Debates of 11 Mar 2021

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 10:54 a.m.
Mr Speaker 10:54 a.m.
Hon Members, there is no formal communication by me today, so we would move to item numbered 3 -- Correction of Votes and Proceedings and the Official Report.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 10:54 a.m.
Mr Speaker 10:54 a.m.
We would start with the Correction of Votes and Proceedings of Wednesday, 10th March, 2021.

Votes and Proceedings and the Official Report.
Mr Speaker 10:54 a.m.
I have two Official Reports for correction. The first one is dated Friday, 29th January, 2021.
Hon Members, any correction?
Mr Speaker 10:54 a.m.
Hon Members, the next one is the Official Report of Tuesday, 2nd February, 2021. Any corrections?
Mr Speaker 10:54 a.m.
Hon Members, we would take item numbered 4 -- Statements.
I have admitted an urgent Statement on an unfortunate incident which took place in the Gomoa West Constituency and it would be made by the Hon Member for that Constituency, Mr Richard Gyan- Mensah.
Hon Member, you may make your Statement.
STATEMENTS 10:54 a.m.
Mr Richard Gyan-Mensah (NDC -- Gomoa West) 11:04 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to thank you for this uncommon opportunity to
make a Statement on this august Floor of the Parliament of the good people of Ghana and on behalf of my people, the Gomoa West Constituency people who today, stand in the bruises of a disaster we are yet to understand why it occurred.
I would have wished that my maiden Statement on this august Floor would be one that is gleeful and inspiring, unfortunately, it is sad and it is said that “man proposes but God disposes''. I am here to give a rather sad and morbid account of the tempestuous misfortune of some young constituents of mine.
Mr Speaker, Sunday, the 7th of March, 2021, is a day the good people of Gomoa West Constituency and my good self would never forget. What began as a normal day took a rather bizarre turn and ended up with all of us in tears and heartbreaks.

A group of young people between the ages of ten and 17 years thronged the Apam beach to swim in defiance of several warnings and were hit by an unexplained misfortune leaving 12 of them drowned - as of yesterday, the report said 12, but this morning when I went to my Constituency, we had recorded a new dead person as

having been found at the beach. So, now, the number is 13. This sad event occurred at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, 7th March, 2021 at the Apam beach.

Mr Speaker, accounts gathered from witnesses inidcate that, a high tide suddenly swept across the shore at the location where these young ones were swimming, dragging a number of them far offshore into the depth of the sea. There was unrestrained struggle among the victims with each one giving off his or her best fight for survival. Sadly, only two of the victims rescued survived but with the conditions that required urgent medical attention. They were immediately rushed to the St. Luke Hospital at Apam where they were treated and discharged the next day.

Mr Speaker, it is extremely devastating to report that the lifeless bodies of now 13 of the teenagers were retrieved from the sea later through the intervention of local fishermen and the Fishermen Council of Apam. The 13 included 11 boys two girls, all of whom were in their early teens. Out of the 13 bodies retrieved, 10 have been identified by their family members. It is our hope that the remaining three will be identified as soon as possible. A search for the remaining bodies is still ongoing.
Mr Speaker 11:04 a.m.
Hon Members, this is an urgent Statement on a very sad event. Definitely, I would allow one from each Side of the divide to make comments.
Yes, Hon Member for Nandom?
Minister for the Interior (Mr Ambrose P. Dery) (MP) 11:14 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Speaker, the Statement by our Hon Colleague MP from Gomoa West is a very important one.
I would want, on behalf of the Government, to express our condolences to the bereaved families and to the Member of Parliament. This was a very unfortunate incident.
Yes, it is true that H.E. the President had banned activities on the beach but having said that it has been our hope that even those who breach that law would be alive and would be counselled not to continue to do what
they are doing. This has hit the country and, yes, the MP has acknowledged the participation of the District Chief Executive and the Police Command at their level.
I would want to assure you that the IGP and the Regional Command are all involved, and we would want to get to the bottom of this matter.
Mr Speaker, it is unfortunate when these incidents happen. We do not allow a thorough investigation on the matter before we begin to ascribe motives to the activities of those who have passed on. I share the position with him that the Press should be circumspect in their reportage of these incidents. It is an unfortunate incident, and we should not seek to make allegations against these our young children who happened to have got involved in this accident. They are not alive now. Therefore, we should hold our guns as far as allegations against them are concern.
What we would rather want the Press and witnesses to do is to assist the Police with information that would help us understand what happened and help us avoid the recurrence of that. But above all, Mr Speaker, we would work together with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other State agencies to see in what way we can be of assistance.
Yes, the Hon Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hon Hawa Koomson has already been there with the Regional Minister-designate, but I would want to assure my colleague and the people of Gomoa West that the Ministry of the Interior would work with all relevant agencies to see what little comfort we can give, and above all to see how we can find out exactly what happened.
But let me use this opportunity to appeal to our people to respect the ban that has been put in place and to help us see through this COVID-19 pandemic with as little loss as possible to us. This is not even a direct loss as a result of the COVID-19.
So, Mr Speaker, with these few words, I would like to say again, our condolences to the bereaved families. We would work together with the MP to see in what way we can assist the bereaved families to get over this unfortunate incident.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 11:14 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member for Pusiga?
Ms Laadi Ayii Ayamba (NDC -- Pusiga) 11:14 a.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
The Statement ably made by the Hon Member is quite disheartening. It is very sad. Indeed. Although I was not there, I can see it was actually a black Sunday for them. Let me send my condolences to the bereaved families and to request for more patience and tolerance for the Hon Member, the District Chief Executive (DCE) and all other stakeholders who are involved in running round to see to it that these bodies are retrieved, and that the cause of the accident is unearthed. And I wish that they continue to be more united.
Mr Speaker, it is a fact that the President has spoken that no persons should be found going to beaches, but the fact also remains that in dealing with human institutions, such things could easily happen. Parents, guardians and all other persons concerned need to always support. Even if there were no ban for persons to go to beaches or social gatherings, it is very important we keep an eye on social gatherings.
One might not even be part of it because incidents occur and sometimes so many questions come than answers. One may not even know why. Here we are, instead of us thinking of the tide that came, which is natural and talking about how these children could have been saved,
Mr Speaker 11:24 p.m.
Hon Members, at the commencement of Public Business, under Order 53(2), I would grant leave for us to vary the order of Business.
So we would not take item numbered 5 but we would go straight to item numbered 6.
Hon Members, due to an urgent administrative function, I would have to yield the Chair to the Hon First Deputy Speaker.
Item numbered 6, Motion to thank the President for the Message on the State of the Nation.
Today, it is programmed that we take 12 each before the Leaders come in to wind up the debate. So the first person to have a bite is the Hon Deputy Minority Leader, Mr James K. Avedzi.
  • [MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER IN THE CHAIR.]
    • MOTIONS 11:27 a.m.
  • [Resumption of debate from 10/ 03/2021]
    • Mr James K. Avedzi (NDC -- Ketu North) 11:27 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion to thank H. E. the President for the Message on the State of the Nation.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to begin with a quote from the Message delivered by His Excellency the President and I refer you to page 12, paragraph 3 which states and as fellows .
    “Mr. Speaker, after four years in office, I am happy to state that there has been more progress in formalising the Ghanaian economy than there was in the previous sixty (60) years since independence.”
    Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin 11:27 a.m.
    On a point of Order. Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague is a Leader of this House and he cannot in a submission state that moneys are being collected and “chopped”. What is the meaning of “collected today and chopped”? Chop what? He cannot say this.
    Mr Speaker, we have backed expenditure and spending here; what is “chopped”? He should explain.
    Mr Speaker, he should be made to withdraw.
    Mr Avedzi 11:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, we have various types of expenditure. We have recurrent expenditure and capital expenditure.
    If the money is used for capital expenditure, it grows back the economy because that capital expenditure, would generate additional revenue to support the economy, but if we use that money to pay for recurrent expenditure like salaries, then we are “chopping” the money. That is what I mean by “chop”. This is because we are borrowing to service debts. If we draw a graph of the loans that we are taking in this country, we would realise that the graph does not go down, but rather goes up, and if our revenue is going down, then there is a gap.
    What it means is that we borrow to pay for the debts that are maturing, and our economy would be in danger. That is why at the end of the month, one's salary would not be paid.
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:34 a.m.
    Hon Deputy Minority Leader, you should please hold on.
    Mr Agyapong 11:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, I think that my Hon Colleague is deceiving the House by reading page 21 without reference to the last paragraph on page 20.
    Mr Speaker, with your permission, I would want to read what page 20 says. It clearly tells us that our Hon Colleague is misleading the House. This is because the last paragraph of page 20 says, and I quote:
    “Under housing, the Government of Ghana Affordable Housing Programme, which seeks to increase safe, secure, adequate and affordable housing units across the country is continuing in earnest. Thus far, 1,464
    housing units in Borteyman, 1,127 in Asokore Mampong, 312 housing projects have been completed in kpone. The Koforidua, Tamale and Wa housing projects have been handed over the State Housing Company for completion.”
    Mr Speaker, therefore, if the President says that it is his intention, the Hon Minority Leader misleads the House by saying that the President did not make mention of housing --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:34 a.m.
    Hon Member for Assin Central, the Hon Member on his feet may have left something out, and that is why you would get your opportunity to speak. When you get your opportunity, then you expose the deliberate leaving out of anything. So, kindly wait until you take your turn to debate.
    Mr Avedzi 11:34 a.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, if the Hon Member gets his chance, then he can say all those things. However, I was saying that the President is communicating his intentions to Ghanaians without telling us how he intends to resolve the issue. Projects that have been started by the previous Government are lying down there. Why would he leave the project to rot for four years, yets say he has
    Mr Avedzi 11:44 a.m.
    the intention to solve the housing problem? Is his intention of solving the housing problem to leave the project, which was started, which people could have gone in to occupy to rot? Is that the way to solve the housing problem? Therefore, my Hon Colleague should wait for his turn, and he should factor what I have just said to his contribution when he gets the chance.
    Mr Speaker, this is the first State of the Nation Address of the second term of the President. The President was given a four year term which ended on the 6th January of this year. The President told this country what he planned to do in his first term. The President talked about certain flagship projects, and we can name them. We have the One District, One Factory Programme the One Million per Constituency Programme; the One Village One Dam Programme; and the Free Senior High School Programme.
    In the first SONA of the President for the second term, at least, he should give us a report on how he performed in his first term, in relation to his flagship projects. What percentage of the One District, One Factory has he achieved? He should tell us because we are giving him another term. He wants to build factories in every
    district, so, how many districts did he build factories in, in the previous term? It is not in this State of the Nation Address.
    Mr Speaker, he also talked about the One Million per Constituency Programme. For the past four years, I can speak for Ketu North that we did not receive even a million United States dollars for Ketu north. I do not know of you, but I believe that you have also not received anything. How did he perform in terms of his One Million Dollar per Constituency? Now, he has dropped all those things without even mentioning them, and he is now telling us things that are only his intention to solve the housing problem.

    Mr Speaker, on the Free SHS Programme, where are we in terms of the housing and school infrastructure? The President did not talk about those.

    If a country's debt burden is increasing, its health is in jeopardy. As I said earlier, if you plot a graph of the debt that we have taken, our debt is going upwards. Now, if it happens that way, and we do not have a corresponding increase in the revenue generation, then, we have a difficulty in meeting our expenditure as a country.

    Mr Speaker, we can see clearly that the health of Ghana is in danger simply because, in four years, we have increased the debt over a 100 per cent from GH¢120 billion to GH¢286 billion. That is alarming. It is over 100 per cent. Mr Speaker, why did the President deliberately not talk about the debt situation of Ghana in his Address? Is it meant to conceal information from the people of Ghana or he is not comfortable to mention the debt that the country owes?

    As said yesterday by the Hon Eric Opoku, if we are to share the debt of Ghana among Ghanaians, everyone now owes over GH¢9,000 as debt.

    Mr Speaker, this is what we are talking about. If the President wants to tell us what really the state of Ghana is, then, what he has delivered is something that we cannot consider to be right. The true state of Ghana must include the debt that we owe, and it must tell us how much revenue we generate as a country.

    Mr Speaker, I would want to thank you for the opportunity and would want to ask a question. On page 23, paragraph 2, lines 10 and 12, the President talked about the construction of hangers at the police depot for four helicopters that have been procured for the Ghana Police

    Service. The question is, where are the helicopters? In the Budget Statement, three helicopters were mentioned, but in the Address, the President said four helicopters. What has brought the disparity in the numbers? Where are the helicopters? This is a question that we expect answers from the Government Side of the House.

    On that note, I would want to thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion.
    Mr Dominic Bingab Aduna Nitiwul (NPP -- Bimbilla) 11:44 a.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the Motion numbered 6 today on the Order Paper of 11th March, 2021 to thank the President for the State of the Nation Address.
    Mr Speaker, before I delve into security matters, I would want to use five minutes of my time to respond to one or two things that some Hon Members on the Opposite side said. Yesterday, one of the Hon Members conspicuously insisted that the President did not tell the truth about imports and exports of food, particularly tomatoes and maize. He insisted that the President said that we did not import a single grain of maize and tomatoes.
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
    Hon Minister, hold on. Yes, Hon Member for Tamale North?
    Mr Sayibu 11:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, this debate is live online, and a number of students are also following, so, it is important that when inaccuracies, especially in relation to the definition
    of terms are hurdled, it is important that they are corrected. Mr Speaker, net exporter is simply defined as --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
    Hon Member, are you pointing out some error or something?
    Mr Sayibu 11:44 a.m.
    I am pointing out an error. Mr Speaker, “net exporter” is defined as a country that exports more than it imports.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
    Hon Member, you are just repeating what he said. When you get your chance, you argue your alternative.
    Hon Member, kindly continue.
    Mr Sayibu 11:44 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, it would be correct for the Hon Member to inform us in this country; which country --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
    Hon Member, I said that this is an alternative view. When you get your chance, argue it. He is not out of order.
    Mr Nitiwul 11:54 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
    Mr Speaker, to go to security matters, the President was very truthful when he told the people of
    Ghana that -- [Interruption]. Mr Speaker, it looks like my Hon Colleagues on the other Side are looking for more responses. Let me give them one more response.

    It takes a genius to bring a deal called Agyapa to the people of Ghana. Let me explain. They on the other Side were the first people to put in security wise future income at the Ghana airport. Ninety-five per cent of all future incomes were securitised for Terminal 3. This is the same principle the President is using.

    Today Mr Speaker, if you go between Hohoe and Jasikan, you would see the Sinohydro road being constructed. If you go to Tamale for the first time, it is because of the likes of the Agyapa deal, that is securitising future income, we have a gigantic, beautiful and modern flyover passing through the streets of Tamale.

    That is why I said that it takes genius for somebody to think that instead of leaving over 400 billion worth of minerals down there, securitise our future income and use it to build something for us that would earn us income in the future.

    That is how America was built. If you know what we call mortgage- backed securities, that is how
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 11:54 a.m.
    Hon Member, you have one minute more.
    Mr Nitiwul 12:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in 2009, just here in Agbogbloshie, over nine people were slaughtered after the elections. In Tamale town, over 20 houses were burnt and if you remember, five people died. In Kumbungu, two people were slaughtered in 2004 -- I did not say killed, they were slaughtered. I would be very happy if we investigated all these things, including the six who died in this election.
    I would be very happy that we investigate all these matters, including the six that died during the general election and bring the matter to a final conclusion.
    Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I would be one of the first people to submit myself to any probe and I hope that all former Hon Ministers of Defence and the Interior since 1992, would also submit themselves to any probe to ensure that this country moves as one, so that we do not see election violence again. In the 2000 general elections, I know that Mr Kwamena Bartels was beaten.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the opportunity.
    Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (NDC -- North Tongu) 12:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion.
    Mr Speaker, speaking after the Hon Minister for Defence, I must state ab initio that I am deeply saddened and totally disappointed at how he treats the very grave matter of the killings of our compatriots during the 7th December 2020, general elections.
    It is important to stress that there could be no justification when lives are lost and Hon Ministers who were in charge during that time, should not attempt equalisation and should not be reckless in their remarks. There would surely be an investigation and those of us on this Side of the House, would not rest and the souls of those who have departed would not rest until justice is done in this matter.
    Mr Speaker, I would return to these killings in a jiffy but I would want to stress that the President displayed to me an unforgivable lack of empathy when he addressed the nation on Tuesday, 9 th March, 2021. He displayed an unforgivable lack of empathy because on the day he addressed the nation -- I have with me the Daily Graphic of that day, Tuesday, 9th March 2021 with a caption “Twenty drowned in Apam''. Our compatriots; children between the ages of 11 and 17 years old, according to media report, had drowned and the rescue effort was underway.
    Even as I speak, their bodies have remained missing and the rescue effort continues. Not a word from the Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, who could have mobilised the navy and who should have at least, expressed sympathy at
    the very least, the Message of the State of the Nation, would reflect what matters to him as President and what he values. Human lives are important and this is a measure of how we value our citizens and the people who elect us into office.
    Mr Speaker, I am also disappointed about the lack of empathy as regards the numerous road accidents that occurred few days before the President addressed this House.
    On 3rd February, 17 people died on the spot and 44 passengers were injured in a crash which involved two buses from the Buipe to Tamale road and the President did not mention that. Sixteen died in the Eastern Region, on the 26th February, 2021 in Akyem Asafo, six died in Mpaha and at least, 43 people lost their lives a few days before the President addressed this nation and the lack of empathy and sympathy -- there was no heart in this Address. This must never happen again -- we must value human lives.
    These tragedies must not be seen as normal and it is important that when the President comes to address this nation, when there is such a colossal tragedy, he must find space in his Address to talk about it and to assure this nation that action would be taken.
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, please, hold on.
    Yes, Hon Member for Nyihaeso?
    Mr S. Amoah 12:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleagues have constantly talked about political violence but they rather have to state it as a national issue that we all have to --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, when you get your opportunity you could make that correction.
    Hon Members, let me make this clear. Most of the interactions are intended to argue on alternative views and that is why I ignored them. Anytime I offer the opportunity my fears are confirmed, so I would keep ignoring unless I have sufficient reasons to believe that. If I hear something myself which is unparliamentary, I would recognise an Hon Member but otherwise, I would not give the space to others to argue on alternative views.
    Mr Ablakwa 12:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the records would show that this is the first time a President has failed to increase his parliamentary majority going into a second term of office, since the year 2000. He lost almost half a million votes and he must be concerned that the public confidence and legitimacy has been eroded so he should not beat his chest.
    He must rededicate to the expectations that Ghanaians had when he first appeared on the stage as President following the 2016 Elections.
    Mr Speaker, the next matter I must speak to is the very troubling development which is the fact that for the first time in the President's Message on the State of the Nation
    Address, he did not utter a word on corruption. Indeed, I have gone through the entire 26 pages and the President clearly appears to have given up on the corruption fight.
    Not a mention is made and it is not surprising that only last night, the co- founder of the Centre for Democratic Development and the Chairman of the Afro-barometer in an interview on the Point of View with Bernard Avle on Citi TV, said and I quote with your permission:
    “As for the President's credibility in terms of anti-corruption, I am afraid to say, it is in tatters. It has been in tatters for a while but the removal of Domelevo puts a nail in the coffin.”
    This is the respected Professor Gyimah Boadi's verdict.
    What happened in the Domelevo case? Mr Speaker, this country is still in a state of shock. Mr Domelevo was asked under controversial circumstances to proceed on leave for 123 days as a Ghanaian. He went on leave as a Ghanaian; he returned and we are told they had suddenly discovered that he is a Togolese and we are told also that he must retire because there was some errors when he was filing his papers.
    Mr Ablakwa 12:14 p.m.


    Mr Speaker, we do know that despite the provision under article 199, public servants are given contracts. So, granted that even this controversial claim that he is due for retirement, he could have been given an extension on contract to continue with the good work that he was doing as Auditor-General which won him global acclaim.

    Mr Speaker, we know that the evidence shows that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo loves to work with retirees. I have a tall list here.

    The Controller and Accountant General who worked in the first term of the President, Mr Eugene Ofosuhene was the Controller and Accountant General at 66 years and remained in office till he was 69 years. Mr Kofi Dwuma, the CEO of Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation (GIHOC) was appointed at 67 years; Mr Isaac Osei was appointed at 66 years as CEO of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR); Mr Kwame Owusu, CEO of Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) was appointed at 67 years.

    Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare, Director- General of Ghana Health Service (GHS) was appointed at 62 years and he is over 65 years now; Dr Samuel Annor, CEO of National Health

    Insurance Authority (NHIA) was appointed at 63 years. Mr K. K. Sarpong, CEO of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) was appointed at 63 years and he is more than 66 years and he is still in office. Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, our own former Colleague who is the CEO of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) was appointed at 63 years. Professor Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah, CEO of National Identification Authority (NIA) is more than 60 years now. These are the records.

    Mr Speaker, so, all these over 60 year old retirees can be at post working in the Public Service but Mr Domelevo cannot work because he is 60 years; he must go home and suddenly, despite all his years of service to Ghana, we are told that he is a Togolese.

    As for my people and how we are endangered, I am sure very soon I would also be called a Togolese and I would have to leave this Chamber. But this is really unacceptable; it is unconscionable and totally unacceptable and I could not agree more with Professor Gyimah Boadi that the President's anti-corruption record is in total tatters.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:14 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Member, hold on.
    Yes, Hon Deputy Majority Leader?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, our Hon Colleague is misleading this House on the aspect of the submission that Mr Domelevo is being seen as a Togolese. It is not the fact; the fact is, in his own hand writing filling a form stated that he was and he has come back to explain the circumstances that he stated his nationality as such. For him to argue that this government is saying so --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:14 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Majority Leader, you would have the opportunity and you can argue that even better.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I just wanted to correct him but it is fine.
    Mr Ablakwa 12:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I hope that my good brother, Afenyo- Markin, with the Afenyo in his name would not soon be called a Togolese who may have to vacate this honourable Chamber.
    Mr Speaker, it is a very serious matter and we must not condone this at all. It is clearly a day of shame in the fight against corruption and Mr Domelevo does not deserve what he is going through. Somebody who is protecting the public purse should rather be encouraged to stay on. Even if he has retired, he could be given a
    contract of extension and I have proved to you that there are so many of Mr Domelevo's contemporaries in the public service who are -- Indeed, the President loves retirees, he himself being one.
    Mr Speaker, but I am also concerned as I move on, that there are a lot of misleading and deceptive claims as I go through the pages of the Message on the State of the Nation. If we look at page 9, for example, the President informs this House that the Keta Port is under construction and at various stages of completion.
    That is blatantly untrue. If one goes to the Keta Port now, one only sees a sign post and there is weed growth. Weeds have taken over. There is no construction going on in the Volta Region so far as the Keta Harbour is concerned. That is a fact and that which is contained in page 9 is misleading.
    Mr Speaker, also, at page 12, there is another misleading claim. It is the claim by the President, in the second paragraph, that Senior High Schools have implemented a free internet connectivity in our country. That again is not borne out by the facts.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:14 p.m.
    Hon Member, you have one more minute.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:14 p.m.
    Hon Ambrose Dery?
    Mr Ambrose P. Dery (NPP-- Nandom) 12:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you and permit me to respond to some untenable statements that have been made before I go to the security.
    First of all, the Hon Member, Mr Ablakwa, talks about the fact that the President did not mention the Apam disaster. We are not just interested in lip service. He came into the Chamber probably a little late. The MP for Gomoa West, Hon Richard Gyan- Mensah, made a Statement here and in it, he acknowledged the sensitivity and support that the Executive displayed.
    The District Chief Executive was there; the District Police Commander was there; Hon Hawa Koomson went there with the Regional Minister- designate. These are concrete steps to show that we have an Executive led by a sensitive President and not just the lips service of mentioning.
    The next one has to do with the killing or death of people during the election. Now Hon Ablakwa says that there is nothing being done about the investigation. This matter, just as other killings in Ghana, is being investigated by the Police. Beyond that, the Chief of Staff chaired a meeting, and I was privileged to be there with the Minister
    for National Security in which the National Democratic Congress (NDC) delegation present there was led by Hon Totobi Kwakye. We went through all this and reiterated our commitment to make sure this is investigated.
    Mr Speaker, equality before the law is important in the operation of the Rule of Law. When our children are unfortunately killed in Takoradi, the police investigates, and when other people are killed, the Police investigates. But when we have an election killing, do we want a special investigative machinery to do so when we have given the assurance that we are going to make sure that whoever is guilty is brought to book?
    He has said that the President has lost parliamentary majority. This is an outcome of a democratic process. Is it not evidenced that the election was credible? How could the election that has been rigged in favour of the Executive lead to a reduction in the number of MPs? Naturally, it should have led to something opposite, and so that does not add up at all.
    Mr Speaker, he talks about Mr Domelevo. I know him personally. If there are issues that should be dealt with as far as Mr Domelevo is concerned, they are issues that could
    be sent to the court to be resolved. He was talking about ages. When Hon Dominic Ayine said that the Special Prosecutor's age was a problem, he resorted to due process. However, let me tell the Hon Member the commitment of the President to fight corruption. It is systemic. When the President of America, President Obama, came here and told us that systems are better than individual championship, we hailed it.
    This President is powering anti- corruption institutions including the Auditor-General's Department duly admitted by the Auditor-General who has retired. He has done so with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Parliament, and he would continue to do so.
    He has created the Office of the Special Prosecutor. Yes, the Hon Member might have personality problems, but the most important thing is, he has put a system in place that would fight corruption on a sustainable basis. Digitalisation is another aspect which has been dealt with, and so systemic approach is better.
    He talked about retirees, and I can only go back to the example of the Hon Dominic Ayine. These are things that he can go through due process to resolve.
    Mr Ambrose P. Dery (NPP-- Nandom) 12:34 p.m.
    Those cameras -- We are still working on the cases of Ahmed Hussein-Suale and all of them. With some more digitalisation. In some of those scenes, if we could have captured what occurred we would be able to deal with them.
    This, we can do by getting the security to eschew this name calling. If Ghana is not safe, it is not safe for all of us. That is why I was impressed when we met the delegation from the NDC. We were ad idem that we should work together.

    There was consensus that we should work together. Hon Members of Parliament, let us support the President who has invested in security more than any other. Anybody who says that there was no review of the salary of the army is not telling the truth.

    That was occasioned agitation within the Police Service where analogous positions felt they were cheated. We then followed it up and that was what led to a cumulative payment to catch up and that was misunderstood as bribing for elections. That was not the case.

    Mr Speaker, we have since mutated that into a 10 per cent kit allowance across all the service agencies and it is going to be paid throughout. It was not done to achieve a purpose of getting people to work for us. President Akufo-Addo believes in democracy. He believes in tolerance. He believes in fundamental human rights and we are working for him and can assure that we are going to do all it takes. But at least, when we do want interventions, theyshould be equal. Are we going to set up a Parliamentary investigation committee for every murder case? For every killing? Why are we trying to separate that?

    Mr Speaker, the principles of rule of law that I know do not support that; it is equality before the law. We are improving the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) with forensic laboratories and with all the technology that we can afford and I think we should join hands and support Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo to make sure that we have a more efficient system to deal with Ghanaians equally. We cannot have a separate system for Parliamentarians and politicians and for the ordinary Ghanaian, a different one. No. the goal of the President is to make sure that each person in Ghana is safe. MP or not MP; Minister or not; the commonest person should be safe.

    Mr Speaker, I want to urge my Hon Colleagues to applaud the President. He has brought a change. Security used to be a back burner. Now it is a front burner. So let us support. I hope they support us with a budget and let us do more. Even in our own Parliament, we are establishing a division here. We need more police. We would need accommodation for them. We would need arms for them.

    The President is the first man who is doing what he should do. Not only for us but the rest of Ghana. They should support us and the President to leave a mark. Yes, he eloquently delivered a speech of great interventions that he has made. It is his time, let us support him and when we go to the elections again, we would vote. He has done it.

    Mr Speaker, recently, there was an international survey about reaction to COVID-19. Two countries were singled out as exemplary -- South Korea and Ghana. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is not just the Commander-in-Chief on paper, he is a leader that is bringing a difference. When he says that he is formalising the economy and you start talking about debt --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
    Hon Minister, you have one more minute.
    Mr A. P. Dery 12:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, so, let us support Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and let me give this assurance: the last time we enjoined the support of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Interior, we came with issues and we took on board, their views. Let us deal with that. This competition outside is not going to help us. It is only going to help criminals to know where we are going and what we are doing. We should be chasing them as the Police are doing now.
    Mr Speaker, I think President Akufo-Addo is a star that Ghana should be proud of.
    Mr Speaker, finally, with the maritime matter, he is making an effort. The Gulf of Guinea is the most dangerous place now. Very soon, without his effort in the Gulf of Guinea, we cannot even get our goods in and out. Let us work.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
    Hon Agalga, kindly resume your seat, I would call you back.
    Hon Majority Leader, you requested that we return to item numbered 5, Presentation of Papers.
    So, item numbered 5, Presentation of Papers by the Chairman of the Committee on Selections.
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 12:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would do the presentation of this Paper on behalf of the Speaker who is the Chairman on the Committee on Selection.
    PAPERS 12:34 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
    Hon Agalga, you may continue?
    Mr Agalga 12:34 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Message on the State of the Nation delivered by His Excellency the President.
    Mr Speaker, my contribution, as I said before is going to largely be in the form of a response to the arguments made by the Hon Minister for Defence and the Hon Minister for the Interior.
    Mr Speaker, before I do that, I would like to make reference to page 1 of the Address delivered by His Excellency the President.
    Mr Speaker, in the very first paragraph, the President said as follows and with your permission I read:
    “I am particularly delighted as this Message is the first of my 2nd term, the validity of which was unanimously upheld last week in a well-reasoned and excellent ruling by a seven- member panel of the Supreme Court, presided over by the Chief Justice, on 4th March
    2021.”
    Mr Speaker, with the greatest of respect, the Supreme Court is now functus officio, having delivered its judgement in the election petition.
    But Mr Speaker, this is the President's opinion of the judgement. He said it was a well-reasoned judgement and that it was an excellent judgement. With the greatest of respect, the ruling by the Supreme Court can never be said to be a well- reasoned and excellent judgement. Insofar as the judgement of the Supreme Court or the Supreme Court itself failed to hold the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensah to account by compelling her or by allowing the petitioners lawyers to have her as a witness and examined --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
    Hon Member, there are things that are going on record as lawyers. Some of the things we put down as records maybe used some day. If you are not careful, they may even impeach you. What was before the court was an election petition regulated by its own rules. Let us avoid the politics of it. Leave it outside. An election petition -- [Interruption] -- No, it is important that when we are talking about legal matters, lawyers make sure that what we put on record is truly legal. That for me, is important. This
    is because we should not defame the law and particularly in this Chamber where we make the laws. So please be guided. Nobody can take your opinion of the ruling away from you but your critique must be legal as long as you are taking a legal - Please.
    It was not in this Chamber.
    12. 44 p.m.
    Mr Agalga 12:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much. The context of the critique I made is clearly one which seeks to impugn the judgement. The court is functus officio and so I could even write an article in respect of the judgement and critique it. So all I am saying is that the Supreme Court lost a glorious opportunity to hold a public office holder from accounting to the people of this country -- [Hear! Hear!] --
    Mr Speaker, to that extent, I am of the candid opinion that the judgement was not well reasoned and excellent. Mr Speaker, having said that, I have listened carefully to the arguments made by the Hon Minister for the Interior, in respect of the calls made by my Hon brother, the Hon Okudzeto, for a probe into the killings during the conduct of the elections. In Hon Okudzeto's arguments, he made it very clear that the President in his address omitted or neglected to
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Minister for Defence?
    Mr Nitiwul 12:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the MI helicopters that we are operating are six. I have sent two of them for refurbishment. Those helicopters were procured by former Presidents Kufuor and Mills. President Kufuor procured four, and two are not there, but two are working. With those helicopters that we are currently using, out of the four that we are using, two were procured by President Kufuor and the other two by President Mills. The other two were sent for refurbishment, so what the Hon Member said is not true.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
    Hon Minister for Defence and Hon Ranking Member, is it safe to discuss our military hardware in the open? [Interruption]
    Mr Nitiwul 12:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would be guided. I was only alluding to the purchase; the retooling of our armed forces, nothing more and nothing less.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
    Very well. I hope you both would be guided?
    Mr Agalga 12:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, H. E. the President also gave indication, and actually sought to create the impression that the purchase of 735 vehicles for the Police Service was unprecedented in the history of the Service. This is captured on page 23 of the statement delivered by the President. However, I would like to debunk this claim that 735 vehicles for the Police is not unprecedented. In fact, between 2010 and 2014 alone, the Police Service received a total of 1,424 vehicles. [Hear! Hear!] This information is captured in the Green Book, and the Hon Minister for the Interior can get a copy and apprise himself.
    Mr Speaker, additionally --
    Mr Dery -- rose —
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Minister for the Interior?
    Mr A. P. Dery 12:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member is misleading the House. We are talking from Police records, not Green Book. Mr Speaker, we have told you what we met and the police themselves know that is unprecedented. What they are saying is not true. They were just 400.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, do you have any record other than this? We know the Green Book is not an official document. Do you have any information that counteracts what he said?
    Mr A. P. Dery 12:54 p.m.
    Yes, I do, and most of the... [Inaudible]
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:54 p.m.
    You did not speak into your microphone. That is what the Hon Leader adverted to.
    Mr A. P. Dery 12:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, what the Hon Member said is baseless. These are from police records. The Green Book is not --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, that is your view. Of course, there is no record to back it.
    Mr Agalga 12:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to indicate that I was a Deputy Minister for the Interior at the time this book was written. In fact, the records were extracted from the Ministry of the Interior at the time.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, when you bring us the record, we will use it, but for the time being, you have quoted from the Green Book. Continue!
    Mr Agalga 12:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, additionally, the President said in his Address before this honourable House that they have bought two hydraulic platforms and six extrication gadgets for the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS). But in 2012 and 2014, 206 fire engines were bought and deployed for the GNFS by President Mahama. As we speak, five years down the line, not even a single fire engine has been bought and added unto the fleet that was inherited by President Akufo-Addo.
    Mr Speaker, when we talk about the establishment of an air wing of the Ghana Police Service as if it is a novelty, I would like to remind the Hon Minister for the Interior that it was under the watch of the NDC that the Marine Police Unit was established, and fully equipped with speedboats for the protection of our territorial waters. So, they must be reminded
    that these things are not new. Inasmuch as we agree that we must all work hard in retooling our security agencies, when they take certain steps, they should not make it look as if these are things happening for the first time in the history of our security agencies.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to touch on one important aspect of the President's Address. He gave indication before this honourable House that he is not afraid of public scrutiny and so, when he was the Attorney-General under President Kufuor, he spearheaded the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law. However, today, what is the state of media freedom in our country?
    First of all, our ranking has been reduced. Journalists have been murdered in cold blood in this country. Some had to flee our country for the fear of their lives. I am talking about Manasseh Azure. Edward Adeti had to flee Bolgatanga after some corruption investigation which led to the dismissal of a Minister of State. He had to flee the regional capital of the Upper East Region.
    Mr Speaker, today as we speak, over 50 radio stations remain closed because of the perception that they were anti-Government.
    Mr Agalga 12:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am guided.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to add that the Hon Minister for the Interior has stated that they have done a lot, and brought down incidents of armed robbery in our country, but the statistics are staggering and very frightening. Personnel of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) have not been spared. The other day, the driver of an ambulance carrying a pregnant woman from Akuse to Koforidua was shot by armed robbers, and he died later in the hospital.
    I made this point and I will say it once again that at some point, the highway linking Tamale, Bolgatanga and Ouagadougou was no longer passable; it was completely taken over by armed robbers. Two truck drivers were shot dead at a place known as Pusu Namongo in the Talensi District, the constituency of the Hon B. T. Baba. This resulted in members of the Ghana National Tomatoes Traders and Transporters Association boycotting their trade.
    Mr Speaker, that is the state of our country's security. We do not feel safe and secure, and the President, with the greatest of respect, must up his game.
    I thank you, Mr Speaker for the opportunity.
    Minister for Lands and Natural Resources (Mr Samuel Abdulai Jinapor (MP) 12:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion before the House.
    Mr Speaker, two days ago, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was in this House, and he gave an inspiring Address. It is one which demonstrates clearly that the state of our country is in good health. Indeed, the Ghanaian people are safe and are speaking freely. The Opposition, even on the floor of Parliament, have the opportunity to speak freely and speak back at the President. This country is free.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague, the Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa, in his contribution to the Motion, stated that public confidence has eroded because of the outcome of the election of 2020. Mr Speaker, for the record, the first time my Hon Colleague and Friend had the opportunity to serve
    in Government as Deputy Minister for Information, he did so under a Government that scored 50.03 per cent of the votes. The margin of victory was 23,000 votes.
    rose
    Mr S. A. Jinapor 12:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the second time --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, hold on.
    Mr George 12:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to draw the attention of the Hon Samuel Abdulai Jinapor to article 116(1) of the 1992 Constitution. It reads with permission:
    “Subject to the provisions of this article, but without prejudice to the general effect of article 115 of this Constitution, civil or criminal proceedings shall not be instituted against a member of Parliament in any court or place out of Parliament for any matter or thing brought by him in or before Parliament by petition, bill, motion or otherwise.”
    When he said that the Opposition is able to speak freely today in Parliament it is because of freedom of speech --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 12:54 p.m.
    So it affirms what he said already. Thank you very much. Kindly continue. [Laughter]
    Mr S. A. Jinapor 1:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I was on the subject of public confidence. In 2013, when my Friend had the second opportunity to serve in Government, he served in one that scored 50.7 per cent of the votes. Mr Speaker, 51 per cent plus of the votes is full confidence in a Government. Indeed, his party, since 2000, has never garnered more than 51 per cent of the votes. The real confidence in the Government of President Akufo- Addo was established in the 2020 elections.
    Mr Speaker, we are all for condemning electoral violence in our country, and encouraging investigations, but it is important we put on record that that exercise be conducted devoid of selectiveness, populism and I should add, devoid of hypocrisy.
    We are all very conversant with elections in this country, and from 1992 to date, the record of electoral violence in this country is there for all of us to appreciate. I do not condone electoral violence, but the selective condemnation of electoral violence
    Mr S. A. Jinapor 1:14 p.m.
    and significant, what the Hon Minister for Finance at the time, said to this House and with your indulgence, I quote:
    “Currently, Ghana has shares and varied interests in a number of mining companies that enable government to receive significant cash flows from royalties and dividends. The current increases in gold prices, increased demand for gold exposure by investors, and the appreciation in the equity interests in the gold mining companies present a unique opportunity for the government to consider the monetisation of all or portion of its gold interests to deliver a significant capital sum to support the nation's growth and development.”
    Mr Speaker, the then Hon Minister for Finance continued on paragraph 220 which I read thus:
    “220. Beginning in fiscal year 2011 therefore, government will commence discussions on the establishment of a national vehicle, the „Ghana Gold Company (GGC) , which will hold the country's gold royalties and equity interest. The GGC will be a newly incorporated company that will be 100 per cent owned by the
    government and into which the government will transfer its gold and equity interests.
    221. The benefits to government for having such a company are several, including the following:
    delivery of significant capital sum to the government, raised from private markets;
    innovative way to capitalise on the market premium for royalties;
    provides government with continued exposure to capital appreciation of a national company, together with ongoing dividends;
    availability of capital raising options to government, including trade sale, stock market listing, gold-linked bond issue, etc;
    existence of a national vehicle that can raise further capital from future royalties and/or other assets.”
    Mr Speaker, the question is, what is the difference between what the NDC Government under former President Mills and the then Minister for Finance sought to do in 2010 and
    that of the Agyapa deal? [Interruption] There is absolutely no difference. The only difference is the name and the fact that unlike in 2010, today, we have a lot more skillful and innovative managers of the economy who have been successful at structuring the Agyapa transaction. I do not see any difference between what was sought to be done in 2010 and what is being proposed in this year, 2021.
    So, I would like to submit, that when it is time for this engagement, I believe that both Sides of the House, out of candour and in the national interest, should have this engagement in good faith and let us examine what is good for this country. I believe when that examination is done in good faith and done objectively, we will come to no other conclusion, that the Agyapa deal is in the interest of our country and the monetisation of the royalties of our mineral resources is in the interest of our country. Also, leveraging our royalties and our mineral resources to bring about infrastructural development, would be in the interest of our country.
    Mr Speaker, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ought to be commended. I believe on that fateful day when he appeared before this House, he demonstrated clearly
    that he has a vision for our country. He clearly showed that even in the midst of a pandemic, he is capable of providing leadership for our country. Indeed, the post COVID-19 pandemic recovery is very much safely in the hands of the President.
    In all sectors of our national life, the President demonstrated how much our country has progressed and how much we have gone further down the road, whether in education with the free Senior High School and the investment in infrastructure and all the positive things that have been done in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and tertiary education. Also, whether it is in health, with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and how robust it has become. Whether it is in agriculture with Planting for Food and Jobs.
    My Hon Colleagues from northern Ghana would tell you that the greatest thing that probably is happening to the ordinary people of northern Ghana is Planting for Food and Jobs.

    Unlike the past when they could not find fertilizers, simple inputs, and had no extension officers. However, under the administration of President Akufo-Addo, captured in his
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
    Hon Member, hold on.
    Yes, Hon Minority Leader?
    Mr Iddrisu 1:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, for the records, I want the Hon Member to give the translation for nchu munta.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
    Hon Member, kindly translate what you said in Gonja, please.
    Mr S. A. Jinapor 1:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, with the concept of nchu munta, when our brothers come to Damongo from Tamale and its neighbouring towns and asked for water, the usual response was always nchu munta, which means “there is no water''. We thank the President for his commitment to provide water to the good people of Damongo.
    Mr Speaker, in conclusion, there has been a lot of talk about accountability. I associate myself with what the President said that all the accountability institutions of our country have had increases in their budgetary allocation. The President is committed to the fight against corruption.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to conclude by submitting and doing so emphatically and without any shred of equivocation, that President Akufo- Addo has never been corrupt, he is

    Mr Speaker, I thank you.
    Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza (NDC -- Adaklu) 1:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member for Damongo, ended his submission by saying that the President is not corrupt but if he really wants to know what the people of this country know about corruption and the President, he should read the report of the Auditor- General and check the Special Prosecutor's report on the Agyapa deal and the description of the President.
    That would suffice him to know what the people of this country know about the President and feel about the Agyapa deal.
    I agree with him that mineral royalties should be invested in a way that benefits everybody. Nobody is against that but when the Agyapa deal returns to the House as has been promised, it would be measured with what the Special Prosecutor said.
    Mr Speaker, in the President's Message on the State of the Nation, he gave an overview of certain things. For instance, he talked about the “Boankra Inland Port'' but because this is a House of record, what we approved was the “Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal''. There is nothing like “Boankra Inland Port'' but the President kept making that mistake and the former Hon Minister of Transport corrected that when he came to the House. When would we have a synergy between the former Hon Minister of Transport and the President?
    Mr Speaker, for instance, when the President visited the Asantehene Otumfuo, Osei Tutu II, he said that in November, 2020, the Boankra project would start but on page 20, in his Address, he said that the Korean contractors are due to start work any moment soon. Mr Speaker, “any moment'' is not a date neither is it a time.
    The President has already promised the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, in September last year that the project would start in November last year. In simple terms in Twi, it could be said ebea omanpanyin adaadaa Otumfuo, to wit “the President has deceived
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
    Hon Member, please, hold on.
    Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Colleague on his feet made a statement in Asante Twi by saying, ebea omanpanyin adaadaa Otumfuo, then he translated it to mean “the President has deceived Otumfuo''. That indeed, is far from reality -- that is corruption of the translation.
    Mr Agbodza 1:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would vaccinate myself against that part of the corruption.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
    Hon Member, put your other cap on -- not the one from here, in the translation -- [Laughter.]
    Mr Agbodza 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, indeed, the Boankra project is critical but the President must be consistent
    with this. So, what should the Otumfuo think about the President with the issue of the Boankra project
    ?
    Mr Speaker, for the records, we do not have “”Boankra Inland Port''. What we approved in this House was “Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal''. This is simply because the Part Three of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority Act, of 1986 (PNDCL 160) says that it is only Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) that could deck and build and operate ports in this country. There is no way anybody should mislead the country, so no Government official should come to the House again and use the word “Boankra Inland Port''.
    Mr Speaker, the second issue I want to talk about is when the President talked about the construction of ports and other things. As the Hon Member for North Tongu said, one of the ports that has been the talking point for the NPP for some time, is the Keta Port. Even the signpost which is the only investment of the NPP so far at the site, is engulfed in weeds. There is absolutely nothing going on at the Keta Port.
    Mr Speaker, the President also talked about the Takoradi Port Project, the Terminal 3 Port Project in Tema, without giving credit to the former President Mahama, for initiating that beautiful project for
    which today, our inflows in terms of revenues at the ports have increased. There is no port project that yields any results today that was initiated by President Akufo-Addo -- he is taking credit for former President Mahama's projects.

    Mr Speaker, on railway, I thought giving an overview of the state of the nation, the President would tell us where I could go to, and take one of the sky trains he promised few years ago. Today, he does not talk about sky trains because it was one of the things that were supposed to be delivered quickly under railways. He only talked about the Tema- Mpakadan Project which was started by former President Mahama.

    That project is not an end in itself because when the goods are moved from Tema to Mpakadan, they cannot stay there because they are supposed to be moved elsewhere. There is no project currently in terms of any terminal or neither do we think of the extension of Buipe or Yeji or the other places that the goods would be transported to.

    Mr Speaker, so, completing that project without a terminal would not give the necessary revenues or

    dividends that this country wants. We would want the new Minister for Transport to come to this House and update the House as to what next.

    Indeed, we did pass an Agreement to build new railway lines and other projects but as a Member of the Committee on Roads and Transport, I know very well that the project that is being done to facilitate the movement of manganese to Takoradi is paid for by the Ghana manganese miners themselves; it was not paid for by the Government. The US$10 million was paid for by the miners themselves; so, why is the President taking credit for it?

    Mr Speaker, on roads, if Government touted a year of roads and it is given an opportunity to tell us what it has done with its first year of roads and --
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:24 p.m.
    On a point of order.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague is a good debater but the submissions that he is making, aspects of it is in breach of Standing Order 30(d) and I route that from Order 91(a).
    Mr Speaker, Standing Order 30(d) says we are not supposed to present frivolous, false, scandalous, groundless or fabricated document or such allegations and all that --
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, Order 30(d).
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:24 p.m.
    Order 30(d)?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, yes, please.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:24 p.m.
    All right.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, he describes the President of the Republic as corrupt by virtue of a supposed letter from the Hon Martin Amidu, the former Special Prosecutor. Then, he again says that a Special Prosecutor wrote that the Agyapa deal was a corrupt one.
    Mr Speaker, he is a good debater like I said. When unkind words come from this Side of the House to former President John Mahama, he does not take kindly to that. Let us be fair so that he does not get response from here.
    Mr Speaker, Mr Martin Amidu, for the records, never and I would want to refer you to the particular page where he described the Agyapa deal as corrupt. He should take the page and read for the records.
    Mr Speaker, I think that it is unfair to describe the President as such. Let us be fair; he could disagree with the Message on the State of the Nation but if today, the standard of measuring who is corrupt and not corrupt --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:24 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Majority Leader, I am still not getting clear what he is supposed to have said.
    Can you restrict yourself to that?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in his submission, ab initio, he made reference to Mr Martin Amidu's description of the President and anchored his submission on that letter to say that Mr Martin Amidu has described the President as such.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:24 p.m.
    Very well, now, I get your point but I do not hold it against him. Mr Martin Amidu wrote; when we disagree with him and we get the opportunity, we would respond to that.
    Mr Agbodza 1:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.
    Mr Speaker, if a government touts a year as a year of roads and it has been given the opportunity to tell us what it has done and it only uses six lines to describe the entire year of roads,that is a total failure.
    Mr Speaker, I was hoping the President would enumerate the major things they have done under the year of roads. That is limited to six lines in his own Address. Six lines; I wish the President would have done better.
    Mr Speaker, as we speak, my Hon Colleagues would tell you they are doing asphaltic overlay in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and in the Greater Accra Region. For lack of better words, in another government, we were doing asphaltic overlays in all the ten regions at the same time. So, if you are doing asphaltic overlay in only two regions, that is not achievement; it is mediocre! As a matter of fact, asphaltic overlay cannot be an achievement because we even went as far as going to some districts. So, two regions compared to ten regions, they have not done anything yet. It is not an achievement.
    Mr Speaker, let us come to the Sinohydro. I thought the President should be careful when he talks about the Sinohydro. Under normal circumstances, the ten projects the Hon Minister brought here to be approved should have been completed on 31st December, 2020. Not a single one of those projects have been completed. We warned them here. So, if for a period of time one gives a job to a contractor and
    gave him 12 months in an agreement and he has not been able to complete any of the projects -- they are here touting Sinohydro; in fact, if this were to be a private person that one gave him money to build a house and after two years he has not done anything, one would have sacked him as a non- performing contractor.
    We warned you here that do not bank your hopes of improvement of roads in this country on Sinohydro. They refused to listen to us. Today, they are mentioning Sinohydro. If they build the road, we would use it but so far, Sinohydro has failed all of us.
    Mr Speaker, the President mentioned bridges and other projects. I keep saying that the only bridge project in this country that could be attributed to NPP is the Tamale Interchange and then the Takoradi Interchange. The rest are all ongoing projects that they are continuing. So, what is the big deal about this?
    Mr Speaker, the main problem of roads in this country is not lack of contractors; it is not the zeal of the Minister nor the capacity of the consultants; it is simply because we are not providing enough resources for the Ministry to carry them out. In the last Budget, GH¢2 billion was the capital investment in the Ministry. So, when our Hon Colleagues come here to answer Questions, it is simply the
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:34 p.m.
    I am advised that after this one, we would change horse and resume later.
    Yes, Hon Amoako-Atta?
    Mr Kwasi Amoako-Atta (NPP -- Atiwa West) 1:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for this opportunity to contribute to the Motion which deals with the President
    appearing before this august House to perform his constitutional duty as contained in article 67 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana to present the Message on the State of the Nation to this House, and by extension to the good people of this country.
    Mr Speaker, this mandatory constitutional duty was so perfectly and eloquently performed by His Excellency the President last Tuesday for which he should be highly commended, particularly, when dealing with the very rich nature and content of the Address which he ended by assuring this august House and the people of this country that our country is indeed in good health.
    His Excellency the President did so well by touching almost every relevant aspect of our nation. He spoke on the economy, health, energy, education, infrastructure, sports, and so on.
    Mr Speaker, under the dynamic leadership of His Excellency the President for the past three to four years, a number of initiatives and innovations have been introduced in our country. Some of these have been so well mentioned by earlier speakers and I need not go through them, but we are all aware of the Planting for Food and Jobs Programme which has assured this country of abundance of

    food at affordable prices. The One- District-One-Factory is still going on and a number of districts have benefited from it.

    This has not only created employment across the length and breadth of this country, but has also greatly improved rural economy and has also brought to the fore the unique entrepreneurial ingenuity among the Ghanaian businessmen and women. The One-Village-One-Dam, One- District-One-Warehouse have all contributed to improve food storage and food security.

    Mr Speaker, my colleague, the immediate past Ranking Member of the Committee on Roads and Transport who just completed his submission regrettably and unfortunately was attempting to mislead this august House about road infrastructure and all the efforts that had been made for the past three to four years by the Government of the NPP under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

    Mr Speaker, I would want to put on record, and I stand to debate and challenge anybody at any forum that within the timeframe of three to four years, no Government, since Independence, can match the performance of President Nana

    Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's Government in the road sector. [Hear! Hear!] I challenge anybody. Mr Speaker, the statistics are there to proof this.

    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member for Adaklu tried to create the impression that His Excellency the President did not elaborate on the road sector in his Address. With your kind permission, I would want to refer to page 21, the last paragraph of the Address which I read with permmission:

    “Mr Speaker, in my inaugural address, I declared 2021 as the “Second Year of Roads”. This declaration is intended to continue to prioritise road construction so that road projects that started under the Sinohydro facility will be completed…”
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:34 p.m.
    Hon Minister, hold on.
    Yes, Hon Member for Adaklu?
    Mr Agbodza 1:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, my colleague is a much respected senior Member of this House. I never said that the President did not touch on roads. I said if in your overhyped year of roads, the summary is in six lines,
    then he has failed. And so I did not say the President did not talk about the road sector. It was in six lines.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:34 p.m.
    Very well. Your point is well made. Hon Minister, please be guided.
    Mr Amoako-Atta 1:44 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Indeed, he was referring to the attention given to roads in the Address. That is why I would want to remind him by completing the paragraph. It says:
    “This declaration is intended to continue to prioritise road construction so that road projects that started under the Sinohydro facility would be completed, as well as interchanges that are at various stages of completion. Specific details of the road projects are going to be outlined in the Budget that will be read on Friday.”
    So His Excellency the President has done justice to the road sector. He has given this House food for thought; he has given us a resume of that sector and has promised that come tomorrow, he would give details of the road sector in his Budget Statement and Economic Policy to the House.
    Mr Speaker, a lot had been done in the road sector, as I have aforementioned within the past three to four years; that is between 2017 to date by the Government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo.
    Mr Speaker, Ghana has a total road network size of a little over 80,000 kilometres. If you take the surface dressing of our roads, within this period, we were able to build a little over 4,000 kilometres nationwide, and this has never been marched in the history of this country.
    Mr Speaker, if you take asphalt overlay for the three and a half to four years period, the Government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has built over 1,000 Kilometres of asphalt overlay across the country which covers all the regional capitals and a number of the district capitals. [Hear! Hear!] There is no Government in our history that has been able to build this length of asphalt overlays. [Interruption]
    Mr Speaker, as we speak, there are about seven interchanges ongoing concurrently --
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:44 p.m.
    Hon Minister, hold on.
    Yes, Hon Minority Deputy Whip?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:44 p.m.
    All right.
    Hon Member, you do not have the records. What is your basis for challenging him? If you have an alternative record, bring it.
    Hon Minister, please continue.
    Mr Amoako-Atta 1:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you.
    Mr Speaker, I am contributing to the Message from His Excellency, the President. My Hon Colleagues are Members of this august House. They are old Members and they have all the experience. They should put down the statistics that I am rolling out, and if they doubt, they should file questions at the appropriate time. If I say that we have done over 1,000 kilometres of asphalt overlay across the country, I will provide the information when the question is filed and where they have been constructed across the country. If it is the surface dressing they want, I can furnish this august House with the locations.
    Mr Speaker, there are seven (7) different interchanges ongoing simultaneously across this country and it has never happened in the history of our country. They can file questions for me to provide the details of these interchanges and I would do that.
    The interchanges under constructions are known to everybody in this country, because they see them every day and one of the interchanges is the first in West Africa -- [Uproar] -- and the Second in the whole of Africa; the Pokuase four-tier interchange. It is the first in West Africa and the second in Africa after the one in South Africa, Durban, which is the E. B. Cloete
    Interchange. It is happening during the tenure of the NPP Government under President Nana Akufo-Addo.
    Mr Speaker, the President has also built a number of bridges across the country. So far we have built 41 different bridges across the country -- [Uproar] -- While 69 bridges are in the pipeline.
    Mr Speaker, the Government is fixing the two major bridges in the north 1:44 p.m.
    the Buipe and the Yapei Bridges. They are on contract and the contractors are currently on site. There is a third critical bridge which is the Daboya Bridge, which will serve as an alternative bridge should any of these two bridges on the central corridor of our road develop any problem. It was awarded on contract last year November, 2020 and the contractor is mobilising to site.
    Mr Speaker, a lot is being done and a lot has been done in the road sector by H. E. the President. Going forward, the President will focus on dualisation of all the major roads in our country, particularly highways. This started as far back as November and December, 2020. As we speak
    -- 1:44 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:44 p.m.
    Hon Minister, you have one minute more.
    Mr Amoako-Atta 1:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the dualisation of Accra-Kumasi Road is on course. There is a contractor on the first 17 kilometres of the Tema- Aflao Road. This is being undertaken by BHM, a British company. There is also a contractor on the Akosombo-Tema Dual Road.
    Apart from road infrastructure, H. E. the President touched on a number of areas. When all these come together, clearly, it gives assurance to the people of this country that the country is on course in terms of infrastructure, economy, and whatever anybody can think of.
    Mr Speaker, we therefore congratulate and salute the President from his sterling and unique qualities of leadership.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:54 p.m.
    Thank you Hon Minister, your time is up.
    Hon Colleagues, I will seek the leave of the House to return to Motion numbered 7. We will return to the debate.
    The Chairman of the Committee is now presiding, so the Vice Chairman will move the Motion. Are the Ranking and Deputy Ranking Members here?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 1:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, is it your pleasure that I proceed on Motion numbered 7?
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:54 p.m.
    Hon Vice Chairman, hold on.
    Hon Colleagues, having regard to the state of the Business of the House, I direct that the House Sits outside the regular Sitting hours.
    Hon Member, you may now continue?
    Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 1:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Resolved accordingly.
    MOTIONS 1:54 p.m.
    NAME DESIGNATED REGION 1:54 p.m.
    Ms Justina Owusu-Banahene responded to the under-listed issues 1:54 p.m.
    HIV And AIDS Awareness;
    Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Poultry Farmers;
    Cashew Cultivation;
    Revamping the Sports Industry;
    Sanitation;
    Water Expansion Projects;
    Land and Chieftaincy Disputes in the Region; and
    Smuggling of Cocoa Beans.
    Details of some of the responses are as follows:
    a. HIV And AIDS Awareness
    Responding to what she would do to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS, Ms. Owusu-Banahene informed the Committee that as a professional teacher with acquired knowledge in reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, and teenage pregnancy, she would continue to spread the awareness through education with the youth as the target. She told the Committee that HIV usually spreads through the puncture of sharp objects containing the virus and unprotected sexual intercourse. In her view, education on HIV and AIDS prevention has proven to be more effective. She assured the Committee that she would work tirelessly to sensitise the communities to reduce the number of cases when given the nod.
    b. Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Poultry Farmers
    The nominee responded to a question posed by the Committee on how she would assist poultry farmers in the Bono Region to recover from the losses due to the impact of THE COVID-19 pandemic on the industry. She acknowledged that the COVID- 19 pandemic had hit hard the poultry industry in the Bono Region by causing a break in the existing supply chains of poultry products. She
    explained that the restrictions on the onset of the pandemic when their largest clients were temporarily closed down was a significant challenge. She however, assured the Committee that she would adopt proactive measures to salvage the industry from collapsing and also seek government's intervention to assist the farmers with loans that attract low- interest rates.
    c. Cashew Cultivation
    The nominee was asked how she would ensure that cashew becomes a significant cash crop like cocoa in the country, especially after the establishment of the Tree Corporation Development Authority (TDCA) by an Act of Parliament, and whether she would advocate for a pricing regime? In her response, she indicated that in recent times, cashew, among others, has become a potential economic crop in the Bono Region, which has contributed significantly to job creation and a source of income for households.
    However, unlike cocoa that has a ready market and enjoys stable prices due to the role of the Ghana Cocoa Board, cashew does not have regular buyers, which reduces the interest among crop producers. She believed
    that if the farmers were given soft loans with minimal interest, it would motivate them to increase their productivity.
    d. Revamping the Sports Industry
    The Committee lauded the Bono Region's contribution to football in Ghana but was concerned on how it has recently become dormant. The Bono Regional Minister-designate stressed the need to revamp the sports industry in the region. She assured the Committee that she would work around the clock to ensure that the regional capital, Sunyani, gets a standard sports stadium to promote sporting activities in the area to further unearth talents.
    She indicated that she would collaborate with the MPs, Ministers, and opinion leaders in the Region to revamp sporting activities. She acknowledged efforts by the MP for Sunyani West in the development of youth in football and other sporting activities in the region.
    The nominee noted that the MP for Sunyani West provided modern and youth-friendly football fields for some of the towns within his constituency and that was worth mentioning. The nominee urged all Hon Members to emulate the efforts of the Sunyani West MP.
    Ms Justina Owusu-Banahene responded to the under-listed issues 1:54 p.m.
    e. Sanitation
    Responding to a question about the adverse effects of the current landfill sites close to the Technical University Hostel in Sunyani, the Minister- designate indicated that during the last quarter of 2020, the government in collaboration with the Zoomlion Company Ghana Limited had secured land near Baakoniaba for a modern landfill site. The nominee assured the Committee that she would liaise with the authorities in charge of the relocation exercise to speed up the process.
    f. Water Expansion Projects
    Responding to a question about what she would do to support the completion of the multi-million-dollar water expansion projects which are on-going in Sunyani and Wenchi, the nominee indicated that she would continue to monitor and press for its completion.
    g. Land and Chieftaincy Disputes
    On the question of whether or not some lands in Sunyani should continue to be vested in the state or reverted to the appropriate owners, the nominee indicated that she would probe into any dispute that may have arisen on vested lands and redress it
    accordingly. The nominee believed that undisputed vested lands in Sunyani should continue to remain vested in the State. She however, promised to engage all stakeholders to find solutions to disputed vested lands.
    h. Smuggling of cocoa beans
    Regarding the smuggling of cocoa beans across the borders, the nominee assured the Committee to work with the security agencies and traditional authorities to stop smuggling activities. She was of the view that cocoa in the country should be better priced to discourage smuggling.
    Recommendations
    The Committee, by consensus recommends to the House to approve the nomination of Ms. Justina Owusu- Banahene for appointment as Minister for the the Bono Region.
    4.7 Mr Adu Gyan -- Minister- Designate For Bono East Region
    4.7.1 Background
    Mr. Kwasi Adu-Gyan was born on 12th December, 1962 at Jema in the Bono East Region of Ghana.
    He started his basic education at Jema Methodist Primary School, Kintampo South from 1968 to 1972 and proceeded to New Era Preparatory School, Korle Gonno, Accra for his Common Entrance Examination from 1972 to 1974. He then continued to St. Hubert Seminary, Kumasi from 1973 to 1974. The nominee again attended Tamale Secondary School in the Northern Region and obtained a GCE ‘O' Level certificate from 1974 to 1978, he again continued to Konongo Odumasi Secondary School, Odumasi Ashanti Region for his GCE ‘A' Level Certificate from 1979 to 1981. He enrolled at DeVry Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois, USA, and obtained BSc. Computer Information Systems from 1991 to
    1995.
    Mr. Adu-Gyan started work at Trans Union Corporation, Chicago, Illinois, USA as a Programme Analyst (1995 to 1997) and in Lagrange School District, LaGrange, Illinois, USA as a Network Coordinator in (1997 to 1998). He again worked at Centre for Professional Education Arthur Anderson LLP, Illinois, USA as Network Analyst/Instructor from 1998 to 2000. He proceeded to also work at Protek Workwise Systems Inc. as the Founder/President from 1998 to 2003. The nominee, from

    The nominee held several leadership positions; Ghana's Representative, NEPAD E-Africa Commission; Ghana's Representative to the Board, Continental Coordinating Committee, E-Schools initiative (2003 to 2006); Board Member, President's Special Initiative on District Learning (2003 to 2007); Board Member, Ghana Meteorological Agency (2004 to 2007); Chairman, Bono East Region, Elections, Research and ICT Committees D-day Coordinator, New Patriotic Party (2020); Director of Elections & Polling Station Agent, Referendum for Creation of Bono East Region (2018); Member, NPP National Executive Committee & National Council; Member NPP National Disciplinary Committee; Member, NPP National Elections Committee; Director IT NPP; Regional Chairman, Brong Ahafo Region and 1st Vice Chairman, Brong Ahafo Region (2005 to 2010). The
    Ms Justina Owusu-Banahene responded to the under-listed issues 1:54 p.m.


    nominee was also the NPP Parliamentary candidate for the Kintampo South Constituency in

    2004.

    4.7.2 Responses to questions

    The nominee commented on the following issues during his interaction with the Committee:

    Leveraging ICT Solutions and the COVID-19 Pandemic;

    Plans for The Development of the Techiman Market;

    Marketing the Bono East region as a Tourism destination;

    Kintampo Waterfall;

    The Sanitation situation in the Bono East region;

    The Problem with Youth Migration in search of greener pastures;

    Traffic Congestion in Techiman Township; and

    The Future of the Kofi Annan ICT Training Centre;

    The specifics are presented below:

    a. Leveraging ICT Solutions and the COVID-19 Pandemic

    The nominee stated that ICT is a tool that could be deployed in every aspect of the country's development process. According to the nominee, ICT solutions have helped ease communication and business. Through ICT, government has deployed various electronic platforms, including e-judiciary, e-Parliament, among others, to bring public services to the people's doorsteps. He indicated that the public, through ICT, can now access services and products from their homes. He informed the Committee that the Kofi Annan ICT Center had developed a software called “nyansapo” during the COVID-19 period to support e- learning. He indicated that many softwares are being developed with the support of the Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation.

    b. Plans the for Development of the Techiman Market

    He informed the Committee that the Techiman market is one of the biggest markets in Ghana. However, the revenue generated by the market keeps dwindling. The nominee indicated that he would work with the Ministries of Local Government,

    Decentralisation and Rural Development and Communication and Digitalisation to bring digitisation in revenue mobilisation.

    c. Marketing the Bono East Region as a Tourism destination

    As to how he will market the Bono East region as the new tourism centre in the country, the nominee indicated that he would harness the region's tourism potential. He stated that he would employ the use of appropriate technology, including the mass media, bloggers, and other social media platforms, to market the tourism potential of the region in an effective manner. He indicated the need to train tourist guides in all the tourist centres to offer the best experience to tourists who visit these sites.

    He assured the Committee that when he is given the nod, he will collaborate with the traditional authorities to develop and market the Apoo and Yam festivals of the people in that region.

    d. Kintampo Waterfall

    According to the nominee, the Kintampo Waterfall is a major tourist attraction in Ghana. He stated that

    currently, the site is undergoing a facelift. He indicated that he would immediately work to improve the sanitation at the venue. He assured the Committee that he would work with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Assembly to improve the facilities at the place.

    e. The Sanitation situation in the Bono East Region

    On how he will deal with the sanitation situation in the region, the nominee stated that the Assemblies in the Bono East region spend many resources in sanitation and waste management, particularly the management of solid waste. He informed the Committee that the President cut the sod to construct a Composite and Recycling Plant in the region last year.

    The recycling plant, when completed, according to the nominee, will treat and recycle all the solid waste produced in the region. He stated that he would work with the Assemblies, the Ministry for Sanitation and Water Resources, and all stakeholders to deal with the region's sanitation challenge. He assured the Committee that he would make the region one of the cleanest in the country.
    Ms Justina Owusu-Banahene responded to the under-listed issues 1:54 p.m.


    d. Funding for Developmental Projects/Allocation of Scarce Resource for Projects

    Ms Assan concurred with the Committee on the funding challenges that often threaten the initiation and completion of developmental projects by Regional Coordinating Councils.

    The nominee also admitted that amounts of money which are disbursed from the Common Fund to the Regional Coordinating Councils are often not enough to undertake development projects except to utilise them for monitoring and administrative expenses. She assured the Committee to work hard to secure fund from other sources to complement funds released from the Common Fund to support developmental projects.

    e. Issues relating to the distribution of Premix fuel

    Ms Assan denied knowledge of an office that was alleged to have been established by her predecessor at the Regional Coordinating Council with Coordinators with the objective of ensuring that 600 gallons of premix allocation were delivered at the landing sites in the Region.

    f. Issues undermining the development of young girls

    Ms Assan concurred with the Committee that the increasing rate of teenage pregnancy and poverty levels in the region among others have continued to undermine the development of young girls and women in the Region. On what she would do to address them, she said she intends to work closely with all stakeholders, especially with the Members of Parliament of the Region devoid of partisanship to find sustainable intervention programmes to enhance the development of the young girls.

    Recommendations

    The Committee, by consensus recommends to the House to approve the nomination of Ms. Justina Marigold Assan for appointment as Minister for the Central Region.

    4.9 Mr Shani Alhassan Saibu -- Minister-Designate For Northern Region

    4.9.1 Background

    Mr Shani Saibu was born on 10th March, 1962 at Sunson in the Northern Region.

    He began his primary education at Cheriponi Primary School, Chereponi from 1967 to 1970 and Karaga Primary School, Karaga from 1971 to 1972, Balogu Primary School, Yendi from 1973 to 1974 respectively.

    From 1974 to 1977, the nominee attended Balogu Middle School, Yendi from 1974 to 1977 and continued to the Northern School of Business, Tamale for his GCE ‘O' Level Certificate from 1977 to 1982. He then proceeded to Ghana Secondary School, Tamale, and obtained GCE ‘A' Level Certificate from 1982 to 1984.

    Mr Shaibu worked at Right Foods Limited, Tamale as a Manager, Bakery Division from 1990 to 1993. He again worked at Sunson Venture as Founder and Manger from 1994 to 2002 and again at Che-Yuri Company Limited (Construction and Mixed Farming) as Founder and Managing Director from 2003 to date.

    The nominee held several leadership positions; Chairman of the Advisory Board, Tamale Nurses and Midwifery Training College (2020); Secretary of the Council of Elders of the NPP, Northern Region (2018); Member, NPP Mion Constituency Campaign Team for the 2020 General and Parliamentary Elections; Member,

    NPP Tamale Central Constituency Campaign Team for the 2020 General and Parliamentary Elections. He was a Member of the Ghana Cooperative Bakers Association, Northern Regional branch.

    4.9.2 Response to Questions
    Mr. Shani Alhassan Saibu responded to the following questions 1:54 p.m.
    Efforts to Impact on the Lives of the People;
    Conflict Resolution;
    Resolving the Nanton Chieftaincy Dispute;
    Efforts Being Made to extend Good Drinking Water; and
    The building of Markets in the Tamale Municipality
    The detailed responses are presented below:
    a. Efforts to Impact on the Lives of the People
    Responding to a question on how the nominee intends to impact on the lives of the people in the region, Mr Shani stated that as a native of the region, he is abreast with the level of poverty and deprivation across the
    Mr Richard Obeng commented on the following issues 1:54 p.m.
    Dismissal of Senior Officers at the National Youth Authority;
    NAME DESIGNATED REGION 1:54 p.m.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:54 p.m.
    Yes, Hon Ranking Member?
    Ranking Member (Mr Haruna Iddrisu): Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion for the approval of the Appointments Committee's Report to approve by consensus, the names as captured, and as noted by the Hon Deputy Majority Leader on page 82 of the Report.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to make just a few comments on the nominees. The Appointments Committee has endeavoured to undertake its work in scrutinising nominees, and subjecting them to what I call minimum constitutional thresholds. As defined in article 94 of the 1992 Constitution, and as required further in article 94, there would be minimum criminal thresholds, if there is any proven criminal record and any matter of moral turpitude.
    Mr Speaker, these are categories of Ministers who fall under article 256 of the 1992 Constitution,
    “decentralised Ministers”. In respect of the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, it was observed that the teaching of Ga in Ga schools or in the Greater Accra Region has been on the decline. The Hon Nii Lantey Vanderpuye observed it. I think that should he become Minister, he would have to take appropriate and early decisions in restoring that so that the people of Ga Adangbe are not denied the opportunity. Indeed, it is part of their culture, and that should be done.
    One of them promised to improve the relationship between Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive (MMDCEs), and Hon Members of Parliament. However, Regional Co-Ordinating Councils (RCCs) as they call them, many of them do not have money to operate. They depend on the Common Fund.
    Our Hon Colleague, the Hon Seth Acheampong, who used to be the Chairman of the Defence and Interior
    Committee showed a lot of enthusiasm on matters of defence and interior, but regrettably, he lost his seat, and is now being sent to the Eastern Region. We can only wish him well, and hope that he helps deal with the problem of small scale mining and illegal galamsey in the region, and resolve the conflict between farmers and Fulani men in that particular region.
    Mr Speaker, when the nominee for the Ahafo Region, Mr George Boakye appeared -- I would like to spend time just with him on a particular matter. We questioned him on a matter which has affected the standing and reputation of Parliament and Hon Members of Parliament, which has to do with his involvement in visa racketeering, which is part of what provided the United Kingdom's (UK) High Commission an opportunity to accuse Hon Members of Parliament, and to subject us to all manner of scrutiny, if we applied for visas to go the United Kingdom.
    He gave us his responses, but as unsatisfactory as they were, I think that his conduct at the time in getting his daughter to the United Kingdom damaged the reputation and standing of Hon Members of Parliament and Parliament as an institution. I believe that the relationship is now being repaired.
    Mr Speaker, in respect of the Hon Simon Osei-Mensah, the Hon Minister-designate for Ashanti Region, he is a very experienced Member of Parliament, but he has to be measured in how he talks because there is a perception that he does not like people of the northern or of the Hausa descent, even though he denied a particular recording that was related to him, which reported about him making derogatory remarks about the people of the north.
    Mr Speaker, he assured us that work would continue in the Kumasi- Kejetia Market, the project which was started by H. E. John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Government is a continuum. When this Government is always saying that they have done this and that, they should know that somebody laid the foundation for the Kumasi-Kejetia Market, and it was the NDC Government.
    Mr Speaker, I would like to conclude with my own Regional Minister for the Northern Region. I know the nominee, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu. Yes, it is true that the President resolved one of the major outstanding chieftaincy disputes in Dagbon, resolving the Abudu and Andani conflict, but there are manifestations of it. The Ya Naa, who is the overlord of Dagbon is unhappy
    Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah (NPP -- Sunyani West) 2:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to seize this opportunity to thank the Committee for a good work done in vetting these 16 nominees of His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to the various regions.
    Mr Speaker, I got up to speak because I have experienced the work of a Regional Minister before. I know
    how difficult it is, and I would want to use this opportunity while urging this House to approve them and to also advise the incoming Regional Ministers.
    Mr Speaker, as Regional Ministers, they would be the link between central Government and the various local governance institutions in their respective regions. They would be in direct supervision of the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives that fall within their jurisdiction. They will also be the representatives of His Excellency the President in their regions especially on occasions when he himself cannot do it. This would then mean that they would have to have a very good interpersonal relations to succeed in their respective works.
    They would have to be able to deal with issues that have to do with security. Oftentimes, when security issues come up, they come as harmless, but before you realise, they turn into huge problems. I just want to seize this opportunity to advise them that they would have to be attentive to every security issue no matter how small they may be. They have to work with all the respective security heads in their regions.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to be more particular on three of the nominees. When Justina Owusu- Banahene, who is the Minister- designate for the Bono Region, met the Committee, she indicated that she is an educationist by profession, and that one of the things she would seek to promote in the region is education, with emphasis on female education. I agree with her on 100 per cent because I believe that education is the best way to empower people, and especially with the emphasis on female education. One of the best ways to empower women in the region she would supervise, is to ensure that more of those women are educated.
    I was particularly also amused when she indicated that she would promote sports and that, she would seek to improve on the Sunyani Coronation Park, which is the main centre of sporting activities within the region, and if possible, she would lobby to get a new befitting stadium for the people of the Bono Region. This would be in fulfilment of the dream of many of the young persons in our region.
    One other thing she mentioned, and which I also love, is her zeal to fight for the upgrading of the Sunyani Regional Hospital to a teaching hospital. Fortunately for us, Sunyani currently has three tertiary institutions:
    Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah (NPP -- Sunyani West) 2:04 p.m.


    the Sunyani Technical University, University for Energy and Natural Resources, and the Catholic University College of Ghana.

    Each of these universities has a huge potential of training people in some aspects of medicine, but there is also the need for us to have a corresponding teaching hospital where the students can go for practice. I agree with her that if the Sunyani Regional Hospital is upgraded to a teaching hospital, it would offer this service to these three tertiary institutions which are all ready to provide training in aspects of medicine.

    Mr Speaker, one other nominee that I would love to make a comment on is the Hon George Yaw Boakye who is the Minister-designate for the Ahafo Region. He was my colleague as a DCE in 2001 when we were both appointed by President Kufuor to be DCE. I know him personally, and I know how capable he is. What is of interest to me is that, besides being a former DCE, he is also a former MP. So, when it comes to the resolution of MP-DCE problems, he has tasted both and therefore, he would be a better example of how to resolve this impasse between MPs and DCEs.

    The last nominee I would like to end with is the Hon Kwasi Adu Gyan, the Minister-designate for the Bono East Region. He is an experienced person in information technology, and also somebody who has held the highest political office in the region, having risen to become the Regional Chairman of the party in the past. I would want to believe that he would bring his experience to bring all the people together to help in the development of the young region that has been created.

    Mr Speaker, on this note, once again, I would want to congratulate the Hon Ministers-designate, and at the same time, congratulate the Hon Members of the Committee who vetted them, and urge this House to approve of the nominees.

    Thank you.
    Mr Ahmed Ibrahim (NDC -- Banda) 2:14 a.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity given me to support the Motion.
    Mr Speaker, in supporting the Motion, I would want to make some few comments. I have gone through the Report and I must commend the
    rose
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 a.m.
    Hon Member, hold on. Yes, Hon Member for Okaikoi Central?
    Mr Boamah 2:14 a.m.
    Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. May I refer you to Standing Order 93 (4) which reads:
    “(4) The speech of a Member must have reference to the subject matter under discussion.”
    Mr Speaker, the full complements of Ministers of State who would constitute the President's Cabinet, with the exception of the Minister for Finance have been approved and they have taken charge of their various Ministries. We are looking at the Third Report of your Committee on the President's nominations for the Regional Ministerial appointments.
    No Regional Minister would be a Member of the Cabinet as he wants us to understand and as refers to in Article 76. So I do not see how relevant that point is to the subject matter under discussion. That is my worry.
    Mr A. Ibrahim 2:14 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, if my Hon Colleague had waited for me to land, he would have appreciated the point I was trying to raise very well. The point I was making is that, Ghana is divided into 16 Regions. However, of these 45 Ministers, the Bono East, Oti, and Upper East Regions have no Ministers of State. How can 30 things be shared among 16 and one would get none? This is clearly not acceptable and that is the point I am raising. I think that it is appropriate for Parliament to make this input to guide --
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 a.m.
    Parliament has made that input already by your leader. It is already on record. That is why the Hon Member said that for now, restrict yourself to the Regional Ministers.
    Mr A. Ibrahim 2:14 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, clearly, if we are to go into the directive principles of State policy, it would confirm it. I know the time would come for us to rectify it. If you read Article 35 (5), it says:
    “The State shall actively promote the integration of the peoples of Ghana and prohibit
    discrimination and prejudice on the grounds of place of origin, circumstances of birth, ethnic origin, gender or religion, creed or other beliefs.”
    Mr Speaker, if you go to Article 35 (6) (b), it says 2:14 a.m.
    “b) achieve reasonable regional and gender balance in recruitment and appointment to public offices”.
    I am referencing this so that we would be guided as a nation to make sure that those four Regions that did not benefit in the appointment of people to Ministers of State, those areas would be considered during the next appointments, .
    Mr Speaker, on matters of the Regional Ministers again, the Ahafo Region is one of the youngest ones created just in 2018. In the last election, not much problems were created there and there was absolute peace. This was supervised by one of our colleagues, Hon Evans Bobie who used to be the Minister for the Brong Ahafo Region until the demarcation that shifted him to the Ahafo Region.
    There was absolute peace during the elections. Hon Yaw Boakye was not part of the equation. Hon Evans
    Bobie, together with Hon Eric Opoku and Hon Alhaji Collins Dauda and Nananom, were able to dialogue, organise free, fair and transparent elections and there was peace in the Ahafo Region.
    This time, these three key players are still there. Hon Evans Bobie would no longer be the Minister for the Brong Ahafo Region. The baton would be given to Hon Yaw Boakye. I would want to appeal to him to work together with Hon Evans Bobie, Hon Alhaji Collins Dauda, and Hon Eric Opoku to make sure that there is absolute peace in the Ahafo Region.
    Mr Speaker, in my own Region, I know what happened there and I would want to use that to advise them. As Regional Ministers, they would be chairpersons of the Regional Security Councils. Whatever decisions they take, they must make sure that they do not tarnish the image of the Security Council. Whatever the decision is, the buck does not end with them. They should know that the buck stops with the Minister for Interior, the Minister for Defence and the Minister for National Security. So, in taking certain critical decisions, they must consult for us to hold Ghana together.
    Mr Speaker, with these few comments, I thank you for the opportunity.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 a.m.
    Very well. Hon Members, that is the conclusion of the debate.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 a.m.
    The Second Deputy Speaker to take the Chair.
    Hon Majority Leader?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:14 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, if we may take one or two Contributions from either Sides on the Message on the State of the Nation? We would then break and come back to conclude. I guess that in the meantime, the Report of the Committee on Selection would have been distributed to Hon Members, so that on return, we shall also conclude the consideration of that Report and approve same.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 a.m.
    Were you suggesting that we suspend Sitting now?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:14 a.m.
    I am saying that we would take some additional contributors on the Message on the State of the Nation.

    We may take one from either or perhaps two from either Side and then we would break.
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 a.m.
    Very well. Who was the last contributor? Was Hon Amoako-Atta the last contributor?
    Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 2:24 p.m.
    It goes to the Minority Side.

    Message on the State of the Nation, 2021
    Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:24 p.m.
    On the Minority side, I would go to the Hon Member for Wa Central, Dr Rashid Pelpuo - [Interruption] - all right. Then I should go to the Hon Member for Juaboso, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh.
    Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh (NDC -- Juaboso) 2:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am most grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion.
    Mr Speaker, I know that the appearance of the President on the floor of this House was in fulfilment of his constitutional obligation but as leaders, we owe it a duty to be honest and candid to the good people of this country.
    Mr Speaker, the Message on the State of the Nation, as delivered by a President in any country, must reflect to the realities in the country. It must reflect what is seen, heard and felt.
    Mr Speaker, at a point in time as I listened to the President, I wondered whether or not he was talking about Ghana. It looked as if he took the opportunity to re-hatch his campaign promises on that day. The true state of the nation is that the health facilities that help us to manage the COVID- 19 patients constantly report and complain of irregular supply of oxygen. That is the true state of the nation.
    Mr Speaker, the true state of the nation is that the health facilities across the length and breadth of this country have always complained of lack of PPEs. That is the state of the nation.
    Mr Speaker, with your permission, I beg to quote page 4 of the Message on the State of the Nation, which says:
    “The formulation and implementation of the COVID- 19 preparedness and response plan, tracing, testing, treatment, waiver of personal income tax and provision of an additional 50 per cent basic salary allowance to healthcare workers''.
    Mr Speaker, the emphasis is on “50 per cent basic salary allowance to health workers''. The state of affairs with regard to the 50 per cent basic salary allowance is that no single frontline health worker has received that up till date allowance. That is the state of the nation as I speak.
    Mr Speaker, I was also shocked when I heard the President talked about “Agenda 111''. I wonder where Ghana would have been if the former President, Mr Mahama, had not invested so much in the health sector of this country.
    I say this because all the major health facilities that contribute to manage the COVID-19 patients have come to this status because of the investment the former President Mahama made in health sector. A typical example is the University of Ghana Medical Centre, the Ridge Hospital, the Ga East Municipal Hospital, and the Maritime Hospital. All these hospitals have gotten to this level because of the huge investment's by former President Mahama.
    Mr Speaker, if the current administration has pursued rigorously the kind of investment that the former regime did, we would have gone far from where we are at the moment.
    As if that is not enough, in the 2016 manifesto of the NPP - with your permission, I beg to quote paragraph (g) on page 34. It says:
    “upgrade all existing District Hospitals where they exist, and where they do not, establish one''.
    Mr Speaker, they have been given the opportunity for four years. In fact, the state of the nation is that for the past four years, this Government has not started, completed and put to good use one single hospital in this country.
    The shocking aspect is that a lot of uncompleted health facilities were bequeathed to this regime and as I speak, most of them have not yet been completed. A typical example is your own Fomena Hospital. It was left at more than 80 per cent complete and four years down the lane, that hospital has not been completed.
    Mr Speaker, the sad story is that in Kumawu, about two weeks ago, the roofs of the structures that were used as a polyclinic were rigged off. Meanwhile, we had started a hospital that was about 60 per cent complete. If the hospital had been completed by now, the people of --
    rose
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:24 p.m.
    Hon Member, please, hold on.
    Yes, Hon Member for Okaikoi Central?
    Mr Boamah 2:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I like the enthusiasm of my Hon Colleague, the former Hon Ranking Member on health, but the last loan facility that this House approved of which he seconded the Motion and spoke to it was for the Government to re-fence an amount of over US$38 million to complete those facilities that he has talked about. This is because the funds which were secured for those facilities had been used. If moneys were available, they would have completed them at the time. The Hon Member for Ketu North, Mr Avedzi is in the House, so he could ask him when the Weta Hospital was commissioned.
    Mr Speaker, let us be honoured with the facts and the Hon Member for Juaboso, should be guided.
    Mr Akandoh 2:34 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, probably, the Hon Member who moved the Motion wants another opportunity to debate but be it as it may, I would continue.
    Mr Speaker, as if that was not enough. Somewhere in 2020, the President promised the good people of this country that he would build 88
    hospitals but as I speak, that promise still remains a vision and not a reality. This Government must begin to see the health sector as a very important one and invest so much in it.
    Mr Speaker, again, with your permission, I beg to quote page 6 of the Message on the State of the Nation, where the President urged Hon Members of Parliament to lend their voices to the campaign against the fight on the COVID-19. It says:
    “I want to urge Members of the House to lend their voices to the public education campaign currently ongoing with regards to the vaccination programme''.
    Mr Speaker, this is a good call but what is important and appropriate is that, the President must resource the appropriate institutions which have the constitutional obligation to perform this duty -- for example, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE). The NCCE boss has come out to complain that they do not have logistics to even educate the public.
    We want to draw the attention of the President that what is important and appropriate is to adequately resource the NCCE and other institutions that are mandated to perform that responsibility.
    Mr Speaker, the education and sensitisation against COVID-19, has not been up to expectation. Before the vaccination, I expected that we would have intensified the education and sensitisation, especially, in the rural areas but your guess is as good as mine.

    Mr Speaker, again, on COVID- 19 Relief Funds, this House has approved a lot of money for this government in the name of fighting against COVID-19. I can remember the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) US$1 billion; I can also remember the US$200 million dollars from the Stabilisation Fund. In the light of good governance and transparent government, it is incumbent on the President to come and give us the detailed expenditure of the moneys that have been approved for this particular government.

    Mr Speaker, the true state of the nation is that this government allowed a company that was formed around 21st July, 2020 to charge an exorbitant fees of about US$150 per an antigen test where countries like India and Malaysia were charging around US$28. As if the President did not hear and see anything; he never touched on that particular matter.

    Mr Speaker, former Cabinet Ministers and current Cabinet Ministers of Ghana appeared before the Appointments Committee and they all denied knowledge of that particular contract. That particular company did not even have Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HefRA) licence until 3rd November, 2020 but they were in operation. I think that the President can come again so that he could throw more light on that particular issue. It is something that is bothering the good people of this country.

    Mr Speaker, it looks as if this Message on the State of the Nation is full of inaccuracies. May I refer you to the last paragraph of page 8 of the Message on the State of the Nation, which with your permission I quote:

    “Mr Speaker, our nation's food resilience has been severely tested over the past year. The closure of borders in the midst of the pandemic meant that we have had to depend largely on food we produce.”

    Mr Speaker, this statement, with the greatest of respect, is inaccurate. It is true that our borders were closed; it is true that our Airports were closed, but at no point in time that our Ports were closed. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, our Ports have never
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
    I thank you, Hon Member. Let me invite the Hon Member for Assin Central, the Hon Kennedy Agyapong. [Hear! Hear!]
    Mr Ken Ohene Agyapong (NPP-Assin Central) 2:34 p.m.
    I thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the Motion on the Floor in thanking the President for giving us the Message on the State of the Nation; how far he has come from where he inherited the economy in 2017 and in 2020 even under COVID-19 pandemic has managed this country's wealth and economy very well.
    Mr Speaker, in 2017, businessmen were complaining about interest rates. The prime rate was 22 per cent while the commercial rate hovered between 32 and 36 per cent. Under the President Akufo-Addo led government, the prime rate today as I speak is 14.5 per cent and the commercial rate hovers around 22 and 26 per cent which I believe is a dramatic reduction but we still need to reduce it further to help businesses in this country.
    Mr Speaker, it takes a noble, intelligent, and caring President to consistently, for three consecutive
    years reduce our debt to GDP portfolio but under COVID-19, the economies of the whole world have gone through hell and even the richest economies have been damaged and I would want the Hon Avedzi to listen to this. He asked why the President did not mention our debt to GDP and he talked about the debt portfolio increasing from GH¢125 billion to GH¢286 billion. I would want to remind my Hon brother of yesterday's decision by US Congress to approve US$ 1.9 trillion as a stimulus or a relief for COVID-19 pandemic that has caused their economy and put it in shambles.
    Mr Speaker, the population of America is 360 million. The population of Ghana is 30 million. In simple terms, America is bigger than Ghana by 12 times. So, if we strike US$1.9 trillion by the 360 million population, he would see that Ghana being less by one over 12 has a debt --
    Mr Speaker, even yesterday's approval of the US$1.9 trillion, with 30 million population would have a debt of US$158.3 billion. So, assuming Ghana was a State of America, they would be owing US$158.3 billion without even thinking of reliefs given by Donald Trump. In today's rate, US$158.3
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
    Hon Member, hold on.
    Hon Avedzi, what is it?
    Mr Avedzi 2:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you very much but I think that my Hon Colleague -- [Interruption] --
    I stand on the combined effect of Standing Order 91 (a) and 30 (f) that he is giving us information that can be described as voodoo economics.
    He is giving us information that can be described as voodoo economics. He cannot compare quantum and make sense out of it. You need to relate it into percentages. If total debt has been increased by over 100 per cent in four years, that is something the Hon Member must be concerned about. He does not compare that absolute figure with the United States figure. He is deceiving us, and the people are watching and listening to us.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:44 p.m.
    Hon Member for Assin Central, you may continue.

    surprised about my colleague's argument, but I would continue. I would want my colleagues from the other Side to applaud the President for managing this economy prudently for us to enjoy because under COVID-19, many countries have lost lives, and last night, even Brazil which is one of the largest economies in Central America had a death rate of 2000. Let us ask ourselves what the death rate of Ghana is. It did not come by magic, it is because the President cares about his people. That is why he put policies in place to reduce infection rates and to also reduce the death rate. It is important.

    My colleague was talking about deaths. When people do not have food to eat, he is talking about debt. We have to save human beings for them to work and make income for us. Therefore, he cannot place debts before lives. So, to Hon Avedzi, whether it is in percentage terms of nominal terms, life is first.

    Mr Speaker, this President has done a yeoman's job when it comes to employment and industries. I would take industries first before I link it to employment. We have lived in this country under Hon Avedzi's Government where graduates formed an association called Unemployed Graduates Association because they

    did not have jobs. Under the President Akufo-Addo led government, in one year, we have created over 1.088 million direct and indirect jobs. This is why we have international companies, especially automobile industries, coming in to establish themselves in this country. We have Volkswagen building about 1,167 vehicles. This has never happened. Let us ask ourselves how many jobs have been created through this.

    When we take the Sinotruck, they have built over 376 trucks; we have Kantanka building about 400 cars. All these cars are being built by Ghanaians. Years back in 2015 and 2016, we were importing everything into this country. Now, we are reducing importation through these assembling plants that are coming in to employ our youth. This is how it is creating employment for us.

    Mr Speaker, under Avedzi's Government, they had divestiture implementation. -- [Interruption] - - It is because of how he started. In four years, President Akufo-Addo has been able to revive our old industries or factories that had collapsed and built new ones. As I speak, 76 out of 230 factories are in operation. Could you imagine if we have had every four, since Independence, 232 factories? Divide it by 64 years and see the number of

    factories we would have had. This is why they should join me in thanking President Akufo Addo that he is the greatest after Kwame Nkrumah.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:44 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Minority Leader?
    Mr Avedzi 2:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member is misleading the House in the sense that, by saying that, if we should have 232 factories in four years, it means that there were no factories in Ghana when this Government took over. There were a lot of factories in Ghana producing for us. So he cannot say anything that would indicate as if it is only this Government that has come under the O n e - D i s t r i c t - O n e - F a c t o r y Programme by establishing factories in Ghana.
    There were factories in Ghana, and so he should correct himself that under the previous Government, there were factories which were built. The only thing is that we did not come to say that we have built so much. If we should account for it, it would even be more than the factories he is mentioning. So they should not. It was not our policy.
    If he wants to do proper job, he could even find out how many factories were built under the National
    Democratic Congress (NDC) Government, then he could compare it with his.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:44 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Minority Leader, would you wait so that it gets to your turn or any Hon Member of your Side to raise those issues?
    Hon Member for Assin Central, you may continue, but your time getting elapsed.
    Mr Agyapong 2:44 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    My argument is that, in four years of Akufo-Addo's term, he has been able to create 232 companies and 76 are working. So my argument is that, if every Government in four years had created or added 232 factories, when you divide 64 years by four and multiply it by 232, it is almost 5,168 factories. Does the Hon Member know the number of Ghanaians who would have been employed and worked in these factories? He was arguing about this issue, meanwhile just 2015 and 2016, as I said earlier, we had graduates coming openly to say that they do not have jobs.
    And under agriculture or even the health sector alone, in four years, we have created 100,000 jobs. We need to applaud the President. It is not by
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:44 p.m.
    Hon Members, you may wind up.
    Mr Agyapong 2:54 p.m.
    Oh Mr Speaker, I have a lot. In conclusion, Mr Speaker, I have a lot.
    Mr Speaker, in conclusion, my Hon Colleagues have enjoyed free SHS and I have also enjoyed it. Hon Members of Parliament are beneficiaries of free SHS more than any other persons. [Interruption] -- If not for free SHS, Hon Members would wake up in the morning to meet people queuing in front of their houses asking for -- [Interruption] -- Even with the free SHS, they are still queuing. Can you imagine if there was no free SHS? We have to appreciate what this Government has done.
    When we wake up in the morning, we should bow down three times and say thank you to President Akufo- Addo for such a break. I have enjoyed it so I am happy. The hundreds of students whose school fees I would have paid are going into the tertiary. As Members of Parliament, we pay fees for SHS and tertiary students.
    We have to be grateful and admit that the free SHS has saved us money, and that is why I am saying that we as Hon Members of Parliament benefitted more from this free SHS than the individual Ghanaian because some parents shift their irresponsible behaviours to us for us to take care of them. Mr Speaker, today, because of President Akufo-Addo -- [Interruption] -- Parents are supposed to take care of their children and not Hon Members of Parliament.

    Today, under President Akufo- Addo's second term, tertiary students are going to enjoy loans without guarantors. The importance of the guarantors as I speak today is that those who guarantee for the students have their salaries taken and locked down --
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, you are a senior Hon Member.
    Mr Agyapong 2:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, give me two more minutes. [Laughter]
    Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I would say that the President in four years has done a yeoman's job and we are giving him another four years, and looking at the foundation he laid down for us, I know he is going to build on it and it would help us so that we do not pay school fees for the university students.
    Mr Speaker, with these few words, I rest my case.
    Dr Abdul-Rashid H. Pelpuo (NDC -- Wa Central) 2:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Message on the State of the Nation Address delivered to this House by His Excellency the President of the Republic.
    Mr Speaker, let me start by paying tribute to the seven people who died on the 7th December and whose recognition and tribute we hope would have come forth in the course of the delivery of the State of the Nation's Address.
    Mr Speaker, the offence of these people was simply to present themselves at their various polling stations and at the coalition centre to ensure that they are part of the general verdict that produces to us Members of Parliament and the President. In the State of the Nation's Address, the President ignored it and I am joining my friends to say that we need to investigate it and ensure that this incident never happens again.
    Mr Speaker, we are also in an era where promises are made without fulfilment, and more promises are made on top of them and there are expectations that there would be a fulfilment of those promises which begins to sling with time.
    Mr Speaker, we are losing confidence and hope in the fact that when I am told that there would be an Agenda 111 and that a hundred- bed district hospital would be built, I begin to ask myself what about the earlier 88 hospitals that had been promised by the President that he would build but he did not?
    Dr Abdul-Rashid H. Pelpuo (NDC -- Wa Central) 3:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the President, on page 8 of the Address, talked about rapid industrialisation I ask myself what about the One-DistrictOne Factory that was promised? At the end of the term, in the Report of the President on page 8, he talked about the fact that under the One District One Factory initiative, 232 projects are at various stages of completion, and that is also to correct Hon Kennedy Agyapong's assertion that they are completed. The President did not say that they completed them. He said that they are at various stages of construction.
    Mr Speaker, he talked about rapid industrialisation agenda and I looked back and realised that such promises have been made and not fulfilled, I lose confidence and hope.
    Mr Speaker, we are also talking about the President whose expectation and hope is to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa. At the end of the tenure, sanitation is still an issue and Accra is far from being the cleanest city in Africa. When such promises are made and not fulfilled, it gives us headache when the President comes again to talk about other issues bothering on promises.
    We have had situations where all Ghanaians woke up to say that we
    should fight against illegal mining. The President told us that if he fails to fight galamsey, he would be willing to sacrifice his presidency.
    Mr Speaker, four years on, galamsey is still an issue. We have still a lot of impunity in it. We saw policemen go to fight galamsey and we saw that an army came to drive the policemen away and released the people who were arrested.
    Mr Speaker, there is so much impunity in the destruction of our land, forest and water bodies and it is not a joke at all. So if today, the President comes before us and tells us that he is still going to fight galamsey and pinpointed an Hon Minister, who we know is very energetic, let us hope that it would translate into real practical demonstration of efficiency. that he is going to lead the fight against the same thing he said he was going to fight four years ago.

    Less than four years ago, some people were caught on tape and presented to him, and he still did not find anything wrong with it. Mr Speaker, if he says we will fight it today, it is something we would question and I am wondering whether it would happen.

    Mr Speaker, not everything was covered. It is logical that not everything will be covered, but there are some key things we needed the President to mention. We needed to know how he would curb the huge perception of corruption pervading the realm of the country. Everywhere you go, people are talking about corruption and it is manifested in the resignation of the Special Prosecutor (SP). He cited the President as a chief serpent of corruption. I can quote the fact that he did that in a letter he wrote because he came to the realisation that the person he relied on so much was the same person who stampeded him out of office, and that cannot be fight against corruption.
    rose
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:04 p.m.
    Hon Leader, what is it?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 3:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, we earlier dealt with this matter. But my Hon Colleague, former Deputy Leader, is saying that he relies on Mr Martin Amidu's letter in describing the President in certain terms. May he be reminded that if this is the standard, then he should not forget that the same person he said has done corruption assessment and described the President in a certain manner, had given a certain
    description to former President John Dramani Mahama, and in anger, former President Mahama described that his conduct is as stupid and that Mr Amidu is a coward. So, do not let us use Mr Martin Amidu as the basis -- [Interruption]-- It could happen to you. You remember?
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member has to be fair. He must have a basis to make his argument and if he has issues, he should raise them. But if he was not happy with the way he described former President Mahama, do not use his letter to now justify an allegation he has made against the President. Please, that is unacceptable.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:04 p.m.
    Hon Leader, it has been noted. Let any of your Hon Colleagues raise that issue when it is their turn.
    Hon Member, you may continue?
    Dr Pelpuo 3:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for your wise ruling.
    Mr Speaker, Mr Martin Amidu was touted as an anti-corruption crusader. When he was appointed in this country, it was seen as an achievement and he was hailed. We all know that the man would do the best for Ghanaians in fighting against corruption.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, be winding up.
    Dr Pelpuo 3:04 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, all the others were adopted by 1D1F Programme. It is not as if it is bad, but we should be truthful and say that they were adopted and not built from scratch. We went to two factories in Tema and a factory in Accra. We also went to the Central Region.
    rose
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:04 p.m.
    Hon Member, before you sit down, let the former Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry --
    Mr Kingsley C. Ahenkorah 3:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
    Mr Speaker, I think that my most respected Hon Member is misleading the House and in fact, the whole country. It is never true that it is only one factory that was started from the
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:14 p.m.
    Hon Member, you may conclude.
    Dr Pelpuo 3:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member is advised to listen and listen well. I said that we selected districts to visit, where factories were built. Of the ones that we visited, only one was built from scratch. That was what I said. In fact, we visited the B5 Plus Company, and it was not built by
    Government. At the time that we went there, they were complaining that they needed funding, and they needed not just Government's money, but they needed to be guaranteed to take money to build. So, this Government did not do it, and we would want them to admit to this, so that they would be truthful to the people of Ghana.
    Mr Speaker, industrialisation is good, but industrialisation without the needed stimulation that needs to kick it off is speculation, and the regret is that the President had been singing this before he became President. He sang about the Guggisberg economy that he wanted to transform into a more productive economy, so that we can be on our own. He said that we do not have to be dependent, but still, it is the same story in this State of the Nation Address. He still sings the same song.
    Mr Speaker, for God's sake, he has been President for four years, and he should have demonstrated much more strongly that he wants to move away from the Guggisberg economy to a more less dependent economy, and a more forthright industrious and rewarding economy, much more than we have now.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:14 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Hon Member.
    I would now invite the Hon Member for Sefwi-Wiawso, the Hon Kwaku Afriyie.
    Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (Dr Kwaku Afriyie) (MP) 3:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity. I would also want to thank the Hon Patrick Yaw Boamah for moving the Motion on the State of the Nation Address read by H. E. the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
    Mr Speaker, before I go to the meat of my submissions, I would like to take this opportunity to debunk certain things that had gone on, on this Floor. When I get into these kinds of elements, I would want to go into the sacred language, and make some quotations.
    Mr Speaker, where I schooled, I was told 3:14 p.m.
    “Corruptio, optimi pessima”, which means “corruption of the best is the worst of all”. Also, we have another saying, which says: “Abbati, medico, patrono que intima pande”, which means “conceal not the truth from thy physician and lawyer”.
    Mr Speaker, we were here when some Hon Members had received double salaries. They had not had the courage to refund those moneys, and they had the effrontery to stand in this hallowed House and harp on corruption. I find it very offensive, and that is why I am quoting from the sacred language.
    Mr Speaker, again, in one breath, Mr Martin Amidu was quoted in extenso about his submission on corruption, and references were made to the President. I find this very offensive. There was no substance in it, but the irony of it is that in the same paper, a reference was made to former President Mahama about corruption in the matter of the Airbus saga, but they did not have the moral courage to refer to it, and that is why I have quoted those Latin quotations.
    Mr Speaker, let it be known that what is good for the gander is also certainly good for the goose, except to say that we are not accepting the attributions to President Nana Akufo- Addo in that measure because the former Special Prosecutor was just making allusions.
    Mr Speaker, I would not want to dwell on that one alone. Yesterday, the Hon Eric Opoku made submissions and pronouncements on cocoa, which I cannot let, in all
    Mr Speaker, where I schooled, I was told 3:24 p.m.
    conscience, pass. When we take cocoa production, former President Kufuor had a deliberate policy to attain one million metric tons, and he missed it by only one year. He started from about 300,000 metric tons, and rose steadily until 2010, when we got 1,024,000 metric tons, nearly at par with that of la Cote d'Ivoire, which produces 1.2 million metric tons.
    When there was a change of Government, what did we see? I have the figures here, and the figures that I would quote are from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD). In 2012/2013, we slumped to 830,035,000 metric tons. I am running them off. Also, in 2013/2014, we had 896 metric tons; 2014/2015; 740,000; and in 2015/2016; 778,000 metric tons.
    Mr Speaker, people do not have memory. I live right across the border. In 2016, something bad was happening in la Cote d'Ivoire. Their internal price mechanism collapsed, so for two consecutive years, Ghana produced a lot of cocoa apparently. One happened under the watch of the previous Government, so, in 2016/ 2017, before they handed over, cocoa production was at 969,000 metric tons. It was not due to their effort, but it was reversed smuggling.
    In 2017, under our watch, and here, I am being equal; I would not claim that credit for our Government, but we had 904,000 metric tons under Nana Addo's Government. I would not state for that claim. I say that it was reversed smuggling because it was after la Cote d'Ivoire had fixed their problem that we came to familiar figures. So, in 2018/2019, we had 811,000 metric tons, and in 2019/ 2020, we had 770,000 metric tons. I am running off the figures.
    Mr Speaker, all these things are pointing to a trend. There is one phenomena because I live right in the middle of the cocoa belt, which is the Western North Region. We account for almost all the fall in cocoa production because we were producing a third of Ghana's cocoa, which stood at 350,000 metric tons, but we have now slumped to 150,000 metric tons.
    That was because an action which should have been taken some five years ago under the National Democratic Congress's (NDC) Government, was not taken. There was an outbreak of Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD), and that was what had accounted for all these things. This intervention needs a decade to be fixed.

    So, in the cocoa sector, when we are doing the causes and effects, we should be thinking in terms of five-year spans, and that is why we are here. So, I would say that President Akufo- Addo, under his Government, has taken steps to rehabilitate all the cocoa farms, and has put on all the necessary policies so that we can return to our previous production level.

    Mr Speaker, I do not want to defend the other areas. Thanks to this House, I am now the Hon Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), and I would want to focus. I was deeply impressed by the scope, depth and balance of the SONA, and also the temperate language and the tone which our President used.

    Indeed, the President recognised the will of Ghanaians for bi- partisanship. That is why he made a representation to us for the realisation of this phenomenon, and he called it the Ghanaian Project. So, I would want to remind my Hon Colleagues here that whether we like it or not, we have to work together so that the aspirations of Ghanaians can be realised. The President has realised

    and acknowledged that, and he has given due credit to the Hon Members of the opposite Side. Let us not spoil his gesture.

    Mr Speaker, in this sense, I would like to quote. He said in paragraph 4 of page 2. that:

    “… now is the time for each and every one of us, irrespective of our political affiliations, to unite, join hands, stand shoulder-to- shoulder, and work hard to place Ghana where she deserves to be”.

    Let us not spoil the President's gesture of reconciliation.

    Mr Speaker, the President has got it right on COVID-19. We are in a COVID-19 phenomenon, and I am not surprised that most of his Address was devoted to it. Only 24 hours ago, I cited a publication. When you google President Akufo-Addo, South Korea, COVID-19, the odds are that you would get to a site where Ghana, led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has been cited for making a valuable lead in the Ghanaian situation to have had us navigate this pandemic.

    They have even noticed that the President is called “Fellow Ghanaians”. Mr Speaker, this
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:24 p.m.
    Hon Minister, be winding up please.
    Dr Afriyie 3:24 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am sorry I have so many things to say. In the health sector where primary
    training comes from, I have already talked about COVID-19 so I will not go there.
    In education, I would want to be very passionate about it. Education is the ultimate social equity in public policy. That is why I look forward to working with my Hon Colleague from the Ministry of Education so that the President's longstanding submissions on education can be taken to the next level - policy harmonisation and alignment especially in human resource development, scoping, capacity and quality issues to make sure that we serve the industrial sector, and ultimately the Ghanaian economy.
    Mr Speaker, permit me to end on this note. We at MESTI stand ready to make sure that we collaborate with other sectors which I have made mention of. The Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), the Council for Science and Industrial Research (CSIR) is ready to work with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources; the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA) is ready to work in the afforestation programme, and also, the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI) is ready to work with the Ministry of Roads and Highways particularly on safety issues.
    In conclusion, Mr Speaker, the President's Address has moved beyond mere fulfilment of constitutional requirement. He took advantage of the opportunity to provide a comprehensive stock of the Ghanaian situation in the year of COVID-19 pandemic, and actions were shown and taken to mitigate the health and economic impact. He has provided the imprimatur for further action this year and beyond. God help our President!
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mrs Della Adjoa Sowah (NDC -- Kpando) 3:24 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the debate.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to start by reacting to what Hon Kennedy Agyapong said 3:24 p.m.
    that MPs are benefiting from the Free SHS. He went on to explain that this is because queues of people in front of our offices asking for school fees are no more. That may have been the intention, but that is not the reality. The reality is, MPs are now asked to pay rent for the students who are placed in schools far away from the constituencies. Sometimes, we spend as much as GH¢2,000 a semester for rent for students. So, that is not true at all. The fight still is on.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to start by reacting to what Hon Kennedy Agyapong said 3:34 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I want to also touch on two things that I observed in the SONA. In this House, we are constantly told to address the Speaker and not the Hon Members. I was very disappointed to see that H. E. the President, many times, flouted that rule. He addressed the audience and not the Speaker.
    For somebody who prides himself as having been in this House for three terms, I thought he should know that he had to address the Speaker. Even the manner in which he did it, in my own words, I would describe it as very un-executive for a person of his stature.

    Also, the way he presented the Address to me was like redoing a failed campaign rally; a campaign rally you have held that people are not happy with you and you know. So, you are desperate to make amends and then you are trying to please them but you are saying the wrong things and they keep interjecting and reminding you that it is not what we want to hear. They want to hear about the state of corruption, what happened to Domelevo and about what happened in the Special Prosecutor's Office.

    Mr Speaker, he went on to talk about what he says he has achieved and what he plans to do. My constituents, in a meeting we had before the SONA, expressed what they wanted to hear. Ghanaians are now very politically alive and awake and you can say anything but they know what the truth is and can read between the lines very well.

    They said that they expected to hear, for example, the state of security, to know why the key institutions to fight corruption have challenges with the Government. They wanted to know what happened to the Special Prosecutor and why he resigned. Yes, the President said he set up that office and that is right but why did the Special Prosecutor resign and use very harsh language to say “mother serpent of corruption”.

    Mr Speaker, the Address was silent on these issues. It was silent on the state of security and was also silent on the deficit. No mention was made on the debt to GDP ratio which has gone up significantly. Under former President Mahama, it stood at 54.83 per cent in 2016 but today, the debt to GDP ratio stands at a whopping 76.87 per cent as at the end of 2020. That ratio spells disaster as it may adversely affect the growth of the economy.

    The President was also silent on the exchange rate issues, where the cedi was when he took power and where it was by the end of his first term. What impact did it have on businesses and on the general public? He was silent on that.

    Mr Speaker, permit me to quote Mr Eric Opoku who did a brilliant debt burden analysis yesterday. Whereas under former President Mahama, the debt burden analysis was GH¢4,300 per person, after the first term of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, it stands at GH¢9,500. By the end of the next four years, I am sure that it would stand at GH¢20,000.

    Mr Speaker, the President found space to hint that the controversial Agyapa deal would be back and I can see my Hon Colleagues on the other Side busily defending it. This was a deal which many civil society organisations stood against as well as MPs. It was a bad deal for Ghana. The then Special Prosecutor said that it was fraught with corruption and personal interest. However, this is a deal that H. E. the President wants to bring back.

    Mr Francis Oklu who is my constituent, asked a question. He asked, and I quote, “What is it about

    Agyapa that President Akufo Addo cannot let go?” Perhaps, this is why he now keeps talking about collaboration, so that we would collaborate with him to pass things that we think are not in the interest of the country.

    Four years ago, when he was in this House to give his first SONA, he cheekily said: “you can have your say and I would have my way”. Four years after, he is now asking for collaboration.

    Mr Speaker, there are several issues he was silent on and I will start from the energy sector. I have made conscious notes of his SONA for 2017, comparing it to the silence now. He said in the current SONA that he wanted to achieve 100 per cent electricity coverage. That is a tall order. That means over 14 per cent has to be added to the current coverage.

    What is interesting is that in four years, he was only able to add 1.9 per cent to the coverage. Which means that these next four years, if he wants to achieve 100 per cent coverage, he needs more than 3.5 per cent addition per year. Let us be truthful to Ghanaians and tell it to them as it is.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to start by reacting to what Hon Kennedy Agyapong said 3:34 a.m.


    Mr Speaker, the President stated that the electricity coverage now stands at over 85 per cent. That is thanks to former President John Dramani Mahama who took it there. The President promised to extend electricity in 2017 to 2,175 communities. He was able to do an embarrassing 279; that was half a percentage point. In 2018, he decreased the number. He now said he would reach 1,796 communities. Sadly, that too could not be achieved.

    He was only able to do 451 communities and now he is promising 100 per cent coverage, eei. Ghanaians are listening. They are very intelligent and reading between the lines and seeing the realities. They may not talk but that does not mean they do not see what is happening.

    Mr Speaker, I also want to touch on the current power outages which is a great source to many of us. In the 2017 SONA, the President said on page 9, that ECG had signed 43 power purchase agreements and 23 were under discussion. He said they were conducting a review and they would terminate some of the contracts, prioritise them, renegotiate, defer or cancel them.

    Four years after, where are we? Only one was attempted to be cancelled and that ended up in court and the judgement debt on that is US$164 million. This judgement debt can do a lot for the Kpando constituency. In fact, all our roads could be tarred, even to our farms, asphalted, with US$164 million.
    Mr Speaker, he also said at the start of his first term and I quote 3:44 p.m.
    “Overall, we have begun to develop a national electricity masterplan, which will also explore the benefits of listing VRA and GRIDCO on the Stock Exchange.”
    After four years, where is that masterplan. ECG owed GRIDCO so much money that GRIDCO is not able to maintain the transmission lines and that is the reason for the lines tripping which result in power outages now and again. We are on the verge of anther power crises in this country, if care is not taken.
    Mr Speaker, again in the 2017 Message on the State of the Nation, the President said which with your permission, I beg to quote:
    “Government would encourage increased private sector investment in utility, solar and wind energy projects as well as accelerate the development of mini grid solutions in off grid island communities''.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:44 p.m.
    Hon Member, please, wind up.
    Mrs Sowah 3:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the President said he would give mini grids but by the end of the four years; he only cut sod for one grid in Pediakope in Ada. For phase 2 of the project, former President Mahama, completed the phase 1 of the Pediakope mini grid.
    Mr Speaker, the President was silent on so many things. He did not hold himself accountable to the very things he said four years ago.
    Mr Speaker, in 2017, the President said that the Ghana Compact 2 Programme would be in force and that brought PDS, so I expected him to talk about what happened to PDS. What would be done to retrieve the several millions that were paid into the accounts?
    How do we hold those who wrongly approved them and did not realise that the security they brought
    was fake? There was no mention of anything like that. The Hon Member for North Tongu, Mr Ablakwa, said that we need a vaccine and that vaccine is a vaccine against corruption. I agree with him a 100 per cent but that vaccine should not be given in the arm -- it should be given in the heart so that we as citizens of Ghana, can recognise corruption very quickly and stay far away from it.
    Ms Freda Akosua Prempeh (NPP -- Tano North) 3:44 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion.
    Mr Speaker, I also want to thank the President for his visionary leadership because even in the face of COVID-19, which has affected the whole world, he has shown leadership.
    Mr Speaker, I am particularly enthused about the way the President has put systems and structures in place to even roll out the reopening of schools. A lot of countries across the globe and even Africa have not been able to reopen their schools but the President put systems and structures in place to ensure that our children go back to school.
    Ms Freda Akosua Prempeh (NPP -- Tano North) 3:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the President collaborated with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to fumigate schools, markets and also provided food items to the vulnerable immediately when the COVID-19 pandemic broke up. About 400, 000 vulnerable in the Greater Accra Region and Greater Kumasi were provided with hot meals through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
    Mr Speaker, the President also supported Ghanaians with free water of which majority of us and our constituents benefited. He also provided electricity for lifetime consumers and of course with that one too, majority of us and our constituents benefited from it. The President also instituted about 750 million loan facility for micro small and medium enterprises through the canvas for our constituent as well.
    Mr Speaker, I was surprised that my Hon Colleague on the other Side, who just spoke, talked about the Free SHS. If for one or two reasons she must have supported one or two people of her constituents with some money to rent accommodation, that does not defeat the purpose and the concept of the Free SHS policy. The Hon Member for Assin Central, Mr Ken Agyapong said it and I would
    want to emphasise that all of us, including our constituents have benefited from the Free SHS policy.
    Schools have just reopened and had it not been for the Free SHS policy, a lot of people would have started knocking on our doors to look for money to pay their school fees but for the timely intervention of this policy, we would not be looking for money to support our constituents. So, we all have to say a very big thank you to the President for this initiative.
    Mr Speaker, I also want to thank the President for his vision to roll out massive affordable housing for the good people of Ghana. We would all agree that the housing deficit as it stands now has become scary. In 1980; we had a housing deficit of 250,000; in 2000, it rose to 700,000; in 2008, it further rose to a 100,000; in 2010, it was estimated to be 1.2 million, in 2017, it went further to 1.7 million; and now it is estimated to be over 2 million.
    Mr Speaker, it is the President's intention as he stated on page 21 of the Message on the State of the Nation which with your permission, I beg to quote:
    “...it is my intention to place special emphasis on resolving the problems of the housing
    sector in the country, because tackling the housing deficit is long overdue.
    Mr Speaker, because of population growth, rural urban migration and urbanisation, there is so much pressure on social housing in this country. Even though the private sector has tried its best to roll out about 45,000 to 50,000 houses annually, it is anticipated that if we really want to bridge the housing deficit gap, we need about 170, 000 to 200,000 houses annually.
    It is in the right direction that the President wants to continue from where former President Kufuor left off when he started the Affordable Housing Project in 2005 in four regions. He started one at Asokore Mampong in the Ashanti Region, two in the Greater Accra Region -- the Boteyman and the Kpone Housing Projects-- one in Tamale and Koforidua and one in Wa. So far, we have been able to do 1,027 in Asokore Mampong, 1,464 in Boteyman and 312 in Kpone.
    Mr Speaker, under the State Housing Company and the Tema Development Companies, we have been able to roll out a number of houses under the Akufo-Addo Government. The State Housing Company alone has been able to roll out about 876 affordable houses
    across the country. We have 120 houses under construction in the Ashanti Region, about 12 in the Central Region, we have some in the Western Region, 16 in the Northern Region, 120 in the Upper East Region and about 500 have already taken off in the Western North Region, 32 apartments have already been done in the Greater Accra Region and there is the Legacy Courts as well.
    Mr Speaker, for the President to place emphasis on providing decent affordable housing project in this country, I am very happy about that. We would also roll out the slum upgrading. We would do a lot of infilling during his second term of office and as he said, 2021 is a year of roads and infrastructure, so he would place more emphasis, focus and prioritise housing in this country.

    Mr Speaker, only about 50 per cent of Ghanaians live in some sort of comfortable housing. So, the affordable housing project is a very laudable one and that if we have a visionary leader; someone who thinks about the good people of Ghana, if we have somebody like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who would want to prudently use the resources of this country, then in fact, we would all have to say a big thank you to the President.

    Mr Speaker, if I may borrow his words, he told us that he would continue to use the resources of this country very wisely. He said, “my government found the resources to cushion the impact of the pandemic because we are good managers of the economy and we are good protectors of the public purse”.

    Mr Speaker, the President also intends to roll out the National Rental Scheme. All my Hon Colleagues would agree with me that finding money to even rent a one-bedroom studio or two-bedroom studio for a young graduate is very difficult. So, the President wants to cede GH¢100 million into the National Rental Scheme to enable young graduates and young career people to source funding from this Scheme to rent affordable and decent accommoda- tion for themselves.

    Mr Speaker, yesterday, I was surprised to hear my brother on the other Side, Hon Samuel Jinapor talked about the fact that the only thing that the development of the Inner Cities and the Zongo Communities could do to enhance the work in the Inner Cities and the Zongo Communities was to teach them how to prepare waakye when, of course,

    his mother knows how to prepare waakye. I have not tasted his mother's waakye so I do not know how it tastes; whether the mother got the ingredients right or whether she cooked it right, but I would want to refer Hon Samuel Jinapor to page 19 of the President's Message on the State of the Nation, which with your permission, I quote:

    “Mr Speaker, our commitment to the development of inner cities and zongo communities is unwavering…”

    [Interruption] -- John Jinapor -- Sorry.

    I am referring to John Jinapor -- NDC's Jinapor and not NPP's Jinapor. [Laughter.] It was the NDC Jinapor who talked about the waakye, so I am talking about the Waakye and I would want to refer the Speaker to the State of the Nation Address, page 19 which states that:

    “Projects such as the construction of classroom blocks, AstroTurf, establishment of ICT centres, installation of streetlights, entrepreneurial and vocational skills training…”

    I would be surprised if NDC's Jinapor was referring to the entrepreneurial skills as the waakye.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, are you referring to John Jinapor or Samuel Jinapor?
    Ms Prempeh 3:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, Hon John Jinapor.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
    All right, then you better mention the name other than -- [Interruption]-
    Hon Member, just mention the name, Hon John Jinapor.
    Ms Prempeh 3:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, yesterday, Hon John Jinapor said that the only thing we could do for the Zongo communities was to teach them how to prepare waakye and I would want to draw his attention to the fact that maybe he did not really understand what we meant by entrepreneurial and vocational skills.
    Mr Speaker, apart from that we have had some classroom blocks being constructed in the Zongo communities, astro turfs, establish- ment of ICT centres, installation of streetlights and we have supported needy students, rehabilitated access roads and drains have all been undertaken.
    My constituency has also been a beneficiary of the Zongo communities and the Inner Cities development. Presently, as I speak with you, we
    have constructed three boreholes at Duayaw Nkwanta, Yamfo and Kyekyire Zongos. So, people are benefiting from the Zongo development initiative. They are not only teaching them how to prepare waakye.
    Mr Speaker, I was also very happy when the President talked about the Affirmative Action Bill. I think it is long overdue and we have been celebrating women's day. Recently, we celebrated the International Women's Day. We always talk about gender equality; we talk about gender empowerment among others but the gender disparity is too huge and until such time that something is done drastically to bridge the gap, we would not be able to reach the 30 per cent in the year
    2030.
    So, we are hoping that the Gender Minister would resubmit to the House the Affirmative Action Bill and I am hoping that Hon Members from both Sides of the House, especially our men, since we do not have the numbers, would support the Bill for it to be passed so that we would be able to bridge the gender disparity.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, be winding up.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, before you conclude, let me listen to the Hon Pelpuo.
    Dr Pelpuo 3:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Friend, Hon Freda said I said that the NPP has not done any of the projects from scratch. That is not what I said. I said, of the ones we went to visit in the Greater Accra and the Central Region, they were only about 12, one of them was started from scratch. I
    know they have done some others but I was talking about those we visited. I would want to put this on record so that it does not go uncorrected.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
    Hon Member, just take a cue and conclude.
    Ms Prempeh 3:54 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Carlos Ahenkorah came to talk to him about so many of the projects that we have started. He was trying to talk about only; that of Ekumfi but I would want to put it on record that under the One District, One Factory Initiative, 232 projects are at various stages of implementation and this include 76 operating as 1D1F companies while 112 including five medium sized agro-processing factories and 63 common user facilities are also under construction.
    Mr Speaker, I would also want to say that among the lots of One District, One Factory projects that have been started from the scratch, I am a beneficiary. The One District, One Factory project going on in my Constituency at Tanoso is a brick and tile factory which is about 90 per cent complete. We started from the scratch. So, it is not true that it is only Ekumfi or one or two projects that were started from the scratch.
    Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I would want to remind this House that we have a visionary leader who has put systems and structures in place and even in the midst of COVID-19, he is being hailed across the globe and Africa. We should all continue to support him. He said yesterday that we need to collaborate; we should bring all hands on deck to ensure that all the projects, policies and programmes that he seeks to do for this country to roll out almost all these projects.
    On this note, I would want to thank the President once again for this wonderful, inspiring and hopeful State of the Nation Address which addresses almost all the sectors of this economy -- our health sector, our education sector, the gender sector, the special initiative sector and all the other sectors.

    We didn't bring in empty containers
    -- 3:54 p.m.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 3:54 p.m.
    Thank you, Hon Member.
    Ms Prempeh 4:04 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:04 p.m.
    Let me invite the Hon Member for Bawku Central, Hon Mahama Ayariga?
    Mr Mahama Ayariga (NDC -- Bawku Central) 4:04 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to speak to the Motion thanking the President for delivering the Message on the State of the Nation to this august House.
    Mr Speaker, after His Excellency addressed this House, I left the office late. Driving home, I noticed that most of our street lights were still off. Very basic things such as street lights are still off as you drive along our cities. These are the very basic things that concerns our citizens; issues touching on security.
    We may come here and speak eloquently about how many helicopters we have purchased, but if we cannot keep that street light on in the community so that women and children could feel safe at night and
    Mr Mahama Ayariga (NDC -- Bawku Central) 4:04 p.m.


    vehicles can drive aided by street lights, we display a monumental failure in carrying out our basic res- ponsibilities, especially where these services have been paid for by citizens.

    Mr Speaker, the following morning, as I drove here, at almost all the traffic lights in this city, you would see that the area has been colonised by children, women and indeed they have appropriated specific traffic lights as begging centres invading the privacy of drivers, intrusively knocking at windows and forcefully trying to clean your windscreens, begging you for money. This is the actual state of the Nation, irrespective of whatever eloquent speech was delivered in this Chamber by the President.

    If anybody visits Ghana and disembarks at the airport and starts driving from the airport to his hotel at Golden Tulip, the state of the Nation that would greet him is these hordes of helpless miserable children and women intrusively begging and asking for sustenance on the streets of Accra.

    Mr Speaker, this is the State of the Nation. And unless we are able to change the picture, whatever eloquent speeches we deliver here really does not matter. Mr President spoke eloquently about his commitment to

    housing, but we are still confronted with the challenge of young people being unable to rent their own accommodation because they are forced to pay rent advances in excess of one year, two years and sometimes, people demand three years advance. This is the State of the Nation, and this is the state of housing in the country. I have not seen in the speech any clear commitment to reversing this unfortunate trend.

    Mr Speaker, people have equated the construction of factory buildings to the creation of jobs and the implementation of a massive industrialisation policy. There were times in this country where many industries were constructed by the State. What happened to them? They collapsed and became a burden on the books of Government who had to ultimately diverse itself of this burden through sales.

    However, the reality is that, constructing factory buildings does not totally amount to massive industrialisation and job creation. What amounts to creating an atmosphere for industrialisation is making your economy competitive so that investors would invest to produce here.

    If you do not do that and you just construct factory buildings, the owners of the factories would soon find out that it is not competitive to

    produce here. And so those factories ultimately would become warehouses for imported goods to be sold in your markets. And so their so- called One- District-One-Factory being a solution to job creation, indeed, would not be realised.

    Mr Speaker, His Excellency the President spoke about education, and let me indicate that he focused on tertiary education and his commitment to increasing enrolment ratio in tertiary education. Again there, Mr Speaker, he diagnosed the problem wrongly. He argued that the problem with tertiary education is financing, and the problem of financing is because students were asked to provide guarantors.

    Mr Speaker, this is not the problem. I have said it time and again in this House that the real issue is not guarantors but the real issue is the fact that consistently, in our budgetary allocation for the Students Loan Trust, we have not provided enough funds.

    So even if you remove the guarantor requirement, and still give the Students Loan Trust only GH¢30 million per annum, it would not scratch the surface of the demand for students loans because on the average, we would be having not less than 500,000 students across the country at different

    levels requesting for loans. And if we just divide that figure by the number, you would be giving every student about GH¢17 or GH¢18 on the average which would not be enough.

    So the real solution to addressing this crisis is ensuring that there is a higher budgetary allocation to the Students Loan Trust so that more students could access the funds.

    Mr Speaker, we have been trying to argue and assess ourselves and our performance. Of course, a lot of it has been subjective, but here are objective international standards for assessing the performance of governments. One of those standards that I would want to draw attention to is the Rule of Law Index.

    This is a publication that assesses the extent of Rule of Law in a country. And a Rule of Law has its substantive procedural and several other complicated indicators. The World Justice Project does an effective assessment of the extent of the Rule of Law achievement in any given country.

    And so Mr Speaker, I would just compare Ghana's performance in terms of the Rule of Law ranking worldwide. I would take the 2017/ 2018 ranking and compare that with the 2020 ranking for Ghana.
    Mr Mahama Ayariga (NDC -- Bawku Central) 4:04 p.m.


    If you take the 2017/2018 ranking, you would see that Ghana got a total of 0.59 per cent, but when you come to the 2020 ranking, Ghana got 0.57 per cent indicating that between 2017 and 2020, we had decreased in our performance in the area of the rule of law and the rule of law evaluation done by the World Justice Project is a very complex exercise that looks at a number of indicators, and it is important for me to draw our attention to these --
    Mr O. B. Amoah 4:14 p.m.
    On a point of Order. Mr Speaker, this is a House of records. My good Friend is churning out figures and he claims to have some source of figures. Apart from that, because it would go into the Hansard, there are no figures like 0.59 or 0.57. He should mention the correct figures and stop mentioning this less than one figures as 0.59 or 0.57. It is simple mathematics that I expect him to have overcome by now, even though he in forty is the law.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Ayariga 4:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, the World Justice Report does a scoring for countries and based on the score, they would give a ranking. So the score that Ghana got in 2017 -- I am
    using 2017 because that was when the NPP took over this country as a party. So the score that Ghana got for 2017 -- it is here. I can lay the Report so that it can be part of the records. The score that Ghana got was 0.59. In 2020, when the same World Justice Report did an assessment of Ghana, we obtained 0.57. While in 2007, Ghana was ranked number 43 in the World; in 2020, Ghana dropped to number 51 in the world showing very well that in the area of the rule of law, by global assessment, we had significantly depreciated in performance.
    Mr Speaker, the President also in his State of the Nation Address spoke about agriculture and our performance in cocoa production was quite embarrassing. This is because we have our next door neighbours, la Cote D'Ivoire and if we look at the figures from the International Cocoa Organisation and in what they provide as the production figures for Ghana, one would see clearly that not only are we running into a crisis in terms of the financing of cocoa as brilliantly presented by Hon Eric Opoku yesterday, but even in production, we are slipping back.
    Mr Speaker, according to the International Cocoa Organisation figures, in 2016/17, la Cote D'Ivoire produced 20020 metric tonnes.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:14 p.m.
    Hon Member, be winding up.
    Mr Ayariga 4:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, by 2020, la Cote D'Ivoire was producing about -- [Interruption]
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:14 p.m.
    Hon Members, Order.
    Mr Ayariga 4:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, by 2020, they produced 2.5 million metric tonnes --
    Mr Alex T. Djornobuah 4:14 p.m.
    On a point of Order. Mr Speaker, the Hon Member is misleading the House. We do not have Ghana Cocoa Organisation. It is Ghana Cocoa Board or Ghana Cocoa Marketing Board. So he should give us a clear indication about his source of document.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:14 p.m.
    Hon Member, take a cue and address the issue but be minded that you are concluding.
    Mr Ayariga 4:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, maybe he was listening to something else. I said International Cocoa Organisation in case he does not know that an organisation like that exists. These are their production reports that I am holding.
    Mr Speaker, we have slipped significantly in cocoa production trailing far behind and I heard my Hon Colleague trying to proffer excuses. We are just next door neighbours. There is no reason why one country has shot up to producing close to 2.5 million metric tonnes and we in Ghana are producing only 800,000 metric tonnes according to the International Cocoa Organisation projections.
    Mr Speaker, by all indicators, we are not doing well and as a country, it is better to admit that we are not doing well and we sit up and start working very hard to catch up with our neighbours and the rest of the world.
    But if we come every year and try to misrepresent our performance and give an indication that everything is well, when most things are not well, we do not even challenge ourselves to sit up and think through the problems and try to resolve the issues that impede our progress.
    Mr Speaker, that is why I would support the Motion but to urge that in conveying our gratitude to the President, we should be frank and indicate to him that things are not well and that we need to sit up and this second term of his mandate should be
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 4:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, if it pleases you, we have agreed to take a health break, which means that we would suspend the House for an hour and reconvene.
    We are in your hands, Mr Speaker.
    Alhaji Muntaka 4:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, that is what Leadership agreed on so that we can refresh and come and continue.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 4:14 p.m.
    The time is now 4.20 p.m. We are coming back at exactly 5.20 p.m.
    The House is accordingly suspended for an hour.
    MR SPEAKER
    Mr Speaker 4:14 p.m.
    Hon Members, welcome from the one-hour suspension. We will take the item numbered 2, because I have in my hands a Message from His Excellency the President dated 11th March, 2021.
    ANNOUNCEMENTS 4:14 p.m.
    Mr Speaker 6:09 p.m.
    Hon Members, our Hon Colleague, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs now has responsibility over the Ministry of Finance.
    Hon Members, with this we will move back to the item numbered 6. I am told it is the turn of Hon Samuel Atta Akyea to make his submission.

    Message on the State of the Nation
    Mr Samuel Atta Akyea (NPP -- Abuakwa South) 6:09 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion numbered 6 to the effect that this august House renders thanks to H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President, for his delivery of the state of the Nation Address.
    Mr Speaker, from the onset there were few matters of illogicalities that I would want us to look at before I do my simple contribution.
    Mr Speaker, there has been this argument that our debt profile so far has hit something in the area of US$236 billion and this came from Hon James Avedzi, the Hon Deputy Minority Leader. When the debt profile of Ghana is done without factoring in the cost of the COVID- 19 to the nation, the analysis suffers a
    deficit of logic. Even in the United States of America (USA), because of COVID-19 there is a whole relief programme which has hit the trillion mark. It is very important we come to terms with some of these things.
    Mr Speaker, I have heard another jejune argument to the effect that the measurement of the health of this nation is found in the beggars we have in the city and in the Airport. I wish to submit that that is inverted logic, that even in the USA, New York, they will find beggars. So, beggars cannot be the state of health of our dear country. There are many and nobbling feats that President Akufo-Addo secured and beggars should never be used as a measurement of the state of the Nation.
    Mr Speaker, the primordial duty of a government is to underwrite poverty. I beg to submit that any other engagement that is of a government apart of underwriting poverty is counterproductive and a pathetic waste of the taxpayers' money.
    If we pay regard to the Message on the state of the Nation, it is very clear that President Akufo-Addo was strongly infrastructural conscious. An infrastructure is one of the ways to underwrite poverty because all the development partners converge on a point that it is infrastructure that
    grows the economy and on this score, I would like to quote one development expert called Paul Frimpong, who was dilating on developing African's Economic Infrastructure, a catalyst for Economic Growth. Mr Speaker, with your permission, I beg to quote:
    “Africa has a potential to be the world's leading destination of investment. Africa is ambitious to take its rightful position in the global economy. The stakes are high for Africa to control global trade and attract the largest portion of the world's investments, but the story has always been thwarted one way or the other. The mystery behind it is very clear and staring us in the face. The challenge has always been the incident of poor infrastructure. Africa has the world's least sufficient infrastructure capacity and this has made trade in Africa very difficult and expensive.”
    Mr Speaker, who can fault the President who has the next generation in mind in dealing with Agenda 111? He is wiping out the poverty of this nation by siting 110 hospitals in the
    districts of this country and as well as in seven regional hospitals.
    Mr Speaker, one unprecedented infrastructural roll-out that will affect this country for a long time, which is one of his legacy projects, is the railway infrastructure which will be unmatched since the days of Sir Gordon Guggisberg.
    Mr Speaker, what about the multipurpose Pwalugu Dam? This may be found at page 20 of the Message on the state of the Nation Address. I would want to support that President Akufo-Addo is in his legacy years.
    One legacy project of consequence is the Integrated Aluminium Industry, and it is going to commence in Kyebi and Nyinahin. You may find what he dilated on at page 8 of 26.
    Mr Speaker, the intangible infrastructure, which is the E-Justice System, is going to transform the entire judiciary and we should congratulate the President for his vision to bring this about, that we should complete the E-Justice System in our country. I need not praise myself for all that I did for coastal protection during my short tenure as the Hon Minister for Works and Housing. Those of you who are
    Mr Samuel Atta Akyea (NPP -- Abuakwa South) 6:19 p.m.
    President Akufo-Addo, having said that it is going to engage his attention in the closing chapter of his regime, it would be good for him to complete it.
    Mr Speaker, we can talk about the unelected Kutu Acheampong, who did that of the Dansoman estates, in talking about infrastructural legacy. What about the Nkrumah flats and the Nyaniba Estates? President Rawlings did the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) flats as well. President Kufuor also did his bit about it. So, the whole of this country is waiting for the Akufo-Addo flats, and I am strong in my convictions that what he has said he is going to do would be rolled out.
    Mr Speaker, I am about to conclude. I was a bit embarrassed that the ambience and environment of we receiving the President giving us the Message of the State of the Nation was too rancorous. It got to a point that I questioned myself on whether we had lost sight of the fact that this is a hallowed environment of Parliament.
    It was as if there were rehearsed, well-choreographed noise. I know that some disturbance to the President while he is speaking is permitted, but
    when it becomes acerbic and insulting, it leaves much to be desired, and this should not be said of this great House.

    Now, how did you see the State of the Nation Address? I would want to quote one of the philosophers I strongly respect in his assessment of the world and then, I would thank the Rt Hon Speaker and sit down.

    Mr Speaker, I would want to quote G. W. Friedrich Hegel. This is what he said, and I would want my good Friend, the Hon Muntaka, to pay attention to this philosophy.

    “To him who looks upon the world rationally, the world in its own turn presents a rational aspect and the relation is mutual.”

    This may be found in the great book, The Philosophy of History, and if you care to take my copy later for your personal consumption, you are welcome. You are my good Friend and we do it together.

    Mr Speaker, the President has given his word. In his legacy years, he has given his word. God will back him in his legacy years, and I trust that in the final analysis, the word of President Akufo-Addo would become flesh.
    Mr Speaker 6:19 p.m.
    I have been guided by the Hon Minority Leader to now give the floor to Hon Murtala Mohammed Ibrahim.
    Mr Murtala Mohammed Ibrahim (NDC -- Tamale Central) 6:19 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the Motion to thank the President for the delivery of the State of the Nation Address to this august House.
    Mr Speaker, His Excellency the President did not just talk to us; he talked to the over 30 million Ghanaians, and since he cannot gather Ghanaians to tell them the true state of the nation, he does that through their representatives. In fulfilling article 67 of the 1992 Constitution, the good people of this country expect nothing from the President except that which is absolute truth.
    Mr Speaker, I have listened to some of my Hon Colleagues, and they have described the Address delivered by the President as fantastic. Perhaps, we need to agree with them because as far as I am concerned, it was fantastically incoherent, superbly
    inconsistent, and profoundly pregnant with a lot of half-baked truths, and I would unpack that in a jiffy.
    Mr Speaker, His Excellency the President-- rather curiously, in telling us what the true state of the country is - I thought that nothing was more current and concerned to the good people of this country at that material moment than the loss of a young promising citizen of the State in Apam. As a matter of fact, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and other international media saw the need to carry the story, and the unfortunate demise of these sons of our State happened a day before the President delivered his Address.
    What was even curious was that every single paper in this country carried that story as its banner headline. When I sat listening to the President, I thought that would be the very first statement extending his condolences to the bereaved families. Unfortunately, I wondered where empathy and sympathy had gone. I guess they were on sabbatical leave. It is my prayer that both empathy and sympathy would have returned sooner than later.
    Mr Speaker, another thing that was conspicuously missing was the issue of LGBTQI+. I know that Hon Colleagues have spoken extensively
    Mr Murtala Mohammed Ibrahim (NDC -- Tamale Central) 6:29 a.m.
    about it. The reason I speak to it is that it is not only necessary but essential because that has been the most topical discussion in this country. We have been told that the President had actually made his position very clear when he met a group of religious leaders.
    I wonder whether there is any opportunity which is more suited for the President to make his position very clear than when he had the opportunity to address the good people of this country. I guess, perhaps, that one had also travelled. I hope that it would return sooner than later.
    Mr Speaker, when I got home, I thought, perhaps, I did not listen to the President very well. I went through the entire Address, and a word was conspicuously missing. That word is “corruption”. I tried juxtaposing what was delivered by the President in 2017, and corruption was conspicuously missing.
    I can understand why the President dare not mention corruption on that day. The reason he could not mention it is because corruption is fighting him, and any attempt to mention it, there would have been something
    happening because corruption was lurking in the precincts of Parliament. So, the President was scared to the marrow of mentioning corruption.
    In fact, if you look at the 2017 State of the Nation Address, in a lot of the lines delivered by the President, you would find the word “corruption” in it. That was the time we were made to believe how incorruptible Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was. Little did we know that, perhaps, what Cicero said, and since my senior Hon Atta Akyea quoted philosophers, Mr Speaker, permit me to quote Cicero who once said that “Politics was indeed a country idiot” and perhaps that explained why the President did not mention corruption.
    Mr Speaker, it is not surprising that the President did not mention some of the incidents that I felt were very germane under the circumstance when he had the opportunity to mention them. Mr Speaker, eight young men in this country lost their lives. In fact, seven of them were gunned down by gun wielding men in uniform, and nothing happened.
    What is even more important is that one of the arms of Government was attacked on 7th January, 2021, and I thought as the leader of one of the important arms of Government, in this case, the Executive, the President
    would have reassured that he stands with us, and he would defend the cause of democracy at any point in time. Yet again, I guess it did not matter the President.
    What would have been more assuring to this legislative arm is the spirit of separation of powers, and checks and balances as propounded by the likes of Montesquieu and John Locke that the President would have assured us that yes, power ought to be distributed fairly so that there can be some cooperation and working together to achieve a common goal, and that is to advance the cause of this country. For the President, it was not necessary.
    I was flabbergasted when I heard the President say that we are not even importing tomatoes to this country - [Interruption]. I did not have the opportunity to attend a first class school, but the difference is that I am sharing this House with you if that is your discomfort.
    Mr Speaker, barely two weeks ago, I had a discussion with a senior Colleague, the Hon Cletus Avoka, because people in his constituency also produce tomatoes and they bring it to Tamale to sell. In fact, the people in Tamale decided to purchase that which is brought from Burkina Faso,
    and we had a discussion as to how we would resolve it. Yet, the President looked into our miserable faces and told us that tomatoes is not imported into this country.

    Another shocking revelation which the President said was the issue of maize. I am a very proud farmer and I can assure you that there has never been a time that a bag of maize has sold in Tamale at GH¢200. As we stand today, a bag of maize is being sold at GH¢200.

    I want H. E. the President to realise one thing, that candour and sincerity matter in politics and the least to engage in such falsehood is the President. Sincerity matters because with sincerity, there will be the common objective of advancing the cause of this great nation.

    Mr Speaker, one other thing that the President said, and I did not know whether I should cry or laugh when he gave the number of One District One Factory that they have provided. Perhaps, the President has unfortunately lost touch with reality, but I would not blame him but blame his speechwriters. We are insisting; which are those factories and where are they?
    Mr Murtala Mohammed Ibrahim (NDC -- Tamale Central) 6:29 a.m.


    I was shocked that we were told , that even the right to speak in this House is one of the achievements of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. We were told that as part of his adherence to the rule of law and good governance and his achievements, we have the right to speak our minds here.

    Let me reassure Hon Colleagues that the right to speak here is not determined by any person but by the Constitution of Ghana. Maybe, we need to take a proper look at separation of powers because we are practising a hybrid system of Government and that is the basis on which the American system of Government thrives. Unfortunately, the President has taken that also as an achievement.

    Mr Speaker, it is also instructive -
    Mr Speaker 6:29 a.m.
    Hon Member, you have got to the end so, in conclusion?
    Mr M. M. Ibrahim 6:29 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, it is also instructive that Mr Domelevo whom I thought contrary to the assertion that the gentleman had problems, was forced to go on accumulated leave as a Ghanaian and returned as a Togolese. I thought that
    the President would run away from this -- those who are qualified to be Ghanaians and those who are not.
    As a student of history, it is not surprising because we saw that Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah's 86 year old mother who could barely see, was dragged before Commission after Commission that she should say that Dr Nkrumah was not her biological son. In fact, they said Dr Nkrumah was a Liberian.
    As if that was not enough, an Alien Compliance Order also came. Maybe, one would say that it was targeting aliens in this country, but even under the Fourth Republican Constitution, Thomas Broni -- When Hon Collins Dauda who became a Member of Parliament (MP) was taken to a court of competent jurisdiction, challenging his nationality, the NPP as a political party which I know the President at that time was an active participant in the decisions of the NPP, never raised a finger about that. I thought they would run away, so if today, ,Mr Domelevo , by his looks and name is now a Togolese, tomorrow, they may say Hon Ablakwa and myself are from Cosomokia.
    Mr Speaker, I would not be surprised that when the NPP is getting their --
    Mr Speaker 6:29 a.m.
    Hon Member, please, I told you to conclude, now you have added two minutes.
    Mr M. M. Ibrahim 6:29 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would not be surprise that by the time the NPP goes to congress to elect their flagbearer for 2024 -- I weep for my senior brother, Dr Bawumia. They would say that he is a Burkinabe because they have a history of consistently determining who is a Ghanaian and who is not.
    If Dr Bawumia is watching or listening, I pray for him. I know they will tell him that he is a Burkinabe and that has been the stock in trade of this Administration. My simple appeal to the NPP, particularly the flagbearer, is to move away from this attitude of yeegye yeman, this attitude of we are more Ghanaian than others.
    Mr Speaker, in conclusion, the President said that he has brought press freedom. We see, today, that those who murdered Ahmed Suale have still not been found and we know the circumstances that occasioned his murder. Moomen of GTV was attacked and threatened and not a single person was invited. So, I would say that what H. E. the President did on that day was nothing but that can be described as a cartoon scenario reality.
    With these few words, I thank you, Mr Speaker, for this opportunity given me.
    Mr Speaker 6:29 a.m.
    Hon Members, it is now the turn of Hon Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah. [Pause]
    Please guide me as to who is here.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 6:29 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, if you may move to the next person on our list?
    Mr Speaker 6:29 a.m.
    The next person has spoken and her name has been marked - Hon Freda Prempeh. The next is Hon Festus Kwofie. It is your turn.
    Dr Festus Awuah Kwofie (NPP -- Upper Denkyira East) 6:29 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity given me to contribute to the Motion moved by Hon Patrick Boamah on the SONA delivered by our President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
    Mr Speaker, the Statement was very diverse with no ambiguity, very resilient and indicated a healthy economy. The NPP Government in 2016, inherited an economy that had serious deeper structural challenges. The economy was in shambles, there was disability in the economy. No wonder four years ago, when the
    Dr Festus Awuah Kwofie (NPP -- Upper Denkyira East) 6:29 a.m.


    President was in this very House during the Seventh Parliament giving the SONA, he was compelled to make certain commitments. One was to restore and maintain the micro- economic stability and two, to apply every monetary and physical policy to ensure that interest rate burden and tax burden on individual and institutions are reduced. That is exactly what the President.

    On page 3, paragraph 2 of the Address, the President indicated which with your permission, I read:

    “Mr. Speaker, between 2017 and the first quarter of 2020, we had made considerable gains in the management of the national economy, where we witnessed annual average GDP growth of seven per cent (7%), single digit inflation, reduced fiscal deficits with three consecutive years of primary surpluses, a relatively stable exchange rate, a significant improvement in the current account with three consecutive years of trade surpluses, strong foreign exchange reserve buffers, markedly reduced lending rates, and appreciable job creation.”

    Mr Speaker, in 2016, the GDP growth of the economy was 3.4 per

    cent. When the NPP Government took over, a year after, this growth went to 8.1 per cent. Also, in 2018 and 2019, we had 6.4 per cent. Unfortunately, in 2020, because of COVIDD-19, we had 1.1 per cent growth.

    Even that, the World Bank had a forecast that across the sub-African regions, we expect 3.2 growth of GDP. However, the President stated that he would put every resources together to ensure that the GDP rate of the economy gets to 5 per cent per annum.

    Mr Speaker, in 2016, the policy rate that was left behind by the NDC was 25 per cent. As I speak --
    Mr Speaker 6:29 a.m.
    Hon Member, this is your first time in Parliament so I gave you latitude to do what you are doing but please, if you may read Order 89. I am sure you have your Standing Orders with you.
    Dr Kwofie 6:29 a.m.
    Yes, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker 6:29 a.m.
    Read Order 89 and be guided by it.
    Dr Kwofie 6:29 a.m.
    Mr Speaker, Order 89 says:
    “A member shall not read his speech, but may read extracts from written or printed
    documents in support of his argument and may refresh his memory by reference to notes''.
    Mr Speaker, I have taken a cue from that.
    Mr Speaker, in 2016, the policy rate of the economy was 25 per cent and as I speak, the rate is 14.5 per cent. Interest rate, which is the treasury bill that we inherited was 17.5 per cent and as I speak, the 90-day treasury bill is 13.5 per cent. Inflation which was 19.2 per cent, is now10.4 per cent and the average lending rate which was also 34 per cent is currently around 21 per cent, which most banks lend below 21 per cent.
    The cedi depreciation which was 17.5 per cent on the average, last year we recorded 4.0 per cent. International reserves which in the past Ghanaians had been very comfortable with 2.5 months, reached up to 3.6 months in 2019 and as I speak, it is now 4.1 months cover.
    The non-performing loans which measure the composite of loans that have entered and do not perform, in 2016, was 17.5 per cent but as I speak, it is 10.5 per cent. If we discount the lost category of the loans, we should arrive at 6.5 per cent. These are factors that when put
    together plus the interest rates and the policy rates they really affect the lending rates of banks in the country.
    Mr Speaker, the national debt which has been a topical issue -- I am glad that our Hon Colleague admitted that in 2016, when the NDC was leaving power, the national debt was GH¢122 billion. The national debt is currently GH¢286 million and there is no doubt about that -- however, with most of the loans that were contracted before 2017, about 70 per cent of them were in foreign currency.
    Between 2008 and 2016, under the management of the NDC, the cedi depreciated by 208 per cent. If we look at the cumulative figure currently, the GH¢286 million; is equivalent to 50.2 billion, as at 2017, the GH¢122 billion is equivalent to US$31.4 billion; to date is 50.2, so the difference between 2016 and 2020 is US$19 billion. However, between 2009 and 2016, NDC added US$22 billion to our loan debt.
    Mr Speaker, between 1990 and 2000, the debt component was 2.8 billion and it went up to 9.07 billion. The NDC added 7 billion and the former President Kufuor regime, NPP added 2 billion. So, if we look at the 30-year loan, NDC has added US$29 billion to the loan debt,
    Mr Speaker 6:29 a.m.
    Hon Member, you have done well. You have been guided by the Standing Orders. Please, develop the courage to speak out viva voce without reading. It is something that you have to learn on your feet. So, when we draw your attention, we do not intend to intimidate you; we want you to learn. I realised after that you read small and then you referred to documents.
    You did very well. Congratulations. [Hear! Hear!] We have agreed to disagree -- that one is accepted, so do not be disturbed about the disagreements.
    Mr Alhassan Suhuyini Sayibu (NDC -- Tamale North) 6:49 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion.
    Mr Speaker, after listening to the President on that, day, I came to the conclusion that perhaps, he was presenting a future state of the nation address but knowing his record, I could possibly conclude that, indeed, it was a future impossible state of the nation address. [Hear! Hear!] This is because the President is noted, with his Government in 2020, to have spent over GH¢100 billion based on the Budget Statement that was presented. So, for him to have spent that much without reviving this economy to promise to spend that much in four years in an “Obaatanpa Ghana Care'', aimed at reviving the economy. That could only be a future impossible state of Ghana.
    Again, the President, before he became one he promised to construct hospitals in all the districts without hospitals or clinics in all the districts without clinics. He became a President and for four years he could not even deliver a single one, but here he is as His Excellency the President, assuring the nation at the end of his
    tenure that he is now on agenda 111. That can clearly be seen as a future impossible State of the Nation.
    Mr Speaker, let us even look at the fact that this President on the occasion was delivering his maiden State of the Nation Address after his first term and ask ourselves how he became President in the first place. In his campaign to become President for his first term, there were three key characteristics of his that were marketed to the people of Ghana. One was that he was an anti- corruption champion; the other was that he was a human rights activist; and the third was that he was a friend of the media.
    Mr Speaker, I hold in my hand a release by the Ghana Integrity Initiative on 28th January, 2020 and the first paragraph reads which with your permission, I quote:
    “The 2020 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released today by Transparency International scored Ghana 43 out of a possible clean score of 100 and ranked the country 75 out of 180 countries included in this year's index.”
    Mr Speaker, it is instructive to note that in 2013, Ghana scored 46 points; 48 points in 2014; 47 out of 100 in
    2015; and 40 points out of 100 in 2016; and 40 points out of 100 in 2017; 41 points in 2018 and have since maintained the 41 points which happens to be our poorest showing in at least a decade. That happened under the supposed anti-corruption champion.
    Mr Speaker, what is even sad is that this morning listening to Professor Gyimah Boadi who is a former Director of CDD, he said and I quote with your permission:
    “The President's anti-corruption record has been in tatters for a very long time and that his action on Mr Domelovo puts the nail finally on the coffin.”
    Mr Speaker, this is a verdict of a man who came into office touting anti- corruption credentials and after four years, that is the verdict for all of us to see. No wonder, he did not have the courage to use the word corruption in the over one hour speech that he delivered as Message on the State of the Nation.
    Mr Speaker, on his human rights records, I have with me also Ghana 2019 Human Rights Report by the UNDP which with your permission, I would quote a portion of the third paragraph:
    Mr Speaker 6:49 p.m.
    I have to give the opportunity now to Hon Carlos Ahenkorah.
    Mr Kingsley Carlos Ahenkorah (NPP -- Tema West) 6:59 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute on this motion.
    Before I commence my contribution, let me reiterate the Presidents' gratitude to the House on the day he delivered the State of the Nation Address. If you permit me, I would read from page 2 of the Address:
    “I am thankful to you for enabling Government to be duly constituted. The expeditious and thorough manner in which my ministers were scrutinised by the Appointments Committee and the approval by the full House of each of the twenty-nine (29) substantive Ministers, for me,
    Mr Kingsley Carlos Ahenkorah (NPP -- Tema West) 6:59 p.m.


    was an indication of the collective determination of both sides of the House, with mutual regard for each other to work together for the good of the country.”

    Mr Speaker, he went ahead to even say that as he indicated in his acceptance speech on the night of the 9th December, 2020, now is the time for each and every one of us, irrespective of our political affiliation to unite, join hands, stand shoulder to shoulder and work hard to place Ghana where she deserves to be.

    Mr Speaker, on behalf of the President, I would reiterate this gratitude and say that this is what is requested of us, Members of Parliament. At this juncture where Ghanaians have put that responsibility on us, to work together, I would pray that this request by the President would be carried out by all and we would respect it as such.
    Mr Speaker, COVID 6:59 p.m.
    None

    handed and stay for about 10 to 12 months without any salary. We had our petty traders and also artisans as well as shoe shine boys and roasted plantain sellers on the streets being locked down for three weeks because of Coronavirus, after which their capital evaporated.

    The President did not relent on his effort to hook us up as Ghanaians, and as far as I am concerned, that one hot meal per day for areas where the lock down affected people so much, is something we need to thank the President for. He managed to handle the situation in such a manner that people who did not even know where the next meal was going to come from knew that one meal would be placed at their doorstep before they sleep.

    He even went beyond that to introduce the CAPBUS Initiative, where micro, small and medium enterprises had the opportunity to apply for small loans online. This time, the emphasis is on “online”. It was not a politically aligned programme; it was not given to just political party members but was put online for everybody to apply. Here, I would gladly say that I had people coming to me in my constituency from all sides of the divide to thank us, me of course and the President, for what we have done for the private sector.

    Mr Speaker, the pandemic scared the world. It is still scaring us, but luckily, through the CAPBUS Initiative, we have received six hundred thousand vaccines which I am sure many of us here have already been vaccinated. Even the Director- General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Mr Tedros Adhanom, once said that pandemic is not a word to use likely or carelessly because it has come to scare the world. And I am of the opinion that if we continue the way the President has taken this country on such a path to redeem us from total destruction, and we all obeyed and stayed within the COVID protocols and respected the guidelines, I am sure we would be safe.

    The President has done enough; he has done more than we could even imagine; he has had worldwide acclamation for the way he handled the COVID-19, and this is captured in a post that appeared in a Conversation Newsletter just yesterday on the topic “Coronavirus, one year on. Two countries that got it right and three countries that got it wrong.”

    Mr Speaker, this was written by a researcher from the Bournemouth University called Darren Lilleker. If

    you would permit me, I would just quote a little piece of what he said about the President. He said:

    “Akufo Addo took responsibility for coronavirus policy and explained carefully each measure required, being honest about the challenges the nation faced.”

    This got Ghana to be one of the countries that got it right alongside South Korea. The researcher found out that the United Kingdom, India and Brazil got it wrong because they shook hands with the coronavirus pandemic when it exploded.

    Indeed, they even went ahead to quote his most popular rendition which says:

    “We know how to bring the economy back to life. What we do not know is how to bring people back to life.”

    This simple demonstration of empathy actually won him the worldwide acclamation and for that matter got us into the annals of the WHO with all the respect that our President and Ghanaians deserve.

    Mr Speaker, despite the shocks of this pandemic, the country still stayed afloat economically even though our
    Mr Speaker, COVID 7:09 p.m.


    expectations of GDP growth and the likes were reduced drastically. As if this is not enough, we still maintained the monthly policy rate of 14.5 per cent, which is about 150 per cent lower than what we inherited in 2017.

    Mr Speaker, Free Senior High school has come to stay. And amidst all these difficulties, the President has managed to sustain the programme from 2017 till date.

    In our first year of enrolment, which is 2017/18, we had 43 per cent increase in enrolment which we manged to control up to date.

    Mr Speaker, as of March 2020, the number of students in school on roll was about 405,000 and the number that had applied to join in form 1 was 512,018. This makes it difficult for anybody that is planning school curricular to house this number of students in the few secondary schools that we have here.

    Mr Speaker, unfortunately, if we consider what the past Government before the NPP Government came into power planned to do to cover the people who had qualified but would not have access to secondary school, their idea was to build e-blocks or day

    secondary schools to capture these people into the second cycle institutions. It is good but what we forgot to realise is that while we are building these schools around, there were people staying home without access to secondary schools.

    Another government came and said it is not going to wait to finish building the schools, it is rather going to run two streams and make judicious utilisation of real estate space. Here, if Mr Speaker, would permit me, I would like to akin these two situations in a very typical demonstration so that we understand perfectly how the double track system would always be better than waiting for day schools to be built.
    Mr Speaker 7:09 p.m.
    Hon Member, be concluding.
    Mr Ahenkorah 7:09 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I would like to say that today, the 275 Members of Parliament here are not able to attend sessions together because of the pandemic. Parliament has caused about 175 seats to be removed; meaning that at any particular time, only 200 people can sit in this room, which indicates that people are qualified to be Members of Parliament but because of access they are not able to Sit in the Chamber to learn Parliamentary work. It is going to
    distort and disturb your very reason to get people to learn and become like your good self and this is what the situation was before free SHS.
    Mr Speaker, when the NPP took over, we said we would use the charismatic or Christian approach whereby the church that is supposed to win souls for Christ would not be able to turn away any soul that wants to come to church. What they do is that when the church is full, they say the people should wait for the second service. Even if the second service is full, they come for the third service.
    Mr Speaker, by coming to the second service, one is not by anyway short-changed. The Bible is not diluted. It is the same preaching or the same preacher and people go away even happier when they attend the second service better than the first service. So we said that we are going to have two streams. While the buildings were not being used, when the first ones go in, they come home and the second go in just to carry everybody. Leave no man behind. That was the concept.
    Mr Speaker, so, as far as I am concerned, I think that we should rather embrace this free SHS concept, which has even come to save us as Parliamentarians where we do not find
    people queuing by our gates for school fees for their wards when school reopens.
    Mr Kofi I. Adams (NDC -- Buem) 7:09 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion on the Floor, which is to thank His Excellency the President for coming to this House to present to us the State of the Nation Address.
    Mr Speaker, indeed, as I sat and listened to the President, like many others, I was wondering whether he was presenting the state of nation of our country Ghana; especially when he sought to suggest that we were not importing some food items.
    Mr Speaker, His Excellency the President touted a number of achievements, especially in the early part of his first four-year term. These achievements the President was touting have long been predicted that it would be so in 2017 and 2018 by no less a body than the Economic and Intelligence Unit in their Report of November, 2015.
    When they predicted that the New Patriotic Party was likely to win that election, the economy was going to do so well in 2017 and in 2018 not
    Mr Kofi I. Adams (NDC -- Buem) 7:19 p.m.


    Mr Speaker, the President again talked about how he did so well in managing the COVID-19 situation but what he never said was that most of these decisions that he wants us to celebrate him for were possible because of the policy and decisions of the NDC Administration and by extension, former President Mahama.

    Mr Speaker, he talked about hot and free meals, free water and free electricity. In this House, on the 30th of March, the Minister for Finance was here to request that he was going to raise funds for the President's Coronavirus Alleviation Programme. Where was his first source of funding? Stabilisation Fund -- GH¢1 billion from the Stabilisation Fund created by the NDC Government and former President John Dramani Mahama. [Hear! Hear!] Without such a visionary leadership in establishing such a fund, our management of COVID-19 would have been completely destroyed and be nothing to write home about.

    Mr Speaker, again, in terms of health facilities, every health facility that stood tall was as a result of the creation of the NDC Administration. Indeed, Mr Speaker was once a Minister for Health and he saw to the building of some of these health facilities that the current Minister for Health claimed that when he was tired, he went to the hospital to rest.

    Indeed, we built very good hospitals that the Minister for Health of the country did not have any place to rest but to go to one these hospitals that we built. Without the NDC and President Mahama's Administration, there would have been nothing to back these successes that he talked about.

    Mr Speaker, I would want to talk about the free electricity especially for the lifeline consumers. Most times, the idea behind supporting lifeline consumers, the actual lifeline consumers do not get it because this Government has reduced the rate of supply of metres to communities.

    So, one would get to a particular village, and he would see so many homes connected to just one meter, which takes their consumption way off the lifeline level, so they end up paying

    bills, way and above. So, the intended consumers who are to benefit from these lifelines end up not benefiting, and I think that Government must clearly look at this policy through the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), to make sure that metre supplies to communities is enhanced, so that every household can have their own meter, so that if they are supposed to be lifeline consumers, then they would truly be lifeline consumers and benefit from such support.

    Mr Speaker, we are not against Agenda 111. If it could happen, we would have wished that it is even more than 111. However, the President promised 88, then he changed it to 101, and then to 111. Where he mentioned the 88, he said that it was going to take 12 months, that is, it would be within one year. When his Health Minister appeared before the Vetting Committee under oath and he was asked, he said that not even one had started.

    In less than three months or three weeks after the vetting of the Health Minister, the President appeared in this House and said that the projects have commenced and are at various stages, but which stage? Who is telling us the real state of the nation? Is it the

    Health Minister who was under oath and said nothing is happening, or the President? The two must be clear on their stance.

    Mr Speaker, the President also touched on an important subject, and that is also on the One District, One Factory Programme. We were so concerned and hence asked to know where the One District One Factories were located. The President's answer was that we should open our eyes. I would want to tell the President that I have been opening my eyes in my district, and what I have been getting is fire flies entering my eyes every time I open them because I do not see any One District One Factory in my district.

    The Minister for Agriculture and the then Regional Minister for the Volta Region drove all the way to my district in November of 2018 to “cut sod” for a One District One Factory Project. As we speak today, people of that community go there to go and hunt for grasscutters. It has turned into a bush where they hunt for grasscutters.

    Nothing is happening there, so, if H. E. the President says that the projects are going on, then I am telling him that nothing is happening in my district, and that is why we were asking him for further particulars to enable us locate and help him to complete
    Mr Speaker 7:19 p.m.
    Hon Member, you had a bonus of more than a minute because my microphone was off. A number of you had kept your microphones on, so, mine could not function. It is now the turn of the Hon Sheila Bartels.
    Ms Sheila Bartels (NPP -- Ablekuma North) 7:29 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.
    Mr Speaker, permit me to add my voice to the earlier submission done by the Hon Member for Ablekuma West, the Hon Ursula Owusu-Ekuful,
    when she spoke about the President's presentation on digitisation and what has been achieved so far.
    Mr Speaker, before I do that, I would like to commend H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo because if one has been in the space like I have for the past 20 years, one would realise that a lot has been done, and in fact, what we have achieved is really tremendous.

    This is because since independence you would realise the achievements of this Government in the last four years in the area of digitisation which is something that we need to applaud.

    Mr Speaker, in the year 1990 thereabout, I had an opportunity to stay in the USA for a few years. During that period, I realised that even at that time, the country was so developed because it was already
    Ms Sheila Bartels (NPP -- Ablekuma North) 7:29 p.m.
    digitalised. I could do most things with my bank card; very little was done with cash. Most people were already on the system that enables them to be able to manage their money for the country to be able to tax everybody and we were all within the tax bracket. So, I believe that it contributed a lot to the economy because everybody paid their dues.
    Mr Speaker, when I came to Ghana in 2000 and I set up Ghanaonline.com which was the first e-commerce company in Ghana, interestingly, I set it up before I realised the problems we had in Ghana. These problems were: we did not have a payment gateway in Ghana at the time; we did not have an identity card system; and also we did not have addressing system.
    For a young woman who has invested all that I had earned in a platform which I thought would make me a lot of money, I realised that we did not have the necessary infrastructure that would enable us achieve it.
    So if we look at the achievements that have been chalked by this Government, we have to applaud the leadership of our Government because this is no mean feat.
    Now, for us to be able to go digital, it requires that people must have a way to pay. For instance, we have the e- Gov that has been set up now, where we can pay our taxes and do anything that has to do with Government online. There is the need for a payment system to be able to pay for these services and yet, as at the year 2010, only 41 per cent of Ghanaians were banked or had any form of payment. Because of the work that was done in this industry, as at the year 2018, we had achieved 58 per cent of people who are banked.
    Mr Speaker, in the last Financial Inclusion Workshop that we had, the Vice President said that he was targeting 85 per cent of Ghanaians being banked by 2023 and this is captured in the Ministry of Finance's National Financial Inclusion and Development Strategy Report, 2018-
    2023.
    Mr Speaker, looking at the period of COVID-19 which we saw last year that all services came to a halt because we were all under lockdown there were some services that worked even though they were also under lockdown and they were not essential services. These companies are the digitalised companies. They were
    people who were selling dresses, shoes and providing services that were not classified under essential services.

    Mr Speaker, I am suggesting that as Hon Members of Parliament, we should be interested in what the Government has achieved in the area of digitalisation. We are talking about jobs that have been created since digitalisation started. I know of businesses such as payment service providers, payment gateway processors, people who develop web profile and e-commerce, people who provide customer services, people who do order fulfilments and so many things.

    Mr Speaker, if you look at Amazon in the USA, you will see the numbers that it hires is in hundreds of thousands. Hon Members should be interested in the digitalisation agenda.
    Ms Sheila Bartels (NPP -- Ablekuma North) 7:29 p.m.


    Mr Speaker, the Digital Financial Industry has contributed a lot to Ghana's development. We must find ways to support and help that industry to stabilise and grow because I believe that if there is a lot of investment and effort that ensures that these companies and service providers are able to stand on their feet, they would also help our local businesses to withstand any shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Mr Speaker, I would like to summarise what I have said. Indeed, a lot has been done and we must appreciate the work that the President has done and we must put our efforts into ensuring that, especially our youth are made aware of the benefits of digitalisation and the kinds of opportunities that they can also realise if they do not spend all their time just browsing, but look at ways they can help to digitalise our businesses in our various communities and constituencies.

    Mr Speaker, it takes a great team to achieve great things. His Excellency the President, the Vice President and our Hon Minister for Finance and his team have done a lot

    and we must applaud them. In fact, they deserve the four more we have given to them.
    Mr Issifu Seidu (NDC -- Nalerigu/Gambaga) 7:39 p.m.
    Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Motion on the State of the Nation Address by H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
    Mr Speaker, on this fateful day, after His Excellency the President delivered his Address, I had an engagement with my Hon Colleagues, and the description they gave to the Address was that it was rhetorical. Mr Speaker, at that point, I was a bit confused. What did they mean by this? Shortly afterwards, I got a call from one of my professors in a university who told me “Hon, you people have finished with your SONA of convenience.” I got more confused. So, I decided to go into it.
    What is this state of the nation about? When we say state of affair or something, what does it mean? Mr Speaker, I crosschecked from Encyclopaedia Britannica, and The
    Oxford Dictionary. Mr Speaker, in the long run, I came out with a conclusion that when they say a state of something, it refers to a situation. It refers to a set of circumstances. For instance, a state of a vehicle.
    If you ask a mechanic to give you the state of a vehicle, what would the mechanic look for? What would he tell you to understand the state of that vehicle? Perhaps, the mechanic would talk about the engine, and the body.
    Mr Speaker, it is just like telling a doctor that he should give you the state of health of a person. The doctor would have a criteria of certain cardinal points that he would look for to advise you so that any time you pick that report, you would know the state of health of a person.
    In the same way, Mr Speaker, if you ask somebody to give you the state of a business, you would look for the trading position, the current assets and liabilities, cashflow projections, the balance sheet where you talk about the current assets and liabilities, fixed and current assets. At the end of the day, anybody who picks this information and can interpret the financial figures, would be able to tell you that the company is doing well or not.
    Mr Speaker, you would realise that in 2020, His Excellency the President in delivering his Address, focussed on the inflation rate which he touted himself by saying it was the lowest ever in the history of Ghana. He talked about the fiscal deficit to GDP. He also talked about the surplus which he said in three years running, Ghana had run on surplus.
    Mr Speaker, if you look at the SONA of 2021, once previously he talked about debt to GDP ratio, this particular one was lost, and you would find it difficult to understand why conspicuously His Excellency the President did not talk about it.
    That is important because if you look at 2016, his campaign was on borrowing, so at any point in time, when he comes to give the State of the Nation Address, we expect to see the net additions to our debt stock so that at the end of the day, we would juxtapose that with what he has used the money for.
    Mr Speaker, my understanding about SONA is an accountability document. At the end of the day, the President should be able to account to the people who gave him the power and mandate to rule. We did not see it in this Address.
    Mr Speaker, the interesting part is this one. He said 7:39 p.m.
    “Seventy per cent (70%) of the adult population did not have access to a bank account, financial transactions and they were dominated by cash and the
    process of service delivery in most MMDAs were largely manual and highly bureaucratic.”
    Mr Speaker, 70 per cent, which means that now we are able to register 70 per cent and these people are all involved in the financial services either through banks or mobile money.
    Mr Speaker, you would realise that in Ghana, if you put all the accounts in banks in Ghana together, you would not even get one million people who are actively operating bank accounts. My point here is that I expected the President to have mentioned the telecommunication services. They have provided the vehicle for mobile financial services to be taken advantage of for us to build our digitisation ecosystem. H. E. the President did not mention this.
    Mr Speaker 7:39 p.m.
    Now, in conclusion?
    Mr I. Seidu 7:39 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, in conclusion, H. E. the President also talked about retooling the security services with SUVs, buildings among others. I come from one of the newly created Regions but at the end of the day, these vehicles did not get to all the newly created Regions. I cannot totally say we did not but at the end of the day, you would realise that the challenge is still there and these
    security services are under resourced. To fight crime is a bit of a challenge for them.
    In conclusion, after the confusion and going through all the reading and research work, I realised that we can only urge the SONAs developmental, to remain consistent in his approach and to remain accountable to the people of Ghana. Until this is done, I would still say that the SONA remains rhetorical and convenient.
    Mr Speaker 7:39 p.m.
    Hon Bright Wireko Brobby?
    Mr Bright Wireko-Brobby (NPP -- Hemang Lower Denkyira) 7:39 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker for the opportunity given me to contribute to the Motion on the floor of the House on the SONA delivered by H. E. the President on 9th March, 2021. This was in line with article 67 of the Constitution and, indeed, rightly so, he came with full gears to deliver.
    Most of the things that he said, if he had the opportunity to really talk about the state of the nation, he would have needed about two days to do so because a lot has happened in his first term of office and as he
    Mr Speaker 7:39 p.m.
    Hon Rockson- Nelson Dafeamekpor. After your submission, we would listen to the leaders and then we would draw the curtain.
    Mr Rockson-Nelson Kwami Etse Dafeamekpor (NDC -- South Dayi) 7:59 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, thank you for the humble invitation to add a few words by way of contribution to the Motion on the Floor.
    Mr Speaker, in doing so, I would concentrate on paragraph 243 of page 216 of the President's Address. The President spoke about contributions that they would make within the judiciary. On page 14 of his Address, the President said that the judicial system has not been left out of the digitisation programme and that for example, the e-Justice system was introduced under his administration -- but we have to set that record straight.
    When the modern court complex was commissioned under the NDC administration, the court automation system began with the operation under the modern court and our practices and processes before the courts were automated. Indeed, if the President has come to add to that existing facility or expanded it, he could say so but there is no way he could say that he introduced and launched the e-Justice system in Ghana. It is never correct.
    Mr Speaker 7:59 p.m.
    Hon Members, we are about to conclude the debate, so the Leader of the Minority Group would start.
    Minority Leader (Mr Haruna Iddrisu) 8:09 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion that this House thanks H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for complying with article 67 of the Constitution and delivering the State of the Nation Address to Parliament. In doing so, Mr Speaker, I would express my disappointment in the President and in his message.
    First of all, Mr Speaker, to every economy, a report by the President on debt is significant. President Nana Addo Dankwa was dead silent on the
    Minority Leader (Mr Haruna Iddrisu) 8:19 p.m.
    But significant for us that under President Nana Addo Dankwa, we have had an Auditor-General forced out of office; we have had a Special Prosecutor resign from office and yet the same administration and regime wants to be praised for its quest and effort in combating corruption. It has a debilitating effect on the economy and we need to do something about it.
    What the President has done in respect of the Auditor-General erodes public confidence in his determination and commitment to fighting corruption. So, we demand that Domelevo, the Auditor-General, be reinstated to avoid the setting up of bad precedent so that tomorrow, any President can ask any person working under a constitutional body under the 1992 Constitution to proceed on leave or to go home; it is not a good practice.
    Mr Speaker, the President was excited that the Supreme Court has by a unanimous decision declared him as President. That is true. But this is the first time a Chairperson of the Electoral Commission has declared results and within 24 hours have somersaulted to change the results. It has never happened in our history. This is the first time that even in a court trial - This is not the first time an
    Electoral Commission Chairperson has had to be cross-examined while appearing before court and I say so because an important international value is the predictability of the Judiciary. They behave the same way when the same matter of about the same facts and laws are brought before them.

    In this instance, the Chairperson who is the Returning Officer could not be cross examined. Interesting times ahead of Ghana tomorrow. Our democracy would not end with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. There would be Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission and tomorrow, they would make reference to this precedence and say, after all, I have declared a result. I need not be cross- examined, and that would be respected by the principle of stare decisis.

    Mr Speaker, let me come to the economy again. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP have probably forgotten that we are still holding copies of their 2016 Manifesto. Their pledge was ‘‘grow the economy double digit''. The economy in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 did not grow double digit. On average, it was seven per cent growth.

    And so they should not come and say they have honoured their Manifesto promises. That was by far, the most important pledge to Ghanaians.

    Mr Speaker, I would refer you to page 12 through to 13. I am sure the President appreciates what we have always argued, and the records of Parliament would vindicate me. I have been a strong advocate of integration and synchronisation of data. I have been a strong advocate against silos of data been held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the National Communications Authority (NCA), the National Insurance Authority (NIA) and other institutions that have access to data.

    However, Mr Speaker, reading the President, he would have to come again, and again, as one of our Hon Colleagues observed, the speechwriters, when they are coming to the Parliament of Ghana, there are students of arithmetic here. Mr Speaker, I quote, listen to what the President said:

    “From the second quarter of this year, all national ID numbers will also become SSNIT numbers”.

    So you have a national identity card, automatically, you are in employment gainfully and you are

    automatically contributing to SSNIT. This is impossible. The President got it wrongly.

    It continues:

    “This would increase the number of people in the SSNIT database from four million to 15.5 million.”

    Mr Speaker, the President owes us a duty to be candid. It means SSNIT, from the second quarter of this year, would have 15.5 million persons. SSNIT is established by law under the National Pensions Act of 2008 (Act 766), of Ghana. This is statistically inaccurate and statistically misleading.

    “It would make it easier for new contributions to be enlisted on the scheme.”

    Yes, if he says this, the national ID card would become easier for people to identify them, I have no difficulty with it, but for the President to want us to praise him and increase the number of SSNIT beneficiaries from four million to 15.5 million, just using the baseline of ID data, as I have observed, it is statistically inaccurate.

    Mr Speaker, President Nana Akufo Addo, again in 2017, and I am holding a copy of His State of the Nation Address, he said, and I quote:
    Minority Leader (Mr Haruna Iddrisu) 8:29 p.m.
    “Each of the 216 districts in the One District, One Factory Policy”.
    So at the time it was 216 districts. The same President comes to Parliament and says that the number of One District, One Factory is 232. His Minister for Trade and Industry says it is 252, yet the Upper East Region cannot boast of one; the Upper West Region cannot boast of one. Let him be reminded that the Savannah Region cannot boast of one. At least, under His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, a Savannah Private Sector Factory was established for those purposes in the Savannah Region which has created employment.
    Now they have a lopsided implementation of One District, One Factory Project. As President, he owes every district and every region an obligation. Therefore, Mr Speaker, he must ensure that he disperses this opportunity to benefit deprived Ghana to address the growing unemployment in those parts of the country.
    Mr Speaker, what is more worrying is that there are those of them who have benefited from Ghana EXIM Bank under the One District, One Factory Initiative who are the
    same companies who have benefited from tax exemptions which is double benefit. We need to harmonise it. This is a fact available to the Committee on Trade and Industry in Parliament. Some companies have benefited double.
    They have come for support from Ghana EXIM Bank that was established by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama and the NDC Government. He must understand the object of the establishment of that Bank is to assist in export financing and to position Ghana to expand its exports so that we can improve our foreign exchange standing.
    Mr Speaker, it is no wonder President Nana Akufo Addo could not make mention of exchange rate in his two hour presentation. He could not say anything on Ghana's exchange rate. In 2017, when he inherited an exchange rate of 4.2 per cent, he said that was economic incompetence.
    When we have an exchange rate regime today at 5.8 per cent to GH¢ 6 to US$1, is that not incompetence? Certainly, this cannot be competence because what we must understand is that in the servicing of debt, if you borrow US$1 billion 2017 and paid US$4.2 billion, you are required
    today to pay US$5.8 billion. This is why we should not be silent on this; which is why we are disappointed that he was silent on it.
    Mr Speaker, yes, Ghana can boast that we are still a beacon of hope. Our democracy is evolving; our Parliament, a hanged one with 137 members for each party. We went through competitive democratic elections, presidential and parliamentary to determine our leaders.
    Mr Speaker, I wish that the Hon Ministers for the Interior and Defence were here because I listened to them. I am gravely disappointed that none of them was ready to take responsibility for the excesses of the security on December 7th which resulted in the loss of human lives of up to seven people which Hon Ablakwa, Hon Suhuyini Sayibu and one other Member referred to.
    What they were smart in saying is that election violence happens since 1992. What they failed to add is that they were not responsible for Ghana's security as they are today. Therefore, they must take full responsibility for those excesses, commence an investigation into those matters in
    order that they put a terminal end to lives been lost while we conduct competitive democratic elections.
    It is not to come and say that it happened in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 and therefore is it normal? It is the gravest threat to our democracy beyond monetisation.
    Mr Speaker, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo disappointed many in the financial market of Ghana and the world when he announced that the Agyapa Royalties Limited Agreement would be back. It would be back in coma. As it gets back, we would help suffocate it to death because it is not in the good interest of Ghana; it is not in the good interest of the governance of our mineral resources.

    Mr Speaker, I simply ask just one question. What is the urgency for a US$500 million or US$1 billion? If Agyapa was being introduced when COVID-19 attacked Ghana, it is understandable but at this period in time, President Akufo-Addo wants to monetise our mineral resources for several other years.

    Mr Speaker, I heard two arguments. One by the Hon Minister for Defence and the other by the Hon
    Minority Leader (Mr Haruna Iddrisu) 8:29 p.m.


    Minister for Lands and Forestry that the NDC under President John Dramani Mahama and probably under President Atta-Mills, attempted to monetise our mineral resources. Mr Speaker, it is an undeniable fact.

    Mr Speaker, so, there is a clear difference between an entity that is wholly government-owned and an entity that is establishing an SPV to transfer majority shares of 51 per cent onto the world. They cannot be the same. That is why when my Hon Colleague, the Minister for Lands and Forestry, quoted Dr Duffuor's Budget, he got it wrong. This is because the words he used, “wholly state-owned” -- 100 per cent government-owned. Agyapa seeks to establish an SPV which would neutralise the 100 per cent holding into 51 and 49 percentages.

    Mr Speaker, it is not the NDC. The President took pride that he had established the Office of Special Prosecutor. He took pride that he had appointed the distinguished Hon Martin Amidu, former Attorney- General, into the high office of Special Prosecutor. Mr Speaker, his writings are significant; a matter of public record. So Mr Speaker, I would refer to it and just quote a paragraph.

    “Report on the analysis of the risk of corruption and anti- corruption risk assessment of the process leading up to the request for approval and approval of the transaction agreement and tax exemptions granted by Parliament thereunder in relation to the gold royalties monetisation transaction under the Minerals Income Investment Fund Act, 2018 (Act 978) and other related matters thereto.”

    This was signed by Martin A. B. K. Amidu, Special Prosecutor, Office of the Special Prosecutor, dated 15th October, 2020.

    Mr Speaker, I do not want to go to the introduction. I would just go to his executive summary and pick up a few issues on it. Even before I do so, mineral royalties contribute four per cent to our national revenue. In fact, the Canadians have done a paper

    cautioning Ghana. So whether Agyapa or no Agyapa, Ghana earns US$130 million per annum as mineral revenue. So why do they want to amortise our mineral resources for 25 years for US$750 million when they can, without any Agyapa or Agyaboni -- So they want to commit this and come to Parliament even when the Amendment Act has not been signed? We cautioned it and we were told that we were politically minority.

    Now, we are not. So I am serving notice that we would resist Agyapa in the national economic interest. [Hear! Hear!] We would make sure that it is dead at birth and those who - Hon Minister for Defence, Mr Nitiwul, was trying to compare Agyapa to what President John Dramani Mahama did at Airport, Terminal 3.

    Mr Speaker, the people of Ghana and the international financial market would judge us all. It is about who has a superior debt management strategy. What the NDC did to build Terminal 3 was to offload airport tax for a number of years in order to service the debt instead of putting Terminal 3 on the national public debt. Nothing more -- a superior debt management strategy -- let airport tax

    service the debt. This is because so long as we have a passenger on a plane, we earn some revenue or income which is used for that purpose.

    So, Mr Speaker, Hon Martin Amidu, as I quoted, has done his analysis and he concluded that the transaction, apart from the fact that he questioned the establishment of a national vehicle to hold all of the Government of Ghana's gold interest post-2016-- He referred to it and came to a conclusion that the transaction smacks of corruption and he thinks that due process was not followed in the transaction.

    Why the indecent rush to bring Agyapa back to Parliament when we can just rely on the annual returns on mineral resources of a committed US$130 million every year. We do not need to borrow against it because we are assured of it.
    Mr Speaker, I repeat my question 8:29 p.m.
    what is the national emergency that Government needs US$1 billion? For what? To merit that we should not depend on our US$130 million but we should wait and monetise it for a purpose in future.
    Mr Speaker, I should be concluding. US$1 million-One Constituency, yamutu. It is dead.
    Mr Speaker, I repeat my question 8:39 p.m.
    Now, they come announcing number of toilets and boreholes that are produced. They should go back to their manifesto.
    They said that each constituency would get US$1 million. I would convert it at the Dr Mahamudu Bawumia's exchange rate of GH¢4.2 per dollar, which means that each constituency should get GH¢4.2 million a year multiplied by four years. It means that the people of Okaikwei South should have benefited from, at least, some GH¢18 million. I am being conservative. The people of Effutu should have benefited from some GH¢16 million to GH¢20 million -- US$1 million per constituency.
    Mr Speaker, when you hear “yamutu” in Hausa, it means “dead”. I am not aware that any constituency benefited from this pledge yet they say we should hail them that they have honoured their campaign promises. Not at all.
    Mr Speaker, again, the President called for co-operation. At least, on that note, it is encouraging to hear from him. I want to quote what he said:
    “Mr. Speaker, in the face of a global pandemic that has ravaged lives and livelihoods in all parts of the world, we cannot
    afford to pursue interests that will leave our nation and its citizens the poorer for it”.
    Mr Speaker, so we find him conveniently trying to blame COVID- 19 again for our national woes.

    Mr Speaker, let me put on record that at the end of December, 2019, the public debt of Ghana was already US¢225 billion. At that time there was no COVID-19. Somebody must explain the ballooning of the borrowing. So, when they give an impression this year as if COVID-19 is responsible for the state of the Ghanaian economy, that is inaccurate and misleading.

    They should say that COVID-19 has partly contributed to our economic woes, but reckless and irresponsible expenditure have also contributed to it. They should not narrow the blame on COVID-19. When by their own words, US$25 billion was spent on COVID-19, which is only 6.6 per cent of GDP.

    Mr Speaker, the President want us to hail him and he refers to other matters. Even with 1D1F, there are 76 of them which were companies that were in existence already. So, They were not established by them. They should not seek to take credit.

    Mr Speaker, finally we want Government to respect the Supreme Court's ruling on the DACF and the sharing of national revenue. When the President was here, he should have acknowledged that it was Parliament's Committee of the Whole and not him, that we had done analysis led by me.

    We said that there was disparity in the expenditure allocation for Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary, and we recommended that a certain portion of DACF be dedicated for the Judiciary. I have seen him quote extensively for his purpose without acknowledging that the initiative and thinking was that of this august House.

    Mr Speaker, I have been reminded that I have two more minutes. I would conclude --
    Mr Speaker 8:39 p.m.
    Hon Leader, you have used 31minutes now.
    Mr Iddrisu 8:39 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I will not do more than two minutes.
    Mr Speaker 8:39 p.m.
    So, you do not have two more minutes remaining.
    Mr Iddrisu 8:39 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will conclude.
    When the President calls for cooperation, I would want to trust that he is genuine and sincere. But my call is that let us share the opportunities of this country fairly whether to businesses, contractors, with roads or bridges in a manner that the Ghanaian is honoured and treated in dignity regardless of his political affiliation.
    Mr Speaker, while thanking you, we have a duty to work together to build that post COVID-19 economy which is not in good state. It is estimated that Ghana would need US$52 billion as a financing gap deficit, if we are to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
    Mr Speaker, I agree with the President that unemployment has increased as a result of it. Over 90,000 jobs have been lost. What do we do? We have to categorise particular industries, particularly, the hospitality industry for Government to support them to keep their jobs.
    Mr Speaker, with these few comments, I support the Motion.
    Mr Speaker 8:39 p.m.
    Now, on the Majority bench, who is concluding? Hon Deputy Majority Leader?
    rose
    Mr Speaker 8:39 p.m.
    Hon Deputy Majority Leader, I can see Hon Minority Chief Whip up.
    Yes, Hon Member?
    Alhaji Muntaka 8:39 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am coming under Order 90(1) and specifically 93(4), with your indulgence I beg to read:
    “The speech of a Member must have reference to the subject matter under discussion.”
    Mr Speaker, the issues that he is raising has nothing to do with the state of the Nation Address. [Interruption] I am not. I am saying that it has no place in the discussion that we are having currently. If he wants to come, he can properly and he will see whether he would have support or he does not have support.
    Mr Speaker, the Hon Member is out of order because the matter is not what we are discussing now. Mr Speaker, I hope his attention will be drawn to it?
    8. 49 p.m.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 8:39 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, to the contrary, this is not the first time the President congratulated you. He spoke of your distinguished career in this country. His veritable words were captured on paragraph three, on page one of the Address, and I would want Hon Colleagues to go with me to that page. He says, and I quote:
    “His has been a distinguished career, having entered the 1st Parliament of the 4th Republic in 1993, and I came to meet him in the 2nd Parliament in 1997. He
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 8:59 p.m.


    Mr Speaker, on the issue of cocoa, our Hon Colleagues have taken us through the progress that we have made in the cocoa sector. Indeed, there is no doubt that cocoa is the backbone of our agriculture and economy. Whenever we go for this syndication and we get the inflows, it helps to stabilise our economy, therefore, the interests of farmers are very key to every government, and it is very key and dear to this Government.

    Mr Speaker, paragraph three on page 9 of the President's statement addressed us on strategic partnership between Ghana and la Cote d'Ivoire in the cocoa sector. The two leading producers of cocoa beans, which is about 65 per cent of global production, engage buyers of their cocoa to accept a premium of US$400 per tonne, above the terminal market price to support the income of cocoa farmers.

    Mr Speaker, this has never happened in the history of cocoa in this country. The naysayers should challenge this. It is gratifying to note that buyers have accepted this, which is termed as the livelihood income differential for Ghana and la Cote d'Ivoire cocoa beans. Indeed, this is

    very unprecedented in world cocoa sales, and this is a major achievement of this New Patriotic Party (NPP) Administration, which the Rt Hon Speaker spoke about.

    Mr Speaker, we all need to work together to support the cocoa sector. Indeed, illegal mining is a threat to our cocoa industry. In fact, the Hon Seth Terkpeh, in the Sixth Parliament, had the occasion to argue that our cocoa industry is suffering as a result of illegal mining. It is time for all of us to come together as a nation and look at this and help our cocoa farmers, so that we would have increased yield.

    The Hon Ayariga compared la Cote d'Ivoire to Ghana, and asked why they are getting millions of harvest while we are not achieving the same as them. Perhaps, they are doing something better. They are controlling illegal mining much more than we are doing. Perhaps, they are not bringing in partisan politics, so that while one would want to control, somebody would also promise that if he comes, he would stop the control mechanism, so that they continue to mine.

    Mr Speaker, the European Union (EU) is also raising issues of child labour. This is also a matter that as Parliamentarians, we need to make a

    strong case on so that the means of getting our cocoa is not through child labour. They must understand our circumstances.

    Mr Speaker, I am well aware that the EU Parliamentarians are pushing a strong case on this matter, and it is important that as a House, we take this opportunity to safeguard our cocoa industry by letting the world know that our farmers do not engage children in farming, and that our cocoa is not as a result of child labour, which is very important.

    Mr Speaker, we are aware of the modernisation of our cocoa sector, and the rehabilitation going on. We are aware that last year, Government sourced Africa Development Bank (AfDB) facility to deal with diseased cocoa. In the eight years of the NDC Administration, no single step was ever taken for the purpose of rehabilitation. [Hear! Hear!] I challenge them. The records are there. No single step was taken to deal with diseased cocoa. Farmers were left on their own. Whether the cocoa trees were diseased or not, they did not know. Mr Speaker, the situation is not the same today.

    Mr Speaker, having dealt with the cocoa sector, let me now land in my own region and area on fish landing sites. Mr Speaker, it is gratifying to note that the finishing industry, which constitutes about three per cent of GDP is now receiving attention. Mr Speaker, if you refer to paragraph 5 on page 9 of the Address, this is what he said:

    “Government remains committed to the completion of the mini-harbours and landing sites, which are at different stages of completion, in Senya Beraku, Dixcove, Elmina, Moree, Winneba, Gomoa Fetteh, Teshie, Keta, Mumford and Jamestown.”

    Mr Speaker, for reference and emphasis, I hereby remind my Hon Colleagues, the naysayers, of the famous China Development Bank (CDB) facility. We had a CDB loan of US$3 billion which was approved by this House, but for four years, they could not draw down. Landing beach facilities were part of the initial plan.

    Mr Speaker, I was then a Member of the Finance Committee. The Hon Minister for Finance came to Parliament to cap the facility from US$1.3 billion to US$1.5 billion. The
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 8:59 p.m.


    reason was that issues about the landing beaches were no more the priority of Government. This Government comes for four years -- Let me count again.

    Mr Speaker, I would want my Hon Colleagues to do the counting aloud. We are constructing these landing beach facilities at Senya Beraku, Dixcove, Elmina, Moree, Winneba, Gomoa Fetteh, Teshie, Keta, Mumford and Jamestown. This is monumental; it has never happened in the history of this country. They know it is a fact, and they say President Akufo-Addo should keep quiet about it. This is a bold decision and it is not a matter of paper work. Mr Speaker, construction is ongoing, jobs are being created, and our fishermen are happy.

    Mr Speaker, what else? Is it vaulting ambition which is overleaping itself and falling on the other and making it difficult for good eyes to see good things? Is that the case? I am sorry. If that is the case, then you have disappointed the people of Ghana.

    In any event, Mr Speaker, even when the President came to address the nation, days after the Supreme Court had given its verdict, we did not see President Mahama. In fact,

    for all times that President Akufo- Addo had come to deliver SONA, we did not find him. Mr Speaker, seriously, Ghanaians have taken note of his absence.

    Mr Speaker, galamsey is a mixed response of successes and failures. The President did not hide from that. When my Hon Colleague, Hon Samuel Jinapor, came to the vetting and was asked, he was bold in admitting that there have been some difficulties.

    Mr Speaker, I had the honour of chairing the Board of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL). Mr Speaker, the situation is that bad. If we are not careful, in 10 to 20 years, we will not have good water. The chemicals are costly. As a result of illegal mining destroying our water bodies, it costs GWCL more and more each day in the treatment of water. Even so, Mr Speaker, looking at the rate of pollution, I do not think that we can get to the level reasonably expected for treatment to be done for potable water to be supplied.

    Therefore, Mr Speaker, this galamsey matter should be of national concern. This is not NDC or NPP. In the words of Hon Kennedy Agyapong, this is about systems and policies; this is about the future of

    mother Ghana, and I expect my Hon Colleagues to join in that call for us to work together and not see galamsey as a political tool that once a party in Government enforces the law, another party in opposition would rise against it for political gains. It will come and haunt you. If they stay 20 years in opposition, it will come and haunt them one day when you come back to power so, please, join us to do the needful.

    Mr Speaker, let me, at this point, also address an important matter that was raised. Press freedom is important, and we need it. We have to get all stakeholders to cooperate and to be constructive. We need not encourage any excesses in the media space.

    Mr Speaker, if somebody writes something bad about us, without even seeking our view, how do we feel? I am for press freedom, but let us get all stakeholders on board to ensure that they are constructive. Mr Speaker, that is the future of our democracy. Without this, it may be somebody's turn today to suffer. The next day, it would be another man's turn. What would be the future of our democracy so, let us watch?

    Particularly, reference was made to the sad murder of Ahmed Hussein- Suale. Hon Johnson Asiedu Nketsiah issued a statement. These were the words of the former Hon MP, and the longest serving General-Secretary of the NDC, but it appears many other party members have not paid attention to it. It was issued and same published on GhanaWeb and Graphic online also captured same on 11th March, 2019, and this is the third paragraph of the statement. “We have also noted public outcry and demand for the arrest of Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central.

    While taking a serious view of his outreach call for the assault of the late journalist and agreeing in principle with his questioning for possible involvement in this crime, we caution against the mere scapegoating of Mr Agyapong as a ruse to cover up a potentially more sinister plot behind this killing.

    Mr Speaker, sometimes, when we particularise, make it petty and over simplify, we do not get the result. This is the General-Secretary of the opposition party, a onetime MP and Minister of State, an experienced politician, talking with the young ones listening, that we should rather ensure that security agencies investigate such matters, and all others of national concern.
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 9:09 p.m.


    Mr Speaker, on the issue of violence on election, may I use my own example. In 2012, face to face, without provocation, I was pushed into a gutter. The plan was to kill me with a pistol at Akosua Village. It took the Ewes there, the drag net fishermen, to save me. I am not saying that we should support any political violence because if today, my party is in power and, perhaps, by the goodies of power, I get some support from Government security agencies, what of tomorrow if I am in opposition?

    I have tasted opposition intimidation before. I was an Assemblyman and presiding member and contested not once. I saw the intimidation in Effutu, so I do not support any intimidation but I think that my senior Colleague, the Hon Minister for the Interior and my senior Colleague the Hon Minister for Defence, made strong points.

    Let us have a holistic look at this matter. Yes, 2020 was bad but we had bad situations. Hon Sheila Bartels is here and we remember what happened to her father. I remember, then we were at Cape Coast University and we saw it. There was blood coming out of Hon Kwamena Bartels - Agbogbloshie. So, we agree

    that we do not need these things. So, let us have, probably, a bi-partisan Committee of Parliament and look at all election related violence and not pick one. After all, we took a bold step in the vigilante issue by passing a law and we have to make it work.

    Mr Speaker, there is a growing impatience by all of us politicians, civil society, media et cetera. We are ready to follow the bandwagon and ready to go the gallery way, forgetting about due process of law until it is us. You would never hear anybody allowing systems to work if it is somebody. However, if it is about the person, they would rush and say, no, my right of fair hearing was denied me among others.

    If we say 137 Members on each Side, with Mr Speaker on the other side of the political aisle presiding, is a new day, then indeed, there is a new day to conduct business and to behave in a new way.

    Today, they are shouting corruption without evidence. If today, I ask what they have particularly against a particular Minister of State or Member of Parliament on the Government side, they may not even have one. However, when the platform avails itself, they are ready to say corruption.

    We saw “Let the Blood Flow” in 1979. We later said that there were excesses. Is that what we want? Let us rather painstakingly allow systems to work. Even when we disagree, let us still push.

    Mr Speaker, you would recall that in opposition, some of J. H. Mensah's cases he took to court have today become the authorities we rely on. I remember Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah; when we challenged why Karpower was an international business transaction, yet Government did not bring it to Parliament, the Supreme Court decided that yes, Government has an interest but to the extent that the whole transaction was approved by the Board of Directors of the respective institutions, whether or not the State had an interest did not need to come to Parliament.

    This is the law today, so it may be difficult, painful, burdensome and delay, but this is the path we have chosen and this is the path we must take. Therefore, when our foot soldiers are pushing us to not do something, we have to tell them that our bona fide is to do that which is right in accord with the Constitution and not to follow them and accuse each other.

    Mr Speaker, I do not want to go into what is happening to the Minority with accusations and counter accusations. They are interested in attacking the President on flimsy issues.

    Mr Speaker, I would move my next point which is on free education. [Interruption] Is it yet my time that you want to intimidate me to stop? Mr Speaker, what are they doing? They are impatient. They should be patient because there is no problem.

    Mr Speaker, on free SHS, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo promised and he has delivered. They doubted him and he has done it. On the debt stock, we know that over GH¢22 billion has been paid to those who have lost their investments. Members of Parliament who had invested their hard-earned money, lost their investments. Ordinary citizens and business men and women, lost their investments.

    The moneys that were raised to pay them are part of our debt stock. Government had to look for money to pay. This is a caring Government, so if you are talking about debt stock, it is part of it. The sad part of it is that in 2016, when former President
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 9:09 p.m.


    Mahama appeared before us to deliver his SONA, he blamed the problems on the banking sector on poor supervision by the Bank of Ghana.

    This Government is not engaged in blame games. He took up the challenge -- [Interruption].

    Hon Haruna Iddrisu -- rose --
    Mr Speaker 9:09 p.m.
    Hon Member, just a minute. Let me hear what it is. I see, you have your minutes reserved.
    Mr Haruna Iddrisu 9:09 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I noted that he is in the November of his delivery but he threw a challenge when he started that anybody should make reference to the Martin Amidu Report and show him any matter that was revealing. [Interruption] Since it is a very fat document, I have read it and I want to respond to his challenge. He invited us on the Agyapa deal, that we should make reference to any writing of Martin Amidu --
    Mr Speaker, on page 63, paragraph 2, I read 9:09 p.m.
    “There is no guarantee that the sovereign minerals income royalties being ceded to Agyapa Royalties Limited without a
    national consensus and the analysis of the risk of corruption, and anti-corruption assessment environment as hereinbefore and analysed is not and will not be a leaking pipe in the public purse. There is further no guarantee that it will not constitute a wind fall from this leaking public purse pipe for those Ghanaians lucky through partisan affiliations to be represented on its management and who might have had stakes as promoters in establishing and incorporating it in the safe haven of Jersey aforesaid.”
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 9:09 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, these are all tricks by senior Lawyers and when the horses have bolted, you would come to an empty stable to re- argue. The point here and for emphasis is that Mr Martin Amidu never pointed a corruption finger at anybody in respect of the Agyapa deal and I am happy with what the Hon Member read. He was balancing his argument, saying that if this is the situation, this is what it may look like. So, I was right in my submission.
    Mr Speaker, President Akufo- Addo never called him stupid no matter how irritated he was. So, please.
    On education, I have emphasised that people doubted President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. People were in a hurry to say that he said he would make SHS free, so he should implement it for them to see. Today, we are benefitting from this free SHS policy. It may not be 100 per cent by way of all our expectation but at least, you and I know that it has brought relief and it was a bold decision by this Government.
    Mr Speaker, let me conclude on Agyapa for emphasis. The President was bold in telling this House on page 15, paragraph 3 which I beg to quote:
    “Mr Speaker, let me, at this point, assure the House that, in the course of this session of Parliament, Government will come back to engage the House on the steps it intends to take on the future of the Agyapa transaction.”
    I would plead with my Hon Colleagues to exercise patience for us to interrogate what the Government
    is yet to bring. You cannot just get up and say you would not agree. Then you are creating the impression to show that as in the words of Mr Sammy Gyamfi, foot soldiers are saying you should not do it, so MPs' hands are tied.
    Is that the impression we want to create that today in this House, when business of the House is coming to benefit the people of Ghana, some foot soldiers somewhere, at our neck -- a decision would be taken that a particular thing should be thrown away? Is that what the Minority would do?
    Some Hon Members from the Minority 9:19 p.m.
    Yes!
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 9:19 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, then it means that the oath they took is no more important to them. They took an oath to work in the interest of the nation. Their job is to educate the foot soliders that when these moneys come they are for development.
    Mr Speaker, in 2015, when we went to IMF for support, these were the words of Madam Christine Lagarde. She said:
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 9:19 p.m.


    “Ghana made tremendous strides for over 15 years and run among the fast growing countries in Africa that have made significant progress in poverty reduction but the discovery of oil might have given the illusion that the public finance imbalances would get resolved easily. These may have weakened the sense of fiscal discipline but in reality oil revenue flow-in to the budget has been relatively limited and compared with other oil producers''.

    This was what the IMF told their government because they had been reckless. Their fiscal discipline had been weakened because they thought they were getting oil revenue so they went for policy credibility. This was how bad it was.
    Mr Speaker 9:19 p.m.
    Hon Member, please conclude?
    Mr Afenyo-Markin 9:19 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am of the view that the President took a bold decision to address us of his stewardship. The Hon Majority Leader would present the Budget Statement tomorrow, and that would
    offer another opportunity for us to interrogate the economy further. Nobody can shy or run away from the fact. Our Side is ready to debate them on issues any day, any time and we know that we shall win come any day on facts.
    Mr Speaker, I thank you so for the opportunity.

    Question put and Motion agreed to.

    Resolved:

    That this honourable House thanks H.E. the President for the Message on the State of the Nation which he delivered to Parliament on Tuesday, 9th March, 2021.
    Mr Speaker 9:19 p.m.
    Hon Members, there is one more item on the Order Paper, which is the item numbered 10.
    I have been reliably informed that it was laid in the morning and I can attest to the fact that copies of the Report have been distributed to Hon Members but because of our Standing Orders, we have to start with item numbered 9.
    I am the Hon Chairman of the Committee, so I would nominate -- Hon Majority Chief Whip, if you want to do that, you may proceed.
    Mr Annoh-Dompreh 9:19 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would do that.
    Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh on behalf of the (Chairman of the Committee) 9:19 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move, that notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 80(1) which requires that no Motion shall be debated until, at least, forty-eight hours have elapsed between the date on which notice of the Motion is given and the date on which the Motion is moved, the Motion for the adoption of the Third Report of the Committee of Selection on the composition of other Standing and Select Committees may be moved today.
    Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka 9:19 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Resolved accordingly.
    Mr Speaker 9:19 p.m.
    The item numbered
    10?
    MOTIONS 9:19 p.m.
    Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh on behalf of the (Chairman of the Committee) 9:19 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to move that this honourable House adopts the Third Report of the Committee of Selection on the composition of other Standing and Select Committees.
    Mr Speaker, in doing so, I present your Committee's Report.
    1.0 Introduction
    In line with Standing Order 151 and 152, the Committee on Selection met and considered the composition of Standing and Select Committees of the House.
    In furtherance of this, the composition of the Committees of the House was based on the ratio of 138:137 as approved by the House.
    In constituting the committees, the Committee was also guided by the conventions, practices and the Standing Orders of the House.
    Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh on behalf of the (Chairman of the Committee) 9:19 p.m.


    It may be recalled that the House has approved the First and Second Reports of the Committee of Selection on the Membership of the Appointments Committee, the Business Committee and the Standing Orders Committee.

    The Committee, after consideration, submits to the House the rest of the composition of the Standing Committees, the Special Committee and the full list of the Select Committees are as follows:

    2.0 List of Committees

    The list of the remaining Standing Committees and all the Select Committees of the House are as follows:

    Standing Committees

    (1) Subsidiary Legislation Committee

    (2)Special Budget Committee

    (3) Public Accounts Committee

    (4) Privileges Committee

    (5) Committee on Judiciary

    (6) House Committee

    (7) Government Assurances Committee
    PAPERS 9:19 p.m.
    Alhaji Muntaka 9:29 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I am just helping. He has Hon Minta Akandoh; it is rather Hon Thomas Adda Dalu as the replacement for number 21 on the list.
    Mr Annoh-Dompreh 9:29 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, so, those are the corrections for Committee on Members Holding Office of Profit.
    The next Committee is the House Committee which has only one correction to be effected and that is number 1, the Hon Osei Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu.
    The next is the Public Accounts Committee. Number 14 on the list changes to the Hon Okyere
    Agyekum, and he becomes the Ranking Member. Number 24 on the list, Davis Opoku Ansah becomes the Deputy Ranking Member.
    The next is the Privileges Committee. Number 17 on the list, the Hon George Kweku Ricketts- Hagan becomes the Ranking Member; number 25, the Hon Abeiku Crentsil becomes the Deputy Ranking Member.
    The next is the Committee on Local Government and Rural Development. Number 5 on the list there changes to the Hon Mohammed Hardi Tuferu and number 9 changes to the Hon K. T. Hammond. Number 10 on the list changes to the Hon Mavis Nkansah Boadu.
    Mr Speaker, so, we move all the way to the Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism. The Hon Member on number 8 of the list of that committee changes to the Hon Bright Wireko-Brobby.
    The next is the Committee on Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises. Number 10 on the list changes to Hon Kwaku Asante Boateng.
    The next is the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. Number 1 on
    the list, Hon John Ampontuah Kumah, becomes the Vice Chairman, number 2, Hon Alfred Obeng Boateng, becomes a Member and number 3, the Hon Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, becomes the Chairman.
    The next is the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Number 8 on the list changes from Hon Mavis Nkansah Boadu to Hon Alhassan Abdulai Iddi. .
    The next is the Committee on Environment, Science and Technology. Number 6 on the list changes to Hon Yussif Mustapha.
    The next is the Committee on Works and Housing. Number 3 changes from the Hon Joseph Osei- Owusu to the Hon Joseph Cudjoe.
    On the Committee on Health, number 5 changes from Mohammed Hardi Tuferu to Hon Akwasi Konadu.
    We would move next to the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs. Item numbered 6 changes to the Hon Ama Pomaa Boateng.
    Then we move all the way to the last page which is Committee on Communications; and the
    Chairperson changes from Hon Francisca Oteng Mensah to the Hon Cynthia Mamle Morrison.
    Mr Speaker, having effected these corrections, I will go ahead and present your committees report.
    Mr Speaker 9:29 p.m.
    Hon Member, just a minute. The Hon Second Deputy Speaker to take the Chair.
    You may go on, Hon Member.
    Mr Annoh-Dompreh 9:29 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I beg to present the Committee's Report.
    1.0 Introduction
    In line with Standing Order. 151 and 152, the Committee on Selection met and considered the composition of the Standing and the Select Committees of the House.
    In furtherance of this, the composition of the Committees of the House was based on the ratio of 138:137 as approved by the House.
    In constituting the committees, the Committee was also guided by the conventions, practices and the Standing Orders of the House.
    It may be recalled that the House has approved the First and Second Reports of the Committee Selection
    Mr Speaker 9:29 p.m.
    Any seconder?
    Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka (NDC -- Asawase) 9:29 p.m.
    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, I rise to second the Motion before the House except to add that there is a further minor correction on the front page of the Report. We are recomposing the Standing Orders even though it was earlier done. We are going to read it again. The summary says the Standing Orders have already been done. So that should be corrected.
    Mr Speaker, I must admit that I am greatly privileged to be involved in this Committee and its composition for the third time in roll. But I must say this has been the most difficult time to compose these committees. The reason for the difficulty is the neck to neck that both Sides of the House are running, which is 138:137 ratio. It poses a great challenge to the leadership especially the Minority side.
    Mr Speaker, because of the 138 9:29 p.m.
    137 ratio, if you run them up, you are supposed to have a 50:50 committee composition, but because both the First and the Second Deputy Speakers belong to the Majority and
    the Standing Orders automatically gave them some committees to chair, in the sharing, they are virtually excluded in the composition. It imposes a burden on the Minority, which is the first challenge.
    Secondly, because we are having a 138:137 ratio, in almost all the odd committees, the Majority had to take one more. For example, there are a total of 570 spaces in both the Standing and Select committees. By the time we were done, you would admit that both Sides, based on the 50:50 ratio was supposed to have approximately 285 members each; but as we speak the Minority is having just about 273, losing almost 12 spaces.
    This made it to be extremely difficult for the very senior members on the Minority side to be taking care of us as usual where they have more than one Select or Standing committees.
    Understandably, in the given circumstances, there is very little one could do. It was our hope that we would be able to build an understanding such that we alternate the odd committees so that if a committee is supposed to be 25, one Side takes 13 then the next on the other side takes 12 membership. But that arrangement could not be effected.
    However, Mr Speaker, we take consolation that it is our hope that together we would work hard to make sure that in the next meeting, the new Standing Orders come into play so that most of these challenges we are facing could be addressed in the new Standing Orders.
    Mr Speaker, I would want to take this opportunity, on behalf of Leadership of both Sides appeal to our colleagues especially the senior members, particularly, those in their third timers up that we appreciate the challenge that this composition has imposed on them to the extent that we have somebody who is serving his third term yet having the same one Standing Committee and one Select Committee just like a first term MP because of the constitutional imposition.
    It is our hope that our colleagues who are seniors would appreciate the challenge and bear with us. especially those senior Members who have been disadvantaged by this composition. Hopefully, when we get the new Standing Orders, they could have some advantage to be compensated for the current arrangement they have suffered.
    It is our hope that our colleagues would appreciate the challenges we have taken and the pain we went through and so bear with us. We are doing this to help us consider the Budget, hoping that by the time we finish considering the Budget, we would be able to finish with the work on the new Standing Orders so that in the next Meeting, these committees would be recomposed in a way that may be more equitable and fair and hence recognise seniority which is something that this House does not play with.
    With these comments, I second the motion and hope the Hon Members would support the approval so that tomorrow when we have the Budget, it can be referred to Committees that could start work immediately.
    Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
    MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 9:45 p.m.
    Thank you, Hon Member.
    Question proposed.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 9:45 p.m.
    Leadership, I think we might have two contributions from each Side.
    Mr James K. Avedzi 9:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I just would want to draw the attention of the Hon Majority Whip to something that he needs to look at and correct. If we look at the Government Assurances Committee, the Chairperson of the Committee is Mrs Cynthia Mamle Morrison. Then we come to the Communication Committee and the Chairperson is also Mrs Cynthia Mamle Morrison. So they should take note of that and do the correction.
    Mr Rockson-Nelson Dafea- mekpor 9:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, my Hon Deputy Leader is in the House but I believe that his middle name as it appears under the Public Accounts Committee has been mis-spelt. This is because this is going into the Hansard and so we want the correct spelling to be done.
    Mr Speaker, the Table Office should take note and do the appropriate thing and then we can take this Report and go back home.
    Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh 9:45 p.m.
    First of all, I want to thank the Leadership for the composition under the Chairmanship of the Speaker.
    Mr Speaker, the composition of Committees has always been a challenging one so no doubt the Hon Minority Chief Whip said that it is more challenging this time because of the parity that both Sides almost have.
    Mr Speaker, I still believe that there is still some more work to be done about what we are considering but in the interest of time, we may give approval to the composition with the corrections as both Chief Whips have effected.

    Mr Speaker, the second thing I want to draw your attention to is that some Hon Members may for one reason or the other not be able to attend upon the House today. Those who are here have gone through the document and have pointed out some deficiencies that they have seen in the document.

    If all Hon Members were here, probably the changes could be more. But for want of time and the fact that tomorrow is budget day, we would

    have to approve of this. I know that the President would soon be nominating Deputy Ministers. That would also cause some changes to the composition as we have now.

    I have personally communicated to the Hon Majority Chief Whip, a reservation I have. I would not make it public and I want that changed. But for now, I would take it as it is but beyond the approval today, when we meet again to consider a re- composition of Committees, I would want to see the view that I have expressed reflect in the document.

    Mr Speaker, I support the Motion that we adopt the document but very soon, we would have to come back and effect more changes and improve the document.

    Thank you, Mr Speaker.
    Mr Annoh-Dompreh 9:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, let me commend the Hon Members who spoke earlier for their views as expressed, and particularly commend my senior Colleague, Hon Ameyaw- Cheremeh.
    Mr Speaker, I must put on record that I have a wonderful relationship with him and on assuming office, I have made very good contacts with
    him in understanding the nuance of the office. So he has intimated his concerns and not to personalise the concerns raised, I think it goes beyond him.
    Leadership is amenable to change and anything and everything that we would do to reflect the aspirations and expectations of Hon Members, we want to assure the entire House that as said in the interim, we would give approval of this Report while we make conscious efforts, in consultation with other Hon Members to ensure that we get the document complete, which would eventually reflect the views and aspirations of Hon Members.
    But I must commend Leadership, particularly the Hon Minority Chief Whip who has been very supportive and has made his experience available to me. Let me emphasise that we are ready to work for the document to reflect the views of Hon Members.
    Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
    Question put and Motion agreed to.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 9:45 p.m.
    Leadership, any indication?
    Alhaji Muntaka 9:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, I would not get any other time to do this except now. On the Votes and
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 9:45 p.m.
    Table Office, please take note of this.
    Mr Annoh-Dompreh 9:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, under the circumstance, I think that you can adjourn the House. We are in your hands.
    Alhaji Muntaka 9:45 p.m.
    Mr Speaker, as my Hon Colleague rightly said, we are in your hands because we have gone past our adjournment time.
    Mr Second Deputy Speaker 9:45 p.m.
    Hon Members, thank you very much.
    ADJOURNMENT 9:45 p.m.
  • The House was adjourned at 9.58 p.m. till Friday, 12th March, 2021 at 10.00 a.m.