Debates of 22 Mar 2021

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 12:04 p.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 12:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker 12:04 p.m.
Hon Members, we would move on straight to the item numbered 3 -- Correction of Votes and Proceedings and the Official Report. We would start with the correction of the Votes and Proceedings of Saturday, 20 th March, 2021.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim 12:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, before we proceed, I would just want to come under Standing Order 53, and bring the attention of the House to an issue which is of importance to the welfare of this institution.
Mr Speaker, it is in connection with the constitution of the Parliamentary Service Board. This is the House of Parliament of the Republic of Ghana, which has oversight responsibility of the Executive. Many a time, we chastise the Executive for not constituting Boards of certain corporations or agencies, and we always exert pressure on them to make sure that those Boards are constituted.
Mr Speaker, if we come to the Parliament of Ghana not forming the Parliamentary Service Board would be a serious breach of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. I would therefore want to quote article 124 (2), which says:
“There shall be a Parliamentary Service Board, which shall consist of --
(a) the Speaker, as Chairman;
(b) four other members all of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker, acting in accordance with the advice of a committee of Parliament…”
Mr Speaker, Parliament is a creature of the 1992 Constitution, and the 1992 Constitution says that there must be a Parliamentary Service Board.
Mr Speaker, you have been given the mandate to constitute this Board. This is the eighth or ninth week of the Meeting of this House, and this Board has not been constituted. However, we chastise the President and the Executive for not constituting Boards of corporations. He who preaches equity must come with clean hands, and I think that not forming this Board would be perceived as a serious constitutional breach. As a creature of the 1992 Constitution, we must not be doing things that would be seen or perceived to be breaching the 1992 Constitution itself.
Mr Speaker, there was a case in this country, where at a point, the Auditor-General was accused of procuring certain vehicles, and not forming the Audit Service Board. Parliament was also accused of not presenting our nominee for the formation of the Audit Service Board at that time. It was discussed nationwide, and what is happening in this House can be used against us.
I do not know what is obstructing the appointment of the other Hon Members, together with the Leadership and the Clerk-to- Parliament to constitute the Parliamentary Service Board. I know that the Committee that should advise them, was constituted by this House.

Therefore, when we go to our Standing Orders, the recommen- dations of the Committee must come in the form of a report. We may be rising next week and we may come back in the middle of May. Mr Speaker, if this Board is not constituted, and we happen to adjourn on 31st March, 2021, and come back in May thereabout, it means for half a year, Parliament would operate without a Parliamentary Service Board.

Mr Speaker, meanwhile, there are key institutional arrangements that this Board should do. It is a serious issue that should have been considered first before we even proceed with this work. Mr Speaker, this House, the Leadership of which I am a member, must do whatever is possible to assist you to form the Parliamentary Service Board by Friday, 26th March, 2021.

Mr Speaker, if that is not done, how would the public perceive us? How can we run after the Executive and the President and chastise them for lack of corporate governance? It is a serious issue, and it is a breach of article 124 of the 1992 Constitution and this House must not take it lightly at all.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh 12:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my good Friend, the Hon Deputy Minority Whip, has hit the nail right on the head. I agree with him that it should be dealt with. It is not a matter that we should belabour. He quoted relevant articles of the 1992 Constitution and the Standing Orders, and he was spot on.
M r Speaker, but the point has to be made that the M otion was moved and carried, and the Committee was formed to advise the Rt Hon Speaker. Let us also recognise that i t is the representatives of both Sides of the House that forms the Committee to advise you, M r Speaker. This matter should not have come to the Floor for discussion.
It should have been dealt with at conclave. It is just unfortunate that the two Hon Leaders, both the Hon Majority Leader and the Hon Minority Leader, are involve in Committee duti es and as a resul t, they are unavailable to be part of the conclave discussion.
If you look at the processes that have gone on in this Parl iament, we even had a bit of challenge with the formation of Committees. If you look at the timing and what we have been used to as a convention and practice, there has been a bit of delay. I am not
justifying what has happened, but I believe that this is a matter that could have been dealt with without necessarily being brought up to the Floor.
Mr Speaker, in this House, we are at your direction in such matters so that we nudge Leadership accordingly, particularly, the Committee put in place to hasten and work accordingly as both Sides of the House and bring this matter to a conclusion. I do not think this is a matter we should drag. We should bring closure to it as soon as possible.
I agree with Hon Ahmed Ibrahim when he rightly put it, he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. We more often than not, are quick to criticise the Executive. We must lead by example and we should be seen as setting good example when it comes to such fundamental functionalities which cannot be lost on us.
I agree with him, but plead with him to let leadership, particularly, of the Committees to sit as soon as possible and resolve this matter without necessarily bringing it to the floor of the House. It should be dealt with, and there should not be any difficulty resolving this matter as soon as possible. I am just calling for calm so that both Leaders of the House can resolve this matter as soon as possible.
Mr Edward Abambire Bawa 12:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if you refer to article 124(5) of the 1992 Constitution, on the function of the Parliamentary Service Board, it says, and I beg to quote:
“The Parliamentary Service Board shall, with the prior approval of Parliament, make regulations, by constitutional instrument, prescribing the terms and conditions of service of the officers and other employees in the Parliamentary Service and generally for the effective and efficient administration of the Parliamentary Service.”
Mr Speaker, if you look at the role of the Parliamentary Service Board and how critical it is for the operations of Parliament, it is simply not acceptable that as we speak now, we do not have it in place. If you look at the people who form the Board, most of them are of office representation. For example, we have the Clerk-to- Parliament and the Speaker, and of course, four people who are supposed to be appointed by the Speaker with the advice from the Committee of Parliament.
The critical thing here is, who does the appointment, and who ensures that the people are there? From all indications, we have a Clerk-to- Parliament and a Speaker. The
challenge we have has to do with the other four members who are supposed to be appointed with the advice of the parliamentary Committee. The Committee is advisory and so, for the efficient running of this particular House and of course, the whole Parliamentary Service, it is important that by the close of next week, we should have a Parliamentary Service Board in place.
We cannot, for the likes of myself, think that we do not have capable persons who can advise the Speaker, and with your 28 years' experience in Parliament, you know exactly the kind of people who can be on the Board that would serve the interest of Parliament.
I would want to agree with Hon Ahmed Ibrahim when he indicated that it is a matter of urgency, and that, if it is even possible, let Parliament hear that at least, by Friday, 26th March, 2021, we would have a Board in place that is supposed to go on and do all the things that they are to do. The call by Hon Ahmed Ibrahim is in the right place.
The Hon Annoh-Dompreh indicated that Leadership is working with the Rt Hon Speaker to see how this is done, but it must be done immediately. At the end of the day,
Mr Mahama Ayariga 12:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I believe a lot has been said already. I just want to emphasise the fact that in terms of the constitutional matters, we, as Parliament must set a very good example for the other organs of Government to emulate.
Where the language of the 1992 Constitution is so clear and unambiguous, and where Parliament has indeed taken the steps that we are required to, which is to set up a committee to advise on the appointment of members of the Parliamentary Service Board, and yet, the appointment has not taken place -- Mr Speaker, we in this House may be interested in understanding what is frustrating the process because, so far as we are concerned, this Parliament has set up the Committee, and this Parliament assumes that the Committee has done its work.
This Parliament has elected a Speaker, and we have a Clerk-to- Parliament. Exactly what is it that is frustrating the process of appointing
or nominating and approving the four other members that must be appointed by the Rt Hon Speaker?
Mr Speaker, again, the ultimate responsibility in this matter lies in you because you are the one that the Constitution says should appoint, but on the advice of this Committee. Mr Speaker, this House has appointed the Committee, so what is frustrating you and making it impossible for you to appoint the members of the Parliamentary Service Board?

Mr Speaker, there are people who have been invited for interviews to be recruited into the Parliamentary Service. They have gone through the interview process but are being told they have not been recruited because there is no Parliamentary Service Board to process their recruitment. So, there are very important matters.

Apart from the Members of Parliament (MP), the welfare and wellbeing of the rest of the staff, starting from the Clerk - to - Parliament, are to be regulated, catered for and managed by the Parliamentary Service Board. The procurement of goods and services to make sure that this House actually functions, is a function of the Parliamentary Service Board.

Mr Speaker, if there is a frustration preventing you from doing so, let us know as a House, so that the Committee members who in this House voted and approved to carry out this function, may be duly sanctioned by this House. We can change them and set up a new Committee. We can also give them timelines within which the advice must get to your desk.

Mr Speaker, this House must not condone any conduct that undermines the capacity of the Speaker to carry out his functions.— [Hear! Hear!] Mr Speaker, I think that you owe us an explanation. What is frustrating you and preventing you from carrying out your functions, so that we in this House can take the appropriate remedial measures?

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 12:24 p.m.
Hon Members, I do not think that this is a matter that should take a lot of our time. The constitutional provision is very clear. The Parliamentary Service Board is made up of six members. Two have been identified by the 1992 Constitution; the Speaker as Chairman and the Clerk-to- Parliament. Four others are to be appointed by the Speaker, acting in
accordance with the advice of a Committee of Parliament. It is not in consultation with a Committee of Parliament.
There are judicial interpretations of this phrase. Clearly, I cannot proceed to appoint if I do not receive the advice from the Committee of Parliament. That is the frustration. Your Committee has so far failed and refused to advise the Speaker. I have followed up on several occasions for the advice and as at today, the advice is not yet before me. So, I have been contemplating proceeding to appoint and then your Committee or you Hon Members could then take me to court to say that I do not have that authority.
We need to have the Parliamentary Service Board in place. There are a lot of things that are pending and we cannot proceed on them because of the absence of the Parliamentary Service Board. So, I am happy that you have raised it today. The ball is back in your court. Your Committee has not given me any advice and I do not want to go on a confrontation with Parliament. I am not a Member of Parliament (MP), so I need you to be able to function.
You may need to go back and consider the Committee that you set up or you put pressure on them to submit the advice of the House on
STATEMENTS 12:34 p.m.
Mr Kobena Mensah Woyome (NDC -- South Tongu) 12:34 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to make this urgent Statement , calling on the Ghana Highway Authority
(GHA) to improve on all safety measures on the Accra -- Aflao, Sogakope -- Adidome -- Ho and Dabala Junction -- Dabala -- Keta Highway. Indeed, the need for a number of speed ramps and other road safety signs at strategic points and towns within the constituency or district where this highway traverses is very critical for the prevention of avoidable accidents among various categories of users of the highway.
Mr Speaker, the Police Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) in Sogakope has provided me with the following statistics, detailing the entire situation to be due to the absence of adequate safety measures such as speed ramps, et cetera. I wish to extend my gratitude to the Police MTTD in Sogakope for the updates which are as follows.
Statistics of accidents which occurred in 2020 are as follows. Total number of accidents reported, 132; number of vehicles involved are 131; number of commercial vehicles are 81; number of private vehicles are 50; number of motorbikes were 65; number of persons injured were 67 and number of persons' dead were
24.
Mr Speaker, statistics of accidents which occurred just this year gives us a gory picture. The number of cases
reported are 26 to date, 10 vehicles involved; 10 commercial vehicles involved; four private vehicles involved; 21 motorbikes involved; 36 injured persons; and nine dead persons.
Mr Speaker, on the 28 th of February this year, another avoidable accident occurred at a town called Alesikpe on the Accra-Afloa Highway, precisely the South Tongu section, which instantly took the life of a motor rider, crushing his head beyond recognition. That stretch on the highway, among others, and its numerous accidents necessitated a request to the Ghana Highway Authority for speed ramps. This has yielded no response for all these years.
Mr Speaker, simple safety measures on the roads, especially, the highways such as reflective road signs to aid night driving, the lack of zebra crossing within townships, and the non-functioning traffic lights due to lack of maintenance, all contribute to most of these unfortunate accidents.
Mr Speaker, thank you for this call on the Ghana Highways Authority to act expeditiously on this matter.
Mr Speaker 12:34 p.m.
We would take the second Statement on the same issue from the Hon Member for Kwadaso, Dr Kingsley Nyarko.
Dr Kingsley Nyarko (NPP -- Kwadaso) 12:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to speak to the impact of traffic congestion on the Ghanaian society.
Mr Speaker, traffic congestion has been a major issue in countries, especially in cities and urban areas where commercial activities are concentrated. Traffic congestion has debilitating effects on societies, economies and individuals, and has received a lot of attention in literature. For example, (Abane, 1993; Rosenbloom, 1978; Andoh, 2014; Litman, 2013; Thomson and Bull, 2002; Dorsamy and Puchooa, 2013).
Researchers for example, (Thomson and Bull, 2002; Abane,1993; Armah, Yawson, and Pappor, 2010a, 2010b; Andoh, 2014), knowing the implications of traffic congestion society, have devoted resources, time and energy to unravel the antecedents and consequences of traffic congestion in our societies.
Mr Speaker, empirical research and anecdotal reports clearly shows that if nothing is meaningfully done to address the problem, it would create an irreparable damage to our country with dire consequences on posterity.
Mr Speaker, Rahane and Saharkar (2014), have defined traffic congestion as the way the movement of vehicles are delayed by one another because of limited road capacity. Raheem, et al. (2015), have indicated that traffic congestion occurs when the demand for traffic nears or goes beyond the limit or strength of the road network.
Mr Speaker, in their study conducted in Accra, Agyapong and Ojo (2018), indicated that the bad attitudes of drivers, traders, pedestrians, road traffic crashes and poor road designs were the main causes of traffic congestion in the country.
They observed that these lead to decreased sales and productivity and induces stress as well. According to Weisbrod et al. (2001), traffic congestion happens when the number of vehicles using a roadway at the same time and volume of vehicles on a transportation exceeds the capacity or limit of the system.
Mr Speaker, Litman (2013) has observed that when the transportation system collapses due to traffic congestion, the financial planning of the transport system increases because it has to provide mitigating measures such as the widening of roads and construction of interchanges for the smooth flow of traffic.
Mr Speaker, permit me to commend our former Presidents and more especially, our current President for building interchanges to ease traffic congestion in some major cities of the country. The major interchanges being built at Pokuase, Tema, Obetsebi Lamptey Circle and at Tamale by President Akufo-Addo's Govern- ment would hugely ease traffic congestion in those areas. It is my expectation that interchanges are built at Anloga Junction, Suame Roundabout, and other parts of the Ashanti Region to ease traffic congestion and open up the region for more socio-economic developments.
Mr Speaker, permit me to focus on the following consequences of traffic congestion that can adversely affect the country if not timeously addressed; societal consequences, economic consequences and the person or individual consequences.
Mr Speaker, first is the impact of traffic congestion on society. According to Wang et al. (2009), (cited in Vencataya et al., 2018), the major external costs of transport are traffic congestion and road accidents which oblige transport policy-makers to aim at ameliorating their impact on society. Their results revealed that traffic congestion affects peoples' lives as they must leave their homes very early in the morning and reach home very late in the evening in order to avoid traffic.
Mr Speaker, this situation is not different in our country as workers have to resort to this unfortunate practice so that they can report to work on time. Elisonguo (2013) has also observed that in Dar es Salaam, a lot of students drop out of school, partake in illicit drugs and involve themselves in sexual activities at their early years because their parents spend a lot more time on the roads than at home as a result of traffic congestion. Traffic congestion also causes accidents due to drivers' impatience and attempt to get through the congested roads faster than others.
Mr Speaker, the second is the impact of traffic congestion on the economy. Several studies for example, (Lu et al. 2009; Baffour, 2010) have established a strong relationship between transportation and
Dr Kingsley Nyarko (NPP -- Kwadaso) 12:44 p.m.
productivity, in that, a well-established transportation system promotes economic development. However, Eddington (2006) avers that traffic congestion brings about cost to a country's economy. In a study titled, “White Paper #1: “The Negative Effects of Traffic Congestion to the Twin Cities and Minnesota” (2020), it was estimated that the cost of congestion to the twin cities metropolitan area is US$2.6 billion annually.
Mr Speaker, in addition, (Choi et al., 2013 and Elisonguo, 2013) argue that fuel consumption and depreciation of vehicles increase due to traffic congestion which makes commuters spend a lot of money on fuel.
Mr Speaker, the third issue is the impact of traffic congestion on the person or individual. This is very important. A plethora of literature has shown that traffic congestion contributes to the aggravation of environmental conditions, including air pollution. Some researchers have claimed that vehicular exhalations, triggered by traffic congestion, are the main causes of air pollution. The results also revealed that accidents put the lives of commuters at peril.
Mr Speaker, spending a lot of time in traffic has severe negative psychological consequences on passengers and drivers on our roads. The most profound psychological problem is the experience of stress which has both short and long term consequences on productivity and the general wellbeing of the citizenry.
Several studies have established that traffic congestion induces a high level of stress and frustration in commuters, especially drivers, as they are required to be more attentive and focused while driving in challenging conditions.

Mr Speaker, Agyapong and Ojo (2018), in their study observed that the experience of traffic - induced stress is a major challenge. Stress from traffic congestion results in frustration which is likely to trigger aggression. This aggression may inadvertently result in traffic accidents as commuters may be impatient in their attempts to manoeuvre their way to their destinations.

The effects of this prolong stress from traffic congestions are not limited to road users but extends to families at home (Nadrian et al. 2019).

Mr Speaker, empirical evidence from Western countries have linked traffic congestion to family discourse and crimes, most especially domestic violence (Beland &Brent, 2018). This is because frustration from being in traffic more than necessary could arouse the emotional sensitivities of the individual leading to displaced aggression.

Mr Speaker, in my constituency, Kwadaso, due to the ongoing road construction on the Tanoso-Abuakwa Road, there is a severe traffic congestion from Apatrapa Junction through Tanoso to Abuakwa that has necessitated and encouraged petty trading on the road.

The trading activities that mostly involves teenagers, young children, and women are not only worrying examples but the likelihood of the children absenting themselves from school thus leading to poor academic outcomes and finally dropping out of school. It also puts their lives in harm's way because they are more prone to the consequences of traffic congestion, accidents, diseases and deaths.

This problematic situation is found in most suburbs in the Ashanti Region and in the country as a whole. We need to find an antidote to it. Evidence in developed countries

where effective public transport system works shows less traffic induced psychological distress among commuters as compared to the use of personal vehicles on the approach.

Secondly, decentralisation of our political, business and economic activities to the various parts of the country could be useful. This is because most businesses, economic, and socio-political activities are centred in few urban centres which mostly contribute to traffic congestion.

Thirdly, if we cannot prevent traders from selling on our roads, Road Traffic Regulation, 2012 (L.I 2180) Regulation 117 (1) prohibits that we should find dedicated points on our roads where vehicles can conveniently park and allow passengers to buy some items, that is, Road Traffic Regulation 2012 (L.I 2180) Regulation 117 (2) in order to promote smooth vehicular passage on our roads.

Mr Speaker, on the fourth issue, the dualisation of our inner-city roads to facilitate smooth flow of traffic.

Finally, the need to intensify education on the dangers of indiscipline, impatience, and law- lessness on our roads leading to traffic congestion. Relevant state institutions
Mr Speaker 12:44 p.m.
We will now listen to Hon Member for Atebubu/ Amantin Constituency on the water crises in Atebubu Township and its environs.
Water Crisis in Atebubu/ Amantin Township and its
Environs
Mr Sanja Nanja (NDC -- Atebubu/Amantin) 12:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity offered me to make this Statement on the perennial water crisis that is affecting the socio-economic activities of the municipal capital of the Atebubu/ Amantin municipality and its environs and by extension, the whole of the municipality.
Mr Speaker, water, they say is life, because the very survival, not only of human beings, but of all living organisms on earth largely depends on water especially, potable water in the case of human consumption.
Mr Speaker, undoubtedly, water is an indispensable resource and this is evidenced by the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) addition of access to potable water as a measure of human development.
The UNDP considers water as a prerequisite to achieving a minimum standard of health and to undertake productive activities. The UNDP human development Report of 2006, published by DANIDA Lelila, 2013.
Mr Speaker, the Report further indicates that without safe and affordable water and sanitation, millions of people around the globe are unable to live a healthy life and lacked the ability to build a secured livelihood.
Access to this basic necessity of life is a critical challenge for the inhabitants of Atebubu, the capital of the Atebubu/Amantin municipality and its suburbs. The construction of the City Small Town Water Supply was started in the year 1992 and completed in the year 2002 through a 90 per cent grant funding from the European Union (EU) System and the five per cent each from the Government of Ghana and from the Atebubu/Amantin community .
Mr Speaker, the system has outlived its usefulness. This water system was designed for a population of 20,000 people but my recent checks at the municipal health directorate and other relevant institutions indicate that the current
population is approximately 57,970. The city has also grown to not less than three times its size since water system was constructed.
Apart from the system being outwitted by the population and size, the machines and equipment are now obsolete. For instance, the main transmission pipeline often breaks down when water is being transmitted from the head works at the river by a distance of 27.2 kilometres to the overhead dam in Atebubu for onward distribution.
Mr Speaker, not only does the frequent breakdown poses serious financial burden on the management of the system, but one of such breakdowns takes a long period of not less than a week or two to be fixed.
Let me re-state that the system, even in its normal working capacity can hardly produce water for half of the current population and size of the city. The Water and Sanitation Committee (WASC) and the management committee of the system due to their limited financial strength, cannot expand, operate and maintain the system as expected.
Mr Speaker, they sometimes find it difficult to buy electricity credits to power their machines to produce potable water.
Mr Sanja Nanja (NDC -- Atebubu/Amantin) 12:54 p.m.


I must also state that the financial requirement for the system to be fixed and be operational goes beyond the financial strength of the Municipal Assembly. In order to find alternative source of water, the residents largely rely on individual home hand-dug wells, nearby streams, dugouts, and other stagnant water bodies, but these sources of water dry up as soon as the rainy season comes to an end.

Mr Speaker, I am sure it would sadden your heart and the heart of many Ghanaians to know that in this 21st Century, surface water is relied on to meet all kinds of daily water needs including drinking, without any form of treatment, and this obviously leaves the residents vulnerable to water-related illnesses and diseases.

Mr Speaker, I need not spend time to deliberate on the health dangers of this situation as they are well-known to all of us in this august House. The crises becomes more prevalent and expands from mid-November to mid- June every year.

The Municipal Assembly, successive Hon Members from the municipality, private individuals, benevolent Non-Governmental Organisations like the World Vision

Ghana and Madamfu Ghana Foundation have over the years and in their attempt to mitigate the crises continue to apply some of their financial resources to drill boreholes, but this is not yielding any positive results as most of these efforts end up with complete dry wells with low yields and in some cases the production of very salty water that can hardly be of good use.

Mr Speaker, apart from the health dangers this situation poses to residents, it also affects all socio- economic activities, not only in the municipal capital but on the entire municipality. Mr Speaker, farming is the pre-occupation of most of the people in Atebubu-Amantin, and during the long period of the crises, farming activities are affected seriously.

Traditionally, the responsibility of fetching water in most societies is on women and children. However, the water situation in Atebubu is enormous such that both the males and females abandon their farming activities in search of water. Unfortunately, this sometimes coincides with harvesting, land preparation and the planting period for yam, which the municipality is well-noted for.
Mr Speaker 12:54 p.m.
Hon Member, please summarise.
Mr Nanja 12:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it is refreshing to note that Ghana is among the 193 member countries of the United Nations (UN) that signed both the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Goals 6 and 7 respectively considers access to clean water and sanitation as critical for achieving the People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, Partnership (5Ps).
Mr Speaker, the situation is so daunting and needs urgent attention from the Government to save lives and ensure comfortable living for the inhabitants per the UNDP standards. Given that world leaders at the SDGs Summit in September, 2019, declared 2020 to 2030 as a decade of action on the Goals, I would use this opportunity to call on Government, especially the Hon Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, to consider among other measures, the immediate expansion of the Atebubu Small Town Water System and its management entrusted to either the Community Water and Sanitation Agency or the Ghana Water Company Limited for efficient management to overcome the present water situation in the town.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker 12:54 p.m.
Hon Members, we have Statements to commemorate the World Water Day and the first one stands in the name of Mrs Comfort D. Cudjoe Ghansah and the second one stands in the name of Mr Rockson E. K. Dafeamekpor.
Hon Second Deputy Minority Whip, you may make your Statement?
World Water Day
Mrs Comfort D. Cudjoe Ghansah (NDC -- Ada) 12:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to deliver a Statement on this year's World Water Day.
The World Water Day is celebrated by the United Nations (UN) and its member States on 22nd March every year since 1993 with focus on the importance of fresh water. The Day has been set aside to celebrate this precious resource and to raise awareness on the 2.2 billion people in the world who are living without access to safe water. Mr Speaker, key focus of the Day is to also support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 6; Water and Sanitation for All by 2030.
Mr Speaker, the theme for this year's World Water Day is “Valuing Water” which seeks to provoke a conversation on what water means to
Mrs Comfort D. Cudjoe Ghansah (NDC -- Ada) 1:04 p.m.
individuals or groups of people. Mr Speaker, water means different things to different people. For the farmer who is breaking his back under the scorching sun, water means more yields. For the adolescent school girl, water means hygiene, and for the household that live at Aminapah, Totopey, Pute, Elavanyo, Fantevikope and the others who are far away from fresh water, water is life.
Mr Speaker, all these communities in the Ada Constituency have been without fresh water for decades; however, through my initiative as the Hon Member of Parliament, these communities are now connected to potable water. Mr Speaker, but water does not flow and in the course of my monitoring and evaluation duties, I went to the Ghana Water Company Limited to enquire on the reason but they shifted the blame on stable electricity.

So who is in charge? How did we get here?

Mr Speaker, the suffering of the people from this community, as a result of lack of water is due to human error. Why are we so wicked to ourselves? Why should people suffer

because of somebody's negligence? It is only when we recognise the benefit of water that we can value and safeguard it. The importance of water cannot be overemphasised. If for nothing at all, the world has witnessed the usefulness of water during this current pandemic where regular washing of hands with soap under running water has become an essential measure to contain the spread of the Coronavirus.

Mr Speaker, it would surprise you to know that about 60 per cent of communities in the Ada Constituency have no access to water. Where did we go wrong? People from Totopey, Pute, Elavanyo, Songutsokpa, Anyakpor, Kajanya, Detsekope, Asigbekope, Amlakpo, Kopehem, Lufenya, Kakietsekope, Blaekope, Gbantana, and the rest are suffering. The taps are there but water does not flow through them.

Mr Speaker, as I conclude, I would like to draw our attention to the fact that we are only nine years away from achieving the Sustainable Develop- ment Goal 6 ‘Water and Sanitation for all by 2030'. Looking at the data of 2.2 billion people in the world without access to freshwater, we have a long way to go in providing this basic necessity to the people,

especially to the rural dwellers in our country who have been deprived of this critical resource for so long.

Mr Speaker, I would use this opportunity to entreat all stakeholders, particularly the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, colleague Hon Members of Parliament as well as relevant organisations and individuals who would make this a priority in deploying the necessary resources needed in achieving this goal.

I would acknowledge the good work “Easy Water for Everyone” is doing in the island communities in Ada. I look forward to celebrate this World Water Day again in nine years with a new data that at least, every household in Ghana has access to safe water.

I thank you very much for the opportunity, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 1:04 p.m.
The last Statement is coming from Hon Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor also on the occasion of World Water Day. After that, we would allow a few comments to be made then we proceed.
Hon Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor?
World Water Day
Mr Rockson Nelson E. K. Dafeamekpor (NDC -- South Dayi) 1:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to make a Statement on the occasion of the World Water Day, an important day that the world needs to be reminded of its duty to humanity with the long standing adage of ‘water is life”.
Mr Speaker, the 22nd day of March this year was set aside by the United Nations for the celebration of World Water Day as a constant reminder towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG) which is Water and Sanitation for all by 2030.
Mr Speaker, we are just some nine years away from the target year of the SDG. While in some parts of the world, water, an essential commodity is on constant supply, providing a sound basis for the celebration of a day like this, it remains a challenge for some parts of Africa to access good drinking water. The World Health Organisation's (WHO) Regional Office for Africa published some key facts on their web page which raised some interesting reading, and duly present them:
Mr Speaker, these communities include 1:14 p.m.
Kpatsahoi, Kpeyibome, Tsate, Kayira, New Kayira, Tongoahon, Tongotsita, Tongoabui, Tokpalime, Kpalimeduga, Tongotsa- nakpe, Tongojemeni, Agordake and Tongodzakiti.
Mr Speaker, as I said, these are all communities that are without government's potable water supply.
Mr Speaker, in commemorating this day, we want to urge Government intervention in these communities in South Dayi and in other areas of the country.
Mr Speaker, we have targeted 2025 as our year of universal access to potable water in Ghana. If we are to go by this record, we stand to miss the target which is just four years away. We must therefore speed up in our fight and efforts in the treatment of water supply for our people.
In areas where it is difficult to ascertain and process running rivers for consumption, I recommend measures aimed at providing mechanised boreholes.
Mr Speaker, the critical issue that threatens us remains as one of global warming. The changing climate has had a strong impact on all of us and as a result, in order to ensure the sustenance of human lives, we must begin to protect our water bodies and be sure that the activities that endanger our water bodies such as galamsey, illegal logging, amongst others are tackled for our common good.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Hon Members, we now make comments and your comments should be as brief as possible.
Mr Sylvester Tetteh (NPP -- Bortianor-Ngleshie-Amanfro) 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I beg to associate myself with the second presentation by Dr Kingsley Nyarko, Hon Member for Kwadaso.
Mr Speaker, Hon Members of this House who know Bortianor- Ngleshie-Amanfro would know why I am associating myself with the Statement. Traffic congestion in our country has a huge correlation with productivity of this country, and I am happy that Government has made significant intervention in the area of road construction to ease traffic congestion in our country.
I am also happy that the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways is here. This is because he has made significant statements in the run up to 2020 elections that tolls that have become a nuisance to the free flow of traffic would be dealt with.
In Kasoa -- Tuba Junction, Winneba Road is a huge traffic-prone area that Hon Members who live in my Constituency have to leave their homes as early as 5.00 a.m. to be able to get to this House on time. Not only Hon Members of Parliament but the business community as well.
Mr Speaker, I think that we must, as a country, continue with the interventions to ease the traffic flow because it has its own effects on the national purse in terms of expenditure. I am happy once again that from Tema Motorway Roundabout to Aflao, the Minister has given indication that construction of dual carriage of that road would begin soon as well as the Tema Motorway to Akosombo.
Mr Speaker, more importantly, human activities on our roads - even on the Tema Motorway that is supposed to be an express way, - are impeding traffic flow. In the same vein, people who are selling on our roads makes it very difficult for the free flow of traffic. So the Hon Member who made the Statement has indicated the amount of money the State loses as a result of this traffic congestion on our roads.
I want to say that the call is in the right direction that we must expedite action and take concrete steps to ensure that our roads are free for commuters, businesses, particularly the just-in-time ones to use so that they can flourish, make money and contribute significantly to the development of our country.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Hon Members, I just indulged the Hon Member now because I identified him as a first timer but those Statements are constituency-specific. Do not dilute the importance of the Statements. If you are commenting, comment in respect of those constituencies. The Statement on water is general but the one dealing with traffic congestion and accidents is constituency-specific. If you want to talk about your constituency, please, submit a Statement. Do not dilute the importance of what they have submitted.
Let me identify the Hon Lady behind.
Ms Agnes N. M. Lartey (NDC -- Krowor) 1:14 p.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the Statements made by my senior Hon Members on the World Water Day, indeed an auspicious day.
Mr Speaker, this day is very important because as we all know, water is life, and it goes with the saying that if we lose our access to clean water, we would definitely be losing lives.
Mr Speaker, Sustainable Development Goal 6 talks about clean water and sanitation, but then, it is also linked to Goal 3, which talks about
health and wellbeing. Indirectly, it is also linked to Goal 4, which talks about quality education. In this case, communities where children have to walk miles upon miles in order to access potable water affects the quality of education they get because little time is spent on reading or learning.
Mr Speaker, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, water became a very essential commodity. In fact, its usage was really emphasised. Where we have some communities that did not have water or access to potable water and are struggling to have water to survive, there were communities that had little of it and it was very difficult for them to be able to observe the safety protocols in order to avoid contracting the
COVID-19.
Mr Speaker, I also want to say that an earlier contributor had said that water means different things to different people but generally, the fact that water is life is very essential. The battle must be taken to the constituencies and the various communities. Therefore, I urge Hon Members to walk around with awareness in our communities to see where we do not have access to potable water and see how we can support our communities to have access to potable water.
Ms Agnes N. M. Lartey (NDC -- Krowor) 1:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, let me also garner support from some Assembly Members within my Constituency in order to bring potable water to some communities or electoral areas such as Nii Laweh, Nii Odai Ablade, Okpoigonnor, Antweregonnor and I urge Ghana Water Company Limited to continue to collaborate with the Assembly in order to extend water supply to communities that do not have it in the Krowor Constituency.
Mr Speaker, right by the coastline of Krowor, we have a magnificent facility and that is the Water Desalination Plant. For some time now, the debate has been the cost of operating the plant and the desalination plant is a technology that turns sea water into potable water for use in homes.

Mr Speaker, I bring to the notice and attention of the House that when it comes to life, nothing is too costly. I believe that we would have to ensure that the facility is put to very good use for the benefit of the many people that live within Krowor and its environs. I believe we should not even debate it. If there are challenges in its operation, I urge the State and stakeholders to

look at how best we would bring all hands on board to ensure that the facility is well utilised.

Mr Speaker, because it is a technology of its kind, at the right time, I would invite the House and the Rt Hon Speaker to take a look at it and see how the House can support in making it operational.

Mr Speaker, I also found out that over the years, many water bodies have died down because they have not received the needed attention. I believe that if we take water as a significant part of our daily lives, then we would be able to find solutions in ensuring that our water bodies do not just die.

Mr Speaker, I would give a very good example. There is the Barekese River that meets the sea but does not join it. It is so beautiful that it could have been developed for tourist attraction. As I speak today, so much waste has been dumped into the River such that it cannot flow. When it rains, it causes a lot of problems to the residents around the water body.

Mr Speaker, I would take this opportunity to urge Hon Members who have water bodies within their constituencies to join other stakeholders to ensure that these water bodies are sustained.

Mr Speaker, in the use of water, women and children are pivotal. So, if we would discuss finding solutions to challenges of water, I think women and children should not be afterthoughts. Right from the domestic usage to the commercialisation of water, women and children should be pivotal in capacity building and finding solutions.

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I would once again call on the State and all stakeholders to walk around in awareness because our people are struggling to have access to potable water. That should be a wake-up call for all of us. Those who have should be encouraged to ensure that we put it to good use and not waste it. We walk around seeing burst pipes and we do not care.

I would urge us to ensure that we put our hands on deck to ensure that SDG 6 is met by 2030.
Mr Speaker 1:24 p.m.
Hon Momo Lartey, you took a long time in your comments. Please, let us all have a bite. Just five minutes for each person and then we can move on.
rose
Mr Speaker 1:24 p.m.
Hon Minister, I would acknowledge you, but not now. I want you to listen and take down notes and then you can be part of the sum-up.
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Patrick Banor (NPP -- Asutifi) 1:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to add my voice to the Statement made by my Hon Colleague for Kwadaso Constituency on the impact of road traffic congestion on the Ghanaian society.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member who made the Statement made us aware of the negative impact of road traffic congestion on the Ghanaian society. He mentioned successive governments and their efforts to construct interchanges, flyovers, and expansions of roads to ease road traffic congestion.
Mr Speaker, my problem is, if as a nation, we are not able to enforce road traffic regulations but we can construct these interchanges, flyovers and expand roads, then still in these areas, we can experience these road traffic congestions. For instance, when one uses the Adentan-Aburi (N4) Highway, and you get to Zongo Junction in Madina, which is a dual carriage, there is another road on the right side that leads to Madina, but

[HAJIA IBRAHIMAH][MR BANOR]

that road has been blocked by traders. So, the vehicles which go through Madina would have to join the main road leading to Adentan before they get into the lane at the far end of the road because that road is blocked.

Sometimes, it saddens my heart when I see the Motor Traffic Transport Division (MTTD) personnel stopping moving vehicles to ensure that people pass through the road to Madina Market before they allow the vehicles to move. Sometimes, I ask myself why was the flyover constructed? Is it not waste of resources? There is a beautiful flyover which has been constructed and people are not using it.

That road is also asphalted and we know the cost of asphalt roads. It has been abandoned because it is blocked by traders. As a nation, if we are not able to enforce these road traffic regulations so that selling by the roadside and allowing people to cross unlawfully will stop traffic, we will still experience these road congestions.

Mr Speaker, I would want to urge the authorities to ensure that these regulations are enforced on our roads, so that we can ease these traffic congestions on our roads.
Mr Speaker 1:34 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member?
Hajia Zuwera Mohammed Ibrahimah (NDC -- Salaga South): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the various Statements made by our senior Colleagues.
Mr Speaker, first of all, I would want to contribute to the Statement made by Hon Woyome and the Hon Member for Kwadaso with regard to road management, its congestion and attendant accidents.
Mr Speaker, it is true that we are having a lot of challenges on our roads, especially with regard to traffic. Inasmuch as we try to make do with what is there to ensure that we leave our homes and get back safely, we cannot underestimate the implications of bad roads, broken down traffic lights, and non-existent traffic lights at crucial sections in our cities.

Mr Speaker, for example the traffic light at the Osu cemetery has been out of order for the past six weeks. Up until last week, it was still completely out. From last week, the amber light is the only thing that shows, and all of us know what that could mean for us. We have 275 Hon Members of Parliament (MPs) travelling and crossing that junction every day to work and back home. All we keep

doing when we sit in our cars, is to pray that nothing happens to us. I think that it is high time that the city authorities began to pay attention to some of these things that could cost human lives and devastations in this country.

Mr Speaker, if we go to the Nungua Barrier, recently, I think in the last five years, we have had one of our modern malls constructed there, which attracts a lot of traffic, and it links to the Tema Port road where haulage vehicles travel on every day. That junction, crucial as it is, has been without traffic lights for all these years. Traversing that junction on a daily basis is very difficult. One requires all the attention that he can harness to get out of that stretch of road safely and soundly.

Mr Speaker, the worst part is when one travels on that road at night and has challenges with his lighting. There are no street lights, and we have everybody converging at the traffic light at the same time, eager to get home. So, we hope that the city authorities would pay attention to that junction and provide traffic lights to save lives and property.

Mr Speaker, I would like to also associate myself with the Statement made with regard to the World Water Day. The 22nd March of every year

has been set aside to celebrate water, and that tells all of us how important water is to our lives. Indeed, a Slovenian proverb says; “pure water is the world's first and foremost medicine”, therefore, water is medicine.

Mr Speaker, in this country, as we strive to meet the Sustainable Development Goals for water by the year 2030, we find that water is increasingly becoming inaccessible to the ordinary person in this country. Last week, on my way to Parliament, as I sat in my car, I monitored the radio; Joy FM, and for one hour, there was a discussion on water and water bills.

Mr Speaker, currently as we speak, water bills have jumped to un- proportional levels in this country. Speaker after speaker on that show on Friday complained about how their water bills have been increased by sometimes 500 per cent, and all they were told by the Director of Communications for the Ghana Water Company Limited, who was the expert on the show was that “they would investigate and revert. Every single caller got that refrain: ‘they would investigate and revert'.

Mr Speaker, these are very serious issues. If people cannot pay for water in this country, then clearly, it is going

[HAJIA IBRAHIMAH] [MR VONDEE]

to affect our march to achieving these Sustainable Development Goals. We would therefore urge the Ghana Water Company Limited and the Ministry for Sanitation and Water Resources to take another look at whatever issues that are causing everybody a lot of headache in this country with regard to the recent water bills that they are receiving.

If they do that and make water affordable, which is how it should be, then we can be sure that by the grace of the Almighty Allah, we shall attain those Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute.
Mr Speaker 1:34 p.m.
I am sure that the senior Hon Members of this House would allow the first timers in this House to also let their lights shine.
Mr David T. D. Vondee (NDC-- Twifo Atti Morkwa) 1:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the matter raised by my very good brother, the Hon Dafeamekpor, about water. I thank him because he just reminded me that today is World Water Day.
Mr Speaker, our water in Ghana is very expensive. It is very important to realise that water is even more expensive than fuel, and water is something that is supposed to give life. For this reason, I cannot but thank H. E. the former President, John Dramani Mahama for his approach in dealing with the galamsey miners. Mr Speaker, galamsey is one of the ways of destroying our water bodies, which is the reason we have no water and are having difficulties getting water.
Mr Speaker, when we go to the rural areas, for example, Twifo Atti Morkwa, my Constituency, it is very difficult for students to get decent water to drink. I would want to advocate that the Ghana Water Company and the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources invest more in drilling boreholes in our schools and provide very nice water tankers --
Mr Speaker 1:34 p.m.
Hon Members, the Hon First Deputy Speaker to take the Chair. I have to rush to do something outside.
Mr Vondee 1:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, as I was saying, the Ghana Water Company Limited and the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources
would need to invest in the drilling of boreholes for our schools, especially schools in the rural areas, to get decent water to drink.
Mr Speaker, I would also want to talk about the roads in our rural areas. In the urban centres like Accra, Kumasi and the others, at least, we have some decent roads for people to drive on, just that it is not well managed. I am not saying that it should not be well managed, but if we go to the rural areas, most of the roads that are under construction are even abandoned.
Mr Speaker, we talked about the cocoa roads. The cocoa roads are not well constructed, so, when we go to the rural areas where many food stuffs are grown to be sent into the cities, food security becomes a problem. So, while we advocate for our roads in the cities to be well managed, I call on the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways to take a very good look at our roads in the rural areas in order to get those roads well-constructed, which in turn would assure us of food security because cocoa, for instance, is left to rot in our rural areas due to bad roads.
Mr Speaker, I believe strongly that if we invest in roads in our rural areas, we would get some food security, and
people in our rural areas would also have decent roads to drive and travel on safely. This would prevent our pregnant women from suffering when they are on their way to the hospital and all that.
Again, the construction of decent roads in the rural areas would enable students to travel early to school and back. Roads in the urban centres are very good, and so, we should manage them well, but roads in the rural areas are not constructed and not even motorable let alone managing it well.
Mr Speaker 1:34 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member in white?
Mr Isaac Ashai Odamtten (NDC -- Tema East) 1:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by the Hon Second Deputy Whip on the World Water Day.
Indeed, we all agree that water is life, and I would want to emphasise the causes of the danger of water scarcity, and water stress in our country. As we speak now, one of the
MR FIRST DEPUTY SPEAKER
Mr Odamtten 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with the collapse of that facility, water supply in the eastern Accra corridor has been heavily challenged to the extent that the people of Tema face serious water challenges. A visit to GWCL indicated that the problem is with production. The levels have gone down, and people struggle to have water on daily basis.
Mr Speaker, permit me to focus on three areas where we should watch as a country, and encourage stakeholders and institutions mandated to provide potable water to focus on. First, it is a fact that we
cannot control nature, and so, for natural causes of lack of water, inasmuch as we cannot control it entirely, our attitudes and ways of life must ensure that we do something about the adverse effect of the natural causes of water scarcity.
Secondly, increasing human consumption means that policy makers must focus their attention on our communities that experience increasing migration into city centres in order not to fail in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal
6.
The third point is the overuse and wastage of water. Indeed, increasing population would obviously account for increasing demand for water. Let us pay attention to how much of potable water is used for activities that otherwise could have been down with grey water or marginally treated water in our country.
An example is, there are some car washing bays where potable water that is meant for drinking or that which could serve humanity better is used for other activities that do not require that level of treated water. Mr Speaker, intentionality in these areas could save us, as a country from the danger of running into water scarcity.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I would want to urge us as a House to ensure that the danger that water scarcity poses to nations -- we are told that Libya for example is among the top 10 countries that have the risk of water scarcity in the future. Two factors that have been identified as part of their challenge is political upheaval and the inability to deal with natural causes that affect their water bodies.
We know that as a country, in the past, we have relied on subterranean water bodies like our lakes and rivers, but as we speak now, they are polluted. Some are drying up because of our inability to protect the ecology. May I submit to the House that in contributing to this Statement, we must be intentional in protecting our water bodies and ensure that the water we have reaches the urban centres so that we use potable water to serve humanity and at least, harvest grey water for other less important activities.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
I am continuing with the tradition of the Rt Hon Speaker in giving option to first time Hon MPs.
There are six of you on your feet. I will allow each one of you 10 minutes to make a contribution.
Some Hon Members 1:45 p.m.
Five minutes.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:45 p.m.
Is five minutes sufficient? Very well. Let me start from the very end.
Mr James Gyakye Quayson (NDC -- Assin North) 1:45 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to make a contribution to the Statement on World Water Day.
I could not sit idle and not say anything about this water issue in Ghana, particularly, in my constituency. Mr Speaker, I have to let you know that I singlehandedly repaired about 35 boreholes in my Constituency during the election campaign. The problem I find in Ghana, generally is not about supply; it is about maintenance. My issue with most institutions is how they maintain existing infrastructure. Ghana lacks absolute maintenance.
I am giving a reason because when you go to my constituency, some of these boreholes were established back in the year 2000 during the presidency of the late Jerry John Rawlings. Successive Governments failed to maintain them. I visited some
Mr James Gyakye Quayson (NDC -- Assin North) 1:54 p.m.
places where some of the boreholes were broken for the past four, six or eight years, and there is an existing District Assembly. It confuses me and I am baffled sometimes to wonder who is in charge?
Mr Speaker, when you do explosion of all these borehole water systems, they function for a period of time. There might be some simple mechanism that is broken in this and they will not fix it. Some costs only like GH¢500, but they were abandoned for over 18 months. Fifty- five boreholes alone in my constituency were broken. We did the feasibility studies and we started fixing them. We were able to capture about 35 of them.
Mr Speaker, I am letting you and the rest of my Hon Colleagues here know how we can work hand in hand with our District Assemblies, and get all these existing boreholes, at least repaired to start off. We are calling for new water systems. We had to lay pipes for water extension to some of our communities. We cannot wait till four years later to get this done.
Unfortunately, some of the water we use in Accra metropolitan area for basic chores like watering our grass and car wash, as my Friend said, is
even cleaner than some of the water my constituents drink. Once you go to some of these remote areas, you wonder if they are also Ghanaians? The water these kids drink will touch your heart. You cannot sit idle and not do anything about it.
When you come here, you would see a broken pipeline, and it is as if there are no sewerage maintenance people in the country. They just release the water as long as it would. These are some of the issues that we should look at as a country. Our maintenance system starts from the very top. I have been to some high government institutions, and I was told the elevator there has been broken for like 12 years. They will abandon it and rather go buy something new. Mr Speaker, I do not know how the procurement system works, but this is an attitude that we should change.

I am calling on all of us to put some pressure on the institutions. We can do all we can as a House, but once Ghana has weak institutions, they would not function. Everything rests on MPs or the District Chief Executive. We cannot do everything. Let us try and empower our institutions and this way, we can weed out some corruption as well.
Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw (NPP -- Wa East) 1:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity. I would like to add my voice in commemoration of the World Water Day.
It is a very important day since water is life and I wish to add my voice in calling on Government, the private sector, corporations and other stakeholders to identify the fact that we may not meet the Sustainable Development Goal 6 in particular if we continue at this pace.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:54 p.m.
Hon Members, having regard to the state of the business of the House, I direct that the House Sits outside the regular Sitting hours. Thank you.
Hon Member, please continue.
Dr Jasaw 1:54 p.m.
Thank you Mr Speaker.
I wish to add my voice to the fact that we have challenges of access to potable water and maintenance of existing water systems, and climate change that is affecting dams and water encampment and their holding capacity for water that has to be processed. I therefore call on
Government and other related stakeholders to rededicate efforts to put in place arrangements that can recognise this fact, and double their efforts to make sure that accessibility and maintenance are improved, and maintenance of dams in direct response to climate change challenges is taken care of to enable us to achieve the SDGs, particularly Goal 6.
Mr Speaker, I would like to specifically recognise the challenges that the Hon Member for Atebubu/ Amantin, Mr Sanja Nanja complained about in his Statement on water accessibility in his constituency. I can relate to that because a similar paradigm exists in my constituency, Wa East as well. We realised that the populations are increasing and as they increase, it appears the rate of increase is confusing our planning system.
Our planning system is not up to date to be able to acknowledge that these populations and settlements are expanding in a way that requires that we plan these services ahead of time. So, I wish to call on the local government authorities as well, to sit up and make sure that we plan for settlements and populations that drift into these locations, especially for all the good things that these places attract.
rose
Mr First Deputy Speaker 1:54 p.m.
Are you a first timer? Very well.
Mr Kingsley Nyarko (NPP -- Kwadaso) 1:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, clean water is a basic human need and by extension, a human right. What is happening in Atebubu/Amantin to me is unacceptable. In celebrating World Water Day in 2018, the theme was “Nature for Water”. In 2019, the theme was “Leaving no one behind”. As we speak, concerning what is happening in Atebubu, are we leaving the people of Atebubu behind? This world has got sufficient clean water for us all to enjoy.
Mr Speaker, over three million people in this country are still suffering and do not get access to clean water. As we speak, a lot of people in this country spend probably more than 30 minutes, trying to find basic water to drink and this is unacceptable. In 2020, we said, “Water and Climate Change”. If we truly want to tackle climate change and truly want to have clean water, then what is happening in Ghana to our water bodies is unacceptable.
A lot of people, including the people of Nkoranza have come to realise that in this country, we are spending a lot of money on urban water. The challenge has to do with the fact that we are not investing enough in the water sector and the fact that we are not planning well in terms
of water for the country. I think that we need to deploy proper infrastructure for us to have water or access to clean water in this country.
Mr Speaker, I used to live in Atebubu as a child and had my basic education there at Atebubu Demonstration School.
Mr Speaker, it is sad to note that when I went back to Atebubu, what we used to do by taking “David Brown'', the old tractor to fetch water is still done in 2021. It is high time this country looks back to Atebubu and support it and give to them what is needed for them to at least, have clean water. We have to carry the people of Atebubu along.
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much.
Mr Richard Gyan-Mensah (NPP -- Gomoa West) 2:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would like to contribute to the Statement made by the Hon Member for South Tongu, Mr Woyome.
The current rate of road accidents on highways have become alarming. From the statistics the Hon Member gave, even just within this year, the number of people we have lost on the highways just in South Tongu, is very
Mr Francis-Xavier Kojo Sosu (NDC -- Madina) 2:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statements.
Mr Speaker, I would want to first contribute to the Statement made on “World Water Day''. Indeed, water is a very important commodity and as it has already been argued, it is not only essential but is also a fundamental human right.
Mr Speaker, I would want to refer the House to the general comment number 15 by the Committee on Economic Social and Political Rights
that adopted the right to water as a fundamental human right. With your permission, I beg to quote article 11 of that comment which says:
“The human rights to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realisation of other human rights''.
Indeed, when we lose our rights to potable water, that affects other fundamental rights. For example, rights to life, right to good health, right to good environment. It has already been argued that over three million Ghanaians lacked access to potable water. It has been said that in order to properly access this fundamental human rights, then water must be sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and it must be affordable.
Mr Speaker, as I speak, water in Ghana is very expensive to those who even have access to potable water. It is my humble submission to this House that the cost of water would also deny people of that fundamental right to it. Apart from that, there are many people who do not even have access to this potable water. My Hon Colleagues have argued about access to rural water but even in the urban centre -- in the Madina Constituency for example, in the newly developed areas like Ayigbe Town, Site C,
Mr Francis-Xavier Kojo Sosu (NDC -- Madina) 2:14 p.m.
Danfa, Teiman, Kweiman, Ayimensah, part of Oyarifa, Pantang Village and Adenta New Site -- these are communities within the capital city that lacked water and access to potable water.
Mr Speaker, it is said that where there are rights then there are duty bearers. The duty bearer or the person responsible to make sure that every Ghanaian has potable water, is the State, led by the Government. I would want to call on the Government to help Ghanaians to achieve this fundamental right by increasing budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources so that they could work to make potable water readily available to the people of Ghana so that we could achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in this regard.
Mr Speaker, to bring my submission to an end, I would want to say that the issue concerning road accidents and road traffic congestions have been partly blamed on people who walk and sell on the streets. I beg to submit that it is important for Hon Members in this House to recognise that it is not everyone who walks along the street at the peril of their life that decides to do that just for doing sake. For most of them, they only try to survive.
Mr Speaker, I remember when I used to be on the street at the Graphic Road many years ago, and sold the juice called “refresh''.

I did not sell “refresh'' on the streets just because I wanted to contribute to traffic congestion, I only wanted to survive and there are many people in our country today who are on the streets wanting to survive just for a day.

What this means is that while we are advocating for rules that will clear up our roads, we must be sure that the steps that we take are human- centred making sure that the various Assemblies will work these stakeholders and find them alternative spaces where they can trade so that we can clear up the roads to ensure safe roads for all of us.

Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
Thank you Hon Member; that is the end of --
Abdul-Salam Adams -- rose --
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
Hon Member, are you also --
Very well. I do not remember seeing you when I was counting. I will give you five minutes.
Abdul-Salam Adams (NDC -- New Edubiase): Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to relate to the issues concerning water.
We say; ‘Water is life' and in this country, if we take a critical look at the water situation, one would want to say that it has become a cliché, especially the situation that exists in our rural communities. Statistics shows that almost half of our population in our rural communities lacked access to clean potable water and this has been exacerbated by the activities of galamseyers and small scale miners who have decimated the sources of water bodies that used to be sources of drinking water for most of our constituents.
Mr Speaker, in my constituency for instance, rivers Pra and Offin used to be sources of good drinking water. Now, one cannot even use that water for any purpose yet, there is a facility in the New Edubiase Township which was started in the year 2014 which currently produces over 500,000 gallons of water a day which is in far excess of what the township alone needs. The expectation of the completion of the project was that
successive governments will come and expand it. As we speak, the facility is sitting there producing water which is in far excess of what the New Edubiase Township alone needs and yet, the need to find water for usage has become a daily struggle.
Mr Speaker, I would like to use this opportunity to urge the Government, especially, the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources to expand this project at least, to the nearby towns such as Amudrase, Atobiase, and Praso Apagya, it will be a good start knowing that in the near future, the NDC which we anticipate very much in the year 2025, would come to power and expand this project to every part of our constituency.
Water is a fundamental human need and by providing this all important resource to our people, we are giving hope and help especially, if we look at the adverse effects on the health of these women who have to go and find water to enable them take care of their families cannot be overemphasised and the earlier the key stakeholders in this sector worked to ensure that we meet the Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), the better for all of us.
[Hear!] [Hear!]
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
Hon Members, that brings us to the end of Statement time.
Now, at the Commencement of Public Business.
I have here presentation of petition? Yes, Hon -- Hon Minister, I am sorry, I remember the Speaker saying he will let you be the last to contribute.
Hon Minister, you may kindly respond?
Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah (NPP -- Atiwa West) 2:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to contribute to the Statement made particularly on the road sector while congratulating all the Hon Members who made the various Statements for the brilliance they have exhibited.
I would like to strongly associate myself with the Statement from Kobena Mensah Woyome; Hon Member of Parliament for South Tongu making a Statement on Road Safety while Dr Kinsley Nyarko; Member of Parliament for Kwadaso made a strong Statement on Traffic Congestion.
Mr Speaker, what a pleasant coincidence that just last two days, I had the privilege of briefing the Roads and Transport Committee when my Ministry appeared before them to consider our Budget Estimates of the establishment of two important committees in my Ministry to deal with two major challenges that the Ministry faces.
Both committees deal with each of these issues which have been ably raised in the Statements of my two Hon Colleagues. One of the Committees deals with safety by carrying out road audit on all speed ramps across the nation and to ensure that all signages on our highways are in place.
The second is to identify certain specific streets particularly, in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale and if need be, other regional capitals about the congestion that we continue to experience in our cities particularly, Kumasi and Accra for obvious reasons.
Mr Speaker, I am therefore happy that this has been brought to the fore on the floor of this august House. It encourages my Ministry and gives the confidence that we are on the right path and this House is solidly behind us.
Even though, Hon Woyome's Statement was constituency specific, with your permission, I would like to digress a bit to give it a national perspective in a jiffy for people to appreciate the importance of road safety issues.
I want to draw the attention of this House and for that matter, the nation that safety is a shared responsibility and not only meant for drivers nor pedestrians. It is for all of us to keep to the principles of road safety in order to stay safe.
Mr Speaker, if we talk about accidents in our nation and regrettably so, in our country last year, two accidents claimed almost 100 lives of our compatriots.
I am sure Hon Members may recall the accident that occurred last year on the Cape Coast road which claimed almost 50 lives and another accident that occurred on the Kintampo road which also claimed almost the same number of lives.
It is unnecessary and unwarranted and efforts must be made to bring this rate of accidents and carnage on our roads under control. Mr Speaker, my Ministry must be in this because it is the Ministry that has been charged with the responsibility together with
the Ministry of Transport through National Road Safety Authority, who have been doing a yeoman's job in educating to ensure that our roads are safe for all of us.
Mr Speaker, we must also remember that research and evidence clearly shows that over 90 per cent of road accidents would be attributed to human factor. In our country, the more we improve on our roads and make them motorable and comfortable to be driven on, the more we record accidents because most of our drivers take the opportunity to over speed on improved roads.
Many of our drivers drink and drive and some overload their vehicles and in the course of travelling they lose balance. Mr Speaker, some of the drivers are tired and do not rest and some also do not observe road signs on highways and many do not even understand these road signs. Most of our drivers drive rickety vehicles; and do not pay attention to their tires and even do not service their vehicles.
Mr Speaker, in a nutshell, there is so much indiscipline on our roads, so while dealing with this subject, all of us must take it up and ensure that in our own small ways, particularly as Hon Members of Parliament, as we engage our constituents, we must take up road safety education to
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:24 p.m.
Hon Minister, kindly summarise?
Mr Amoako-Attah 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, this was tackled last year and as a policy, all the major roads in the country are being dualised. The Accra-Akosombo road dualisation is on course, the Accra-Kumasi road dualisation is also on course as well as the Tema-Aflao road dualisation is on course with a contractor on the road. I believe that if all of us work together, cooperate and take advantage of the massive and extensive education that is being undertaken by the National Road Safety Authority, this nation would go far places.
Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I would want to bring to the fore the challenges that we have in the road sector. People vandalise the signages we put on our roads. Mr Speaker, we live with people who vandalise and sell these signs as scraps. The nation must help to address these problems. Some criminals remove the bolts and nuts from our major bridge and this country suffered a major bridge collapse last year in the Garu Constituency.
The steel bridge was very strong but an articulator passed on it and it collapsed just because in a previous night, some criminals had gone on to the bridge and removed all the bolts and nuts. Traffic congestion can only be brought under control if we ourselves are disciplined. There is so much indiscipline.
Mr Speaker, in ending my contribution, all of us in this august House drive around and we know how pedestrians are suffering because hawkers and traders have taken all the well-built pedestrian lanes, pushing drivers and pedestrians onto the road. All of us must talk about it to ensure that all these facilities are made open and uninterrupted for the smooth running of vehicles for the safety on our roads for our country, ourselves and our people.
I thank all my colleague Hon Members for their useful contri- butions. I would take all of them on board, particularly those dealing with the toll booths and all so that at the end of the day, we improve on the safety of our roads and reduce congestion for these obvious negative attendant problems.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
Finally, this is the end of Statement time.
Yes, Hon Deputy Whip?
Mr Habib Iddrisu 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, since you are giving first timers opportunity, as a first timer Leader, I am pleading to conclude on that.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
But where were you when I was giving the opportunity? I was generous, but you waited after the Minister's contribution?
All right.
Mr Habib Iddrisu (NPP -- Tolon) 2:34 p.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I would be very brief.
I would start with the concluding note of the Hon Minister for Roads and Highways concerning indiscipline on our roads. With this issue, we
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
This brings us to the end of the Statement time.
Now, at the commencement of Public Business, Hon Majority Chief Whip?
Mr Annoh-Dompreh 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, may I invite you to allow the Chairman of the Committee on Roads and Highways to lay their Report by way of taking item numbered 6(g)?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
Yes, Hon Minority Chief Whip, the application is to move to item numbered 6 -- Presentation of Papers?
Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if the Hon Chairman is around, we do not have any objection. I can see my Ranking Member, but I do not know whether the Report is ready?
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
Very well, item numbered 6, presentation of Papers.
PAPERS 2:34 p.m.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
Yes, Hon Leader, what is next?
Mr Annoh-Dompreh 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, looking at the time and the circumstances, I may call for adjournment till tomorrow.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
Very well, Hon Minority Chief Whip?
Alhaji Muntaka 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, since there is no further Business, definitely, we should be under your care since it is passed 2.00 p. m.
Mr Kwaku A. Kwarteng 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we have some Reports to lay, with your permission.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
Yes, Hon Majority Chief Whip?
Mr Annoh-Dompreh 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, ordinarily, I would not do this, but I would want to plead with my colleague. As the practice of the House, the Hon Chairman should have given us indication. I think it is an afterthought, and I would want to plead for your indulgence if they could be allowed to lay the Report?
Alhaji Muntaka 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we have the Hon Deputy Ranking of our Side who says the Report is not ready. The Hon Chairman should learn to know that he needs to inform
Mr Annoh-Dompreh 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, upon a further consultation,
I believe we can shelve it till tomorrow.
Mr First Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
Very well.
ADJOURNMENT 2:34 p.m.
  • The House was adjourned at 2.44 p.m. till Tuesday, 23rd March, 2021 at 10.00 a.m.