Debates of 26 May 2021

MR SPEAKER
PRAYERS 2:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker 2:57 p.m.
Hon Members, there is a Communication from the President. It is in a letter dated 25th May, 2021, titled absence from Ghana.
ANNOUCEMENTS 2:57 p.m.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS AND THE OFFICIAL REPORT 2:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker 2:57 p.m.
Hon Member, we would move to item numbered 3 -- Correction of Votes and Proceedings and Official Report. I have at hand the Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 25th May, 2021 and the Official Report of Thursday, 4th March, 2021. We will start with the Votes and Proceedings of Thursday, 25th May, 2021.
Page 1-- 4
rose
Mr Speaker 2:57 p.m.
Yes, Hon Avedzi?
Mr Avedzi 2:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you. On page 4, item numbered 101, Alhaji Collins Dauda has been marked present, but I am aware that he is out of the country on Pan- African Parliament duties. So, could he be marked as absent with permission?
Mr Speaker 2:57 p.m.
The Clerk at the Table should take note.
Hon Members, page 5 --
Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare 2:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you. Item numbered 173, my name has been
spelt wrongly “Agyare”, my name is spelt “Adjare”.
Mr Speaker 2:57 p.m.
Please, Table Office should take note.
Page 6, 7, and 8 --
rose
Mr Speaker 2:57 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member?
Mr Nyarku 2:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my name is supposed to be captured as “Nyarku Kwamena Minta”. It is not supposed to be captured as “Nyarku Minta Kwamena”, as has been captured in the Votes and Proceedings. The name is “Kwamena” and it is supposed to be in the middle because that is my first name.
Mr Speaker 2:57 p.m.
The Table Office should take note. The Hon Member was present yesterday, and his name should be captured as “Nyarku Kwamena Minta”.
Page 9…
Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa 2:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am most grateful.
Mr Speaker, on the paragraph numbered 5 on page 9, on the first

paragraph, the second line, the name of the current President of Niger has been captured as “H. E. Mahamadou Issoufuo”. However, the letters “uo” as used in the name Issoufuo,” should rather be captured with the letters “ou”, to be written as “Issoufou”. Again, still on that page, with your permission, on the paragraph numbered 7, the last line, we have the phrase “ Tueday, 27th April, 2021”. It is to be noted that the word “Tuesday”, has been spelt without the letter “s”.
Mr Speaker 2:57 p.m.
The Table Office should take note
Page 10…11
Mr Ablakwa 2:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, please, on page 11, on the item numbered xiv, the word “MP” that should be attached to the name of the “Hon Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong” has been omitted. The names of all the Hon Members listed on that page has the word “MP” attached to them, except for his. This should be corrected for the sake of consistency. He is the former Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, so, the word “MP” should be added to his name, just as has been done for all the other Hon Members of Parliament.
Mr Speaker 2:57 p.m.
Hon Member, you are right.
The Table Office should take note.
Page 12…14
Mr Ablakwa 2:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, please, on page 14, the item numbered 15, the caption there should rather be “Africa Day Commemoration”, not “African Union Day.”
Mr Speaker 2:57 p.m.
The Table Office should kindly take note.
Page 15…
Member: Mr Speaker, on page 13, yesterday, before the corrections on the Votes and Proceedings were done, there was also an announcement on a letter that you received from the Hon MP for North Tongu. Some directions were given, but it has not been captured in the Votes and Proceedings being corrected today. This is in respect of the Hon Member for North Tongu's resignation letter from the Appointments Committee.
Mr Speaker 2:57 p.m.
Did you say page
13?
Mr Martin Adjei 2:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes, it was part of the announcement that you made yesterday, but it has not been captured in the Votes and Proceedings being corrected today.
Mr Speaker 2:57 p.m.
So, your view is that it was a key issue that should have been captured in today's Votes and Proceedings. The technical people at the Table would consider whether it qualifies, according to the Standing Orders of the House, as well as the practice and procedures of Parliament.
Page 15…21
Mr Speaker 2:57 p.m.
Hon Members, the Votes and Proceedings of the First Sitting of the Second Meeting of the First Session held on Tuesday, 25th May, 2021 as corrected, are adopted as the true record of the proceedings.
Hon Members, we would now take the Official Report of Thursday, 4th March, 2021 for correction.
Hon Members, any corrections?
Mr Ablakwa 2:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, please, at column 014, with respect to the list of Ministries, the item numbered 4 should be captured as “Communications and Digitalisation”, and the entry numbered 9 should also be captured as “Ministry of Railways Development”.
Mr Speaker 2:57 p.m.
The Table Office should take note of the correction.
Hon Members, the Official Report of Thursday, 4th March, 2021 as corrected, represents the true record of the proceedings.
Hon Members, we would move to the item numbered 4. We have so many Statements --
rose
Mr Speaker 2:57 p.m.
Yes, Hon Minority Leader?
Mr Haruna Iddrisu 3:07 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I see that you are introducing the item numbered 4, and with your indulgence, I come on the strength of Standing Order 72 to just raise a matter of public importance.
Mr Speaker, yesterday, as you welcomed us and took comments from the Leadership, the Hon Ahmed Ibrahim, who is the Hon Deputy Minority Whip, drew your attention to the urgency of the consideration of the statutory funds - the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), the National Health Insurance Fund, and the constitutionally established District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) under article 252.

Mr Speaker, as we speak, the Boards of these institutions have not
Mr Speaker 3:07 a.m.
Well, once I have indulged the Minority Leader, I will need to give the opportunity to the Majority Leader if he has something to say because by the Standing Orders you cited, “…the terms of any such proposed statement shall first be submitted to Mr Speaker” which has
not been submitted to me but being a Leader on the other Side, I indulged you so; I will have to indulge the Majority Leader too.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:07 a.m.
Mr Speaker, you have taken the winds out of my sail. I have the Standing Orders here; I was struggling to see the relevant provision of the Standing Orders the Minority Leader was coming under. He cited Standing Order 72. To be fair, let us read the provisions of Standing Order 72:
“By the indulgence of the House and leave of Mr Speaker, a Member may, at the time appointed for such statements under Order 53 (Order of Business), explain a matter of personal nature or make a statement on a matter of urgent public importance. Any statement other than a personal statement may be commented upon by other Members for a limited duration of time not exceeding one hour. The terms of any such proposed statement shall first be submitted to Mr Speaker”.
Mr Speaker, the issue that has been raised by the Hon Minority Leader, I believe certainly, is of some urgency; it is a matter of public
importance. But to be fair to the House and to be fair to the Speaker, he must submit a Statement -[Interruptions]- Mr Speaker, the Hon Minority Leader has the capacity and the characterisation of usually coming under some provisions that he himself conjures and with due alacrity, he pours himself out -[Interruptions]- It is not a skill; this is being very disingenuous to the House.
Mr Speaker, as I said, I think the matter raised is a matter of public importance and we must dialogue on it. I think that we really need to engage on that but the usual vicissitude of the Minority Leader notwithstanding, I would -- [Interruptions]-- I am not too sure they have the men. Mr Speaker, we have the men and the women! Mr Speaker, but I think we could certainly dialogue on that to see what it is that could be done.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Speaker 3:07 a.m.
Hon Members, I very well understand the pressures so; the indulgence of the House has to be sought and that has been granted. I granted the leave after they have both spoken so it suffices.
We move on to Statements; we have a lot of Statements from Hon Members. We will vary the practice, not the rule. We would be giving
Mr Speaker 3:17 p.m.
timelines; allotting time for Statement to be made and also for comments if necessary. It is not every Statements that you will have the opportunity to comment on; if the Statements are personal or Constituency specific, there will be no need to dilute that Statement by permitting comments. No Member of Parliament will have the leisure now to make for more than ten minutes. At the end of the ten minutes, you will be belled off and you will have to submit the full contents of the Statement at the Table Office to be captured by the Official Report. Comments thereto, will not be more than five minutes. Some comments take more than thirty minutes and that is so offensive to the Standing Orders.
From now on, that will be the practice so that we can create more space for many more people to have the opportunity to submit their Statements and make them timeously. We have Statements dating back to about 2nd February, 2021 and they are too many for us to take but we will grant the opportunity to as many as we can.
With the permission of the House, we may take three Statements for today and I will guide the House according to the earlier instructions I have given.

We have a Statement standing in the name of Hon Alexander Roosevelt Hotordze. The Statement is on “the need to improve National Health Insurance Authority's reimbursement of public health services at the primary health care level to accelerate Ghana's progress at achieving universal health coverage''. If the Hon Member is not available, we would move a Statement which stands in the name of the Hon Member for South Dayi, Mr Dafeamekpor - he is not ready?

There is a Statement in the name of the Hon Member for New Edubiase, Mr Adams Abdul-Salam. The Statement is on the “State of Ambulance Services in the New Edubiase Constituency''. Is the Hon Member available?
Mr Speaker 3:17 p.m.
There is a Statement in the name of Madam Elizabeth Asantewaa --
An Hon Member 3:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member for New Edubiase is in the House.
Mr Speaker 3:17 p.m.
Hon Member, for New Edubiase, you may make your Statement but before you do so, is
your name “Adams Abdul-Salam'' or “Abdul-Salam Adams''.
Mr Abdul-Salam 3:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my name is “Adams Abdul-Salam''.
Mr Speaker 3:17 p.m.
I asked this because what you have is “Abdul- Salam Adams'' but it is “Adams Abdul-Salam'' on the Statement. The Table Office would take note and correct it accordingly.
STATEMENTS 3:17 p.m.
Mr Adams Abdul-Salam (NDC -- New Edubiase) 3:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to make a Statement on the state of ambulance services in the New Edubiase Constituency.
Mr Speaker, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) was established in 2004 as an agency of the Ministry of Health. As a statutory body, the NAS is charged with the responsibility of operating a nation- wide comprehensive pre-hospital and emergency care.
Mr Speaker, last year, the Government commissioned and distributed 307 ambulances to all the
275 constituencies in the country to help improve the emergency health care delivery. This without a doubt has enhanced emergency health care services in our various constituencies. However, the agency is faced with challenges that sometimes exacerbate the conditions of the sick and the injured or even lead to avoidable deaths.
Mr Speaker, for instance, on 2nd February, 2021, Mr Terkpor Wilson, a head teacher at the Adansi Subin Camp, a community in the New Edubiase Constituency, was involved in a car accident when he was returning to the community from work. He sustained life threatening injuries and was rushed to the New Edubiase Government Hospital for treatment. Upon reaching the hospital, he was immediately referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and needed the services of an ambulance. When friends of the victims reached out to the New Edubiase Ambulance Service, they were told that the driver of the ambulance was indisposed and therefore were unable to render services without the designated ambulance driver.
Mr Speaker, it took over five hours after a request for the Adansi Asokwa Constituency Ambulance to arrive by which time the victim had succumbed
Mr Speaker, the way forward includes 3:27 p.m.
Training and recruiting more EMTs to augment the existing ones;
Strengthening ties with local health facilities to ensure timely emergency medical care and appropriateness of transfers; and
Enhancing public awareness about the NAS.
Mr Speaker, I would also like to urge this House to consider passing the NAS Bill into law.

When it is passed, it would establish a publicly funded ambulance service to provide effective, coordinated and timely delivery of emergency services to the sick and injured in the country.

Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the opportunity. [Hear! Hear!].
Mr Speaker 3:27 p.m.
Hon Members, this is a Constituency specific Statement and I am reluctant to allow comments. [Interruption] -- He is your neighbour; so, are you in the same Constituency?
Mr Kobina Tahir Hammond (NPP -- Adanse-Asokwa) 3:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, Adanse Asokwa and Adanse New Edubiase shares a very grey area which is a boundary line. So, literally, we are in the same Adanse Constituency and I am the spokesperson for the whole of Adanse -- [Laughter] -- I am the Chairman of the Adanse enclave.
Mr Speaker 3:27 p.m.
Hon K. T. Hammond, just not long ago, you also claimed to be the Senior Prefect of the House.
Mr K. T. Hammond 3:27 p.m.
This claim to me is unfair; you made me the Class Prefect of this House. [Laughter] --
Mr Speaker 3:27 p.m.
You claimed it and nobody objected to it, so, I had to confirm it on you. Now, another claim is being made about you being the spokesperson for the whole of Adanse.
Mr K. T. Hammond 3:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, incidentally, there may be some other information you might not be aware of. I am the Adansehene's Nkosuohene for the whole of the Adanse Traditional area and I have been since 2002.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Second Deputy Speaker is here and he is
Mr Speaker 3:27 p.m.
You are now calling witnesses. Yes, I will take note of that but I would now confirm whether you have been gazetted as a chief or not.
Mr K. T. Hammond 3:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, incidentally, it is not a gazettable one and that is why I am comfortable -- [Laughter] -- to say it to the whole world. If it were, you could be sure I would be very quiet but it is not, so, you would not find it in any gazette.
Mr Speaker 3:27 p.m.
Yes, I am tempted to give you the opportunity of five minutes to comment on the Statement.
Mr K. T. Hammond 3:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I will do it in less than two minutes.
Mr Speaker 3:27 p.m.
Yes, Hon Deputy Minority Whip?
Mr Ibrahim Ahmed 3:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my senior Colleague started creating some empire in that enclave and he has succeeded by you conferring upon him the Senior Prefect position of this Chamber. There is a Leader of the House. Where are we seemingly going? Somebody who
started from an enclave and now taking over an empire; if care is not taken, by the time he finishes his rendition, we would realise that he is the Speaker of this Chamber.
Mr Speaker 3:27 p.m.
Well, once, you acknowledge that he was your senior, I think it is not proper to question his entitlements but the Leader of the House is a leader of the House. That is different from a Senior Prefect. A senior prefect is a senior prefect; that is, if there are prefects around for one to be senior. So, there is no position in Parliament as senior prefect because there are prefects here for one to be senior. You can confer non- existing titles on people; that is permitted but the Leader of the House is a title that is known, accepted and legalised.
I can see the Leader wants to say something.
Yes?
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I just noticed that even though he made a very innocuous application to you, I think you are minded to expand his territory. The Hon Member started by indicating to you that he is the Class Prefect -- [Interruption] -- He did not say he is the senior prefect and we need to even know which class --
Mr Speaker 3:27 p.m.
No, I heard senior prefect; I did not hear class prefect.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 3:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the Hon Member himself said he is the class prefect.
Mr K. T. Hammond 3:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, again, the dividing line between a class prefect and a senior prefect is very grey…[Laughter] - so, I believe we have been talking about senior prefect. Of course, Mr Speaker, I am worried about the young Hon Member there. I thought that it was the “Johnny just comes” who would need the tutorial by Hon Speaker with respect to the leadership context we are talking about. Certainly, a big boy like him who does not know the difference between the Majority Leader, the Leader of the House and the Senior Prefect; what are you talking about?
Mr Speaker, I am the Senior Prefect and I would never claim to the credentials of the number six man; is he the number six or number five? I am not sure which number he is?
Mr Speaker 3:27 p.m.
Hon K. T. Hammond, my advice is that do not swim in unknown waters. Just comment on the Statement and move on.
Mr K. T. Hammond 3:27 p.m.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, my Hon Colleague is on a point of order.
Mr Speaker 3:27 p.m.
Please, allow him to make comment. He is not out of order, so, allow him to make his comment.
Mr K. T. Hammond 3:27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to make a contribution.
Mr Speaker, I realised that nobody was helping my friend but just to put things in perspective. I heard him with his statistics about ambulance services in the United Kingdom and America and, of course, he talked specifically about the situation in Adanse New Edubiase. I think we should be grateful to the government of the NPP for this singular act of making sure that we have about 275 ambulance vehicles in every respective constituency in this country. It is a matter that nobody can gloss over. It is very significant.
Mr Speaker, I am concerned about constituencies but, of course, I know there are quite a lot of surplus ambulances making the rounds.
Mr Speaker, he mentioned a specific case of an unfortunate situation where they called an ambulance
Mr K. T. Hammond 3:37 p.m.
service. What might have happened to their own services I am not sure but they might have called on the Asokwa one and they did delay. These things must be looked at in the ambience of what is going on; it can never be looked at in isolation. If it was meant to be a criticism, I fail to support that it took five hours.
Mr Speaker, he is wrong on the statistics he has given. On the January 1, 2021, I called an ambulance service, specifically London, and for five hours the ambulance did not arrive. It was a colleague doctor friend of mine who managed to perform the services of the ambulance service.
Mr Speaker, so, he cannot simply make general statements about specific time schedules as he has made. I arrived from London yesterday. About four days ago, again, I called an ambulance and, on this occasion, in about five minutes, it was there. It all depends on the circumstances. So, it should not be a criticism because the ambulance from Asokwa took the number of hours he talked about.
Indeed, the important thing is that there was a standby ambulance vehicle at Asokwa to move to New Edubiase. That is something to commend the
government about. There were days gone by where we simply had one ambulance service at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. One constituent of mine was involved in an accident about 1.00 a.m. and we had to call an ambulance from Kumasi and it took them about hours to drive all the way -- Indeed, they did their best to come all the way from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to pick up this patient and straight back to the hospital. These days, we have the luxury of being able to call an ambulance within the Asokwa Constituency and indeed, his own Constituency, the New Edubiase Constituency. We should give praise to the NPP government, particularly, with this ambulance service which has now become a luxury. You would see it and it has a name - Adanse- Asokwa Constituency, New Edubiase Constituency - I think that of the Majority Leader is number five or -- I am not sure. It might be Suame.

Mr Speaker, that of Hon Member for Subin is written there boldly and we should be proud about that and grateful to the government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). An Hon Member mentioned Nadowli/Kaleo even though he was not talking about

Mr Speaker but I am sure that he has one. Hon Ablakwa has got one for the North Tongu consistency.

Mr Speaker, I think we should give help and encouragement to those who operate the services so that it ultimately becomes a blessing for the entire country.

Thank you very much. [Hear!] [Hear!]
Mr Speaker 3:37 p.m.
Hon Members, this was just a Statement and it was not meant to be debated. The Statement was not critical of government but drawing attention to the paucity of the number of health personnel to manage the ambulances that had been distributed. That is why, it is stated there; “deficit in the human capacity to deliver the required services to Ghanaians”.
So, it was not meant to criticise government and the Hon Member who provided the numbers.
Again, I was Minister for Health and in that capacity, I personally distributed 161 new ambulances. At the time, we had only 33 in the country and so, if we add 161, it comes to 194. So, it is good to increase the numbers but maintenance is an issue
and by the time we come back to take census of the 309 that was distributed by government, we will not have the same numbers due to the issue of maintenance. So, it is a critical issue we need to consider because it deals with our lives and that of our people so; please, let us take note and do something to support the National Ambulance Service.
The other thing I want to point out to is that we have already passed the law; I saw the Hon Member who made the Statement urging the House to consider passing the law. We have already passed an Act on the National Ambulance Service and that is how come it got established. If there is any need for improvement, let us get the feedback and the House will be ready to work on it.
Hon Members, with this, we move on to the next Statement which stands in the name of Hon Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor on the need for the State to take responsibility over Madam Elizabeth Asantewaa.
The Need for the State to Take Responsibility over Madam
Elizabeth Asantewaa
Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse Dafeamekpor (NDC -- South Dayi) 3:37 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to make this Statement.
Mr Patrick Yaw Boamah (NPP - Okaikoi Central) 3:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for the opportunity to add my voice to the Statement ably made by my Hon Good Friend, Mr Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, on behalf of Madam Elizabeth Asantewa.
Mr Speaker, there are quite a number of people who have put their lives on the line for our great nation
Mr Speaker 3:47 p.m.
Hon Members, we have the last Statement standing in the name of the Hon Member for Old Tafo, Mr Vincent Ekow Assafuah. The Statement is on Education and Teacher Reforms.
Importance of Technical and Vocational Education and
Training and the Need to Focus on it as a Country
Mr Vincent Ekow Assafuah (NPP -- Old Tafo) 3:47 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to make a Statement on the Importance of Technical and Vocational Education and Training and the Need to Focus on it as a Country.
Mr Speaker, Ghana is blessed by God with abundant natural resources and it behoves us as a people to derive the maximum possible benefits from it through industrialisation to make the lives of our people better. But to be able to do so, the critical bridge to cross is vital skills acquisition. It is these skills together with innovation that can, and do serve as catalyst to move this country beyond the role of hewers of wood and drawers of water for the benefit of other nations. Without these, the natural resources remain just like they are and sit in the earth or on our trees. It is therefore imperative that we invest in ensuring that our citizenry
possess the necessary skill to lift this country unto the sunlit path of posterity and prominence.
Mr Speaker, when the NPP under Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo took over the reins of Government in its first term in 2017, there were several challenges which were hindering the impact TVET was supposed to make in the country. These included; poor linkage between training intitutions and industry, a deeply fragmented landscape and lack of coordination among multiple TVET delivery agencies, multiplicity of standards, testing and certification, low quality of instruction due to inadequate instructor training and lack of instructional support and TVET infrastructure -informal TVET system that has been neglected and detached from the formal sector and poor public perception of TVET.
Mr Speaker, the Government therefore set out a five-year strategic plan for TVET transformation which is also tied to the broader Education Sector Plan (ESP) which is being implemented by the Ministry of Education. Mr Speaker, the following key milestones have been emerged: the merger of Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) and National Board for Professional and Technician
Examinations (NABPTEX) as a result of the passage of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023). This would ensure the effective regulation, standardisation, certification and promotion of technical and vocational education and training for transformation and innovation for sustainable development.
The Pre-Tertiary Act also bring all pre-tertiary institutions under the Ministry of Education to ensure standardisation of certification has been passed. The Act also establishes and allows for the operationalisation of the technical and vocational education service as a pre-tertiary delivery agency under the Ministry of Education.
Parliament in August last year also passed the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development Act, 2020 which establishes an apex institution for the training of more TVET staff for the sector. Government has also begun the establishment of sector-skills bodies to focus on the exploration of business opportunities, innovation and capacity needs within the sector.
Mr Speaker, a total of 32 state of the art TVET institutions; two per region, and costing about half a billion United States Dollars would be
Mr Speaker, on quality assurance, the key achievements are 3:57 p.m.
Operationalisation of National TVET Qualifications Framework, Implementation of Competency- Based Training, 42 Competency- Based Training (CBT) Curricular have been developed with more underway and it is our aim that by 2022, all TVET institutions would be using the CBT approach as the mode of instruction and issue certificates on the National Technical and Vocational Qualifications Framework (NTVQF).
Mr Speaker, in order to ensure that the apprenticeship training is properly regulated, the Ministry of Education
has submitted a draft National Apprenticeship Policy to Cabinet for approval. This sets out the mechanism required to strengthen the apprenticeship system in Ghana and help improve opportunities for youth employment. Mr Speaker, Government in collaboration with the German Government has also provided free apprenticeship training to over 13,000 Ghanaians since 2017 through Ghana TVET Voucher Project being implemented by
CTVET.

In addition to this, free TVET is key component of the Free Senior High School initiative and over 65,000 learners have so far benefitted from this in the various technical institutes under the Ministry of Education (MoE).

Mr Speaker, if we are to make headway with the investment and reforms we are pursuing in TVET, we must necessarily confront head on the negative image TVET has suffered over the years as a refuge for academically weak students, and as a last resort for young people considering careers. Through the ‘My TVET Campaign' and other initiatives, this Government is working assiduously with various stakeholders to ensure that TVET becomes a first,

rather than last option, for young people seeking to go into the world of work.

Mr Speaker, in the past four years, through my work at the MoE, I was privileged to witness at first hand the incredible work done by the Ministry under the sector Minister and his able Deputies.

Mr Speaker, our country has a mass of young working force who are eager to work, but lack the requisite skills that are necessary to provide them with sustainable livelihoods to take care of themselves and their families. If we ignore them, we would have a social implosion on our hands for a restless unemployed and unemployable youthful population is a recipe for disaster on so many levels and is actually a security threat.

It cannot be tenable that people in this country have to import tilers from neighbouring countries or that, we have not trained enough young Ghanaians to take up specialised skilled jobs in the oil sector following the discovery of oil in commercial quantities in 2007.

Mr Speaker, if we invest in our young people and provide them with

the vital skills that are relevant in the 21st century, we would not only tackle our industrialisation agenda, but our youth employment challenges. We therefore have a duty to treat this critical sub-sector with all the urgency that we can muster because it is linked directly to the success or otherwise of the industrialised and modern country that we all yearn to see actualised.
Mr Kwame Twumasi Ampofo (NDC -- Sene West) 3:57 p.m.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity for me to also comment on the Statement on the Floor.
Mr Speaker, technical and vocational institutes are very important that the country needs to look at them very well. When we are able to train technical and vocational students, they open their own businesses, and also employ others which also helps to reduce the issue of unemployment in the country. Mr Speaker, all of us have to come out and give them proper training so that after they finish school,
Ms Gifty Twum-Ampofo (NPP -- Abuakwa North) 3:57 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to commend the Hon Member who made the Statement.
The way to youth employment is through TVET, but the major challenge we face is parents do not want their children who have passion in it to pursue their programmes. Mr Speaker, the kind of investment we have made in TVET in the area of infrastructure, machinery and equipment is worth that our first class students pursue TVET programmes. And through this TVET agenda, we would have the industries and our own personnel taking care of them.
Mr Speaker, it will interest the House to note that with all the exploitation we have made in the oil fields, we do not have the experts in the country. Not even one single submarine wielder is a Ghanaian. It is all because we have left our TVET sectors for other nationals to take advantage of them.
In building our various factories and tall buildings, when it gets to the area of tile laying and finishing with plaster of Paris, you hardly find Ghanaians working there. For this reason, under COTVET, we have undertaken skill analysis to ensure that the gaps are filled.
I would take advantage of the Statement and appeal to the House that as Hon Members of the Legislature, we should not see our individuals who are dropouts and just
push them into TVET as if it is meant for only dropouts. We should rather psych the individuals who have the interest and passion to be in the TVET areas and work on their psyche to know that it is only the A class students who can get into TVET because TVET is from birth to death. Whatever we need to make our homes and vehicles comfortable, to improve our safety on our roads and at home is through TVET.
Mr Speaker, with these few words, I would want to thank you and appeal to Hon Members to psych their individuals to take TVET as the first option.
Thank you.
Dr Prince Hamidu Armah (NPP - Kwesimintsim) 4:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much for the opportunity to contribute to this Statement.
Mr Speaker, TVET is a sector that needs to be looked at seriously, and very interestingly, the Government has demonstrated serious commitment to ensuring that the problems that confront it are well addressed.
Mr Speaker, if you look at our school system, there are two pathways -- grammar and TVET
sector. Over the years, there has been focussed attention on the grammar type education with serious and significant investment. The pathways through grammar type education is very obvious. One starts from basic school, gets to senior high school and then moves to the university.
The pathway for TVET appear very cumbersome. There are several processes that one has to go through before he gets a certain certification in TVET. That probably has caused some lethargy by parents and people from accessing TVET programmes. Therefore, there is the need for us to look at the whole TVET qualification framework and then align it to our national qualification framework.

So if somebody acquires a certain certification in T-VET, it can be aligned or equivalent to a grammar type of education and so people would see the sense of going the T-VET pathway.

Mr Speaker, currently, the investment that the Government is making in terms of the job skills and project is likely to enhance the provision of T-VET in the country; it is likely to enhance master craftsmanship; it is likely to enhance apprenticeship and therefore would enhance job creation in the country.
Mr Speaker 4:07 p.m.
Hon Members, we have come to the end of Statements for today.
At the Commencement of Public Business -- item numbered 5, Presentation of Papers.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want to crave your indulgence and that of my Hon Colleagues for these Papers to be presented on behalf of the relevant Ministers by the Minister for the
Interior and I may come in to assist him if he goes tired in the performance of that function.
Mr Speaker 4:07 p.m.
Minister for the Interior?
PAPERS 4:07 p.m.
Mr A. Ibrahim 4:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, item numbered 5(a) (ii) in connection with the visa requirement in respect of diplomatic services and special passport holders, because of the Immigration Service Act, which was passed by this House, given the issuance of entry visas to the Ministry of the Interior, I was of the view that even if you would refer this item to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, we can make it a Joint Committee on Interior and Foreign Affairs. This is because we passed an Act in this House taking the issuance of entry visa from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Ministry of the Interior.
Mr Speaker 4:07 p.m.
Hon Member, you are right. I am aware of that. I was the Majority Leader at that time but the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for the Interior have informed us that they were trying to resolve the issue of moving that function to the Ghana Immigration Service. We have not had any final communication from them that it has
been resolved. That is why I did not include the Committee on Interior and this has been laid by the Minister for the Interior for and on behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
So let me hear from the Minister whether it would add value to the work of the Committee if they are joined.
Minister for the Interior (Mr Ambrose Dery) 4:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes, the visa is now for the Immigration Service but because of the outstanding issues, we are working together. There is no problem at all. Indeed, we have agreed to establish in five missions outside between us. So we are working together.
Mr Speaker 4:07 p.m.
So we can still leave it to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Mr A. Dery 4:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, there is nothing wrong with making it a joint Committee activity. This is because the last time, there was even an application before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, I believe Hon Ablakwa and the rest -- I went there and jointly did it with her.
rose
Mr Ablakwa 4:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I can confirm what the Hon Minister for the Interior has said that in the previous considerations, we had the Hon Minister for the Interior join the Minister for Foreign Affairs when we considered this visa waiver agreement. I also recall that officials of the Immigration Service were in attendance. So what our Hon Deputy Whip is suggesting is very much in order. At least, the Leadership of the Committee on Interior and Defence can join us if it pleases you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker 4:07 p.m.
Well, I was present at that meeting as a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. I am convinced and I would amend the order to include the members, not the leadership of the Committee on Interior together with that of Foreign Affairs.
We now move to item numbered 5(b) by the Minister for Youth and Sports.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, if you may indulge me, I
would lay the Paper on behalf of the Minister for Youth and Sports.
Mr Speaker 4:07 p.m.
Did you say the Minister for the Interior?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:07 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the application was for the Minister for the Interior to do all but it looks like he is engaged in some other business.
Mr Speaker 4:17 p.m.
Hon Member, the understanding was “all” there meant item numbered 5 (a) (i) and (ii), and not all Papers to be laid by the Hon Minister for the Interior.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, that is the application that I made.
Mr Speaker 4:17 p.m.
Hon Member, it was not properly communicated. [Laughter]
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, that is the application that I made. Mr Speaker, then shall I resubmit the application?
Mr Speaker 4:17 p.m.
Yes, please do.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want the Hon Minister for the Interior to present
these Papers on behalf of the underlisted Minister.
Mr Speaker 4:17 p.m.
Well, Hon Minister for the Interior, item numbered 5 (b).
By the Minister for the Interior (Mr Ambrose Dery) (on behalf of the Minister for Youth and Sports) --
Budget Performance Report in respect of the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the period January to December, 2020.
Referred to the Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture.
By the Minister for the Interior (Mr Ambrose Dery) (on behalf of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources) --
Budget Performance Report in respect of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources for the period January to December,
2020.
Referred to the Committee on Lands and Forestry.
By the Minister for the Interior (Mr Ambrose Dery) (on behalf of the Minister for Information) --
Budget Performance Report in respect of the Ministry of Information for the period January to December, 2020.
Referred to the Committee on Communication.
By the Minister for the Interior (Mr Ambrose Dery) (on behalf of the Minister for Railways Development) -
Budget Performance Report in respect of the Ministry of Railways Development for the period January to December, 2020.
Referred to the Committee on Roads and Transport.
By the Minister for the Interior (Mr Ambrose Dery) (on behalf of the Minister for Food and Agriculture) --
Budget Performance Report in respect of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for the period January to December, 2020.
Referred to the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs.
By the Minister for the Interior (Mr Ambrose Dery) (on behalf of the Minister of State at the Office of the President) --
Mr Speaker 4:17 p.m.
Hon Members, item numbered 5 (h).
rose
Mr Speaker 4:17 p.m.
Well, Hon Member, your presence was not felt. The application was for the Hon Minister for the Interior to present all the Papers for and on behalf of the Ministers that are listed. That was granted after that application was submitted by the Hon Majority Leader.
So, once the Papers have been laid by the Hon Minister himself, I do not know whether it is proper.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I did not notice the presence in the Chamber of the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development. But, if he is here, then there are not better hands to do the presentation than the Hon
Minister himself, in which case, my application will end at item numbered 5 (g) and not include item numbered 5 (h).
Mr Speaker 4:17 p.m.
Hon Member, noted.
By the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development --
(i) Annual Statement by the Audit Committee of the Berekum West District Assembly for the year 2019.
(ii)Annual Statement by the Audit Committee of the Madina Polyclinic (Rawlings Circle) for the year 2020.
Referred to the Joint Committee on Finance and Local Government and Rural Government.
Mr Speaker 4:17 p.m.
Hon Members, we will move to page 4 of the Order Paper.
rose
Mr Speaker 4:17 p.m.
Yes, Hon Minority Deputy Whip?
Mr A. Ibrahim 4:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I could see that the Hon Majority Leader had challenge with the last
referral on why we are referring the Annual Report on the polyclinic to the Committee on Local Government Decentralisation and Rural Development, and not the Finance Committee or the Committee on Health.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, my observation is that this is the Annual Statement by the Audit Committee of the Madina Polyclinic. It should be presented by the Hon Minister for Health and not the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development. That was the issue I was discussing with the head of Table Office.
Mr Speaker 4:17 p.m.
Hon Members, I am sure the issue has been clarified. It should have been the Minister for Health for item numbered 5 (h) (ii), but it has been laid by the Hon Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development for and on behalf of the Minister for Health.
By the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (Mr Dan Botwe) (on behalf of the Minister for Health) --
Annual Statement by the Audit Committee of the Madina
Polyclinic (Rawlings Circle) for the year 2020.
Referred to the Joint Committee on Finance and Health.
Mr Speaker 4:17 p.m.
Hon Members, I have been informed that items numbered 6 and 7 would be taken after some further consultation.
Hon Members, item numbered 8 is Committee Sittings. I would encourage the various committees to sit today, and at least approve their plans of work for the Meeting. With this, I would defer to Leadership, if there is anything they would want the House to know.
Mr A. Ibrahim 4:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, when the Leader of the House read the Business Statement yesterday, the Leader of the House indicated that there would be a Joint Caucus Meeting tomorrow. I would want to appeal to Hon Members who have inputs in the way forward to attend, so that we have a successful meeting this Meeting. Hon Members are entreated to be here tomorrow, so that we can help hold the House together.
4. 27 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I would want us to be specific. This is because yesterday, when we were adjourning, we said
Mr Speaker 4:17 p.m.
Hon Members, before the Hon Majority Leader speaks, let me just say that I should have, in ceding the Chair to the Hon Second Deputy Speaker, informed him that there were some activities that Leadership and the Hon Speaker were compelled to be present at, and for that matter, it was unlikely for the House to have started Sitting at 10.00 a. m. So, that omission came from me the Hon Speaker, and I take responsibility for that. However, tomorrow, we would really start Sitting at 10.00 a. m. prompt.
Yes, Hon Majority Leader?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, yes, tomorrow, we would have the usual Business Committee
meeting at 9.00 a. m. At exactly 10.00 a. m., we hope to start the Sitting of the House, and soon after we start, break into the Joint Caucus, which is intended to last up to between 11.00 a.m. and 12.00 p. m. The matters to be discussed are very germane, so, we entreat Hon Members to be here promptly at 10.00 a. m. to enable us finish with the discussions as early as possible, in order for the House to commence Sitting. So, the information to Hon Members is that they would have to be in attendance for the Joint Caucus meeting, which would start - more likely, if we are able to start Sitting at 10.00 a. m., then 15 to 20 minutes after we commence, we would break into the Joint Caucus meeting.
Mr Speaker 4:17 p.m.
Hon Members, since we are still within time, I would expect the guidance from Leadership, as to whether we should adjourn, or there is any further Business for us to consider. If not, then a motion for adjournment would have to be moved.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 4:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, we commenced Sitting at 2.00 p. m., and certainly, if we are to be technical about that, then we should be ending at 6.00 p.m., but because it is not yet 6.00 p. m., we may need a formal motion to bring proceedings to an end. So, if we
agree, then I would move the Motion that this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10.00 a. m. in the forenoon.
Mr Speaker 4:17 p.m.
Motion for adjournment has been moved. Any seconder?
Mr J. K. Avedzi 4:17 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I rise to second the Motion. The Hon Majority Leader is perfectly right. This is because we started Sitting at 2.00 p. m., and technically, we should end at 6.00 p. m.
So, moving a Motion is in the right direction, and I second it.
Mr Speaker 4:17 p.m.
That was exactly why I asked for your guidance. I knew the House was not in my hands because there was still some time left for the House to Sit.
Question put and Motion agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT 4:17 p.m.
  • The House was accordingly adjourned at 4.33 p.m. till Thursday, 27th May, 2021, at 10.00 a. m.