Debates of 20 Feb 2020

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:10 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Hon Members, the Votes and Proceedings of Wednesday, 19th February, 2020.
Page 1…10 --
rose
Mr Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Hon Ablakwa?
Mr Ablakwa 10:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, on the item numbered 8, my constituency has been captured wrongly under Question numbered 663. My constituency is “North Tongu”, not “South Tongu”.
Mr Speaker, under the item numbered 5, my Hon Colleague, Mr Agbodza drew attention to the fact that he was absent with permission and
not that he was present. That has also been captured wrongly and I hope that it would be corrected accordingly.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Thank you very much.
Page 9?
rose
Mr Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Yes, Hon Mubarak?
Mr Ras Mubarak 10:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the recording of my name has to be done with some consistency. There are instances where it is recorded as “Mubarak Ras” and in other instances, “Ras Mubarak” so I am drawing the attention of the Table Office to have some consistency in the recording of my name.
Mr Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Thank you very much. It would be effected accordingly.
rose
Mr Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Yes, Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee?
Dr Assibey-Yeboah 10:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, you would recall that yesterday, I laid the Report of the Finance Committee
on the Loan Agreement for Ghana EXIM. It is not captured in the Order Paper. There was also some confusion yesterday whether the Paper had been laid. So I think the proper thing has to be done. It was laid but has not been captured here.
rose
Mr Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Yes, Hon Minority Leader?
Mr Iddrisu 10:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, with your indulgence, the Hon Chairman of the Finance Committee is right and as you may recall, he even wanted to arrest the Standing Orders relative to Motions 10 and 11, to get the Motion for the approval of that US$100 million approved but Leadership persuaded him to allow us to proceed to the Narcotics Control Commission Bill. So he is very right that he laid the Report.
Mr Speaker, while I am at it, on page 9, paragraph 10, with respect to the Statement of the Hon Member for Klottey Korle, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings. The Table Office has to note that her Statement was not just on the plight of persons living with leprosy. She said an unsung hero, Fr Campbell, was worth-recognising nationally.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Thank you very much.
rose
Mr Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 10:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Votes and Proceedings would capture the caption of a Statement or the subject matter, and that is what is captured. So the content is not really what is captured in the Votes and Proceedings. I would want the Hon Minority Leader to take note of that.
Mr Speaker 10:10 a.m.
The Hansard Department should set the records straight.
rose
Mr Speaker 10:10 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member?
Alhaji I.A.B. Fuseini 10:10 a.m.
Mr Speaker, permit me to take you back to page 7 of the Votes and Proceedings, which records my
Mr Speaker 10:20 a.m.
Any other view thereon? Otherwise, the Hansard should ascertain the true position and record accordingly.
Pages 9, 10, and 11 --
Hon Members, the Votes and Proceedings of Wednesday, 19th February, 2020 as corrected is hereby admitted as the true record of proceedings.
  • [Mr Speaker, accompanied by the Majority and Minority Leaders, proceeded to the Central Lobby to receive His Excellency the President and His Excellency the Vice President and conducted them into the Chamber and took their places on the dais.]
    • Mr Speaker 10:30 a.m.
    Hon Members, Order!
    -- [Hon Members singing] --
    Mr Speaker 10:40 a.m.
    Hon Members, order!
    Hon Members seated on both Sides of the House -- [Uproar] -- I am delighted to see my left and right Sides fully occupied. -- [Hear! Hear!] --
    Hon Members, this House is privileged to have the presence of His Excellency, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces here in the House this morning.
    His Excellency, the President is here in accordance with article 67 of the 1992 Constitution of our Republic
    to deliver a Message on the State of the Nation to this honourable House.

    With him, and on behalf of the Leadership and Hon Members, it is my singular honour to welcome H. E. the President of the Republic's dear wife, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, first lady of the Republic. [Hear! Hear!] It is a great privilege also to welcome His Excellency the Vice President of the Republic, Alhaji (Dr) Mahamudu Bawumia, in whom we are always delighted to see in this honourable House. [Hear! Hear!]

    I was sharing with him this morning that we would love to have him deliver an Economic Address to us anytime -- [Hear! Hear!] -- as it is his constitutional privilege to do, as an ex-officio member of the House. [Hear! Hear!] We welcome the wife of the Vice President, Mrs Samira Bawumia. [Hear! Hear!]

    We welcome His Lordship, Justice Kwasi Annin Yeboah, Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, who is making his maiden attendance here this morning, and other Justices of the Supreme Court and superior courts

    We are also joined by leaders of various political parties; Hon Freddie Blay, Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP); Hon Samuel Ofosu- Ampofo, Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC); Mr Bernard Mona, Chairman of the People's National Convention (PNC); Mr John Boadu, General Secretary of the NPP; Hon Johnson
    Mr Speaker 10:40 a.m.


    Hon Members, we are privileged to have also, an official delegation from Barbados here with us this morning. [Hear! Hear!] They are Hon Kerrie D. Symmonds, Member of Parliament (MP) and Minister for Tourism and International Transport; Hon John King, MP and Minister of State for Creative Culture Sports; Mr Jehu Wiltshire, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economy; Ms Cadogan, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport.

    10.50 a. m. -- 12.15 p. m.
    MESSAGE ON THE STATE 10:40 a.m.
    Nana Akufo-Addo 10:40 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have a good story to tell in many areas. For once, moribund derelict state enterprises have been revitalised. Let me list a few: State
    Housing Company, Ghana Publishing Corporation, Ghana Post, GIHOC, State Transport Company and Ghana Maritime Authority have all been given a new lease of life, and are functioning with greater efficiency and becoming profit centres again.
    Digitisation has also led to a remarkable improvement in the delivery of public services. [Hear! Hear!] We are all greatly relieved, for example, that the hassle has been removed for those who want to get passports.
    We are equally relieved that DVLA offices are no longer the nightmare places they used to be, and we can get driver's licences without having to go through goro boys. I have not had the experience myself yet, but I am assured that the STC has been transformed, and it is now a pleasant experience to travel on their buses.
    Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has given a guarantee that when people apply for their pensions, they would get them within two weeks. I am told most people get them within ten days, a far cry from the sad, disgraceful and humiliating experience that pensioners used to go through to get their pensions.
    We have implemented a digital property address system which gives an address to every location in Ghana. We now have the first of its kind, mobile money interoperability payment system in Africa; the port operates a paperless clearance system; business registration is now online; we can now buy electricity units on our mobile phones and the e-justice system has been implemented at the courts. This process of digitisation is also helping to curb corruption.
    Mr Speaker, for the first time in many years, Ghana has a fully functioning emergency response and ambulance system. [Hear! Hear!] As promised, Government has procured 307 ambulances, with one assigned to each constituency. Each ambulance has a tracker that determines its location instantly from the command centre. The emergency number, 112 has also been linked to the Ghanapost GPS system such that if any call to the number is made using the Ghanapost GPS app, emergency services will know the exact location of the caller instantly.

    063 Message on the State of the 20 February, 202 Nation , 2020 064
    Nana Akufo-Addo 10:40 a.m.


    Mr Speaker, Ghana, as she has done periodically since 1992, is going to conduct on 7th December, a general Election so that our people can choose the person and persons they want to manage the affairs of the nation on their behalf. This will be the eighth General Election of our history in the Fourth Republic.

    Government, together with all stakeholders, is determined to ensure that it is peaceful and orderly, so that our people can make their choice in freedom and serenity, and exercise their civic duty of helping to elect a government of their choice on 7th December. We should all commit ourselves to uphold the reputation of our nation as a beacon of democracy, and we expect the media to help lead the way in that regard.

    Mr Speaker, despite the achievements of this Government, some of which I have outlined, I hasten to add that we still have some way to go to reach the Ghana we

    Mr Speaker, we have done just that. We have fixed the broken economy, we have delivered free Senior High School education, we have brought the National Health Insurance Scheme back to life, we have revamped our agriculture, we have sanitised the banking sector, our industrial transformation is on, we are digitising the economy and Ghana continues to be at peace.

    Mr Speaker, the message of the State of the Nation is that our nation is in good health and in good competent hands. [Hear! Hear!] May God bless us all, and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong.

    Several Hon Members: More, more.
    Nana Akufo-Addo 10:40 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, my Party and I know the nature of the task before us on the 7th of December, 2020, and that is to occupy all these seats. That is our task. [Laughter] [Hear! Hear!]
    Mr Speaker 12:10 p.m.
    Hon Members, on behalf of the entire House, I wish to congratulate His Excellency the President for his wonderful Address. We pray that the good Lord will grant all his wishes, including the latest one he made on the full occupation of this honourable House -- [Hear! Hear!]
    Hon Members, in accordance with Standing Order 58, I wish to convey to His Excellency the President, of our continuing support for all the good works. I also seize the opportunity to once more appreciate the presence of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Ghana who have given us security this morning, as well as other security
    agencies and our own internal security for all the services they have ensured for the smooth success of this function.
    We also wish to acknowledge at this juncture, the presence of the former Chief Justice of the Republic, Her Lordship Mrs Georgina Wood. We have a number of senior Hon Ministers and top officials who we claimed to be one of our own, including the Hon Senior Minister, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Hon Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Mrs Cecilia Dapaah, Hon Deputy Western Regional Minister, Mrs Gifty Eugenia Kusi, Mrs Naa Toshie Addo, Mr Sam Okudzeto, Ms Kwatsoo Quartey, the Hon Minister for National Security, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah and last but not the least, Mr E. T. Mensah.
    Hon Members, again, in accordance with our practice, a formal communication would be sent to His Excellency the President after the House has debated his Message.
    The full debate on the Message would commence on a date determined by the Business Committee of this honourable House. At this juncture, may I ask the Hon Majority Leader, Leader of the House and of Government Business to give us any further indication?
    Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, article 67 of the 1992 Republican Constitution provides for the President to deliver to the Republic a Message on the State of the Nation. As we all do know, article 34 (2) of the Constitution provides the ingredient of the menu to be served. Today, the President of the Republic has done what is required and indeed provided much more information.

    Mr Speaker, I believe those with discerning spirits would understand why the dignity of the House has not been assailed today. [Hear! Hear!] The practice of this House is to stand down the debate on the President's Message on the State of the Nation and, indeed, the Business Committee meeting this morning has programmed the debate to commence on Tuesday, next week

    to span one week. The ensuing week Tuesday, the Leaders of the House would wind up the debate.

    Mr Speaker, the House is made up of two Sides. Today, I see two Sides -- [Hear! Hear!] -- and the Sides who heard the President would participate in the debate.

    Mr Speaker, listening to the President's Message on the State of the Nation, I believe it is not confined to the House. Those who are everywhere who heard and would want to engage in the debate would be welcome.

    Mr Speaker, having discharged this responsibility today and in conformity with practice, the House would normally adjourn to see off the President, but that duty is in the charge of the Speakership, but if you invite me, I would want to accordingly move that the House stands adjourned having listened to His Excellency until tomorrow, 10.00 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 12:20 p.m.
    Who seconds the Motion? [Uproar]
    Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh 12:20 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion ably moved by the Hon Majority Leader and the Leader of the House that the House stands adjourned to tomorrow, 10.00 a.m.
    Mr Speaker 12:20 p.m.
    Hon Members, the Motion for adjournment has been moved and seconded.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    ADJOURNMENT 12:20 p.m.
  • The House was accordingly adjourned at 12.25 p.m. till Friday, 21st February, 2020 at 10.00 a.m.