Stop police from indiscriminate killings - MP

Akufo Addo's amendment rejected

Special Report on tertiary students before Parliament

House to sit on Mondays

Accra (Greater Accra) 13 Dec. '99

Mr Francis Kwasi Buor, Member of Parliament for Offinso South, on Friday appealed to the Minister of the Interior to take effective steps to stop the Police from the indiscriminate use of their duty guns.

Making a statement in Parliament on a Police shooting incident at Barekese on November 13, Mr Buor described the killing of Mr Iddrisu Mahama, a driver, as "atrocious and wicked".

He said the driver was conveying some planks to Barekese with some passengers on board when "he was shot dead in cold blood, without the slightest justification."

Mr Buor explained that Mr Mahama stopped at a Police barrier, which had been mounted in the town, came down from his vehicle and pleaded with the Police to remove the barrier to enable him to move away.

Without any justification, the MP said, Sergeant Boadu, one of the Policemen on duty there gave a warning shot and followed almost immediately with another shot killing the driver instantly.

Mr Buor said the untimely death of Mr. Mahama has jolted the lives of his three wives and 10 children, making life quite miserable for them.

The MP Buor described Sergeant Boadu's conduct as "callous and inhuman", and "constitutes an act of barbarity that must be condemned by all.

He appealed to the Minister of the Interior to arrange to pay adequate compensation to the deceased's dependants.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 Dec. '99

Parliament on Friday rejected an amendment by Nana Akufo Addo, the Minority Spokesman on Constitutional and Legal Matters, which sought to make payment for the use of state assets and facilities for political party activity obligatory.

The House, however, agreed that the public should subject the amendment to further study in order to arrive at a national consensus on it.

The amendment said applicable charges should be imposed where a political party or a member of a political party uses any asset, property or facility of the state.

It said in the absence of any set charges, the political party or the member shall pay such amount as the Accountant-General or his representative shall in writing determine.

The amendment required a political party to submit a quarterly report of payments for the use of state assets to the Electoral Commissioner, giving details of payments made by the party and its members.

It said where a political party or a member of a political party fails to pay for the use of such assets, the amount involved shall be a debt owed to the state by the party or member.

The amount should be recoverable by attachment of the property of the political party or member.

The amendment said where a political party or a member fails to submit the quarterly report, the party or member commits an offence and is liable, on summary conviction, to a fine of not less than five million cedis.

Nana Akufo Addo's amendment, which was proposed at the consideration stage of the Political Parties Bill, attracted a very hectic and lively debate.

The Minority ranking member, in his motion for the amendment, said his proposal was intended to check the "excessive and illegitimate exploitation of the incumbency", and to strengthen the frontiers of democracy.

He said in well-meaning democracies, political parties should subject themselves to fair rules to ensure greater equity and fairness.

Nana Akufo Addo told the House that "even in America, the richest country in the world, when President Bill Clinton flew in the 'Airforce One' to attend the Democratic Party Convention in Denver, Colorado, the party paid for the use of the aircraft".

He noted that there has never been such an example in Ghana, saying that the amendment should be a matter of course, and called on the members to consider it dispassionately.

"It is a fundamental amendment intended to promote good governance in the country".

Supporting the amendment, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, NPP-Sekondi said, the proposal should be accepted by all democracy-loving members of the House.

He said the country was on a democratic course and no obstacle such as the unfair exploitation of the incumbency, should be allowed to undermine the process.

The Member supported the view that the use of state assets for political purposes must be paid for, saying that the abuse of the incumbency posed danger to democracy.

Mr J. K. Ackah, NDC-Aowin/Suaman, described the amendment as "vexatious", "not good", and "must be thrown overboard."

He said since the state owns the political parties, he did not see why state assets should not be used by the parties.

Nana Akufo Addo, on a point of explanation, responded that all that the amendment sought to do was asking political parties or members to pay for using state assets for a political party activity.

Mrs Gladys Asmah, the Deputy Minority Leader, said there was evidence of the abuse of the incumbency and claimed that some state institutions, including the National Council on Civic Education (NCCE) had been seen to be campaigning openly for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 1996 general elections.

Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, the Minority Spokesman on Foreign Affairs, said the amendment was to ensure fair play, accountabilty and probity in political activities.

He urged the House not to be emotional about the amendment saying, "let us enable all parties to operate on a level playing field."

Mr Owusu-Agyemang said that the President has often under-scored justice and the amendment was intended to ensure just that.

"For natural justice and in the spirit of the Constitution, let us have the amendment so that there won't be any misuse of the incumbency and no one will feel cheated."

Mr J. H. Mensah, the Minority Leader, suggested that the residual benefits of the incumbency be minimised to ensure that no political party is disadvantaged.

He said the incumbency had exploited these benefits to the extent that it had left a wide gap of unfairness, which the amendment sought to close.

He referred to Article 17 of the Constitution, which among other things, provides for equity and fairness, and said the amendment sought to strengthen such provisions.

The Minority Leader, therefore, urged the House "to take a small step" to consider the amendment on its merit.

Mr Doe Adjaho, the Majority Chief Whip, said the amendment in its present form could not be supported.

He said the amendment failed to recognise the fact that there is nothing instituted to monitor for instance, an incumbent, who had gone on an official duty and decided to attend a political party function in the same area.

He noted that the amendment is one area that needs further public debate and said in its present form, it should be thrown out.

Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, NPP-Akim Oda, said the amendment is intended to improve on the integrity of politicians in the country.

"If we want to lead the nation, then we should be prepared to be honest to ourselves".

Kofi Attor, NDC-Ho Central, said the amendment certainly could not work.

He wondered whether if for instance, the President goes to commission water project in a town and there is a gathering of party members there and he decides to join them, the Accountant-General should be hiding somewhere to assess him.

Mr Sylvester Mensah described the amendment as "anti-people" and "anti-social mobilisation", saying the proposal will not only "tie the hands of the incumbent, it will also tie his legs".

Mr Dan Abodakpi, a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry and Member for Keta, said if the amendment in its present form was adopted, it would be a recipe for continued litigation.

He said that there should be defined safeguards that should go with the amendment, adding that it is a matter that needs to be looked into. Mr Kwame Dwamena-Aboagye,

NDC-Asuogyaman, said the amendment lacked the needed scientific basis.

Mr Akwasi Osei-Adjei, NPP-Ejisu/Juaben, said the amendment sought to bring justice into the conduct of political activities.

Mrs Theresa Tagoe, NPP-Ablekuma South, said the Majority side had taken a 'myopic' view of the amendment and had narrowed it down to only the President.

She said that the amendment was asking those who use state assets for political activities to pay so that the country could get money to support education and provide health facilities, among other things.

Mr Francis Agbotse, NDC-Ho West, said the amendment would make governance very difficult.

Mr Alban Bagbin, Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, said the amendment is misplaced and retrogressive.

He said the issue of the incumbency needed further study and suggested a code of ethics for politicians.

Dr Obed Asamoah, Attorney - General and Minister of Justice opposed the amendment, saying that it would create more problems than it could solve in its present form.

He questioned what for instance, constitutes a state property and how a state property can be assessed for any payment to be made for its use.

He also found it difficult to differentiate between state and party activity.

Dr Asamoah, who called for the rejection of the amendment, however, agreed that the proposal needed more study to be able to arrive at a consensus.

Winding up the debate, Nana Akufo Addo said if the Attorney - General, who is the chief

legal adviser of the country finds it difficult to define what constitutes state property, then the country is in deep trouble.

He disagreed with observations by some Majority members that the amendment would not work and would pose more problems, saying that such measures had worked in other societies and there was, therefore, no reason why they could not work in the country. Nana Akufo Addo stressed that the amendment sought to advance the "frontiers of democracy and our national life. "We want to establish rules of fairness that will govern our body politic", he said.

The Political Parties Bill seeks among other objectives, to re-enact with new provisions, the existing Political Parties Law, 1992 (PNDCL 281) as amended.

It brings the existing enactment into conformity with the Constitution, removes some provisions in the existing law which is no longer considered purposeful, and introduces some reform for the better regulation of political party activities in the country.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 Dec. '99

The Special Parliamentary sub-committee on "problems facing students of tertiary education", has blamed government intransigence on cost sharing, for the recent Student-Ministry of Education (MOE) impasse on the issue.

"The committee wishes to express its displeasure that in the particular case of the recent increase in the levels of academic facility user fees in tertiary institutions for the 1999/2000 academic year, the government did not adhere to the advice of the National Council on Tertiary Education (NCTE)."

The Committee, chaired by Dr. Kwabena Adjei, The Majority Leader, and has Mr J. H. Mensah, the Minority Leader, as a member, laid its report before Parliament on Friday.

On November four, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) petitioned Parliament to intervene on pertinent problems facing students of tertiary education.

The committee emphasised the need for the MOE to take seriously the advice of the NCTE before taking decisions on tertiary education, especially, matters on budgetary allocations.

The Ministry must strengthen the current practice, whereby the Council prepares the budget for tertiary education, when drawing up the Ministry's annual budget.

The Committee called for the reopening of negotiations between the student leadership and the government, on the academic facility user fees.

The Committee supported the establishment of an Educational Trust Fund and urged the Ministry to take urgent steps to place before Parliament a bill for the fund.

On Student loans, the committee agreed that the current levels are what the government could realistically absorb from the main provider, Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

It said the Trust has indicated that it has reached the limit and any additional funding cannot be sustained.

"The policy of SSNIT is not to exceed one month's workers' contribution in the lending portfolio; again, 90 per cent of the loans already granted to students have not been redeemed."

The Committee urged tertiary institutions to open on-campus employment for serious and enterprising students to earn some income.

The report said, "Universities must endeavour to manage their affairs in a manner that will avoid waste."

District Assemblies were also asked to give out contracts for development projects to polytechnics to enhance their finances.

The Special committee said the time is ripe for polytechnics to start degree programmes for the people to have access to higher education within their localities.

It said that if the eight regional polytechnics were upgraded to offer degree courses the cost of university education could be cut down.

The committee said that a more realistic and long term approach to problems facing tertiary education would eliminate the annual ritual of student-government confrontation.

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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 Dec. '99

Parliament has commenced sitting on Mondays instead of Tuesdays to enable it to complete its business for the third meeting by Friday, 17 December.

The House will also continue with its double sitting during the week except Thursday, when party caucuses are expected to meet in the afternoon.

Mr M. A. Seidu, Deputy Majority Leader, who announced this when he presented the business statement for the ninth week ending December 17, said public business would continue to take precedence over private ones.

He said parliamentary questions and statements would be suspended during the week to enable the House to devote both morning and afternoon sessions to outstanding motions, bills, loan agreements and resolutions.

Mr Seidu, however, said urgent questions and statements with important national implications would be considered.

Motions, resolutions, laying of papers, urgent statements and questions will run through the week, he added.

The House is expected to go on Christmas recess on Friday, 17 December.

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