I also rise to lend my voice to congratulate our dear Speaker, Rt. Hon Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye, for this assumption of power as the acting President of the Republic.
    Mr Speaker, Professor Oquaye is the third gentleman to be made the Speaker in the third turn of an NPP Government, and indeed, this is the third time he has been sworn in as an acting President. What a happy coincidence for the Rt. Hon Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, while we are at it, some jokes were thrown around. I do not know whether it is a joke or a reality. Some may be dreaming of Insha Allah -- [Laughter] -- somebody said that for the time being, you are the protem Acting Vice President. If that is so, then the protem shadow Vice President would be the Hon Second Deputy Speaker -- [Laughter].
    Mr Speaker, I think that even in this, there are difficulties that confront us as a nation. The Hon Minority Leader alluded to the provisions contained in article 60 (11). There we are told that when the Speaker has been sworn in as an acting President, he must subscribe to the Oath as set out in the Second Schedule. The Oath provides, that “I, Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye, having been elected
    to the high office of the President of the Republic”, yet he has not been elected.
    Mr Speaker, section 37 which provides the preambular to this provision says that notwithstanding anything in chapter 25 of this Constitution, Parliament shall have no power to amend this section. So what it means is that we cannot even amend this statement, yet the Speaker has not been elected.
    What confronts us is that as a nation, we should really look at the Constitution holistically and if we have to amend it, not just pick and choose. Let us avail ourselves of the opportunity to have a holistic review of the Constitution, because in many parts it has outlived its usefulness.
    Mr Speaker, that notwithstanding, this is a day of joy for the Oquaye family, and indeed, for Parliament as a whole. So, we do not want to belittle the small amenities that should be made available to the Speaker in his acting capacity as the President. We wish him well, and we urge that those
    amenities should be extended to Parliament while it lasts.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 9:30 p.m.
    Hon Members, today has been a very trying day. We suspended Sitting at half past 1 and were supposed to reconvene at 7p.m., but circums- tances made us extend that to 9 p.m. We actually entered the Chamber at

    I would like to thank all of you for enduring this evening's stress, but it was worthwhile. And I thank you for abiding and waiting for Mr Speaker to be sworn in as the acting President.

    It has been suggested that I am acting Vice-President. I did not accept that -- [Laughter] - I want to be here, because I would be taking care of things while Mr Speaker acts as President.
    ADJOURNMENT 9:30 p.m.