GRi in Parliament
21 - 02 - 2002
Parliament
pay tribute to Ako-Adjei
Accra
(Greater Accra) 21 February 2002- Mr J. H. Mensah, Senior Minister, on
Wednesday asked influential public officers to enhance co-operation between the
various regions especially the Ashanti and Volta Regions, where there is a
perceived mutual mistrust.
He said
communication links and co-operation between the various ethnic and regional
groupings would improve if, "we talk about things that unite us rather
than those that divide us."
Mr Mensah,
who was contributing to the debate on the State of Nation Address delivered by
President John Agyekum Kufuor, said it was a historical fact that the Anlos and
the Ashantis once merged their armies to defeat the British Colonial army.
On
Asantihene's visit to the Volta Region, which had attracted various comments,
he said the occasion should have been seen as an opportunity to unite Ghanaians
rather than an affront to someone's traditions and customs.
He appealed
to Ghanaians to give the yet-to-come Reconciliation Commission the support to
unite the nation. "After 50 years of studying the politics of Ghana, I
think I am capable to talk about the politics of Ghana."
Mr Doe
Adjaho, the Minority Chief Whip, deplored the government's constant reference
to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) regime as being responsible for the
nation's misfortunes. He asked the government to deliver on its promise of
"zero tolerance" and that should not mean the prosecution of only
political opponents of the regime.
Mr Prince
Oduro-Mensah, NPP-Techiman South, said the new youth policy direction taken by
the government would help abate the restlessness in most of the nation's
unemployed youth. "The new policy will not only recognise formal education
but also non-formal, employment opportunities and skill acquisition."
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 21 February 2002- The Minority in Parliament on Wednesday called
on the leadership of the Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS)
to call-off their strike, withdraw the ultimatum it issued to the government
and to resubmit their petition for consideration.
It asked
the government also to re-open the schools and to seriously consider the
petition of the students. A statement signed by Mr Kosi Kedem, NDC-Hohoe South
and a Ranking Member on Education, said the Ministry of Education should tackle
the issues the
Polytechnic
students raised with the same urgency that it solved the examination grading
system of the Cape Coast University.
It wondered
why the Ministry chose to ignore the concerns of the Polytechnics and said,
"the discriminately attitude of the ministry clearly demonstrate the lack
of importance the government attaches to Polytechnic education in Ghana.
"Since
the closure of the Polytechnics all contacts and negotiations between the
leadership of GNUPS and the Minister of Education and the National Council for
Tertiary Education (NCTE) appeared to have broken down."
The
statement said the students have appealed to President John Agyekum Kufuor and
Parliament to intervene in the impasse but they were yet to receive any
favourable response up-to-date.
The
Minority, therefore, asked the Ministry of Education and the NCTE to take
immediate steps to resolve the issue. It, however, described as inappropriate
the 72-hour ultimatum the students issued for favourable response to their
request.
The
statement said the issues the students raised including academic progression of
the Higher National Diploma (HND) graduate, job placement of the HND holder,
autonomy of the polytechnics and lack of academic and administrative staff
needed in depth analysis before their implementation. It thus asked the
students to go back to school while the issues were being addressed.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 21 February 2002- Parliament on Wednesday unanimously agreed to
thank President John Agyekum Kufuor for delivering the State of the Nation
Address after two weeks of debate during which the Minority attempted to tear
it into shreds while the Majority pieced it together.
A motion
standing in the name of Mr Kwasi Kyeremateng, NPP-Afigya Sekyere East requested
the House to thank the President for delivering the address as the Constitution
demanded.
In summing
up the debate, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, the Majority Leader and Minister of
Parliamentary Affairs, said some members described the address as hollow,
lacking in focus and direction while others saw it as excellent, forthright and
courageous. "It was like an elephant which when people touched its
different parts describe it in the way they felt it. Some said it was tender while others said it was hard".
Papa
Owusu-Ankomah said it must be acknowledged that Parliament had had its
legislative and deliberative duty in debating the address devoid of fear and
intimidation. He said members should feel-free to raise matters in the House to
strengthen the practice of parliamentary democracy rather than carrying them to
the media.
Papa
Owusu-Ankomah said the budget, which would be presented on Thursday would
encompass the nitty-gritty of the address which was rather a broad out-look on
the entire State of the Nation.
Mr Alban
Bagbin, the Minority Leader said the NPP should purge itself from the culture
of intolerance and harping on what the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
should have done or could not do.
He said:
"If the NDC had done everything well there will be no justification for
the good people of Ghana to vote the NPP (New Patriotic Party) into power. If we have made mistakes, it is for the NPP
to correct them and move the nation forward according to their electoral
promises."
Mr Bagbin
said the NPP had thrown more than three million people out of job and could not
fulfil its promise of creating 100,000 jobs in its 100 days in office.
He said the
affected workers were from NADMO, private lottery operators and the Ghana
National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and asked whether these were negative or
positive achievement since the NPP claimed to represent a positive change.
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Accra
(Greater Accra) 21 February 2002 - Parliament on Wednesday paid glowing tribute
to Dr Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, the last of the "Big Six" and one of the
founding members of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), who died on
January 14.
Mr Godfried
Ako-Nai, NPP- Dadekotopon, in a statement described the Dr Ako-Adjei as a
patriot, whose contribution led to the conception, birth and emancipation of
Ghana from colonial rule and domination.
Dr
Ako-Adjei studied Economics, Political Science, Sociology and Journalism in
America and later law in London and the USA.
Mr Ako-Nai
said Dr Ako-Adjei's stay in London was very eventful as it helped him to play
very prominent roles in the activities of the West African Students Union of
which he was the President from 1944-1946.
He was also
instrumental in the organisation of the fifth Pan African Congress and on his return
to the Gold Coast he became one of the founding members of the UGCC and later
of the Convention Peoples' Party.
Mr Ako-Nai
said the Dr Ako-Adjei held several political positions between 1954 and 1962
and in 1999 he was honoured with the highest national award of the Star of the
Volta and in the same year the Ghana Bar Association also conferred on him the
GBA Award for Statesmanship.
It was Dr
Ako-Adjei, who recommended Dr Kwame Nkrumah to become the secretary to the
UGCC, which was engaged in fight for the emancipation of the Gold Coast from
colonial rule.
Mr Ako-Nai
said if the country were free today it was because of the battle by the Big Six
and patriots of blessed memory, who put their lives on the line and worked
tirelessly, fearlessly and with sweat to bring about self-government to Ghana.
He said it
would most cruel to show ingratitude to bring down the curtain on the lives of
such noble sons of the land "if we fail to erect a monument to them -
something to show our pride in them and our gratitude and to remind us
constantly of the challenges they left us."
Mr Isaac
Kwadwo Adjei-Mensah, NDC- Techiman North described Dr Ako- Adjei as a man of
many parts and very learned, whose death was unfortunate at this period of the
country's democratic dispensation.
Mr Akwasi
Afrifa, NPP- Fomena, said Dr Ako Adjei deserved a place in Ghana's history
since his role as the first foreign minister helped in shaping the foreign
policy of the country.
Mr Hackman
Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the tenure of office of the
Dr Ako Adjei as the Minister of Foreign Affairs made Ghana a shining star in
Africa.
He said in
recognition of his dedicated service, which saw Ghana gaining independence
President John Agyekum Kufuor had ordered a state burial for him this weekend.
Mr Samuel
Ofosu-Ampofo, NDC- Fanteakwa, said because of the leadership qualities of Dr
Ako-Adjei his was a household name in the Fanteakwa constituency. He said he
represented custom and traditions.
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