GRi in Parliament Ghana 01 - 02 - 2001
Government will pay adequate compensation
for lands - Bartels
No one will be prosecuted under Criminal
Libel Law - Ohene
Twelve ministerial
nominees get the nod
Government will pay adequate compensation
for lands - Bartels
Accra (Greater Accra) 01 February 2001
Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister-designate for Works and Housing, on Wednesday said government has to pay adequate compensation for land it acquires to ensure smooth implementation of its housing scheme and other development projects.
He cited about four factors, which hamper government projects, especially in the housing sector, saying one is the payment of compensation to landlords over the years.
Explaining how he would tackle housing problems facing Ghanaians, Mr Bartels told the Parliamentary Appointments Committee vetting him for the post that governments have defaulted in paying adequate and timely compensation to landowners.
Coupled with this is the problem of several people laying title to one piece of land where government finds it difficult to acquire lands for projects.
Lack of long-term financing of the banks, delays in building permits acquisition and poor salaries are other factors that are making it impossible for people to acquire and build houses.
Mr Bartels said if his nomination was approved, he would work towards the removal of those bottlenecks to ensure that problems facing estate developers could be curtailed.
He said those occupying the Lartebiokoshie flats in Accra illegally would be ejected sand the building rehabilitated.
On the Keta Sea Defence Project, the minister-designate said he gathered from his visit to the area about six months ago hat the project was progressing steadily and that it would be completed within the next two years.
He criticised the contract in which the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has entered into with a Canadian firm for solid waste disposal saying it will be abrogated if he becomes a minister.
It should be possible that the contract is given to local contractors who have the expertise in that field to save the country the huge foreign exchange component involved in the contract and to give employment to Ghanaians.
He said he would implement all the good water supply projects the previous government initiated and on-going ones.
GRi…/
Send your comments to news@ghanareview.com
No one will be prosecuted under Criminal
Libel Law - Ohene
Accra (Greater Accra) 01 February 2001
Miss Elizabeth Ohene, Minister-designate at the Presidency (Media Relations), on Wednesday reiterated the NPP government's stand on the Criminal Libel Law that it will be repealed and no one will be prosecuted under it.
She said this stand is contained in the party's manifesto and that President John Agyekum Kufuor has expressed aversion to that law.
Miss Ohene, who was answering questions from the Appointments Committee vetting her for the ministerial post, said she is satisfied with the current media landscape in Ghana.
She said she supports the liberalisation of the airwaves and media pluralism, which will help keep government on its toes.
Miss Ohene, in an answer to a question over how she would handle a larger presidential press corps, said: "I will learn as we move on".
She said President Kufuor's visit to Togo to celebrate the 13th January national day of that country was in response to the significance the date has for the President because it was on 13th January 1972 that the Busia government in which he was serving was overthrown.
Miss Ohene said it was a coincidence that the invitation of President Eyadema of Togo was extended to President Kufuor on that date.
GRi…/
Send your comments to news@ghanareview.com
Twelve
ministerial nominees get the nod
Accra (Greater Accra) 01 February
2001
The Appointments Committee of
Parliament on Wednesday unanimously recommended for the approval of the house,
the first batch of 12 nominations by the President for ministerial
appointments.
The House is expected to adopt the
committee's report on Thursday (tomorrow) instead of Wednesday (today) because
the House had to adjourn to enable the Committee to use the chamber for vetting
of other nominees.
The report said no adverse
findings, petitions or objections were received on any of the nominees who have
the requisite qualification and experience to handle their portfolios.
The committee acknowledged for
instance the vast experience of Mr J.H. Mensah and his exemplary service in the
second parliament of the Fourth Republic as Minority Leader, Chairman of the
Public Accounts Committee, ranking member of the appointment and business
committees of the House.
Similar comments were made about
Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, and Mr Hackman Owusu Agyemang,
Ministers- designate for Defence, Finance and Foreign Affairs respectively.
The others are Nana Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo, for Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu
(Local Government and Rural
Development), Alhaji Malik
Al-Hassan Yakubu, (Interior), and Professor Dominic
Kwaku Fobih, (Environment, Science
and Technology).
The rest are Dr Kofi Apraku,
(Trade and Industry). Major Courage Quashiegah (Food and Agriculture), Mrs
Gladys Asmah (Women's Affairs) and Dr Kwaku Afriyie (Lands, Mines and
Forestry).
GRi…/
Send your comments to news@ghanareview.com