Debates of 25 Feb 2022

MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER
PRAYERS 11:34 a.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:34 a.m.
Hon Members, we would move on
to the item numbered 4 — Correc- tion of Votes and Proceedings and
the Official Report. We have the
Votes and Proceedings of Thursday,
24th February, 2022 for correction.
Hon Members, any correction?
Page 1…8
Dr Kwamena Minta Nyarku 11:34 a.m.
Mr Speaker, on page 8, the item
numbered 36, I have been marked
absent even though I was present
yesterday.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:34 a.m.
Clerks-at-the-Table please take
note.
Page 9…10
Mr Habib Iddrisu — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:34 a.m.
Yes, Hon Member for Nanton and
Deputy Majority Whip?
Mr Habib Iddrisu 11:34 a.m.
Mr Speaker,
I am rather the Hon Member of
Parliament (MP) for the Republic
of Tolon.
Mr Speaker, I would want to
take you back to page 7. On page
7, the item numbered 4(2), “Adam, Mohammed Amin (Dr), the Hon
Member for Karaga was marked
absent, but he was here yesterday.
Also, on the item numbered 4(10),
the Hon Frank Annoh-Dompreh,
the Hon Majority Chief Whip has
filled the absent with permission
form and it was signed. He is on
an official duty to the Pan-African
Parliament so I do not know why
he has been marked absent.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:34 a.m.
Hon Member, with respect to the
second issue that you raised, his
request for permission came to me

yester night. That may probably

explain why he was marked

absent. Clerks-at-the-Table, please

take note of the issue that the Hon

Member has raised.

Page 10 —
Dr Clement Abas Apaak 11:34 a.m.
Mr
Speaker, the Hon Habib Iddrisu
referred to his constituency as a
“Republic”. This is a House of record, and I do not think that is
appropriate. I would therefore
want to draw his attention to that.
There is no “Republic of Tolon” in the Republic of Ghana. We only
have the “Republic of Ghana”.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:34 a.m.
Very well.
I thought it was on a lighter
note, but the Hon Member has
raised a fundamental issue.
Mr Habib Iddrisu 11:34 a.m.
Mr
Speaker, I would want my Hon
Colleague to know that I said that
on a lighter note. The Hon
Speaker said I was the Hon MP for
Nanton, and that was my response
to him on a lighter note.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:34 a.m.
Page 11 —
Mr George Kwabena Obeng
Takyi: Mr Speaker, on the item
numbered 319, where there is the
record of the Hon Suleman
Adamu Sanid asking a Question
on my behalf, in the item
numbered (vi) in the list of
communities mentioned, the town
captured as “Bariko” should rather be captured as “Banko”.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
Clerks-at-the-Table should please
take note.

Page 12 — 23 —
Mr Alhassan Abdallah Iddi 11:44 a.m.
Mr Speaker, the last paragraph —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
The last paragraph of which page?
Mr Iddi 11:44 a.m.
In the last paragraph
of page 23, the name is Alhassan
Abdallah Iddi, not “Abdallah Iddi Alhassan”.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
Clerks-at-the-Table, please take
note of that.
Page 24 —
Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse
Kwame Dafeamekpor: Mr
Speaker, there is a very small
correction here. Under the item
numbered 3(iv) on page 24, the
name is “Mr Adzahie-Mensah”, but it has been captured as “Mr Adzahhie-Mensah”. He is a personal friend and so I know that.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
Clerks-at-the-Table, please take
note.
Page 25 —
Hon Members, in the absence
of any further corrections, the
Votes and Proceedings of
Thursday, 24th February, 2022, is
adopted as the true record of
proceedings.
Hon Members, we also have
the Official Report of Friday, 11th
February, 2022. Any corrections?
Mr Yusif Sulemana 11:44 a.m.
Mr
Speaker, it seems to me that there
are some missing pages. For instance, if you go to column 4, we expect that we should have columns 5, 6, 7 and 8 before we get to column 9, but all that are missing. So, it starts from column 9. Then, when you also go to column 104, there is no column 105, 106 up to column 109. It continues from column 109. I want to believe that some-thing is missing.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
Clerks-at-the-Table have you got the issue he raised? Hon Member, can you repeat your issue?
Mr Yusif Sulemana 11:44 a.m.
Mr
Speaker, normally, we have the Official Report in columns and so, if we start from column 1, we would go to column 2, 3, and 4. Column 5 is missing. The sheet there is plain until you get to column 9. What it means is that something is missing there, unless of course, it is only mine.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
It appears it is only yours; mine is not like what you are complaining about.
Mr Yusif Sulemana 11:44 a.m.
Mr
Speaker, that is why I want it corrected. I can bring it for you to see.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
Is there any other Hon Member
who has the same problem?
Hon Yusif, it appears you are
alone — [Laughter] —
Mr Yusif Sulemana 11:44 a.m.
Mr
Speaker, I would like to find out
from the Clerks-at-the-Table
whether this was deliberate, and
what my crime is — [Laughter]—
Mr Alhassan Kobina Ghansah 11:44 a.m.
Mr Speaker, page 95, line 7, the
author of the “African Child” is “Camara Laryea”, just like the Ga “Laryea”, but not “Laye” as has been captured in the Official
Report. And then, in the last but
three line of the same paragraph, I
said, “it was the mother who was shouting most”. The word “was” is missing. Also, in line 4 on page
96, I remember I said, “They would go and fetch fire wood and
food” and not “They would go and fetch water and food”.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
That is column 96, not page 96.
Mr Ghansah 11:44 a.m.
Yes, line 4 on
page 96.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
It is column; the entire stretch is
column. Hon Member, do you
appreciate it? The entire stretch is
a column. So, we have columns
95, 96, 97 and 98. Do you follow?
Mr Ghansah 11:44 a.m.
Yes, Mr Speaker.
I said 96.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
So, that is column 96, paragraph 2
says “They would go and fetch water” and you are saying they should go and fetch what?
Mr Ghansah 11:44 a.m.
Mr Speaker, I
say it is not “water” but “firewood”.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
Clerks-at-the-Table, please take
note.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:44 a.m.
Hon Leader, would you like to say
something?
Deputy Minority (Mr Haruna Iddrisu): Mr Speaker, there is one
observation on page 47 attributed
to the Minister for Defence, Mr
Dominic Nitiwul:

I see “goose pimples on my face”

Mr Speaker, I am not aware

that we have goose pimples on our faces. He said goose pimples but on his face. I have a problem with ‘‘on his face''. I know he said, he had goose pimples, but goose pimples on a face? —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:54 a.m.
Clerks-at-the-Table, please, take note of that.
Hon Members, in the absence
of any further corrections, the Official Report of Friday, 11th February, 2022, is hereby adopted as a true record of proceedings.

Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin — rose —

Hon Deputy Majority Leader,

do you want to say something?

Deputy Majority Leader (Mr

Alexander Afenyo-Markin): Mr Speaker, I would like to have your leave to bring to the attention of the House a mis-reportage by MyJoyOnline.com an online portal of Multimedia Group, regarding yesterday's proceedings. It is important that we allow for press freedom, but at the same time, whatever we say here must be

reported accurately. We have our individual reputations, and we do not have to allow situations where journalists would report matters we have not said.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:54 a.m.
Hon Deputy Majority Leader, does it mean you want to make an urgent Statement? So, what Standing Order are you coming under?
STATEMENTS 11:54 a.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 11:54 a.m.
Hon Members, he came under-
standing Order 72, so I am
compelled to admit a few

comments from Hon Members. I

would take two comments from

each Side, but it should be brief.

Ms Abla Dzifa Gomashie

(NDC — Ketu South): Mr Speaker, I share the frustration of

the Hon Afenyo-Markin. I have

suffered this kind of situation

before and recently, I was also a

witness to what happened to one

of our Hon Colleagues, Hon Sosu,

who also made a conditional

statement, but some portals made

it a National Democratic Congress

(NDC) matter, and sought to drag

all of us into that situation. So, I

think that this is a Statement that

must be accepted in good faith by

the media, that sometimes, they

cause us unnecessary tension and

personal discomfort.

I recall that a newspaper pub-

lished “Deputy Minister Okays Gay Rights”, and it had my face on it. I had said nothing of the sort, so I

totally appreciate where the Hon

Deputy Majority is coming from,

and I hope that we would all take

consolation in the fact that it is

about him but it is about all of us.

Dr Dickson Adomako Kissi

(NPP — Anyaa-Sowutuom): Mr

Speaker, I am very grateful for

this opportunity.

There is no doubt in my mind

about the importance of media

work, however, the media owes it

to the average Ghanaian to report

what is accurate and reporting

using all the necessary editorial

skills. Personally, I think that

there should be special media

training for those who handle

parliamentary and judiciary affairs

and most of the government

related agencies. I think with that,

they would be more careful in

terms of the reports they take out.

The media's attempt at “character assassination is becoming a bit too much, and leading to the

detriment of the kind of improve-

ment we wish media houses would

give us. Technology is advancing,

but the people behind the tech-

nology are using it inappropriately.

On that note, I end my two

cents comments. Thank you, Mr

Speaker.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:04 p.m.
Hon Murtala Ibrahim, please be
brief.

Mr Murtala Muhammed

Ibrahim (NDC — Tamale Central): Mr Speaker, I can

understand the frustration of my

Hon Colleague. We have all been

victims of such reportage. There

was a time a story was published

in one of the media houses' print out. It had to do with the Upper

East New Patriotic Party (NPP)

Regional Chairman who bears the

same name as me, yet, my picture

was used. When my attention was

drawn to it, I called that media

house, and indicated to them that

even though we have the same

name, the picture was not that of

the Regional Chairman. For days,

it was not pulled down.

There was another incident

where I granted an interview to

one media house, and they

completely reported something I

never said. I rise to contribute to

this because just recently, I had a

programme on a television station

where I said certain things about

the media, politicians and the

press corps and they had excerpts

of what I said on social media. The

press corps in Parliament were

unhappy.

Mr Speaker, I have had some

interactions with at least two of

their members, and I asked them

whether they watched the entire

clip because when you take

excerpts of what a person says,

and you come to conclusions on

that, you would be angry which I

can understand. Perhaps, people

who listened to and watched

proceedings yesterday would

have known that the Hon Deputy

Majority Leader never cate-

gorically said that but for e-

Levy, we would not be able to

bring these people to the country.

We work in tandem. We are

brothers and we need to work

together, but when we have

excerpts of such in this day and

age of social media, people

would come to conclusions

based on what is shown there.

I absolutely agree with him. It

resonates with the experiences

most of us have had. It is appro-

priate the media house does the

needful so that we do not have

the repetition of such occur-

rences. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:04 p.m.
Thank you. Today, you have
been brief.
Let me come to the Hon
Member for Asante Akyem
Central and then to Leadership.
Mr Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi
— NPP (Asante Akyem Central): Mr Speaker, having listened to
comments from both Sides of the
aisle, it looks like there is consensus
built here.
The media is the fourth arm of
government, and they help to
disseminate whatever we discuss
or carry on board. When politi-
cians fail, the media would report,
rebuke and set us on the rail. I do
not think that it is just enough for
the Hon Leader to say that he
demands an apology.
Mr Speaker, I would urge you
to direct this to an appropriate
Committee to investigate this
particular issue. Why did the
website report otherwise? What
was the reasoning behind it? Was
it just a mistake? Was it inadvertent?
If it was inadvertent, then, the
media house could withdraw and
apologise. We would have to find
out whether this is intentional.
Why did this occur, and then, an
appropriate recommendations be
made to the House for an action to
be taken. That way, I think that
there would be some sort of
deterrence on other media houses
from going along this dangerous
tangent.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:04 p.m.
Yes, let me come to Leadership.
Deputy Minority Leader (Mr
James Klutse Avedzi): Mr
Speaker, I thank you very much
for the opportunity. In agreeing to
the situation where we want the
media to report accurately what
happened on the Floor, I do not
think that we should blame the
journalists entirely at this moment.
What my Hon Colleague said
yesterday is a matter of public
record. The cameras are here and
they recorded it. We have the
video recording and the Hansard
is there. We can call for the
recording, and listen to what my
Hon Colleague said before we
come to a conclusion that the
journalist has reported otherwise.

After that, if there is the need for

an apology, he could be allowed to

apologise to my Hon Colleague.

Mr Speaker, personally, the

understanding I got yesterday from

my Hon Colleague was that it is

for an expenditure of this nature

— evacuation of students — that is why we need the e-Levy. Some-

body could interpret it that we

need e-Levy in order to bring our

students home because it is a

matter of money. So, let us not

condemn the journalist at this

moment. Let us call for the video

recording, and verify what my

Hon Colleague really said, then,

we could conclude.

Mr Speaker, this is what I think

we should do.

Mr Afenyo-Markin — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:04 p.m.
Hon Deputy Majority Leader, no,
I will not allow you to speak
because you raised the issue. If
any of the Deputy Whips would
want to comment —
Yes, Hon Habib, let me hear
you.
First Deputy Majority Whip
(Mr Habib Iddrisu): Mr Speaker,
our friends from the media should
understand that we are friends and
partners. For that matter, they
need to be fair. Whatsoever it is,
proceedings in Parliament are
live, and we can all go and watch
and verify. We could see that Hon
Colleague MPs who were on their
feet all alluded to the same thing:
negative reportage, misplaced
headlines and misinterpretation
and representation of what Hon
Members have said.
Mr Speaker, this is very clear in
our Standing Orders. If we look at
Standing Order 30 (h), it says:
“The following acts or conduct shall constitute a
breach of privilege or
contempt of Parliament.
“(h) publication of false, perverted, misleading, distorted,
fabrication or scandalous reports,
books or libel reflecting on the
proceedings in Parliament —”
Even though we do not seek for
anything to be referred to the
Committee of Privileges, our

media friends should be guided

and know that attributing things to

Hon MPs which are not true is

unfair to us. We might, many a

time, struggle to even grant them

interview or we would not want to

even speak to them because at the

end of the day, if we want to share

information, we would be mis-

construed and misinterpreted in a

bid to try to destroy our image. So,

I call on our media practitioners to

be fair.

Mr Speaker, I would also

appeal to you that you direct that

if it is so, the misleading report

Joy FM made should be pulled

down, and an unqualified apology

rendered to the Hon Deputy

Majority Leader. It would be fair

for us to know that one cannot

misinterpret and misrepresent

someone to look bad in the eyes of

the public. It is rather unfortunate.

Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak

Muntaka — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:04 p.m.
Hon Minority Chief Whip, I
thought your Hon Leader had
spoken.
Minority Chief Whip (Alhaji
Mohammed-Mubarak
Muntaka): Mr Speaker, I would
not speak to the issue; I would
want to give a suggestion if you
would be minded to take it.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:04 p.m.
Let us hear you.
Alhaji Muntaka 12:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
whereas the concerns that have
been raised matter, I think that one
of the neatest ways to resolve this
is for Leadership at conclave,
either immediately after Sitting or
for some two or three Hon
Members to go out now, get the
Hansard or audio to ascertain
what our Hon Colleague said
yesterday. Based on the content
and what was reported, we may
determine whether truly there is a
misrepresentation.
Mr Speaker, I have a challenge
with what I heard from the Hon
Deputy Minority Leader. Some
Hon Members claim he said
something to that effect, and the
Hon Deputy Majority Leader says
that he did not say that. So, even
amongst us, as MPs, we do not
seem to agree to whether he said it
or not. You could allow Leader-

ship some 15 minutes to ascertain

the truth, and come back so that

when we authenticate that, then

obviously, it would be a matter for

the Committee of Privileges.

Other than that, I do not see how

we would resolve this in a way

that our own press corps would

not feel intimidated. We should

remember that in all we do, our

effort should not be to gag the

press corps; neither are we to

intimidate them, but obviously,

they must also do what is right.

Mr Speaker, this is the sugges-

tion I thought could be helpful.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:14 p.m.
Very well, I would go by what the
Hon Muntaka has said. We would
call for the video, and see what
actually took place.
Personally, I feel that, probably,
even if the Hon Deputy Majority
Leader said something like that, it
was just on a lighter note. It was
not an issue that he made an
emphatic statement on. It could be
just on a lighter note. Normally, in
this House, we say certain things
like that just for us to release
ourselves of the tension.
Members of the media, you are our partners. Without you, nothing in this Chamber would get out. Please, take note that each and everyone here has his or her own right, so, if you attribute some- thing that has not been said to a person, you are defaming him. Let us take note of this. Once he has raised this issue, it is an advice to all of us. Do not let us pick a particular media house that it is specifically doing this or that to dent somebody's image. Without you, we cannot get anything done meaningfully in this House. We are partners, let us work together, and as such, respect each other so that we would not have anything against each other.

Like what the Hon Minority Chief Whip said, we would look at it and see how to address the issue. I am so grateful to you.

Hon Members, we would now

move to item numbered 5 — Business Statement for the Sixth Week. I would invite the Hon Deputy Majority Leader to present the Business Statement for the ensuing Sixth Week on behalf of the Hon Majority Leader.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE 12:14 p.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:14 p.m.
Hon Members, the Business
Statement for the ensuing Sixth
Week has been read to us. If there
is any Member who has an issue - may I begin with Hon Member of
Parliament for Madina?
Mr Francis-Xavier Sosu 12:14 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I would like to thank the
Hon Deputy Majority Leader for
presenting the Business Statement
for next week.
Mr Speaker, within the course
of the week, there was an
unfortunate incident in one of our
courts where a prison officer
accidentally discharged firearms
in the court for which reason, I
filed an Urgent Question to the
Hon Minister of Justice and
Attorney-General to tell the House
the steps being taken to ensure
safety in all our courts across the
country in the light of the said
accidental discharge of firearms.
My checks show that it has been
admitted but I can see that it has
not been programmed for next
week even though I believe it is a
very urgent matter. I would like to
find out if there are steps being
taken to ensure that it could be
included.
Also, there was another major
incident that was reported on Joy
FM in respect of abuse of an
individual alleged to have been a
witch and another Urgent Question
was filed in respect of that. I
would like to find out when those
Questions could be scheduled for
the respective Hon Ministers.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:14 p.m.
Hon Member, before I come to
you, I think that I have said this
more than twice that the mere fact
that you have filed a Question
indicating that it should be
processed as an Urgent Question,
does not necessarily mean that we
would admit it as such. If we
consider the Question and realise
that though it must be admitted but
not as an urgent one, we would do
so.
Hon Member, so, I do not
know the reason for which you are

saying that the Question has been admitted. As to whether it was admitted under an Urgent Question or not, is another issue. So, let us take note that it is not a given that once a Member requests for a Question to be filed under a Certificate of Urgency, it would be done. We do a lot of assess- ments before admitting the Questions as such.

So, Hon Member for Nadowli/

Kaleo?

Mr Anthony Mwinkaara

Sumah: Mr Speaker, thank you

for the opportunity.

Last week, I was on my feet

regarding a Question I filed in

respect of water crises in Sankana

in the Nadowli/Kaleo consti-

tuency. It was evident that the

Question was skipped when the

Hon Minster was to appear before

the House. The Hon Majority

Leader duly advised me to meet

my Leadership and then the Table

Office and I did that. I was assured

that the next time the Minister was

to come to the House, the

Question would be scheduled.

Fortunately, on Thursday, the

Minister is due to Answer an

Urgent Question but my Question

has not been filed for Thursday. I

do not know if Leadership could

take note and probably, consider

scheduling the Question.
Dr Clement Abas Apaak 12:14 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, in presenting the Busi-
ness Statement, the Hon Deputy
Majority Leader made the case
that the earlier indication that His
Excellency the President would be
addressing the Nation on 3rd
March, 2021 has been put on ice.
I think it would only be fair to
know why that has been put on ice
because I believe that as a nation,
with the conditions currently
facing us, we are all anxious to
hear what the State of the Nation
is.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:14 p.m.
Very well.
Mr Dickson Adomako Kissi 12:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, in relation to our
students in Ukraine and Russia, I
really think that hopefully, we can
have a Question filed for, either
the Hon Ministers for Education
or Foreign Affairs and Regional
Integration coming up — I

thought that would be urgent for

our Member of Parliament for

Madina.

So, I hope that maybe, he could

file a Question in relation to that

as I think that might be more

urgent.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:24 p.m.
Hon Member, the Hon Minority
Leader made a Statement to that
effect yesterday on the need to
evacuate our fellow Ghanaians
from Ukraine and I think that
based on that discussion, it has
been alleged that the Hon Deputy
Majority Leader made certain
statements. So, a statement has
already been made to that effect
but as you have said, the Hon
Minister for Foreign Affairs and
Regional Integration would have
to come to the House to brief the
country on the steps that the
Government is taking in that regard.
Hon Member for Salaga South?
Ms Zuwera Ibrahimah
Mohammed: Mr Speaker, in pre-
senting the Business Statement for
the ensuing week, the Hon Deputy
Majority Leader has indicated that
the Independence Day celebration
on 6th March, which is a national
holiday, would fall on a Sunday
for which reason, Monday, the
next working day would be a
holiday for public and civil
servants. He also indicated that as
Hon Members of Parliament, we
already have Mondays as the day
to work in our constituencies. So I
want to find out if we would be
entitled to a holiday on the
Tuesday since that would be our
first working day after the holiday
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:24 p.m.
Hon Member, without even
consulting, I would say no.
Mr Adamu M. Ramadan 12:24 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, with respect to the issue
on Ukraine, the Hon Minority
Leader raised the issue yesterday
and asked the House to invite the
Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs
and Regional Integration, Hon
Minister for Finance and the Hon
Minister for the Interior to apprise
the House on the measures that the
Government is putting in place to
ensure the safety of Ghanaians in
Ukraine. This can be found on

page 13 of the Votes and Proceed-

ings for today, where the Hon

Minority Leader raised the issue.

Mr Speaker, I would wish that

space is found in the Business for

the ensuing week so that these

Hon Ministers would come to the

House.
Mr Abdul-Salam Adams 12:24 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I filed a Question on the
New Edubiase Sports Stadium
which has been abandoned which
was to be asked last Friday.
However, when I was invited to
ask the Question, the Hon
Majority Leader asked me to wait
with the reason that the Hon
Minister did not have an Answer
to my Question. My expectation
was that the Question would have
found space in the Business
Statement for next week so that I
could ask the Hon Minister for
Youth and Sports.
Mr Speaker, I just want to find
out the situation with the Question and when I would be given the opportunity to ask this important Question. Mr Speaker, as you may know, the project has a lot of community interest — the Hon Minister for Ashanti Region is in
the Chamber and he has on a number of occasions answered a lot of questions from the chiefs and people of the constituency concerning this project. Mr Speaker, I also know that you personally have a lot of interest in this project as it would serve a lot of purpose in the Adansi enclave.
So, my constituents need
answers as to when the contractor would be on site and why the project has been abandoned for the past six years.
Mr Rockson-Nelson E. K.
Dafeamekpor: Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to com- ment on the Business Statement.
First of all, I want to add my
voice to the issue raised by the Hon Member for Madina, Mr Francis-Xavier Sosu and pray that pursuant to Standing Order 160(2), the amendment be effected to the content of the Business Statement to accommodate that as part of the Urgent Questions for next week.
Secondly, the Student Loan
Trust Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2021 is still featuring heavily in the Business for next week. I raised this matter last week because I have many amendments

on this Bill at the Consideration Stage so I have been punctual in the House all this while. I do not want to be surprised that when some other parliamentary business takes me away from the House, the Bill may be considered in my absence and my proposed amend- ments may not be carried or nobody may defend them for them to be carried.

Mr Speaker, once it has been

advertised again for next week, I

pray that we would attend to it. It

was advertised for this week but

we could not do it so I want to pray

to the Leadership for us to attend

to it next week.

Finally, pursuant to article

106(4) and (5) I wish to reiterate

that — the e-Levy is a very important issue. As I pointed out

last week, we appear to be running

against time because by the 15th of

March, the e-Levy would have

spent three months before the

Committee. The critical issue is

that the Committee has finished

with its work but the Report has

not been laid and debated by the

House. Mr Speaker, it is in

abeyance so I want the Leadership

to consider this because we can

debate the Report and then

suspend the Question being put

pending further consultations. My

worry is that we have to deal with

that Report because the e-Levy

was considered under a certificate

of Urgency and was submitted to

this House on 15th December,

2021 so we want to know why it

has not been advertised for next

week.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:24 p.m.
I would ask the Hon Deputy
Majority Leader to respond to the
issues that have been raised before
we listen to the Hon Member for
Bole Bamboi.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:34 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, the Business Statement
gave a clear indication on how
Business would be run in the
ensuing week and we were clear to
say that Bills and Motions would
be considered, Papers would be
laid and so on. This includes all
matters that are already before the
House and matters that are yet to
come to the House. Mr Speaker,
this leaves me with no doubt that
the concerns raised by the Hon
Member who just spoke, have
already been considered by the
Business Committee.

Mr Speaker, on the issue of

Urgent Question by the Hon

Member for Madina, Mr Francis-

Xavier Sosu, I shall rely on your

response to another Hon Member

on the issue of Questions, and add

that merely saying that one has an

indication of an admission of

one's Question is not enough.

I think that Hon Member for

North Tongu, Mr Samuel Ablakwa

set the tone for all of us when he

had a question and he followed

through and went through the

records. We should not create

certain impression about our

Table Office. I know they have

what it takes to carry on the

business that they have been

assigned to. So please, these are

reputational issues. If really Mr

Speaker has not admitted and they

say they have an indication — Indication from who? Let me put

it on record that all the dispatch

they receive from Mr Speaker are

brought before us. So I do not

want it to be that they go for it and

they fail to bring it to our

attention.

So please, there are ways to

navigate these things on Fridays. I

have been there before and I know

how it is done but the language

must be such that one must be

playing safe. We have done this in

Opposition before so I know;

when one files a question and it

has not been admitted but he

wants to slip it in. The Hon

Member for Tamale North, Alhaji

Alhassan Suhuyini Sayibu did it

when he filed his Statement. He

knew it had not been admitted but

he used comments on Business

Statement to make his point and

then he finally got it. We know all

of it.

The Hon Member for New

Edubiase tried to follow the same

strategy but — It is normal. His constituents must know that he is

working. There is no problem. I

understand but he has to go

through his Whips. If he does not

want to go through the Whips, he

should walk directly to the Table

Office and know the status of his

question.

So, Mr Speaker, I believe these

are the relevant issues.

Hon Adamu Ramadan, this

Ukraine matter and this E-levy

matter, you want to come up with

The Hon Leader of the Minority

Side raised this issue and he is part

of the Business Committee. I

believe Government is making the

necessary arrangements. I would

not speak for the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs and Regional Integration

but I am sure Government takes

this matter serious and we would

hear from Government. I have

constituents studying in Ukraine. I

believe many Hon Members of

Parliament have their constituents

there on Government scholarship

or even parents are paying for

their fees. So what is right would

be done. He needed not to repeat

it.

Mr Speaker, my own Hajia

Zuwera from Effutu but in Salaga

South wants to know about a

possible Tuesday public holiday.

Mr Speaker, my answer is that it

would be illegal, unconstitutional

and offensive to the Constitution

for me to declare Tuesday a

holiday for Hon Members of

Parliament.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
Is the Hon Member for Bole/
Bamboi, Mr Yusif Sulemana now
inclined to raise an issue.
Mr Kpodo — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
Hon Member for Ho Central, Mr
Benjamin Kpodo, I would come to
you. Let me first listen to the Hon
Member for Bole/Bamboi.
Mr Yusif Sulemana 12:34 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I listened to the Hon
Deputy Majority Leader and I
thought I would have been all
right with his answers but since
you have given me the oppor-
tunity, let me say that the issue of
e-Levy is so important that we
could have isolated it and treated
it as an urgent matter as it has
always been treated. It is as if
without the e-Levy, the sun would
not rise again and the moon would
also not rise again. If this is the
state in which we find ourselves,
we better address the issue. We
were told that if we are not careful,
in the next three months, Govern-
ment would not be able to even
pay salaries. That is how important
it is that we look at how to
generate revenue. So if it is

anything that we want to do, let us

bring the e-Levy here and take a

decision on it. We have been told

that there are other alternatives. If

we take a decision and there is the

need for us to now look at those

alternatives, we can begin to look

at them because there is no time.

But to reiterate our point, as for e-

Levy, yaa mutu.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Benjamin Kpodo 12:34 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, last week, the Hon
Deputy Minority Whip raised
issues about the District Assemblies' Common Fund and you being in
the Chair directed that we hold a
meeting. In fact, it was even
agreed by the Hon Majority
Leader that we hold the meeting
with the Ministry of Finance and
the relevant Committees so as to
come to a clear determination of
what should be done and then
report earlier this week.
Mr Speaker, the meeting has
not taken place. I do not know why. I have spoken to the Hon Majority Leader and he told me that certain people were expected to participate in that meeting but here we are; the week has ended
and the meeting has not been held. I want to find out from the Hon Deputy Majority Leader how these things came up in the scheme of work and in the Business Statement for the coming week.
Mr Eric Opoku 12:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
in the Business Statement of last week, we were made to under- stand that on the 3rd of March, His Excellency the President would be here to deliver the State of the Nation Address. The House is fully prepared to listen to His Excellency. Unfortunately, today, we are being told that that date no longer holds. Can the Hon Leader indicate to the House the reason His Excellency is not appearing as scheduled to discharge such an important constitutional duty?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
Did you say that you were fully prepared?
How did you prepare?
Mr E. Opoku 12:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, the
House has programmed to do that and psychologically, we are fully prepared.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:34 p.m.
I thought you sewed a new coat for it.

Let me come to the Hon Member for Pru East.
Dr Kwabena Donkor 12:34 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, the Hon Deputy Majority Leader intimated that the Minister for Transport would appear before the House on Wednesday instead of Tuesday as programmed.
Mr Speaker, this is about the
fourth time that these days have been changed, especially when it comes to the particular issue about transport. Can the Hon Deputy Majority Leader assure, especially, those of us who have Questions, that there would be a definite appearance on Wednesday. This is because even on today's Order Paper, it was supposed to be Tuesday and it has already been rescheduled to Wednesday. Could the Wednesday be confirmed?
Mr Daniel Ohene Darko 12:44 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, my question concerns our drivers. I am reliably informed that a place was allocated to them where they could socialise and possibly relax when they have dropped us off for us to do our duties. Unfortunately, the place has been taken away from them. So, as we speak, when they drop us off, they are either sitting in the cars or loitering around or
possibly sitting under the trees, which they find very uncomfort- able. I do not know if it has come to the notice of Leadership. If it has, why did they take away the room from them?

If it has not, then this is a

formal notice to them that this is the concern of the drivers.

Several Hon Members —

rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:44 p.m.
Hon Members, let us allow the Hon Deputy Minority Leader to also —
Deputy Minority Leader (Mr
James Klutse Avedzi): Mr Speaker, I would want to find out from the Hon Deputy Majority Leader if space could be made available for the Hon Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to brief the House next week on what they are doing in terms of the evacuation of Ghanaian students from Ukraine.
Mr Speaker, the second one is
on the Motion which was dismissed by the Hon First Deputy Speaker on the COVID-19 expen-

diture. It was said the issue falls within the domain of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). There is no report on the COVID-19 expenditure before the Com- mittee. So, to say that the PAC should work on that report —

Mr Speaker, the First Deputy

Speaker also mentioned that the PAC can go ahead and do the enquiry. When I asked further questions, the answers were not clear to me. Can the Hon Deputy Majority Leader clarify this, so that the PAC could go ahead and send out invitation for enquiry into it under article 103(3) of the Constitution as Parliament may determine. So, if the House deter- mines that the PAC should go ahead and investigate, it would be prepared to do so.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:44 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, it is in the interest of justice that litigations must come to an end, and for all political debates when there are pro- nouncements on same, we must move on. That notwithstanding, since it is the pleasure for the Hon Member to seek clarity, I may have to take this opportunity to clarify. The grounds of my preliminary objection was among others, anchored on article 187 of
the Constitution, and for the avoidance of doubt, I shall proceed with the provisions of Article 187, which Mr Speaker relied on in his ruling.
Mr Speaker, with your permis-
sion, I beg to read:
“(1) There shall be an Auditor-
General of Ghana whose office shall be a public office.
(2) The public accounts of
Ghana and of all public offices, including the courts, the central and local government admini- strations, of the Universities and public institutions of like nature, of any public corporation or other body or organisation established by an Act of Parliament shall be audited and reported on by the Auditor-General.”
Mr Speaker, for our purposes, I
would like proceed to clauses 5 and 6.
“(5) The Auditor-General shall,
within six months after the end of the immediately preceding financial year to

which each of the accounts mentioned in clause (2) of this article relates, submit his report to Parliament and shall, in that report, draw attention to any irregularities in the accounts audited and to any other matter which in his opinion ought to be brought to the notice of Parliament.

(6) Parliament shall debate the

report of the Auditor- General and appoint where necessary, in the public interest, a 'Committee to deal with any matters arising from it.”

The mainstay of the First

Deputy Speaker's ruling which sustained my objection was to the effect that per these provisions, the application by Hon Member for Ajumako/Enyan/Essiam, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, which sought to move the House to set up a committee to look into possible irregularities can best be resolved here. In any event, in his appli- cation, he argued that the 2020 expenditure must also be investi- gated. So basically, the Hon First Deputy Speaker dismissed the application in limine, and said that the application was rather coming too early in the day, but as a

Parliament, our article 103 constitutional resonditory has not been ousted by article 187. Article 187 rather re-enforces that provision because procedure and prudence move together. There- fore, they should patiently wait. The very irregularities that they seek to investigate are best done by the Auditor-General. When the Auditor-General is done with his work, he would bring the report to us to debate and if we are not all right, we would set up a com- mittee. It means that the Hon Member who doubles as the Chairman of the PAC would have the opportunity to peruse it.

Mr Speaker, in any event, I do

not think an impression is being

created that the COVID-19 expen-

diture cannot be part of the audit

of the Auditor-General. I do not

think any Hon Member of this

House is suggesting that the

Auditor-General cannot touch the

expenditure. For the records, the

Auditor-General looks at all the

expenditure at the various ministries

and agencies, and article 187(2) is

clear on that.

So, I think we would have to

put this matter to a peaceful rest

until time shall be no more.

[Hear! Hear!] — [Interruption] — Well, if the Hon Member wants to appeal the decision of Mr

Speaker, he knows what to do; we

love debates. We will come for a

debate.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:44 p.m.
Hon Leader, please do not listen to
side-lines.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:44 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, the Hon Member is
engaging me off record.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:44 p.m.
So, you do not have to respond to
it.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 12:54 p.m.
Very
well, Mr Speaker, if you say so — [Interruption] — Mr Speaker, the Hon Deputy Minority Leader
intimidated me when he was the
Chairman of the Finance Com-
mittee and he still wants to
intimidate me. I do not know why
— Mr Speaker, and his beard is now white — [Interruption] — Aww! Enyo sia? So, that is about
it.
Mr Speaker, on the e-Levy, we
have been engaging — [Inter- ruption] — We know we have
been engaging — [Interruption] — As he is my friend and my kinsman, he should not be the one
to draw the sword. Against a
murderer, he should shut the door
but he is bearing it himself.
Mr Speaker, the point is, we are
engaging. I once enjoyed the
debate of my respected Colleague
from Bole/Bamboi and I keep
going over that debate. He heard
Mr Speaker, and this morning, he
has quoted Mr Speaker. That
means the needful must be done.
Let us ensure that that engagement
becomes fruitful.

Mr Speaker, I think we have

resolved all matters, you may now

gavel — On the issue of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration,

yes, I had a positive indication

from my boss, who is now in, that

the Hon Minister for Foreign

Affairs and Regional Integration

would come next week to brief us.

Mr Speaker, regarding the

Message on the State of the

Nation, Parliament would engage

the Presidency on a message. It is

a Message on the State of the

Nation. It is not a State of the

Nation Address, but a Message on

the State of the Nation. The Message

would come — [Interruption] — Mr Speaker, I am under training.

My professor is in, so I am no

more naked. It is for us to engage

the Presidency. It is not the

Presidency that is refusing to

come. The Presidency is ever

ready; Mr President is ready, just

as we are ready with the e-Levy.

Hon Members may take their

medical leaves and go for their

reviews. We are ready, but we are

still engaging, so let us finish with

the engagements.

Mr Speaker, you may gavel.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:54 p.m.
Very well. Hon Members, the
Business Statement as discussed
is hereby adopted.
Hon Members, let us now turn
to the item numbered 6 — Questions. We have the Hon
Minister for Ashanti Region, who
has been here since morning to
answer a Question that has been
posed to him. Therefore, we may
all turn to page 3, the Question
numbered 507, which stands in the
name of the Hon Member for
South Dayi, the Hon Rockson-
Nelson Etse Kwame Dafeamekpor.
Hon Member, the Regional
Minister is available, so you may
now ask your Question.
ORAL ANSWERS TO 12:54 p.m.
QUESTIONS 12:54 p.m.
ASHANTI REGION 12:54 p.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:54 p.m.
Hon Dafeamekpor, I hope it is an
elaborate Answer, so no further
supplementary questions.
Mr Dafeamekpor 12:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
I do have supplementary questions.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 12:54 p.m.
All right, let us hear you.
Mr Dafeamekpor 12:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
the contents of paragraph five of
the Hon Regional Minister's Answer states that the military
were not specifically invited to the
school, but they came as part of

their normal Operation Calm Life

duties. So, the question this House

would want to ask is, what is the

scope of operations for the

Operation Calm Life operational

team in Kumasi?
Mr Osei-Mensah 1:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
Operation Calm Life involves
joint patrol teams of military and
police to ensure the safety of all
Ghanaians. Normally, they move
round; patrol teams are not static
at a single place. Anytime there is
transmission of security threat
anywhere, the closest team moves
in to solve the problem or to make
sure calm and order are restored.
So, their main operation is to
ensure that there is peace, law and
order in the country. And they are
not stationary; these are joint
patrol teams.
Mr Dafeamekpor 1:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
this event traumatised some
students and parents. Indeed, I
was called by some parents in my
Constituency concerning the
matter, and that is why I filed the
Question. As adolescents, the
impact of some of these things can
have some adverse effects on the
students. So, I would like to find
out from the Regional Minister
whether he directed the Head of
the school or Management to meet
with the students to debrief them
regarding the events of the night?
Mr Osei-Mensah 1:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
the following day before the
students left, the Headmistress
met them. With the police
officers, not all of them left; two
were left on campus to ensure that
the rioting and the crisis do not
reoccur. So, the next morning, in
the presence of the police, the
Headmistress and the house staff
addressed all the students before
those who wanted to leave left the
campus.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:04 p.m.
Hon Member, I will give you your
last chance.
Mr Dafeamekpor 1:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
I would not trouble my friend any
further. I would like to commend
him for the efforts made, and also,
to urge him so that we do not
experience such — but I am sure it was the miscommunication; one
letter says go home, and another
letter says stay, and adolescents
can react to those things.

I thank you for coming.
Ms Dzifa Gomashie 1:04 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, this Question reminds
me of my going to St. Louis
Secondary School. I went to
Secondary School when I was 11
years old, and I can imagine that if
I were there and the police and the
security agencies came, how
traumatised I would have been.

Mr Speaker, I would like to

urge the Hon Regional Minister to

urge the Heads of the Secondary

Schools to consider involving past

students in dealing with some of

the issues instead of the level to

which they go because I recall that

St. Louis also had the military in

our school and the feedback to us

past students was terrifying. We

would want to support them in

managing the numbers that we

have in the secondary schools

now. We were 360 students when

I was there. Now, even the Form

Three students alone are over

2,000, so I can imagine what the

Regional Minister and the Head-

mistresses and Headmasters are

going through.

Mr Speaker, but I am sure that

we could find a more amicable

way of addressing the needs and

the concerns that the students

present. I imagine that you and I,

if we are not of the same age, you

are probably older than I am, but

those of us who went to secondary

school in the 1970s and 1980s,

what we experienced is not what

the children are experiencing now.

So, that in itself can be stressful

for the children, so involving the

military in their affairs now leaves

a sour taste in my mouth. Let us

consider involving other stake-

holders as well.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:04 p.m.
Hon Member, yours is not even a
question, is it? Please, it is Question
Time, so if you do not have a
question, then we discharge the
Hon Minister. It is not time for
comments; just questions.
Yes, Hon Member for Wa
West?
Mr Peter Lanchene Toobu 1:04 p.m.
Thank you very much, Mr
Speaker, for the opportunity. I
would like to also thank my Hon
Friend, Mr Dafeamekpor, for

raising a very important Question

that has to do with security.

Mr Speaker, in the Hon

Minister' Answer, if I may read a portion that I would like to base

my question on:

“On the arrival of the patrol team, civil police patrols were

already at the scene and

normalcy had been restored.”

Mr Speaker, you would bear

with me that anytime you find

men and women in uniform, they

are under command and control,

and do not necessarily just

respond to radio messages. If there

is a radio message, there would be

an instruction of which a parti-

cular team would respond to that

particular situation. What did you

do as Regional Security Council

(REGSEC) Chairman when you

realised that the presence of the

military alone on the campus was

so traumatising to the young girls

because they had gone there

without any instructions?
Mr Osei-Mensah 1:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
regarding the previous inter-
vention, when we are dealing with
security issues, and it is not a
protracted security issue, we
cannot say we are going to consult
stakeholders. Students were rioting
and destroying properties which
could have affected human lives,
that was not the time to go and
consult old students. It was
impossible. So, you have to deal
with the security situation there
and then, and make sure that calm
is restored. In situations where we
have protracted security issues,
we could consult those stake-
holders, but in the case in-point, it
was not possible.
Mr Speaker, to the question.
First, the Hon Member has to
know the mandate of the Operation
Calm Life Patrol Teams. The
moment they get the transmission,
it is an order; an instruction, and
the closest patrol team must move
in because theirs is more like a
rapid deployment team to act
quickly and instantly, and restore
normalcy wherever any security is
undermined. So, that one does not
require the Regional Minister who
by law is the Chairman of the
Regional Security Council to give
an order before they go. In this
case, they do not need special
invitation before they can go to
any place where there is security

threat. For instance, if you ring a

police command that armed robbers

are attacking you, and it goes on

the police transmission network,

the closest Operation Calm Life

Team should move to your place

and not to wait for any command.

So, that is the nature of the

operation.

Thank you very much, Mr

Speaker.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:04 p.m.
Thank you very much.
Ms Helen Adjoa Ntoso — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:04 p.m.
Yes, Hon Member, do you want to
have a bite? Let us hear you.
Ms Helen Adjoa Ntoso 1:04 p.m.
Thank
you very much, Mr Speaker. May
I know from the Minister, when
the situation in the school calmed
down or when peace was restored?
As the Regional Minister, did he
go to the school to speak to the
students because something
triggered something? Did he go
there as a Minister? What did he
tell them? And if he did not go
there, why?
Mr Osei-Mensah 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
I went to the school the following
day but when I went there, the
Headmistress had already calmed
down the situation. She had had a
discussion with the students, and
most of the students were even
leaving campus. That was not the
appropriate time to recall them
because it could have degenerated
into the previous crisis that we
had.
Mr Abdul-Salam Adams 1:14 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I want to find out from
the Hon Minister that beyond the
Police and Military going there to
restore calm, has he taken any
steps beyond that to sit with the
school administrator to find out
the underlying causes? I ask this
because some of the reasons he
cited could only be triggers. There
may be real underlying issues for
which the students behaved the
way they did and it is important
that we understand the students
and why they behaved the way they
did beyond the reasons espoused.
Mr Osei-Mensah 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
inasmuch as I agree that in some security situations, you might have

remote causes and immediate causes, for this particular instance, it was clear. Students had been told that they were going on their semester break and another infor- mation came in that they could no longer go. This does not require any further investigation into the issue. It is a straightforward issue and it does not require further investigation.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Hon Members, I would like to, on behalf of all of you, thank the Hon Regional Minister for coming all the way from Oseikrom, Kumasi, to answer a Question. Hon Minister, we are so grateful and we thank you for attending upon the House. You are hereby discharged.
Hon Majority Leader, do we
move to the item numbered 7?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:14 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I do not know the State- ments you have, but with respect, could we go to the item numbered 8(a) before coming back to the item numbered 7 if there are any Statements?
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Shall we take the item numbered 8(b) as well?
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:14 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, the Chairman of the
Finance Committee is unavailable. I
am not too sure they have finished
with that, so we can take the item
numbered 8(a).
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Very well. Hon Members, let us
turn to page 3 of today's Order Paper. At the Commencement of
Public Business, item numbered
8(a) — By the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and
Rural Development.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:14 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, if I may crave your
indulgence to present the Paper on
behalf of the Hon Minister for
Local Government, Decentralisation
and Rural Development.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Very well.
PAPERS 1:14 p.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Hon Members, we may now turn
to the item numbered 7 — Statements. The Statement we are
about to take stands in the name of
the Hon Member for Ketu South
on International Mother Language
(Tongue) Day. Hon Member, you
may have the Floor.
Ms Abla Dzifa Gomashie 1:14 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, if you would give me a
minute, I would come back to it.
The Statement was accepted
before. It is on my phone, so I am
trying to retrieve it. It was
admitted two days ago, but I was
not called and I have not been
informed that it would be taken
today. It is a very important
Statement, so I would make it.
Thank you for the opportunity.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
So, does it mean you are not
ready?
Ms Gomashie 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
am ready.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Hon Members do not even have
copies.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:14 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I do not know whether
the Statement is a commemorative
one. If it is commemorative, fair
and fine, but if it is an issue-based
Statement which would require
contributions, then I would suggest
that Hon Members are availed
copies so that we would be able to
study it and make informed contri-
butions to it. Otherwise, the Hon
Member cannot just read it from
her phone when Hon Members do
not have a copy of the text. It is
most unorthodox.
Ms Gomashie 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it
is commemorative. I shared copies
of it but because it was not called,
I am sure Hon Members do not
have it. I can have it sent down in
five minutes.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Is it today? On which day does it
fall?
Ms Gomashie 1:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, it
fell on Monday and was admitted
for Tuesday, but it was not called.
I still appeal that because it is
relevant, I be allowed to read the
Statement. So, I seek guidance
from you to give me five minutes
to have Hon Members receive
copies and then I can read it.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
Very well.
Ms Gomashie 1:14 p.m.
Thank you, Mr
Speaker.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:14 p.m.
There is another one.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 1:14 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, if there is another one,
we can take that and let her go and
make copies. If it is a comme-
morative Statement that may
cease to have relevance by the
close of the week, then she needs
to make it. She could retrieve it
and serve copies to Hon Members.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:24 p.m.
Is Hon Abdallah Iddi here?

Hon Member for Ketu South, I

would give you my copy to read.
STATEMENTS 1:24 p.m.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:34 p.m.
Very well, I thank you.
Yes, Hon Dr Tawiah?

Dr Augustine Tawiah (NDC

— Bia West): Mr Speaker, this is a very important and timely

subject that my Hon Colleague

has introduced, and it is important

that I add my voice to it.

Whether we like it or not, we

are products of culture, and that is

why we eat what we eat and wear

what we wear. It is unfortunate

that through colonialism and other

factors of social change, our

culture has been significantly

altered. We have also followed

through by despising what is truly

ours, and have picked other

cultures that are not consistent

with our climate, work culture and

some other aspects of who we

truly are in terms of our identity.

Mr Speaker, the key issue of

language is principled because language is not only a process of

speaking a particular dialect, but it comes with all the norms of culture, gratitude, significance and symbolism that are important in order to make meaning of that language.

For instance, in English, the

meaning of “I am happy” is abstract, but the Akan terminology for that is m'ani agye paa” To wit, my eyes are bulging out or sparkling. The essence of that is critical in terms of really enjoying our food, dances and so on. However, when we come to the education arena, somehow, as a result of urbani- sation, we are getting uprooted from who we are.

Mr Speaker, as my able Hon

Colleague alluded to, we have parents who are training their children with English. Inter- national research shows that children who study in their mother tongue really do well because what is familiar at home is what they deal with. As a result of that, we adopted within our education system for children to go up to primary 3 before they study English. Thus, every child who goes to school will study one of the 11 agreed local languages that we use in Ghana.

Statements

However, the issue is not

straight forward because there are

people who may come from the

Volta Region and may be Ewes,

but as they live here in Accra, they

do not speak their language at

home, and the street language is

different from the one spoken in

their hometowns. Consequently,

what should the children learn in

order for them to go to school?

There are schools in Accra where

the community is such that

children have to study Akwapim

Twi or Ewe instead of Ga. They

would be lumped together with

the understanding that this is

Accra. It does not work as such.

Mr Speaker, it is still an effort

to continue to conduct research to

ensure that our mother tongue is

key. In fact, research has shown

that when Ghanaians around the

world sing our local Ghanaian

gospel songs in churches, they

touch their heart than the western

hymns and so on.

Essentially, language is key,

but how do we include it in our educational system so that our children learn fast and resource- fully? When we deal with these language issues, we deal with

equipment. What is the Ga word for ‘computer' or the Ewe word for central processing unit? It is a very difficult situation that we are confronted with and so, how do we make the choices?

What we need to do is to conti-

nuously engage in research so that we reduce the spaces we have because there are gaps between what we identify as completely indigenous to the Ghanaian, and what is foreign that we are incor- porating. We do not want to incor- porate everything as wholesale; our language should be able to accommodate nuances from other cultures, but how do we do this in such a way to even incorporate them into our educational system?

Mr Speaker, I am known for

saying that we have an incon- clusive conclusion, and this is one of the matters that rests on an inconclusive conclusion.

Mr Andrew Dari Chiwitey

(NDC — Sawla/Tuna/Kalba): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this wonderful Statement. I would like to thank Hon Dzifa Gomashie for bringing this to light.

Statements

Speaking the mother tongue is

very key in bringing up our

children. In the Hon Member's Statement, she mentioned that

language tells everything about us

in terms of how we dress, what we

eat and how we speak. So, it is

important to recognise that in our

homes as Hon MPs, we should

learn to speak our own languages

to our children.

Mr Speaker, it has become a

thing of pride for some people to

think that once they speak English

with their children, it shows the

class they belong to. That is

entirely wrong but well, people

may judge me wrongly.

As a person that comes from

the northern part of the country,

especially as a Birifor; the

language that I speak is called

Birifor. Just because we do not

speak our local languages to our

children, they grow up and are

unable to tell the tribes they

belong to. It is very common,

especially with my people and in

fact, I feel guilty saying this — I speak Birifor but it comes from

the Dagarti or Dagaare language.

When most of our people travel

and they are asked what tribe they

belong to, they say they are

Dagaares or Dagartis, and even to

the extent that they name their

children after their landlords. You

would meet a typical Birifor man,

but when you ask of his name, he

would say, he is called Kwakye or

Boakye — [Interruption] —
An Hon Member 1:34 p.m.
Abronye.
Mr Chiwitey 1:44 p.m.
Well, I cannot
authenticate that of Abronye.
Mr Speaker, just last week,
there was a video circulating that
Abronye is a northerner, but his
name is Kwame Baffoe and if it is
true that the said Abronye is a
northerner, and is called Kwame
Baffoe, how would one describe
this?
I would like to take this oppor-
tunity to tell those who come
down south to work, especially the
Birifors and the Dagaabas who
come down south, especially
those in the Western Region, to
not name their children ‘Agyeiwaa', ‘Ama Mansa' or ‘Abena Donkor'. They do not even know the
meanings of those names.

Statements

Mr Speaker, when I was born, I was named Dari. If you get to my area once my name is mentioned, you know that such a person was born after the mother lost a previous child. The same ‘Sei' in my community tells of a person who is the first male child of the family. The name ‘Sansa' tells of a person who is the second male child of the family. In fact, we grew up to meet such names, but they are gradually fading out. I do not know if that is modernity, education or Christianity?

There are certain homes where

they believe that when one prays in the Asante, or English languages, that is when their prayers would be answered. It is time for us to start educating our families, and to let them know that we did not choose to come from where we come from. We did not choose to come from the northern part of the country as Gonjas, Dagaabas or Birifor. So, wherever we find ourselves, we should let our identities be known. We can only do this by letting our children learn this in schools.

Mr Speaker, there was a Non-

Governmental Organisation (NGO)

in my district called IBIS Founda- tion but now known as OXFAM IBIS. They introduced a comple- mentary basic education which helped a lot because the people who went through that system did not suffer when they moved ahead.

Mr Speaker, I thank the Hon

Mr Speaker, I speak a lot of

Birifor, and I am very proud of that so, wherever I go, I let people know where I belong. The tribal marks on my face shows that I belong to a certain community.

Mr Speaker, I am most grateful

for this opportunity.

Statements
Dr Kingsley Nyarko (NPP — Kwadaso) 1:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank
you for the opportunity to contri-
bute to the Statement on the Floor.
It is true that language is the
soul of a society and a nation. Mr
Speaker, I have heard arguments,
positions and debates regarding
the adoption of a local language to
educate our children. I would want
to place on record that one can be
educated through a local language,
but that does not guarantee that
one would be successful in an
academic pursuit. What largely
defines a person's academic progress and success is the
person's level of intelligent quotient. It is also true that local languages
help better in terms of academic
achievements as compared to
borrowed languages. However, if
we look into literature, especially
developmental theories, we would
realise that the acquisition of any
language could easily be done by
children, especially at the age of
three years and above. Mr
Speaker, if at that time, in the
environment around a child, a
language is spoken frequently and
with quality, then, a child could
acquire that language.
Mr Speaker, in my opinion,
what we have to focus on is the
quality of the languages as well as
the frequency and intensity of its
usage. We can adopt a local
language for our educational
enterprise, but if that language is
not taught well then, it would be
much ado about nothing.
Mr Speaker, in Germany, the
United States of America (USA)
and the United Kingdom (UK),
they use their local languages, but
in these environments, one would
realise that in terms of perfor-
mance and abilities, it is not the
same because what the environ-
ment does to promote teaching
and learning is what matters the
most.
Mr Speaker, when I hear this
argument, I get a bit worried. My
position is that we should ensure
that whatever language we adopt
is taught well. You would agree
with me, Mr Speaker, that even
with the English language, it is not
all the tutors of English language
who even teach well. We can have
examples of this in terms of
diction, pronunciation and so on.
I believe that some of these
teachers who teach English and

Statements

local languages would also need

to be taught again because how we

pronounce words is suspect. Mr

Speaker, we have to be very

careful with this issue. Dr Tawiah

would agree with me that language

can be absorbed properly when it

is taught and understood well.

Mr Speaker, I remember when

I was doing my PhD that the dean

of the Faculty of Education, Prof.

Rudolf Tippelt, was in a meeting

with scholars from Cambridge. At

that time, Germany decided that it

was better for them to even

promote the learning of English in

their country because a research

they had done suggested that all

those who had won the Nobel

Prize in the sciences did so after

they had studied in the USA. So,

at that time, they consciously

agreed to promote the English

language. Mr Speaker, in my

opinion, this is very fundamental.

In this day and age, if there is a

literature in a particular local

dialect, then, one may ask how

many people can even read and

understand. Mr Speaker, in using

Germany as an example, how

many people speak the German

language? There could be a

scientific paper published in a

German journal, but the question

is, how many people can even

appreciate the language? However,

if it was published in the English

then, it is guaranteed that a lot of

people would read and appreciate

the paper. This is what matters the

most.

In conclusion, I want us to be

very careful in terms of the language

we want to adopt because we must

make sure that all the enabling

facilities needed to promote that

local language would be available

before we make a move.

Mr Speaker, on this note, I

thank you for the opportunity to

add my voice to the Statement.

Mr Richard Gyan-Mensah

(NDC — Gomoa West): Mr Speaker, thank you for the oppor-

tunity, and I would commend the

Hon Member for Ketu South for

this Statement.

Mr Speaker, I support the call

to use our local languages to teach

children in schools because

currently in our various commu-

nities, everyone is trying to

communicate with their children

Statements

in the English Language. When I

was growing up, my parents did

not have the opportunity of a

formal education so the only

means of communication was the

local language and this back-

ground helped me to also learn

other languages in Ghana. I also

believe that when the local

languages are used to teach at the

basic schools as part of the

teaching methodologies, it would

help the children to appreciate

what they are being taught. This is

because if we give them the

opportunity, then they would be

able to recite or produce what they

have been taught. Mr Speaker,

these days, every Sunday school

teacher uses the English Language

and when children return home,

they are not even able to tell us

whatever they were taught.

Mr Speaker, so I want Hon

MPs to support this idea. Let us

come together and use ourselves

as an example because we should

start this practice. If we want the

local languages to be used in

schools, then, we should also

communicate with our children at

home. This is what can give us the

opportunity for us to even demand

that the schools should also do

same. Mr Speaker, how would we

promote that the schools should

use the local languages, but when

the children come home, we

would speak English and not

French. Although we are surrounded

by francophone countries, every-

body wants their children to speak

English.

Now, since we use English, we

are not even able to impact the

values, cultures, folklores, idioms,

and proverbs that are so rich and

give us knowledge in our children.

I would want us to, as MPs,

support this Statement and also

support the education — I saw the Hon Minister for Education here,

and I believe that he would take

what is being discussed here up so

that at least, when Ghana wants to

promote itself in terms of develop-

ment, it cannot only develop when

we speak English language. We

can also develop when we speak

our local language and imbibe it in

our children. Mr Speaker, I

normally watch most of my senior

Hon Colleagues speak impeccable

English, and one thing I always

ask myself is if they started

speaking English when they were

Statements

very young or in their formative

stage. With your permission, Mr

Speaker, I would take this oppor-

tunity to mention the Hon

Majority Leader. When he is

asked, he may say that maybe,

from his formative years, his local

language and English language

were blended in his school and

that is what has given him the

strong stance. From the basis of

his local language, his vocabulary

is enriched and it helps his debates

and the works of Parliament.

So, Mr Speaker, I would once

again like to thank the Hon

Member who made the Statement

and thank you for the opportunity.
Mr Moses Anim (NPP — Trobu) 1:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, thank you
for the opportunity to comment on
the Statement.
Mr Speaker, a mother tongue is
mostly referred to as one's first tongue, first language or native
language. Mr Speaker, it is very
important for one to seize the
opportunity to learn several
languages. In fact, if a child gets
used to the mother tongue so well,
it determines his personality and
social and cultural identity. For
instance, when an Akwapim speaks
his mother tongue, one can tell
where he or she comes from. Some
cultural identity, personality and
behaviours are attached to areas
that we all come from. Therefore,
it is very important that we do our
best to get our children and the
society to pick their mother
tongues from the onset.
Mr Speaker, there is a huge
challenge as to when we should
start teaching the child a second
language. In fact, I know the
Ministry of Education and Ghana
Education Service (GES) have
had a series of theories as to which
stage, age and level a child should
be moved onto a second language
which is different from the mother
tongue.
Mr Speaker, when a child
becomes so used to his mother
tongue from the beginning, he
develops some skills, literacy
capacities, critical thinking skills
and with such baseline, the child is
able to go out when he is
introduced to a second language.
In fact, if a child learns the
phonology of his mother tongue
so well from the beginning, it is

Statements

easier for him to move on anytime

at all any other language is added.

Mr Speaker, it builds the self-

esteem of the child as well; the

child builds confidence. At home,

he understands the local language,

he picks it so well, and is able to

speak and translate it. He is so

confident about that language. He

carries that ability upwards, and

anytime at all that he or she gets a

good teacher who wants to

translate or give the meaning of

some words of the second

language through his mother

tongue, it becomes easier.

Mr Speaker, these days, from

the word go, we want our children

to speak the English language, and

at the end of the day, they forget

about their mother tongue, it

becomes even difficult talking to

them about our cultural practices

and our traditional setting.

Mr Speaker, we are told from

infancy that waterbodies are

critical for mankind. We are told

in our local language that there is

maame water in the waterbody

that threatens us when we cross it

with sandals. We are told that we

cannot get closer to maybe

defecate or urinate close to a

waterbody, and it is all in the

mother tongue. It is so heavy to

the point that it brings us to the

reality and at the end of the day,

we become so used to the

traditional and cultural settings

that we live in.

Mr Speaker, let us teach our

children our mother tongues, and

encourage them to learn more

local languages. It is good to be a

multilingual in our local languages.

Wherever one finds himself, he

speaks the language and is all

right.

Mr Speaker, Hon Samuel

Okudzeto Ablakwa understands

this matter so well. I know he

understands what I am talking

about so well that there are

instances where he uses his

fluency in the Akan language to

his own benefit. There are instances

where a person pronounces the

words of a language so well that

one is attracted to him when some

support is even needed.

Mr Speaker, this cultural

identification is very important, and I commend the Hon Member who made the Statement. I would

Statements

also want to encourage all of us that if we want a child to have a critical thinking ability, appreciate our cultural and traditional settings, and to upgrade to the next stage of learning other languages, we need the basic line which is the mother tongue which is referred to as the first language. I believe that when we do that, this country will move forward.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for the

opportunity to comment on the Statement made and I thank my Sister for drawing our attention to it that those of us who are Guans, Gas, Akans, Dagaati, Kotokolis and whatever should not shy away from our languages. The Ewes do not have to shy away from their language. Let us pick it and identify ourselves with it, and I believe that through that we would be able to shy away this colonisation. Whether it is neo- colonisation or pro-colonisation, we would be able to put them behind us and see ourselves as Ghanaians and identify as such.

Mr Speaker, thank you for the

opportunity.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 1:54 p.m.
Hon Moses Anim, how many languages do you speak?
Mr Anim 1:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I speak five local languages.
An Hon Member — rose —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:04 p.m.
Hon Member, you have spoken today. Let me give the opportunity to Hon Adams.
Mr Kofi Iddie Adams (NDC
— Buem): Mr Speaker, indeed, he has spoken today. He joined you in the birthday mood, and I am happy you have given me the opportunity to join in that mood.
Mr Speaker, I would want to
start by first thanking the Hon Member who made this State- ment. It is such an important Statement that all of us must be very much interested in. Indeed, it reminds us that indigenous language is very key to building of values.
If we go to countries that have
developed well, it is because they focus a lot more, in the early days of a child's development, to teach that child values.

These values are taught in the

local languages because there is so much truth and respect in the local

Statements

languages. That is why many have said that in those days, when our chiefs took oaths before their subjects, they respected it more than what is done in the orthodox or traditional courts where they are given Bibles or a cross to swear by them to speak nothing but the truth in the English language.

The talk about building and

preserving our indigenous lan-

guages will go a long way to help

us when we want to transfer those

good values that we have

referenced here today by many

Hon Members who spoke before

me. Indigenous languages will

help us to do that.

Mr Speaker, about the presser-

vation of our heritage and culture,

the growth of the indigenous

languages can help us maintain it

so that there will be no dilution.

How we call lemon or lime in my

language would be different from

how it is called in another. Once

it is good to learn that local

language, it is very important if

we want to preserve basic things

that have brought about growth or

that can bring about further

growth in our various commu-

nities. We should try and ensure

that indigenous languages are

encouraged, at least, in the first

few years of a child's development.

Mr Speaker, I have filed a

Question and I am waiting for it to

be scheduled for the Minister for

Education to come and answer

whether we have a policy in terms

of posting of teachers in some

specialised areas including

language. There are instances

where teachers who have been

trained in Ewe language for

example are posted to commu-

nities where the Ewe language is

not learnt. They are forced to

teach subjects other than what

they studied. Meanwhile, other

teachers, who might have also

learnt other languages, for instance

Ga, are posted to the Volta

Region. How would they impact

positively in a primary school?

Mr Speaker, I was not surprised

when, not too long ago, the Ga

Mantse issued a statement that

teachers who have been trained in

the Ga language, and have been

posted outside of the Ga area

should get in touch with his office

to see how they can liaise with the

Statements

education authority for reposting.

GES and the Ministry of Educa-

tion have to develop a policy for

posting these category of teachers.

Mr Speaker, on the issue of

indigenous languages, it helps us

to communicate effectively. It

helps us to share —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:04 p.m.
Hon Member, before you continue
and conclude, I would like to
bring to the attention of the House
that it is past 2 o'clock, and we would go beyond the normal time.
I therefore direct the House to sit
beyond the normal time.
Hon Member, you may go on
and conclude.
Mr Adams 2:04 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
would conclude very soon. Today
is Friday. As usual, it is the day for
those born on Friday, so when we
get the opportunity, we end up
flying beyond.
Mr Speaker, you can imagine
how the freeing of the airwaves,
and the introduction of the local
languages in our communication
has allowed a lot more ideas to be
expressed by every person. In the
past when it was limited, one
would go to a durbar and when he
speaks a language that is foreign
to his audience, only few persons
would express themselves. Imme-
diately, they are allowed to speak
languages of their choice, a lot
more hands show up. Sometimes,
that is when the best of ideas come
out to enable policy formulation.
Mr Speaker, I would want to
thank the Hon Member who made
the Statement that she has taken
the trouble to identify this day,
and has made this Statement that
will draw our attention to
encourage our people, especially
the Ministry of Education, to
engage their agencies, because
they are involved in the formative
ages of the development the
young ones, to form policies that
will encourage the teaching of L1
in our basic schools.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the
opportunity given me to contri-
bute to this very important State-
ment made by our Hon Colleague
from Ketu South.
Mr Dafeamekpor — rose —

Statements
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:14 p.m.
Hon Dafeamekpor, you are all
right for the day. Hon Minister for
Education, I hope you will pass a
word on the Statement.
Let me hear from my Senior
Hon Member first before I go to
the Hon Member for New Edubiase.
Mr Samuel Atta Akyea (NPP
— Abuakwa South): Mr Speaker, many thanks for giving me the
opportunity to say a few words by
way of a contribution to this
important Statement.
Mr Speaker, indeed, language
is the outward expression of our
socio-cultural being and even
existence. Mr Speaker, if we pay
attention to article 39(3) of our
Constitution, with your kind
permission, I would like to read:
“(3) The State shall foster the development of Ghanaian lan-
guages and pride in Ghanaian
culture.”
It seems to me that what my
Sister has tried to urge upon the
House has been given a consti-
tutional elevation, and at no point
in time should we do anything to
devalue what we stand for. It is
one's language that defines his or her identity. This is what is in our
Constitution, but the injunction
here is that:
“The State shall foster the development of Ghanaian lan-
guage and pride in Ghanaian
culture.”
I would wish to see a solid
paper on the way of the fostering.
That would do us a lot of good.
Again, if we pay regard to
article 35(5) of the Constitution, it
provides as follows:
“The State shall actively promote the integration of the
peoples of Ghana and prohibit
discrimination and prejudice
on the grounds of place of
origin, circumstances of birth,
ethnic origin, gender or religion,
creed or other beliefs.”
Mr Speaker, what this also
means is that, it is important that, in trying to promote our lan- guage, it should not promote disunity so that the language of one particular tribe becomes superior to another tribe. A lan- guage defines ethnicity in a way,

Statements

but it is the thinking of the framers of the Constitution that the language of a people should not promote disunity. As a matter of fact, our distinction should not be a mark of disunity.

Mr Speaker, we have situations of somebody saying he is an African, he is from West Africa and is a Ghanaian, he is an Ashanti, from the Eastern Region, and above all say he is an Ashanti, a Ga, a Dagomba and the rest of it. It is for one thing. It should all promote our Ghanaians.

A lot of philosophy is embedded in our language, and that is a fact. If we take some of our proverbs for instance, a parti- cular one says that “animguase mfata Akan ni ba”. This is to say that if one says he is an Akan, then he should not be associated with anything shameful or disgraceful. So, a lot of philosophy and wisdom is also part of our language systems, so, we should go there and learn the origins of our language, the meanings and the proverbs of our people to improve our own ethos, ethics and our governance systems.

Mr Speaker, I was even surprised

to see in Standing Order 47 that

we are not under any compulsion

to speak a language alone in this

House. With your indulgence, I

would quote Standing Order 47,

and it says:

“The proceedings of Parlia- ment shall ordinarily be con-

ducted in the English Language,

except that a Member may

exercise the option to address

the House in either Akan,

Nzema, Ga, Ewe, Hausa,

Dagbani, Dagaare or in any

other local language provided

facilities exist in the House for

its interpretation.”

Mr Speaker, I am afraid, I have

been here for some time now, but

I do not see any facilities that we

have, which would enable some-

body to make a Statement in Ewe,

but by the facilities, we always

also understand it in our local

dialect. I think that if we should

have an arrangement like that, it

would be very good for this nation

and — [Interruption] —
Dr Kwaku Afriyie 2:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
I would want to make a small

Statements

correction. When the Hon Member

was speaking, he made a list of

languages, and amongst them was

the Akan language and the others.

He then proceeded to add the

Nzema language, as if it were a

different language from Akan. I

am saying that Nzema is an Akan

language. The Akan language is a

spectrum, ranging from Akuapem,

Twi to Baoule, Anyin and Sanwe

in la Cote d'Ivoire. So, Nzema is an Akan language.
Mr Akyea 2:14 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I
thank my very good brother and versatile lawyer, but I was only quoting the Standing Orders. So, if he finds the need to bring some corrections to bear on it, then I would want him to know that I only quoted what is in our Standing Order 47.
Mr Speaker, therefore, this
Statement is very apt and oppor- tune; the necessity to promote our own. However, there is a problem. Given the international nature of our existence, if one would want to go and do a serious Master of Business Administration (MBA) outside the country, would want to do a PhD in Mathematics, or perhaps there is an international conference which essentially
promotes the English Language, I am afraid it would be a huge challenge. Would one insist on writing his whole dissertation in say the Twi language for his professor of Mathematics who might be a Japanese? So, when we want to deal with international issues, there are always compli- cations, and this is where we would have to look at most of the gadgets that we use now in the world. They all translate in English, and hardly would we find them giving out local interpretations.
So, locally, that is what we should do because when we veer into the international arena, we would be checkmated because our language would not find favour with the international community. So, I think that my very good Hon sister from Ketu South is a strong thinking being, who has brought a lot of thinking into this Chamber this Friday. I am grateful to you and highly commend you for doing justice to the topic.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Rockson-Nelson E. K. Dafeamekpor (NDC — South Dayi) 2:24 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.

Statements

Mr Speaker, I would want to

further fortify the position of my Hon senior brother, the Hon Atta Akyea with another constitutional provision. I refer to article 26(1) of the Constitution, as well as article 28(1) (c) to say that indeed as a country we are enjoined by the Constitution to make provi- sion for the development of our mother tongue or our native language. We know that language is about proficiency. The records would bear witness that as far back as 1858, it took Germans who travelled to our native land to master our language, develop alphabets for the language, and actually translate the Bible into our language. In 1858, I can make mention of a German Reverend Father called Skli Gille, who was then the head of the Bremen Mission, and they were based in the now Volta Region. They translated the Bible into Ewe.

Mr Speaker, while they were

doing that in the Volta Region, there was another German called Johann Gottlieb Christaller and some other Ghanaians like the then David Asante and Paul Keteku, who also mastered the Twi language and translated the Bible into Akuapem Twi. So, language is about mastery and display of proficiency. Indeed, another Ewe, Reverend Ephraim

Amu, wrote the “Yen ara asaase ni” in Twi, even though he was an Ewe because he had mastered the language. So, as much as I agree that we should take steps to help, to develop and teach our children in our mother tongue, we must all also master the ability to learn other languages. I speak seven local languages. [Hear! Hear!] I was educated in Cape Coast so, I can speak the Fante language. I also speak a bit of French, so, I agree that the mother tongue is very important.

Mr Speaker, I think that

language is one of the reasons Ghana as a country is so coercive. We are so bonded together because we are so intertwined that we can bark at each other, but would never get to the point where we would have to throw cagles at one another, and it is because of language and how culturally inter- twined we are. The Ewe language is spoken in the Volta Region predominantly, but so is the Akan language; Twi. The Ewe language is also predominantly spoken in the Eastern Region and the Ashanti Region. I have also met my Ewe people as far away as in the Bono Region and the Northern Region; Bole.

And I have heard people speak

Awutu in my Constituency; there

Statements

are Awutu people in my Consti-

tuency who are now like indigenes.

They have settled in the Volta

Region; they are in Dzemeni,

Agordeke, Chanakpe; they are

fisher folks. It is not today that

they would go back to Effutu or

Winneba. So, I agree that it is

important that we develop our

languages and teach our children

our mother tongue.

Mr Speaker, the records would

also bear me out that I have moved

this House that we, as a country,

should be taken off the list of

countries that are classified to

submit proof of proficiency in the

English language. Why? We have

mastered speaking English; we

have demonstrated the ability to

communicate and write English

excellently like the Englishman.

And we have attained the status of

native speakers. Ghanaian scholars

in academia have demonstrated

and presented thesis at the highest

level in academia.

Mr Speaker with these words, I

would like to commend my sister

for bringing this matter to the

attention of the House and the

country.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:24 p.m.
Yes, let me come to leadership before probably, I will ask the Minister — Minister let us hear you.
Minister for Education (Dr
Osei Yaw Adutwum) (MP): Mr Speaker, thank you for the oppor- tunity to speak on this important topic.
Mr Speaker the issue of
language and transmission of culture is well documented that language form the basis of cultural transmission and without the language, the culture may die off. I think that is not in doubt around the world. In developing countries and other places where they do not speak the predominant language, be it French, English, German or Portuguese — What we struggle with rather is how to balance the issue of cultural transmission and one's ability to also compete globally. We are here from different ethnic groups and how we bond together here is unfortu- nately, through a foreign language which all of us are proficient in.
Mr Speaker, the challenge we
have is that there are parents who believe that their children cannot master the local language; their

Statements

native and English at the same time. So, we have parents in our country here, who refuse to even speak their native tongues to their children which I believe is unfor- tunate. Research has shown that the child's brain is like a sponge. They can master both languages without any difficulty.

Mr Speaker, in our school

system, we need to find a way to ensure that we can produce bilingual Ghanaians; trilingual Ghanaians; people who may speak more than one language and be able to compete globally at the same time. We are discussing, for example, with the developers of Cambridge Education model that it is important that Ghanaian children who go to the Cambridge schools get the opportunity to study a Ghanaian language because we cannot train Ghanaian children to become foreigners in their own country.

Mr Speaker, when you come to

our public education system, it is also imperative that we begin to find a way to ensure that the children would master the English Language and be able to compete, and at the same time, maintain their native languages. We have

not found a way to master the English Language and conse- quently, sometimes, we use that as an excuse to say that because we cannot master the English Language, therefore, the children should be taught in their native languages. We can do both.

If we look at research by

Krasner, a very important authority on languages, he says: there is a difference between language learning and language acquisition. You can learn a language, and you can also acquire a language. You have the children acquire the English Language in no time and then they begin to master the grammar of it through language learning. Mastering that and ensuring that we understand the principles of the English Language development and we understand the principle of acquiring English Language as a second language, and beginning to ensure that we do not teach our children the English Language as we are teaching British kids, but that we begin to master the art and science of second language acquisition, enables our children to master both the foreign language and master their own languages at the same time.

Mr Speaker, this is the challenge we have to confront as a nation so that no Ghanaian child is made by

Statements

their parents to forgo their native tongues because they believe that with the native tongues, they cannot speak English well.

Mr Speaker, this is what the

Ministry of Education is looking

at now: ways we can ensure that

Ghanaian children are fluent in

their own native tongues and at the

same time, proficient in the

English Language. And when we

do it well, we can even master

French at the same time so that we

can truly have a society that has its

founda-tion in its culture but can

also compete globally with

anyone around the world.

Mr Speaker, I thank you for the

opportunity to speak on the State-

ment. I am grateful to my Hon

Colleague from Ketu South for

making the Statement.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
Very well, the Hon Okudzeto, the
available Leader, may we hear
your brief comment?
Mr Samuel O. Ablakwa (NDC
— North Tongu): Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to
contribute to the Statement which
has been very eloquently and
competently delivered by the
Mamaga herself, the Hon Abla
Dzifa Gomashie of Ketu South.
Mr Speaker, the issue of
promoting the study of our mother
tongues is one that is so crucial.
We are talking about an identity, a
culture, and our heritage. There
are some societies that have been
wiped out totally because they
could not protect and promote the
speaking of their own language.
And as a country, one of the things
going for us which we are
celebrated for, globally, is that we
have so many languages — over 50 ethnic groups but we are able
to tolerate and respect every-
body's language; we intermarry, school together, so melted, bond,
and we are able to communicate
with one another. We take it for
granted in this country but it is not
the case in many other places. It is
so bad elsewhere that it even
enters their politics and they
cannot even have democratic elec-
tions, and they cannot have stability.
So, we need to continue to protect
what is so unique about Ghana.
However, as the maker of the Statement has said however, we

Statements

face some growing threats where some languages risk going extinct; where in our educational system, as we would recall what happened about two years ago where in the Greater Accra, the Ga Chiefs were struggling to have language teachers in some of the schools in the Greater Accra Region — of course, because of how cosmopo- litan the capital has become, and how we have had such a melting pot situation. But listening to the Hon Minister for Education, it is clear that language policy remains intact, and remains a priority of Government, and I commend the Minister for that assurance and for the effort that they are making, not only to promote the study of the Mother Tongue, but also, to make sure that we become bilingual and multilingual. We know that we are surrounded by French speaking countries — Togo, Burkina Faso, Benin and beyond Ivory Coast.

Mr Speaker, one of the reasons

why a lot of Ghanaians are not making it to a lot of international appointments in various multi- lateral organisations is because of our one language policy.

If we promote bilateral or

multilingualism, we would be able

to occupy a lot more of these

positions.

The last time that we visited

The Hague, one could see that our francophone colleagues had virtually filled all the positions

there. They told us that our people are very competent, qualified, sharp and outstanding profess-

sionals but the only thing that disqualifies them is that they are not multilingual or bilingual. They

only speak English. So, I am glad that the Hon Minister has given assurance. I know that the French

Embassy has some initiatives that they are rolling out and I think that we should get closer to them to see

how they can scale up, so that we can train more of our French teachers. Even Spanish is becoming

very important in addition to Arabic and Swahili. If we do that, we would better equip the next

generation.

Mr Speaker, as I conclude, let

me indicate that research has shown that when children are taught in their mother tongue from

pre-school to Primary 4, they do better. The research is so unimpeachable and indeed, since

1953, UNESCO has championed

Statements

this because of research. The

research even links the lack of training children in their mother tongue to high dropout rates, that

children drop out and lose interest, whether in Maths or Science because they are not being taught

in their mother tongue. And so they do not understand and are not able to cope. That is why since

1953, UNESCO has been cham- pioning this mother tongue policy. So, it is a very important State-

ment that Hon Abla Dzifa Gomashie has made and it should encourage all of us in our homes.

You would meet some parents and they are proud to say that their children speak no local language. They think that it is something to be celebrated or shows that the children are probably exotic. It is rather a minus and we should encourage many more. Even as we intermarry, it should not be a disadvantage. We should still encourage our children to learn the languages of their fathers and mothers. I think that generally, mothers do well in passing on the language but it is we the fathers who are the worst culprits. We never really have the time and do not make the time to train our children in our mother tongue.

Mr Speaker, it is a very

important Statement. We should

keep the unity of our country, how

we tolerate each other and we

should continue to promote the

diversity. It is beautiful and

always great to be diverse. There

is rather strength in diversity and

it is not a disadvantage, so, we

should keep promoting the mother

tongue. Thank you very much Mr

Speaker.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
Finally, let me come to you.
Deputy Majority Leader (Mr
Alexander Afenyo-Markin): Mr
Speaker, I have heard my Hon
Colleagues and their useful com-
ments on this all-important matter.
I do not intend to add on to the
superfluity of the matter which is
already before us. I associate
myself wholly with all the senti-
ments expressed, particularly, the
comments made by the available
leader of the Minority and I would
want the records of this House to
adopt same as though they were
mine.
Having said this Mr Speaker, I
thank you.

Statements
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:34 p.m.
Thank you very much. Hon
Members, we have brought State-
ment time to a close and I would
come to leadership for direction.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
under normal circumstances, I
would say that there is no further
competent parliamentary business
on the Floor for consideration but
earlier, you gave an indication
based on an application by my
respected Hon Colleague, Hon
Avedzi, which was mounted on
the back of my earlier concerns
about some mis-reportage. He
rather wanted us to go into the
records so that when we are taking
a decision, we know we are doing
so based on evidence.
I initially disagreed with him
because I thought that he should hold my integrity high as having done my own works. That notwithstanding, for the record, you ruled and I respected that. I first gave Mr Speaker a draft of the Official Report from Hansard for you to read and it is clear and very unambiguous and I would give him a copy for him to read, that I never said that we need e- Levy to evacuate Ghanaians from Ukraine.
Mr Speaker, on that score and to be fair to me and Hon Colleagues who may suffer from such reportage, I beg to crave your indulgence to direct that Joy FM forthwith, pulls down the story. This is because the reportage is still on their website, I keep receiving text messages and calls, the social media language would say that it has gone viral and the impression being created is that Afenyo-Markin perhaps said something without thinking through, by relating e-Levy to the evacuation of Ghanaians who may be suffering as a result of this Ukraine-Russian War.
Mr Speaker, I demand it as of
right. I respect the Multimedia platform but I think that on this occasion, the conduct of whoever put it there, particularly, its reporter from Parliament must be dealt with. So, I humbly pray that an order be made by you for them to pull down the story and render an unqualified apology because it is not only on their portal. People respect Joy FM and many news portals are picking it and sharing it; individuals are sharing it on their social media handles without recourse to me.
This morning, I mentioned Nana Aba Anamoah as one of

Statements

those who has fallen victim to this mischief. She is also proceeding with mischief and it must not happen. It could be somebody tomorrow. Free speech must not be taken for granted.

Mr Speaker, I so humbly submit.
Mr Avedzi 2:34 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I think that your directive is for leader- ship to go into the records, look at the Hansard and then the video. However, leadership has not met to review the Hansard and the video. My Hon Colleague has the Hansard and other people have the video, so I think that it would be better if we met as leadership to review it before we give a directive. This is my humble request.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker, with respect, I may want this matter to rest based on what I am seeing as an attempt by a respected Colleague to, as it were, mount roadblocks. Maybe today, it is Afenyo-Markin, but we have not stopped politics.

We should have due regard to our individual reputation and integrity. We were here yesterday.

The video could be watched in less than five minutes. We have watched it. I have gone an extra mile to procure the record. If today, my Hon Colleague thinks that it is not proper for us to proceed for Joy FM to pull down this story and apologise and that we should continue to allow it to stay on because he thinks that we have leadership — We never said leadership should meet.

Mr Speaker, let us be fair; I am

saying this not only for myself but

for all of us including you. It is not

fair and if it is the pleasure of Hon

Avedzi, we sit here as leaders and

if he thinks it is me and not him, I

would take it as it is. But I implore

you to look at the situation and

give the appropriate directive

without further subjecting this to

undue procedural road blocks

because facts are facts. Even what

Joy FM put on their website does

not say what they have written as

a headline. Let us be fair. The

video they have attached say

something differently, so, I see it

as a surprise that my respected

Colleague from leadership would

now say that people must watch

when it was only yesterday.

Statements

Mr Speaker, I think you should

take a decision. If that would not

be taken, I have been in politics

for 24 years of my adult life. I

would take it but one day, in this

House, posterity would come and

hit at somebody.

That is all.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:44 p.m.
Hon Members, I know the media
houses around have heard; Joy
FM has heard. They would have to
do the needful but my ruling this
morning was that leadership would
meet and discuss the matter. What
I am saying is that if Joy FM and
other media houses have heard
this and if they know they went
overboard, they can do the
needful. However, my ruling still
stands that leadership would meet
and discuss the matter.
Alhaji Muntaka 2:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
I am not opening this and I agree
with you that your ruling still
stands but I have forwarded the
video to you. I know that because
of where you are sitting, probably,
you did not listen to it.
Mr Speaker, I can see the anger
in my Hon Colleague and I agree
with him. He has every reason to
be upset but I can say on authority
— Yesterday, I was not here. I have listened to the tape like 10
times.
Was Ukraine evacuation men-
tioned? Yes, it was mentioned.
Was e-Levy mentioned? Yes, it
was mentioned. So, he does not
determine the editorial policy of a
news portal. He may not be happy;
he can write to either the National
Media Commission (NMC) and
raise his concern but I can bet him
that he mentioned Ukraine
evacuation and he linked it to e-
Levy approval here — the video is here and I can forward it to him.
Mr Speaker, I have forwarded
the video and if he challenges it, I
can play it now for all of us in this
Chamber to hear. So, please, let us
not take our anger unto the Floor
when we know that Joy FM does
not have audience here. We are
politicians and we know the
avenues to address when a
newspaper or media does some-
thing we do not like but he cannot
try to take advantage of his
presence in the Chamber at their
disadvantage when he knows they
do not have hearing here.

Statements

Mr Speaker has ruled that

leadership should go and sit, put our heads together to come out with something. He is insisting that he wants a solution now. If it is the solution he wants now, I have listened to the tape more than 20 times. He mentioned that Ukraine evacuation would cost money and it is the reason we should leave all the politicking. The dollar is having challenges and that is why the e-Levy must be approved. He said it. The video is here and I have forwarded it to all of them. So, he may disagree with the way they captured the headline but it is not for us to tell a news portal how their headline should be.

So please, let us allow the Speaker's ruling to stand and meet in Conclave, look at the thing together and if there is genuinely a need for what he wants be done, as a House, we could come together but he cannot insist in the Chamber that he wants it to be done his way. That cannot be right. I have listened to the video and I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that if someone decides to link it, the person would be right but let us allow the Speaker's ruling to stand.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:44 p.m.
Mr Speaker,
with respect, hear me. Sometimes,
we may only act for posterity. It is
rich to hear Hon Muntaka Mubarak
advocating in this manner. It is
very rich to hear him advocating
in this manner. I would subject all
their comments to posterity and
pray that we do not end our
politics all too soon.
But for the avoidance of doubt

Mr Speaker, you allowed him

to make the point —
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:44 p.m.
Hon Deputy Majority Leader, I have to catch a flight.
Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:44 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, it may be you tomorrow. If you put an end to it, I will rest. You rule but we are in this House. I need to make the point. I am not attacking an editorial policy of Joy FM. I am talking about an untruth. All I am saying is, I never said, and the records, video and transcript, would bear me out — I

Statements

Mr Speaker, Hon Muntaka is

not the one to say this. The trauma he has suffered at the hands of misreportage, he is not the one to say this. Let me read aloud unless he is questioning the transcript:

“As a nation…”
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:44 p.m.
Hon Deputy Majority Leader, respectfully —
Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:54 p.m.
Mr
Speaker, I will beg of you with the
greatest respect, he made his
point. Let me make my point, after
that I would make my final
comment to rest the matter. I may
not even want you to proceed with
your ruling. I would say let it be
but we are here.
Let me make my point:
“As a nation, Ghanaian busi- nesses which are supposed to do well to pay taxes would suffer, businesses would not do well as expected and pro- jections would be affected.
That is the reality, and I must bring this to the attention of all of us, so that any policy that would be brought would be seen in that light.”
Then I came to the Hon —
[Interruption] — wait. You were not here; wait. Then the Hon Avedzi passed a comment which was not into the microphone. Then I responded. I said and I quote:
“The Hon Deputy Minority
Leader did not speak into the microphone but if he is talking about the e-Levy, this is the more important reason we need it. He did not speak into the microphone but if he is talking about the e- Levy —”
That was the next point I was
going to make:
“that we should congregate around it and [even] find a way of generating revenue as a country to save the situation. This is because we are not in normal times. Hon Haruna Iddrisu could not have raised this matter at a better time than now. This is a patriotic call…”

Statements

Mr Speaker, [Interruption] —

What is your problem? Excuse me, if you would allow, I have not finished. I continue:

“Hon Haruna Iddrisu, a patriot and a Ghanaian who is looking at the reality, has brought to our attention this important inter- national issue. We do not live in isolation but we live within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Union (AU) blocs and we are a member of the United Nations (UN).”

“We are part of the world economy and I am saying that our economy is being affected and would be affected, and we should look at the reality. Businesses would be affected. I am a business man and I know what is happening. Lawyers would be affected and entrepreneurs would suffer because of this Ukraine situation. Many of our compatriots import from Ukraine, Eastern and Western Europe.”

“Imports would be obstructed, booking vessels would not be as it should be, Government revenue at our ports would be affected” — [Interruption] —

Mr Speaker, “we should know — that is why the Hon Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu brought

this to our attention. With all of

these, we should know that an

innovative way to generate revenue

in this crisis to sustain social inter-

vention programme as a country

— [Interruption] — I am with the pro-term Leader of the House and

if they do not want me to speak on

their behalf —”.

Mr Speaker, that was the inter- vention. Which other statement? I have all the scripts as well as the video. I am saying that we should be fair; the position of Joy FM is that I have said that we need the e- Levy to evacuate Ghanaians from Ukraine and I have repeated that I have not said that we need e-Levy to evacuate Ghanaians from — [Interruption] — Hon Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Muntaka, wait, you are not the one to behave in this manner but do not worry, I will start reading from the begin- ning and we will rest this matter.

Let me start from the beginning

—
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:54 p.m.
Hon Deputy Minority Leader, you have read it.

Statements
Mr Afenyo-Markin 2:54 p.m.
Mr Speaker, I will not. I brought the appli- cation and if there would not be a directive for Joy FM to pull down this story, no problem. I would not want to have Leadership to deal with it, but I will withdraw my application. If it is a partisan thing, no problem; they should go ahead and do it but we are here.
Mr Second Deputy Speaker 2:54 p.m.
Hon Members, I have already ruled on this matter. In addition, I have said that Joy FM as well as the other media houses should take note. If Joy FM knows that what they did was beyond, they should do the needful.
That notwithstanding, Leader-
ship is going to meet and discuss this matter. Probably, we are going to even go beyond this matter because it is not only in respect of
the Hon Deputy Majority Leader, Mr Afenyo-Markin.
So, please, let my ruling stand.
Leadership will take a look at it and make a decision which would be announced here. Meanwhile, Joy FM should please do the needful. On that note, we would bring today's Business and the Business of the Week to a close. The time is almost three o'clock and we do not need any Motion from anybody — [Interruption] —-
Hon Members, I will go ahead
to adjourn the House to Tuesday, 1st March, 2022, at 10 a.m. in the forenoon. Thank you all for your cooperation.
ADJOURNMENT 2:54 p.m.