Debates of 29 Jan 2021

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 11:13 a.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 11:13 a.m.
Mr Speaker 11:13 a.m.
Hon Members, correction of Votes and Proceedings and the Official Report.
I am told that some Official Reports are ready; the Official Reports of the 7th January, 2021 has been distributed and that of the 8th January, 2021 would be distributed today. Please, kindly take time to go through them because of what happened on the 7th January. Make sure that they are properly captured as the proceedings of that day.
Again, correction of Votes and Proceedings --
Page 1, 2 --
Yes, Hon Second Deputy Speaker?
Mr Andrew Amoako Asiamah 11:13 a.m.
Mr Speaker, page 2, item numbered 57, the name “Amoako” was corrected about two days ago and it is still written wrongly. The name is A-M-O-A-K-O and not A-M-O-A- K-U, so, the Table Office must effect the necessary correction.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 11:13 a.m.
Table Office, let this be the last time the Hon Second Deputy Speaker would draw your attention to the correct spelling of his name.
Page 3 -- 10
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa 11:13 a.m.
Mr Speaker, on page 10, item numbered 2 (ix), “Dr Abdul Rashid” -- It should be “Hassan Pelpuo”; Hassan has been captured wrongly and my good in-law is not here; I owe him that favour so that I would remain in good standing in the family.
Mr Speaker, so, “Hassan” should be corrected. [Interruption] Oh! It should be enough. “H-A-S-S-A-N” should be the correct rendition.
Mr Speaker 11:13 a.m.
Table Office, please, take note.
Page 11 --
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Ablakwa 11:13 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the first item numbered (x) on page 11, Hon Joycelyn Tetteh's name has not been captured accurately. It should be J-O-Y - The “y” has been omitted; so, if it could be corrected accordingly.
Mr Speaker 11:23 p.m.
Table Office, kindly take note.
Hon Members, the Votes and Proceedings of the Eight Sitting of the First Meeting of the First Session held on Thursday, 28th January, 2021 as corrected are adopted as the true record of proceedings.
Hon Members, we would take item numbered 4, Business Statement for the Fifth Week.
Hon Chairman of the Business Committee?
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE 11:23 p.m.
Majority Leader/Chairman of the Committee (Mr Osei Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu) 11:23 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Business Committee met yesterday, Thursday, 28th February, 2021 and
arranged Business of the House for the Fifth Week ending Friday, 5th February, 2021.
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows 11:23 p.m.
Arrangement of Business
Formal Communications by the Speaker
Mr Speaker, you may read any available communication to the House.
Statements
Mr Speaker, your good self may admit Statements to be made in the House by Hon Members, in accordance with Order 72.
Papers and Reports
Mr Speaker, papers may be laid during the week and reports from Committees may also be presented to the House.
Motions and Resolutions
Mr Speaker, Motions may be debated and their consequential Resolutions, if any, taken during the week.
Mr Speaker, the Committee accordingly submits its report as follows 11:23 p.m.
Observance of COVID-19 Protocols
Mr Speaker, as Hon Members may already be aware, seating arrangements in the House have been reorganised in line with physical distancing protocols. Furthermore, given the upsurge in cases of COVID- 19 infections and its associated deaths, the Business Committee recommends that the Clerk to Parliament takes steps to ensure that only essential staff of the Parliamentary Service report to undertake official duties. Hon Members are also entreated to curtail visits by constituents and other acquaintances to their offices.
The Clerk to Parliament is further requested to liaise with the Dean of the Parliamentary Press Corps with a view to reducing the number of media personnel who attend the House to cover proceedings. All other visitors who have no critical business to transact in Parliament will not be permitted in the precincts of Parliament.
Induction Seminar
Mr Speaker, an induction seminar has been organised for Hon Members. It is expected to take place from Friday, 5th to Monday, 8th February, 2021. Hon Members are programmed to check-in at the Aqua Safari Resort,
Ada Foah, on Friday, 5th February 2021. The seminar would end in the afternoon of Monday, 8th February 2021. Further details on the induction seminar would be communicated to Hon Members in due course.
Conclusion
Mr Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 160(2) and subject to Standing Order 53, the Committee submits to this honourable House the order in which the Business of the House shall be taken during the week under consideration.

Statements

Presentation of Papers --

(a) Second Report of the Committee of Selection on the Composition of other Standing and Select Com- mittees.

(b) Report of Leadership on the Formula for the Composition of Parliamentary delegations and other Parliamentary groups and associations.

(c) Report of the Technical Committee on the Review of Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana.

Motions--

Committee Sittings.

Statements

Presentation of Papers --

Report of Leadership on the constitution of the membership of the Pan- African Parliament.

Report of Leadership on the constitution of the membership of the ECOWAS Parliament.

Motions --

(a) Adoption of the Second Report of the Committee of Selection on the Composition of other Standing and Select Committees.

(b) Adoption of the Report of Leadership on the Formula for the Composition of Parliamentary delegations and other Parliamentary groups and associations.

Committee Sittings.

Statements

Presentation of Papers --

Motions

(a) Adoption of the Report of Leadership on the constitution of the membership of the Pan-African Parliament.

(b) Adoption of the Report of Leadership on the constitution of the membership of the ECOWAS Parliament.

Committee Sittings.

Statements

Presentation of Papers --

Motions --

Adoption of the Report of the Technical Committee on the Review of Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana.

Committee Sittings.

Induction Seminar for Hon Members of Parliament.
Dr Clement Apaak 11:23 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to thank the Hon Majority Leader for ably presenting the Business Statement.
Mr Samuel O. Ablakwa 11:23 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to seek your guidance in relation to item numbered 3, Observance of COVID-19 Protocols and the new sitting arrangements. Mr Speaker, the new sitting arrangement has created a practical challenge and that came to the fore yesterday, particularly in relation to article 104(1) of the 1992 Constitution, which reads:
“Except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, matters in Parliament shall be determined by the votes of the majority of members present and voting,
with at least half of all the members of Parliament present.”
Mr Speaker, this is the consti- tutional provision which also finds expression in Order 109(1) of our Standing Orders. I think it was basically lifted in extenso. So we have this challenge and yesterday, it appeared that you relaxed the rules and allowed for a vote to be taken. But from what happened, if we are confronted with another situation where a decision has to be taken and half of us must be present, some Speakers have ruled in times past that half of 275 is 138?
If what happened yesterday continues, it would mean that a considerable number of our Colleagues would be left out of voting and we may not even be meeting this constitutional provision of having at least half present to do the voting. So I think that moving forward, Mr Speaker, you need to offer some guidance so that if probably decisions have to be taken, some time frame would be allowed for Hon Members to be called if they are in their offices or they are probably close by, perhaps an hour or two hours or the decision be deferred to another day so that Hon Members can then come and take part in the vote.
Or are we going to employ technology where people can log in and we are sure that we have at least half of Hon Members who have logged in and so the decision can be made; if not, we may run into constitutional crisis. Somebody can even go to court and challenge the decisions that would be taken under this COVID environment.
So, Mr Speaker, I think this is a very important matter that would require your guidance and your ruling, moving forward.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Dr Sebastian N. Sandaare 11:33 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to make a comment on item numbered 3, Observance of COVID-19 Protocols.

Mr Speaker, in as much as I commend the Business Committee for the recommendation to limit visitors and ensure that we comply with the social distancing protocol, I realised that it is not enough because I have made some observations, especially in all washrooms, both at the offices and at the Chamber. Sometimes, one would realise that there is no soap, there is no tissue, and water may not be flowing well. For me, that is very
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 11:33 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for the opportunity and commend the Hon Chairman of the Business Committee, except to say that I disagreed with him when he referred
Mr Speaker 11:33 a.m.
The Hon Chairman of the Business Committee may respond.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:33 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Dr Clement Apaak has raised a very critical matter that has to do with holding the orientation at Aqua Safari. I think that we were in the process of looking at other alternatives, and a suggestion came through that we could be meeting at Ho, at Volta Serene Hotel. We were told that it has the capacity for about 800 people, and indeed, if we physically distanced, then it could accommodate between 400 and 500 people. We are told that there are other facilities close by where all of us could be.
There was another meeting that I could not be present at, and the indication I had was that it has been agreed, as a result of some earlier commitment to Aqua Safari, that we hold the meeting there. As the Hon Dr Apaak is saying, if we would have to hold it there, then we would have to divide ourselves into two batches and have it done.
I therefore thought that maybe having it at Ho at the Volta Serene Hotel, and all of us being there to listen, would be a better option. However, I think that it is something that we can take on further with the
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 11:43 a.m.
Rt Hon Speaker. If it has to be at Aqua Safari, then it has to be in two batches, and if it has to be in the Volta Serene Hotel in Ho, then perhaps, all of us could be at the same place at the same time. However, as I said, it is something that we may have to look at with the Rt Hon Speaker presiding.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa raised an issue in respect of the import of article 104 of the 1992 Constitution. Fortunately for us, article 104 is not one of the entrenched provisions, and if we have to, in the midst of the pandemic have a second look at it, then I guess that as a House, we can come to some determination on that.

Mr Speaker, the issue raised by the other Hon Colleague, who is also a medical officer himself in respect of the irregular water flow in the washrooms and the absence of tissue I guess is something that the House Committee, or Leadership for now, because the House Committee has not been constituted yet, may have to look at involving the Hon Whips. We would have to have a critical look at it because, certainly, we would be

imperilling our own lives if that is the case, and I have no cause to disbelieve what my Hon Colleague said.

He went on to indicate, and he has been joined in that statement by the Hon Minority Leader that yesterday, in the course of the debate, some Hon Members of the Majority Side rushed in in the lead up to the taking of the decision. Mr Speaker, I cannot bear testimony to that. What I know is, on the right hand side of the Hon Minority Leader, which was not populated, in the lead up to the decision, Hon Members flocked to populate there. He did not talk about that. That is really a difficulty.

With respect, if the Hon Minority Leader comes in to equity, he must come with clean hands. I believe we are conjoined to live together and collaborate with sincerity and honesty, not telling lies, because it does not help in the building of bridges.

I can bear testimony and raise my head up to God and say that to the best of my ability, I am sincere and I live with sincerity. In terms of building bridges and consulting, I am not too sure that there is any Hon Majority Leader in this House who has reached out to the Minority than I have done. I see the Hon Cletus Avoka nodding at me. I know he knows what I mean.

Mr Speaker, I believe that we have to build bridges and collaborate further.

On the issue raised by the Hon Minority Leader in respect of the COVID-19 briefing, we do not have an Hon Minister of State in place as of yet. If he agrees that the caretaker should make the effort and bring in the technical people to brief us, I believe that it would be necessary at the Committee of the Whole for us, given the fact that in this Parliament itself, the cases are rising and we need to be careful and cautious so that the cases do not escalate. It is important that we are all cautious and must take steps to protect ourselves, and those steps would be predicated on the briefings that we may further have.

Ultimately, we would want to make the place safer for all of us so that we are sure in our minds that what we do, which we believe would inure to the interest and benefit of the nation, is not done at the peril of our own lives.

Mr Speaker, I thank you very much.
Mr Speaker 11:43 a.m.
If I may clarify some issues. The order of Business of the House, Standing Order 53, is very clear as on communications from
the Presidency. Standing Order 53(1)(d) says: “Messages from the President”. Any time we receive a message from the President, we put it on the Order Paper.
Standing Order 53(1)(e) deals with “Formal communications by the Speaker”, and definitely, I am always ready to make formal commu- nications, and so I directed that it should be maintained on the Order Paper. That is what we have now as a guide to the order of Business in the House.
With regard to the import of what happened yesterday in respect of article 104 of the 1992 Constitution, I would want to assure Hon Mem- bers that we comply with it. Whether Hon Members flocked in or flooded the Chamber is not the issue.
The issue is the numbers. Did we actually get at least half of all the Hon Members of Parliament (MPs) present? Yes, we had more than half of all the Hon Members present at the time we took the decision. So, there is no issue there, and the Clerks-at- the-Table are very observant. Usually, we try to take a count before we put the Question and so there is no issue whether it is entrenched or non- entrenched clause for us to take a second look at.
Mr Speaker 11:53 a.m.
Hon Members, with regard to the COVID situation, my directive that all Hon Members subject themselves to the test has not yet been complied with by over 60 Hon Members. It is true, as the Hon Majority Leader stated, that we are not all safe. Even in the House, some Hon Members are afflicted by COVID-19. You may not know who the person is. Because of the issue of confidentiality, we have not disclosed those who are now COVID-19 positive, but we have some of us in that category and so, Hon Members should take the protocols seriously.
In fact, when I was entering the Chamber, I myself had to signal some Hon Members to respect the physical distancing protocol, and I saw them immediately move apart. Hon Members should take it seriously. The numbers started slowly and it is rising. I do not want to be compelled next week to read out the names of those who have not complied with the directive, and also, this is the last call I would want to make on Hon Members.
Hon Members, the team from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research would be available on today, 29 th January, 2021, Monday, 1st February, 2021 and Tuesday, 2nd February, 2021. They are attending basically to both
Parliamentary and support staff. So I expect Hon Members to take advantage of the three days and get tested. It is not just for your good, but for the good of all the members of your families, friends and Hon Colleagues here in the House.
That should be the last call I would make. If I see that Hon Members are not complying, I would be compelled to read out the names of those who have not yet undergone the process of testing.

I thank Hon Members for drawing our attention to the state of affairs at the washrooms and offices including the Chamber Block. As to the lack of water and other accessories to, at least, to enable Hon Members to comply with the protocols, I think that the Parliamentary Service would take a serious view of it and make them available.

The orientation and induction would take place in two phases because of COVID-19.

Finally, I directed that the first group, which would start on 5th February and end on 8th February after lunch, would be for the first timers, together with leadership. The senior Members would have theirs next weekend.

I had reports on three areas where we could have held the induction and orientation. These included Ho, Akosombo and Ada. The reports were discussed extensively and we finally arrived at a decision that we could use the facilities at Ada. So, I am aware of what the Hon Majority Leader alluded to.

There are however other issues, apart from just the availability of space, and all those things were taken into consideration. We finally decided that the 5th of February is arrival and Monday, 8th February after lunch is departure. That is for the first timers who are 123 in number, plus 12 members of leadership, making 135.

The second would be for as I said, continuing Members, whether it is the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh time. I think the seventh are only two, including the Hon Majority Leader. [Interruption] Now, you are three? “I Shall Return,” your return is not the seventh time right? It is the sixth. This is his second time of returning. We have to highly commend him for his in-out-in-out-in. It is a very good experience to share with Hon Members.

The Business Statement as presented and commented on by Hon Members is duly adopted as the

business for the fifth week, ending Friday, 5th February, 2021.

Hon Members, my attention has been drawn to some urgent matters, so, under Standing Order 53 (2), I grant leave that the order of business, as set out in the Order Paper, be altered for today. So, we would grant the opportunity to the Leaders who have some urgent matter to transact, to take us through item numbered 7 which is a Motion.

Leadership of the House? Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
MOTIONS 11:53 a.m.
Majority Leader (Mr Osei Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu) 11:53 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that this honourable House
Mr Speaker 11:53 a.m.
Any seconder? Yes, Hon Deputy Minority Leader?
Deputy Minority Leader (Mr James Klutse Avedzi): Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion as a Member of the Committee as the Hon Majority Leader said.
Question proposed.
Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka (NDC -- Asawase) 12:03 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this is a Motion that would usually not require much debate, except that I thought that the Leaders would have allowed others to move the Motion and second it, since they would be on the Committee.
It is our practice that usually, you would have the Speaker advise, and in advising, take into cognisance that the two Leaders of both Sides of the House who are part of the Committee to advise Mr Speaker on the composition of the Parliamentary Service Board would technically recommend themselves to the Parliamentary Service Board. I thought that is one of the reasons we should have chosen others to do that.
That notwithstanding, since it is in tandem with our practice that the two leaders of the House would usually be part of the four members who would be nominated to advise the Speaker to get them to be part of the Parliamentary Service Board, we remember that as they go again [Interruption.] Hon Osei Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu has been privileged to be part of this Parliamentary Service Board for a while and I think that this is his fourth consecutive time.
Mr Speaker, your good self has been on it a number of times and one of the major challenges that this House has always had is that matters that need to be discussed at the House Committee are hijacked by the Parliamentary Service Board.
I hope with the experience that both you and the likes of Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu have, this time
around when you advise the Rt Hon Speaker and you are on the Parliamentary Service Board, you alert them to fashion out a method and procedure to ensure that the House Committee works very efficiently to take good care of the issues that affect Hon Members, so that when such issues come before them, they deal with them expeditiously.

It is also our hope that as they advise the Rt Hon Speaker, they should also remember the former Hon Members of Parliament (MPs). Even though it has been the practice that once in a while one of them is a member of the Board -- [Interruption.] -- because this institution is old and after almost 28 years, we can no longer complain that we do not have experienced former Hon MPs.

It is my hope that as they advise the Rt Hon Speaker on who should be part of the Parliamentary Service Board, they have this at the back of their minds so that we would use our own who have passed through this House, appreciate the challenges that are in the House, the difficulties and the opportunities that could avail the

sitting Hon MPs so that the Parliamentary Service Board would not only work to project this House as good in the eyes of the public but to protect the staff and the interest of Hon MPs.

Mr Speaker, with these comments, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion.
Mr Speaker 12:03 p.m.
Hon Members, this is a straight forward matter. We have noted the comments that have been made by the Hon Member for Asawase.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
Mr Speaker 12:03 p.m.
Hon Members, we would return to item numbered 5 -- Statements.
I have admitted three Statements from Hon Members, which are all on COVID-19. I would take the Statements as I received them. The first Statement that was admitted stands in the name of the Hon Member for Pusiga, Ms Laadi Ayii Ayamba on the effects of COVID-19 on women and children in Ghana.
Hon Member, you may make your Statement?
Ms Laadi Ayii Ayamba (NDC -- Pusiga) 12:03 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to make this Statement.
Mr Speaker, COVID-19 or the Coronavirus Disease is defined as illness caused by a novel coronavirus now called Severe Acute Respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV-2; formally called 2019-nCoV).
Mr Speaker, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. This is not in the case of older people and those with underlying medical problems such as diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer that are more likely to develop serious illness when they contract the virus.
Mr Speaker, it is also worth knowing that the best way to prevent and slow down the transmission of COVID-19, is to be well informed about the disease, its causes and how it spreads.
Mr Speaker, one can protect himself or herself from COVID-19 by frequently washing hands, using an alcohol based hand sanitiser frequently and not touching the face.
Mr Speaker, pandemics such as COVID-19 compounded with other prevailing gender inequalities and vulnerabilities increase the risk of abuse of women and children in our society. Women and children are always at the receiving end because of the heightened tensions in the household.
Mr Speaker, due to the partial lockdown in March 2020 as a result of COVID-19, economic activities were disrupted especially, the self- employed were forced to temporarily shut down their businesses. The disruption in economic activities placed both financial and psychological burden on women who are mostly breadwinners in the family. The pressure of not earning an income during this period resulted in violence beingn meted on women and children who are mostly vulnerable.
Mr Speaker, according to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in their report released in November 2020, titled “Primary and Secondary Impacts of COVID-19
on children and women in Ghana'', it detailed how COVID-19 impacted on the lives of women and children in the country.
Mr Speaker, below are some of the findings contained in the report.
“More than half of the children covered by the survey live in households whose principal stopped working for COVID- 19 reasons.
79 per cent of the children face a reduction in total household income compared to March 16, 2020. 24.1 per cent of the children, aged six months to 14 years, had fewer meals than usual in the four weeks before the survey. About 44.2 per cent of the households with children aged between six to 14 years have stopped receiving meals from school feeding programmes since school closures.”
There is limited use of healthcare services. More than 35 per cent of the households with children sick in the seven days before the survey sought medical treatment from pharmacies and chemical or drug stores.
Mr Speaker, the fear of COVID- 19 infection is the main reason for not making antenatal care visits to health facilities nor vaccinating children as per schedule, followed by income and mobility restrictions.
A high percentage of children have presented emotional changes since the pandemic, with up to 30.4 per cent of the household reporting having children aged between six to 17 years who felt sad more often.
Nearly half (45.6 per cent) of the children born since March 16, 2020 have no birth certificates nor registration with civil authorities.
Mr Speaker, child labour has increased among children between five to 17 years old, especially for household chores (34.8 per cent).
More than one-fifth of the children live in households in which physical punishment has become common (20.9 per cent), with no gender difference.
Mr Speaker, a significant number of children normally attending primary and junior high schools (34.8 per cent) or senior high schools (28.1 per cent) have not engaged in any education or learning activity since school closures.
Ms Laadi Ayii Ayamba (NDC -- Pusiga) 12:13 p.m.
Almost every household is aware of preventive hygiene measures to reduce the risk of contracting
COVID-19.

However, 21.7 per cent of the children live in houses without regular access to water supply and 17.7 per cent without regular collection of solid waste.

Mr Speaker, it can be seen that most of all the statistics contained in the Report above does not go in favour of women and children since the inception of this pandemic.

In recent times, violence against women and children has increased and if care is not taken, it may generate into another pandemic that the country might not be able to handle.

Mr Speaker, school children are one of the groups that are most vulnerable in this time of COVID-19. With the re-opening of schools, much needs to be done to ensure their safety hence, the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) which is key, even before the re-opening of schools.

More than two weeks after resumption of school, most pupils have been seen without face masks,

hand sanitisers while most of the schools do not have Veronica buckets of water for pupils to use due to the lack of potable water. Schools with Veronica buckets do not have water in them and so, they are just white elephants.

Mr Speaker, I suggest that the President should take it up as part of the stimulus package to drill boreholes in all schools, especially, those in the rural communities as this will not only serve as a source of water for the washing of hands but for drinking by the pupils and members of the community.

A pandemic such as this has not only taken a toll on women but also brought out the creativity in them. Since the outbreak of the COVID- 19 pandemic, women have played many important roles in ensuring that the virus is brought under control by creating quality and healthy hygienic products needed in their communities.

On realising the lack of PPEs, women have been very creative in producing face masks, hand sanitisers, hand washing soap and so on as their contribution to fighting this pandemic but they do not have the resources to continue in this direction.

Mr Speaker, I would like to conclude by calling on Government, Non-Governmental Organisations

(NGOs) and other civil society organisations to come out and support women in this heightened COVID-19 season so that they can produce products that may help the members of the community to protect themselves and to also earn a steady income out of it.

If this is done, I believe that it will go a long way in reducing the violence against women in our communities.

Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.

[Hear!] [Hear!]
Mr Speaker 12:13 p.m.
Hon Members, since the three Statements are on the same subject, I want us to take all the three and then Hon Members will be invited to make their comments.
The second Statement stands in the name of the Hon Member for North Tongu - Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. Hon Member, you may now make your Statement.
Cost of COVID-19 Test at the Kotoka International Airport
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (NDC -- North Tongu) 12:13 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am grateful to you for the opportunity to make this Statement on
what is undoubtedly of considerable public importance particularly to the Ghanaian travelling public.
Ghana's COVID-19 antigen test which costs a whooping US$150 at the Kotoka International Airport remains expensive, if not, is the most expensive Airport COVID-19 antigen test anywhere in the world.
This amount which is punitive and retrogressive is leading to widespread agitation and incessant appeals from the general public for an urgent intervention especially, by this august House.
Mr Speaker, there is hardly a day that passes by without our constituents, Ghanaians in the diaspora and members of the general public reaching out to us, on the cut-throat cost which they consider to be most unbearable; a view I strongly share and identify with. The public outrage has continued to play out on many media outlets.
In the wake of the current COVID- 19 pandemic, one of the vital tools for risk minimisation and to slow down the spread of the virus, has been the testing and isolation of infected people. According to the WHO, the surest way to overcome this pandemic
Mr Speaker 12:13 p.m.
The First Deputy Speaker to take the Chair. Please, you may continue.
Mr Ablakwa 12:23 p.m.
At the start of the pandemic, the average cost of PCR was between US$60 and US$100. This has continued to drop with the current cost ranging between US$16 and US$100.
The antigen test which is what is sanctioned by the Akufo-Addo Administration at the Kotoka International Airport, however, is a point of care test that is simple to administer according to the experts. It indicates that it relies on a fluorescent device or a simple cartridge like a home pregnancy test kit and is priced at between US$4.58
and US$12 on the international market.
Mr Speaker, at the time when Ghana re-opened its borders on the 1st of September, 2020 and introduced the requirements for antigen testing, the stated price at the airport of US$150 was justifiably considered by many who know that this technology is less sensitive and cheaper than PCR was expensive. However, Government officials mounted a spirited defence and have since September last year, maintained the US$150 charge per traveller.
Mr Speaker, it is instructive to note that my research reveals that other countries run the antigen test at a far cheaper cost than Ghana. Respect- fully, with your indulgence, a few examples will suffice. Malawi charges US$25; Malaysia charges US$28; India, at the Goa Airport, charges US$28; India, at the Veer Savarkar International Airport, charges US$7; the United Kingdom, at the Heathrow Airport, London, charges US$70.
What is even more striking is the realisation that the overwhelming majority of countries with a more superior PCR tests at their airports
have charges that are shockingly far cheaper than Ghana's inferior antigen test cost. A few references; Togo charges US$80 per PCR test, Sierra Leone charges US$80, Senegal charges US$75, Rwanda charges US$60, Djibouti charges US$28, Germany charges US$70 and Turkey has only a US$16 charge for a PCR test.

Mr Speaker, at the 58th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Governments of ECO- WAS held on 23rd January, 2021, and chaired by our President, His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the performance of member states in the pandemic fight was reviewed.

During this review, the harmoni- sation of cross-boarder movement of persons and goods was approved. As part of this approval, it was agreed that PCR testing for traveling within the sub-region would be capped at a maximum of US$50. With this new development, Mr Speaker, it is my considered view that the US$150 per cost of antigen testing at the Kotoka International Airport has become even more untenable.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:23 p.m.
I am advised that there is a third Statement by the Hon Deputy Majority Whip, Ms Lydia S. Alhassan.
STATEMENTS 12:33 p.m.
Ms Lydia S. Alhassan (NPP -- Ayawaso West Wuogon) 12:33 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 72, I beg to bring to the attention of the House an important matter of public health concern whose implications would be dire, barring any providential strategies to handle it.
Mr Speaker, the matter has to do with COVID-19 nationalism and its implications for Ghana. I must quickly add that it is a matter that Hon Ablakwa touched on briefly on another day in his contribution. Mr Speaker, ever since the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the globe with its devastating health and socio- economic effects, there has been frantic global efforts to produce a vaccine capable of providing immunity for humanity.
Thankfully, Mr Speaker, despite the emergence of a new variance of COVID-19 or the severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that has sparked a second wave in many countries including Ghana, some headways
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:33 p.m.
Hon Members, I would now admit comments from Hon Members.
Now, I cannot identify you by your faces, but I intended to recognise the Hon Member in a smock.
Dr Clement A. Apaak 12:33 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is Clement Apaak.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:33 p.m.
I think we would continue in that tradition. You identify yourself so that Hon Members would follow your discussion, knowing who you are.
Dr Apaak 12:43 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am the Hon Member of Parliament for Builsa South and your junior Vandal from the Great Commonwealth Hall.
Mr Speaker, I beg to commend all colleagues who have made very valuable and insightful Statements today on various aspects of COVID -19. But in particular, I wish to contribute to the Statement made by Hon Laadi Ayamba. She has been
very candid, straight forward and has laid the facts as bear as she could.
Mr Speaker, it is just about two weeks since schools reopened. Even today as we speak, the information available from parents, media reportages and constituents indicates very clearly that there are still several schools which have not received Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). There are many other schools where they have received inadequate or insufficient PPEs. We have cases where certain schools have received veronica buckets, nose masks but do not have sanitisers and or liquid soap.
Mr Speaker, the situation is very worrying. If indeed, we saw it fit to reopen schools after 10 months of closing them down because of the fear of COVID -19, why would we have gone on to reopen schools without first making sure that the bear basic necessities would have been on site at the schools before students reported?
So although the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, while taking his turn at the Bi-Weekly Coronavirus Update Series at the Ministry of Information yesterday indicated the supplies that had been made available in their tens of
thousands, the truth is that it is after the fact. The truth is that, as we speak, those supplies are yet to get to several schools in the country.
I would have wished that the Director-General of the GES, the good old professor, would have gone on to even give us a breakdown as per the quantities of supplies sent to each region and districts to allow us to be able to report back accurately as to whether perhaps, in spite of his own efforts, other subordinates who expected to ensure that the PPEs got to the schools have been sleeping on their jobs.

But as we speak now, in all honesty, there is the need, if I may suggest, for things to be put together to monitor and report back so that we can be sure that all the monies being spent and the quantities of PPEs that the Director-General indicated in their tens of thousands as having been distributed have, indeed, got to where we expect them to be.

Mr Speaker, the other issue of concern and as far as COVID-19 and our children goes is this: several of our public schools are overcrowded. We have heard reports of an introduction or re-introduction of the shift system
Dr Nana Ayew Afriye 12:43 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to comment on the Statements ably submitted and presented by Hon Members of this august House.
Mr Speaker, they touched on various areas in terms of the effect of COVID on schools. It was revealing
for the Hon Member on the other Side to state the effects of closures of schools on feeding and that presupposes that about 24 per cent of children who could not access school feeding opportunities during the period of closure, indeed, suffered some level of malnutrition. So consequently, the closure of schools imperilled the nutritional level of some children in various parts of the country. Sad as it was, those actions, I guess, were absolutely necessary to have been taken.
Mr Speaker, it is gratifying that schools have been reopened and we have the students coming back. In that regard, one would expect that arrangements in terms of feeding would be adequate, available and unconditionally accessible by all these children.
Mr Speaker, what we should condemn most is the violence that was meted to women and children during this period. But for child labour and other reasons, we are worried to know from the report that during this period women and children who are considered vulnerable were subjected to some level of abuse.
Mr Speaker, with your indulgence, I crave that you would want to get the appropriate institutions to give us
any statistics whatsoever and what they have done about persons who subjected loved ones to such torture.
Mr Speaker, with the issue of schools reopening and some Veronica buckets not having water in them, it is also a source of concern. This is because we all know the consequent effects - spread of diseases through water-borne illnesses.
Mr Speaker, I am aware that through the measures of Government trying to make water available in communities for free, some MCEs and DCEs managed to get water in some rural parts of the country and for that matter for schools in those communities, they can access them. I think that assemblies have the august responsibility to make sure that schools have water adequately stored and available for children during school reopening.
Indeed, it is also worrying, if the assertion is true and confirmed, that some buckets find themselves without water. I was looking forward for the Hon Member to have made an example but I think that we can find a way to have a hearing to make mention of some place, probably after closure so that adequate steps can be taken and children would access water which is mandatory.
Dr Nana Ayew Afriye 12:53 p.m.
Mr Speaker, to talk about the issue of antigen testing at the airport, we would commend Government at first hand because at the time that they introduced antigen testing at the airport in September, many countries had not started and, therefore, Ghana stood to be pacesetters, especially as it was the first week of September. By and large, several other countries joined and that is to say that we have a visionary President, a very abled task force, solid Ministry who were supportive and brought the idea for testing up.
Mr Speaker, indeed, persons have tested in their countries with PCR but they arrived with positive cases identified among them.
Also with the issue of certification, because of the absence of a unified platform, persons, I am sure, are finding themselves to present all manner of certificates and that undoubtedly would allow people to get access into the country or even out of the country probably not having tested for COVID but then they would show that they are negative. The upsurge clearly shows that there is some level of inefficiency.
Mr Speaker, to add to the position of my Hon Colleague, there is the
need for a unified certification, as urgent as it should be, whether a person is going out or coming in.

Mr Speaker, to do with the issue of pricing, inasmuch as I commend the Government for this innovation, I would say that your Committee did not have the opportunity to meet stakeholders to find out the reasons for the costing. As a health economist, I would not delve into saying or hurry to say that it is expensive, unless when your Committee has the chance to meet stakeholders.

Mr Speaker, inasmuch as you are in a hurry to set up your Committee, I know that when your Committees are established, your able Committee on Health, in which you have able men and women who do very good jobs, would definitely invite all stakeholders and present appropriate report to do with the cost centres and how they arrived at the amount of US$150.

I would, however, still stand and commend my Hon Colleague for recognising the feelings of some persons and their concerns. But then, given the opportunity by you, your Committee would do that job and we can advise appropriately.

Mr Speaker, with respect to vaccines, the good President of this country in his briefing told us that they are trying to source the COVAX Facility, which is an initiative that would allow for participating countries to benefit from 20 per cent of doses correlated to their population size. Therefore, to say that Ghana has a population of 30 million, we would probably stand to enjoy about six million doses.

That would come at the end of the first quarter, and that would make available doses for front line workers, other essential people, and also vulnerable people in the communities. I would say that we would have to be firm, believing in the assurances of the President who has been on top of the management of COVID-19, and who has been cited so much in various countries. Inasmuch as he has spoken, he would deliver, so we are looking forward to the end of the first quarter to have the doses as such.

Mr Speaker, before I take leave of this position in my expose, I would still take the chance to thank the Hon Members who made the Statements. They were absolutely brilliant.

Mr Speaker, I thank you very much.
Ms Angela O. Alorwu-Tay (NDC -- Afadjato South) 12:53 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to add my voice to the three Statements made by my Hon Colleagues, especially the Statement made by my Hon Senior Colleague and mother, the Hon Hajia Laadi Ayamba, on women and children.
Mr Speaker, in adding my voice, I must say that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of hardship on women as stated in the Hon Hajia Ayamba's Statement. Today, women have the responsibility to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for children, and as we are all aware, some children, as they play around, may end up throwing their PPEs away. They might throw their nose masks away or misplace them, and their mothers would have to go and look for new ones, which to the rural mother, is a lot of money spent.
Mr Speaker, there is no special contact tracing available for children and their mothers. Some of the mothers are able to fend for their families by selling in the markets that are already choked or crowded. So, there must be a way to trace those who are infected and those who are not infected. There must be a special programme for women and children in this very critical time.
Dr Kingsley Nyarko (NPP -- Kwadaso) 1:03 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is true that COVID-19 is ravaging our homes, our families and our societies.
In my respected view, the Government and the President have done so well by putting in interventions to deal with this unfortunate pandemic.
Mr Speaker, my observation has been to the fact that our attempts in addressing this pandemic have zeroed in mostly on behavioural measures such as the washing of hands, wearing of nose masks, sanitising our hands and all that. These are psychological variables that are very important, but there are other psychological interventions that we have not addressed our minds to, for example, stigmatisation.
People who are suspected of having this disease experience fear and anxiety because they fear that when it comes out that they have COVID-19, they would be stigmatised. That prevents most people from going for testing, which is worrying.
This same stigmatisation makes some persons engage in unacceptable practices, resulting in unorthodox ways of dealing with this disease that can in effect have egregious consequences on their being, which would also be to the cost of the nation. So, I hope that our education intervention should also look at some
of these variables that can help us to contain or deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Speaker, one other point that I would also want to make is about post-traumatic stress disorder. This is one's inability to recover from an unpalatable experience or event, and this has very negative effect on persons, especially children, who happen to see the demise of persons who are very close to them. My question is, what measures have we put in place to ensure that children and young adults who have experienced the demise of somebody affected with this pandemic are able to cope?

It is very important because if that is not done, it can disrupt their thinking patterns and that would prevent them from pursuing their education. As much as I commend the President and the Government for the good work done, I plead that we address our minds to not only the outward behavioural practices but also some cognitive practices that would help us deal with this particular pandemic.

Some people say COVID-19 is a blessing and others say it is a curse. It is considered as a curse because it has caused a lot of havoc to society.

It is a blessing because, maybe, it gives us the opportunity to do something new. It is a new normal, and we have to live with it. We also have to understand that it gives us the opportunity to do things anew - things that would help the collective progress and development of this country.

On that score, Mr Speaker, I humbly thank you for the space given me.
Dr Mark Kurt Nawaane (NDC -- Nabdam) 1:03 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to thank the Hon Members who made these Statements on COVID- 19. The current conditions that we live in, especially after the elections, are worse than before. When I say worse than before, I compared it to the COVID conditions before the elections. Yet, we are walking that tight rope of living a normal life and that is why we have got to make the decisions to have our children at school where recreational activities, football and other activites are still going on.
Of course, Parliament is sitting and industries are still working.
However, Mr Speaker, the conditions have changed. I say this because, currently, if I heard it right, one can walk to any public health laboratory and have the COVID test carried out. Then the golden question
Dr Kwaku Afriyie (NPP -- Sehwi-Wiawso) 1:03 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the opportunity, and I thank the various Hon Members who made the Statements for bringing this problem to the fore of Parliament.
Mr Speaker, I believe they have covered a wide area 1:03 p.m.
the social aspect; even the vaccine; prevention and sociology - with regard to the children as is playing out there. Mr Speaker, we are in difficult times, and we do not have a handle on all the parameters.
Indeed, some of the problems seemed paradoxical. Let me give you an example. When schools were opened previously for those who were about to write their examinations, there was a hue and cry in this country when there were sporadic outbreaks in several places. It turned out that in the final analysis, schools were the
most secured places to have children, but now we are in a new vista, and we have scaled up children going back to school. There are toddlers among them who cannot be trusted to observe all the protocols.
Mr Speaker, in spite of all that is happening, I believe that we have to get our perspective right and not get into panic mode. Yes, we have a clear incidence of rising infection, but we are not in the European or American proportions yet. I am not suggesting that we should reach there before we take action.
Mr Speaker, we have some knowledge as to what we should do. I want people to advert their minds to the fact that if we decide, as a nation, to go into reset mode and even with the tools and knowledge that we have, in double quick time, we can bring the numbers down. I am not even suggesting that we should go into a lockdown, but conceptually, if one is not close to anybody, he cannot get the infection.
If one imagines that he lives on an island, and is not close to a neighbour, he cannot get infected; if willy-nilly one has to be close to somebody, then it means that he has to adopt all the barrier measures that he can master so that if the assumption is that if
another person has the infection, it cannot be transmitted to him. That knowledge should go to the people and we should make sure that everybody understands that so that even if we have funerals, people might not take risk.
Mr Speaker, a lot of people have not digested this knowledge, and they have some woolly knowledge about the transmission of COVID-19. If we give that kind of knowledge to people, I am sure that they can take care of themselves.
Mr Speaker, if you look at the geographical distribution of COVID- 19, you see that it is an urban phenomenon even though there are sporadic cases in the rural settings. We should maintain those areas where COVID-19 has not touched while we take care to deal with the situation in urban centres such as Accra, Kumasi and elsewhere.
Mr Speaker, even in Accra, it is very strange that places such as Chorkor, Korle Gonno and others, for some strange reasons, the residents are packed together and yet, there is minimal spread. It is because of the outdoor life. Here, we have maintained social distancing, but we are in an enclosed capsule. We have socially distanced ourselves and yet we have encased ourselves in this kind of casing. It might not exactly be good for us.
Mr Speaker, I believe they have covered a wide area 1:13 a.m.


In this sense, I would recommend that we should even as far as school children are concerned, that concept that we jettisoned on schools under trees - Since we are in the dry season, I am suggesting that as far as possible, schools should be organised under trees now. Empirical evidence suggests that when you stay in non- enclosed spaces, you do not get infected. That knowledge must be put to good use. In that wise, we are in a better place than those in temperate climates who are in winter time now.

Mr Speaker, before I take my seat, the Hon Member for Ayawaso West Wuogon made some very succinct observations which Africa and for that matter, Ghana, must take note of. The idea of what she called “vaccine and nationalism” is a big phenomenon. It has been around for a long time as far as medicines are concerned. I suggest that as far as COVID-19 is concerned, it should goad us to get into the idea that indeed, vaccines are security issues.

In fact, Africa harbours some of the worst pathogens and neglected tropical diseases that are left in this world such as Buruli ulcer, the last vestiges of tuberculosis and Hansen's

disease also known as leprosy. All these diseases are still around us. We have still not had a good handle on our good old malaria but all their medications do not come from Africa.

Mr Speaker, we have the knowledge, know-how and capacity, but it is only that we are not organising ourselves well. So, I am advocating for a pan-African approach, or at the very least, an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) approach. Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal have the capacity to go into vaccine development and in double quick time, I believe that we can come out with something which might even surprise the world. After all, the very idea of vaccination emanated from Africa, violation.

In the past, when anybody was recovering from small pox, as convalescence patient, they took part of their plasma and did scarification, inserted it in them and then they had a mild form of small-pox. That knowledge was taken by slaves to the Americas and Europe and that was the beginning of vaccination. People do not know that all this body of knowledge started from Africa and we have a moral obligation to contribute to the body of knowledge in this world.

Mr Speaker, resource poor as we are, I do not think that anybody is more intelligent than us. When God was distributing intelligence, he did it equitably, so let us get our acts together, revamp our capacity and hold hands. Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal can get together and task our scientists to do that.

When it comes to commerciali- sation, I believe that the commercial people and economists can make sure that we can move it from the realm of commercial activities, so that we may not rely on the people who have medicalised diseases, especially tropical diseases and are reaping profits off us.

I earlier said that they have covered a lot of areas, so if I were to continue, I am sure that I would end up giving a lecture. Suffice to say, that COVID- 19 is providing a challenge and I see that we can make a dent and chart a path that can even touch on the way we even organise our economy, so that we can emancipate ourselves.

Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity.
Mr Rockson-Nelson Kwami Etse Dafeamekpor (NDC -- South Dayi) 1:13 a.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to add my voice
to the three Statements that have been made in respect of COVID-19 today.
I would want to draw the House's attention to the sheer nature of our public transport system and the nature of the spread of COVID-19. Last year, directives were issued to public transport owners to reduce the number of passenger intake for instance. That was however reversed before Christmas and no such directive has been issued again. We are told by the experts that the new variant is more deadly, so I urge Government to do something in that regard.
Mr Speaker, last year, directives were issued in respect of how funerals should be organised in terms of numbers. We have increasingly veered from that. Today, funerals in our various localities and communities are increasingly being organised in large numbers. Again, it is a fertile ground to increase the rate of spread among ourselves.
We are told that PPEs and other essentials have been distributed to schools, but in South Dayi, as we speak, I have 15,000 school-going children, from Senior High School to Kindergarten 1. We have only been given hand sanitizers and paper towels but no face masks and no Veronica buckets. These Veronica buckets that
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:13 a.m.
Hon Member, you would be quoted, so kindly explain what you mean by triple track before it causes confusion outside.
Mr Dafeamekpor 1:13 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I am guided. The system Parliament intends to operate to ensure that we operate effectively in this COVID-19 era is to ensure that Hon Members are divided into three sets of groups. So, at any given time that we are in session, one batch would be here and the rest would be in their offices and participate from there virtually. When it is time for decision making or when Resolutions would have to be passed, then we can descend into the Chamber and do so.
That is a good arrangement which is better than shutting down the House. So, by parity of reasoning, my point is that we need to ensure that GES comes up with some similar arrangements, so that we do not pack our school children into the classrooms in these dangerous times.
Mr Speaker, the last point I would want to make on this matter regards the arrangements that exist in our police cells. I was called yesterday to attend to a matter and it took me to one of the police cells in metropolitan Accra. The sheer number of suspects who are still held by the police on the flimsiest of charges, some as simple as somebody being spotted without wearing a face mask.
So, instead of the police taking steps to ensure that the person wears a facemask and maybe, admitted to a bond of good behaviour, the person is rather placed in a police cell in a confinement. This is a situation that should worry all of us and so I would want to urge the Ghana Police Service to in these times, desist from using the old tactics of holding suspects in confinements such as the police cells because it is also a fertile ground for the spread of the disease.
Mr Speaker, with these few words, I would want to thank the Hon Members who made the Statements on the very important matter of
COVID-19.
Mr Samuel Atta Akyea (NPP -- Abuakwa South) 1:23 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statements, which for some good reason all converged on one point on how this debilitating disease has affected the whole nation.
Mr Speaker, I am glad that the convergence is good, coming from both Sides of the aisle and this means that we could therefore agree on matters which have common consequences for the entire nation.
That is what should define our Parliament that COVID-19 does not wear political party colours.
There are several issues that affect this country which do not wear political party colours; the poverty that mocks us, the future of this nation and the rest of it. We should tread this path and that is when we would become the gate keepers of development and democracy. I am very excited about that and I want to commend the Hon Member for North Tongu, Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Hon Member for Pusiga, Ms Laadi Ayamba and the Hon Member for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Ms Lydia Alhassan, for putting together these very important Statements.
Mr Speaker, we should credit President Akufo-Addo, in with the competence he showed in handling this upsurge. If we measure what happened in the United States of America (USA) when the COVID- 19 reared its ugly head, it was very obvious that we had an African President who did so well and measured against Donald Trump of the USA. Now we have a spike - the test of leadership and its competence and when problems are so serious to handle and one is able to do so, that is the test of leadership and not when one is in his or her salad
Mrs Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui (NDC -- Awutu Senya West) 1:33 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you and also thank Hon Colleagues who made these very significant Statements on the issue of
COVID-19.
Mr Speaker, we are running against time and COVID-19 knows no timetable and there is no time and so, we must be extra vigilant and proactive as a Government, and all the Arms of Government have to be up and doing.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:33 p.m.
The last one will go to the former Hon Minister for Health.
Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu (NPP -- Dormaa Central) 1:33 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I will crave your indulgence to remind you that I am the Minister designate that will soon come and sit in front of you for vetting.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:33 p.m.
Hon Member, cross that threshold but now you are behind the threshold.
Mr Agyeman-Manu 1:33 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you.
First of all, let me thank my Hon Colleagues who made Statements that have allowed several of us to also contribute and I would like to join the group that contributed to also say a few things.
Mr Speaker, we have come out with a lot of issues on COVID-19. One of my Hon Colleagues hammered and said that the current situation is worse than before. Yes, that is correct. Transmissibility is far bigger than previously, new variants have been announced and we have detected it in Ghana and the severity of illness is even becoming quite worrisome. These are issues that Government has started addressing in a different manner.
We saw COVID-19 pandemic and triggered communication around the country, information dissemination and we continuously said that the disease had come to live with us and so we should learn to live with it and we learnt a lot.
Mr Speaker, one of my Hon Colleagues was talking about public transportation and the sort of initiatives taken have been dropped but people are taking voluntary initiatives to do what we were doing earlier and for which reason we went into relapse.
Transport associations have started making announcements by placing restrictions on themselves at the lorry stations such that people should not board their vehicles without face masks and they are also providing sanitizers and Veronica buckets. These have been triggered
Mr Agyeman-Manu 1:43 p.m.
in lorry stations as we heard from the Eastern, Bono and Bono East regions. So, citizens are also living up to the task to support Government's efforts and initiatives.
Mr Speaker, I know that this was announced at the Meet The Press by the GES; close to about 23 million face masks have been ordered to be supplied and distribution and is ongoing. In some places, we have served adequately and in some places too, like my Hon Colleague said, things are yet to get there but we have triggered monitoring to follow up to make sure that every District has got what has been allocated to them based on the population of children. I like what my Hon Colleague from Abuakwa South said that we should also play voluntary roles as parents and citizens to complement the efforts that Government is actually making.
There are arrangements for classrooms to be decongested and these guidelines have gone out, teachers have been trained such that in classes where we have large numbers, they will break them into two and begin to ran some semblance of a shift system so that we do not actually congregate these students against the protocols that we have initiated.
Mr Speaker, however, I have taken note of all the recommendations and the good suggestions such that at the appropriate time when I get the opportunity, we will put them up and I also advice the COVID-19 command centre that deals with the Office of the President about your views and observations that you have actually made.
May I respond quite mildly to the cost of the COVID-19 pandemic vaccines? Yes, indeed, my Hon Colleague from North Tongu mentioned the ECOWAS protocols and the review issues that has actually capped the test at the borders to US$50. The President has actually given orders that we should quickly make our implementation modalities to see how best this can be implemented in our country. I believe that if for nothing at all, ECOWAS citizens would be able to assess the tests at the airport at the US$50 as has been agreed by the ECOWAS community.
Mr Speaker, however, the price was not just pegged at US$150 for nothing. The infrastructure at the airport to try to do this test efficiently was quite unparalleled around the whole world; people who were travelling across Europe and the USA would testify to this and all this comes at a cost. We are taking a good look
at what is now on board and I believe things will begin to ease up a little bit for us and this would be looked at favourably.
Mr Speaker, we are battling with antigen tests initially and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) was restricting and the scientists say that we would not use the antigen tests. However, now, it seems that new antigen tests that are being certified by WHO have been tested and it is as though the sensitivity has gone quite high. So, I believe that very soon, these things will come on board and we may see antigen tests being utilised in the country.
Hon Ablakwa also mentioned that the Ministry came out with a press release that the Ministry was emphasising that the test is still free in public facilities. This walk-in concept came about when travellers were being demanded to do tests and present certificates before they could fly. That is how come walk-ins came in to try to reduce the time for them to get it quicker.

However, all public facilities that are running tests,are still doing test for free, only that some of us want to do our test and get the results very quickly

whether we are travelling or not. That is how come we are seeing the walk- ins and the charges, but we are reemphasising that every single public place should not charge any amount of money for the test to make us more efficient in trying to fight this battle.

Mr Speaker, I would not want to speak for long on these matters because I would get the appropriate time going forward. As soon as I cross the bridge, like you said, I may seek opportunity to brief the House on the COVID-19 situation. Mr Speaker, but there are a few things that I would want to say about the vaccine. The time is now because as I speak, there is an ongoing meeting at the Jubilee House on the vaccines.

About the three days, we met with the vaccine manufacturers, doing quantification of the numbers, sources of funding and all that we can to be able to do what would bring us the vaccines as quickly as we can procure them. The bad news is that the whole world is placing orders for vaccines and the rich countries have placed orders with manufacturers, even to support them to expand their facilities of production. Mr Speaker, yesterday, the President admonished that we should begin to look at possibilities of trying to manufacture some of the vaccines in the country or to partner across the west coast.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:43 p.m.
Very well.
Leadership? Hon Deputy Minority Leader?
Mr James K. Avedzi (NDC -- Ketu North) 1:43 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you.
I beg to also thank the Hon Members who made the Statements on COVID-19 and I think that these are important Statements and you could see so from the contributions
made by Hon Members. Mr Speaker, this is a disease that when it was first announced in November 2019 in China, for us in Ghana, we did not know that a day would come that we would be talking about this disease and what must be done as a country. We thought it was something that would not even come into our country at all. However, today, we are talking about this virus.
Mr Speaker, the whole issue can be categorised into three or four main areas; how to prevent the spread of the virus, the testing of the people in the country and the treatment.
Mr Speaker, at each level of this categorisation, the State has a role to play as well as the individuals. Mr Speaker, you would be surprised to know that in some parts of this country, some people do not even believe that we have the virus. So, how would we make these people to know and believe that there is COVID-19 disease? The State must play a role and that is where the NCCE comes in.
In our constituencies, the NCCE is completely dead; they do not play any role and do not seem to be educating the communities of the existence of this virus. Mr Speaker, we do not even hear them on local radio stations educating the people about the virus. For the people to
know and believe that the disease exists and that they have to make efforts to prevent its spread, firstly, they must hear from the State institutions, in this case, the NCCE. We have to take education on it very seriously.
Mr Speaker, people watch television stations and listen to radio stations, but most of the time, the question some of the rural folks ask is: have we ever seen any person killed by COVID-19? To them, we just say that 377 people have died because of COVID-19 but they do not believe it because they have not seen the people who have died. Mr Speaker, so what do we have to do for them to believe that the number of people we say are dead have actually been killed by the disease?
Mr Speaker, there is more to do by the government for the people to firstly believe and once they believe, whatever they are asked to do in terms of its prevention; social distancing and wearing of nose masks, would be taken serious. For some of us, when the issue was first brought out, we had to fall on our own local seamstresses and tailors to sew nose masks for our people but we do not even see them wearing them. They would collect the nose masks but do not wear them because they do not believe that the disease is here. Mr Speaker, so education is key and very important.
Mr James K. Avedzi (NDC -- Ketu North) 1:53 p.m.
It should be the first effort to be made towards the prevention of the spread of the virus.
Mr Speaker, on the issue of testing, a lot has been said by Hon Members on what the Government needs to do. It is commendable that government has now asked that the testing centres should test people for free. We need to encourage our people to do this test and we must also show by example. In this House, we are urging people to test but we have also been asked to do the test and Mr Speaker keeps announcing that Hon Members should do the test. So, we have to show leadership by example; we must do the test, know our status for others to also follow. Now, there are people who go to test on their own and pay and that is commendable. Mr Speaker, this would let us know the number of cases that are being reported on.

We are talking about 3,000 active cases.

Mr Speaker, if proper testing is done, the number would be more than that. The number would be far more than that. But for now, because that is the only number which has been tested, which is what we have and we

are talking about, we think the number of active cases is only 3,000, but we could get more than that. So, we need to encourage our people to do more testing, and Government has a role to play.

Then come to the treatment. People have tested positive, how are we treating them? Is that the way that -- If our hospitals cannot even accommodate the number, people could even stay at home and be treated. We see a number of issues on social media especially on WhatsApp platforms concerning the issue about local treatment where one could boil local herbs and steam himself. Do we encourage those things, and are they effective? Government needs to do something and come out clearly so that we can encourage our people to even do those ones. In fact, if it is really effective, that could prevent a lot of people from acquiring the virus.

Mr Speaker, the last issue I would want to talk about is what the former Minister for Health and who is the Minister for Health-designate talked about which has to do with the development of the vaccines. Hon Atta Akyea also talked about it. Yes, it is very important that we also challenge our scientists to come out with a vaccine. Once the vaccines are produced here, we would even accept it more than the vaccines that would come from other places.

If we would want to rely on vaccines produced from other countries, there are a lot of issues said about them which I do not know whether they are true or not. However, if we develop the vaccines ourselves here, it would be more acceptable to us than relying on vaccines from other parts of the country.

So Mr Speaker, I think the contributions on these Statements, if we could forward same to the Ministry and the Office of the President for action to be taken on them, it would help us as a country.

I thank you very much for the opportunity.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:53 p.m.
Hon Members, having regard to the state of Business of the House, I direct that the House Sits outside the regular Sitting hours.
Yes, Hon Chief Whip of the Majority?
Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh (NPP -- Nsawam-Adoagyiri) 1:53 p.m.
Mr Speaker, let me commend the Hon Members who made the Statements and also say that as a nation, we have shown some leadership in the fight against COVID-19, but clearly, we have to do more.
I could not have agreed more with the Hon Deputy Minority Leader when he talked about Hon Members of Parliament taking the test. I would like to make this appeal, following a few experiences that I have gone through the Office of the Clerk to Parliament which should make arrangement to ensure that professionals who are supposed to conduct this test are available as and when it is scheduled. On two occasions that I have been there, they were nowhere to be found. I had to conduct this test at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) and pay for it myself. God willing, I was negative. So that has to be taken into consideration.
Mr Speaker, a number of issues have been raised relative to the three Statements presented. I do not intend to prioritise them, but I feel that in my own order of priority, concerns about public relations and education is something that we cannot take for granted. As a country, if we really want to do it, we can do it.
The public relations would have to be fashioned along our way of life. Radio advertisement and information spread is so critical especially for our folks in the countryside. Could we also look at drama on national television telling the story, revealing the effect of this virus on livelihoods? I believe that if we are able to
Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh (NPP -- Nsawam-Adoagyiri) 2:03 p.m.
dramatise this for our people to appreciate the risks, the scare would become clearer than before.
Mr Speaker, it cannot be the case that we are only relying on state institutions. What is the role of our focal persons who are held in high esteem, opinion leaders, Chief Imams, Assembly Members who are more often than not closer to the point of action in terms of their proximity to the people? What have we been doing so far, and also as Hon Members of Parliament who are seen and appreciated as opinion leaders?
We tend to overly focus on Government. I agree that Government has a bigger stake. There is no doubt about it, and I am not drawing to that debate, but it is a clarion call that Hon Members of Parliament accept our responsibility, let opinion leaders play the role they have to play and all would feed into an overarching attempt at ensuring that we overcome this
COVID-19.
Mr Speaker, the aspect of Pan- African approach is something that is very dear to me and in context with such as on the multilateralism and bilateralism the need for a partnership in the development of this vaccine. We are privileged to be informed by the nominated Minister-designate for the
Ministry of Health that the President has already given some directives in this regard.
It is also refreshing to know that the cost of the testing at the airport eventually would have to be reviewed. The context in which the Hon Ablakwa raised the matter is well placed and is something that we have to look at. It has to be immediate, and I pray it is done as soon as possible.
Mr Speaker, Government cannot do everything. All of us know this. It goes without the saying that for a long time, the President has carried the nation along; all the addresses he has given us and all the interventions are given. Never in the annals of the history of this country have we witnessed such support in times of a pandemic. And I dare say that it is a difficult challenge and it is a difficult time as a nation. We can only urge the President to continue to do what he is doing and maybe do more.
Mr Speaker, but we also do not have to rest on our laurels. What we have to do in support of the President's action is not to relax. We have to push more and do it.
Mr Speaker, on the vaccination, I think we need to tread with caution. At the international stage, the Director-General for WHO, Dr
Tedros Adhanom is on record to have complained that wealthy countries, for want of a better word, are stockpiling the vaccines and more or less crowding out countries that are not wealthy. This is something that is of prime importance. If there should be equitable distribution of this vaccines, sub-regional bodies would have to rise up and raise the red flag. The African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other sub-regional bodies would have to speak up. But fact be told, we have to take our destiny into our hands. We would have to proffer our own solutions.
I recall when Europe and other countries were taking actions in terms of raising revenue and support. If you looked at the target set by the African Union, it was something that you could write home about.

We have to think big as a continent and take the necessary action.

Mr Speaker, a few African countries have set the tone - I think Egypt, the Seychelles and South Africa especially are on administration of the vaccine. What we should not lose sight of is the recommendation given by the WHO. One of the recommendations given is

that all countries should set up a National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group. I think I am permitted to say that as a country, we have done that and we have our technical group in place. That is something that we have to be proud of.

Mr Speaker, the WHO is also recommending that there should be a coordination structure for us to develop a monitoring system in terms of the delivery of the vaccine. This is something we have to pay attention to. We should get our technical men on board to give directives on how we should deal with this matter.

Mr Speaker, in Ismailia in Egypt for instance, priority is given to frontline health workers, the aged and those with chronic immune challenges. This is something we can look at as we prepare to do a distribution of the vaccine and ensure that all these vulnerable people are taken care of.

Mr Speaker, more often than not, when we are looking at the vulnerable groups, we tend to focus on children and women. I think frontline healthcare workers could also be described as vulnerable people. They are the first point of call. They are most exposed and they have to be categorised as vulnerable people and be dealt with as such.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:03 p.m.
Very well.
Regrettably, I did not hear anybody say anything about the contributions of Hon Members of this House in the period of the pandemic. I know for a fact that many Hon Members of this House did a lot - they provided Veronica buckets, hand sanitisers, nose masks. Indeed, in many communities, we created a pool of nose masks makers and I think the records reflect that Hon Members of this House have done a lot towards the fight against the spread of the Coronavirus.
On this note, I bring the curtains down on Statements.
Hon Leaders, any indication? I know it is past 2 o'clock, just in case you have any announcement.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh 2:03 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we are in your hands. I think item numbered 8 was supposed to
have been taken but I am reliably informed that the report is not ready. So we are in your hands.
Mr Speaker 2:03 p.m.
Very well.
  • The House was adjourned at 2.09 p.m. till Tuesday, 2nd February, 2021 at 2.00 p.m.