Majority and Minority clash on media
Cashew Development Project to be established
Last year's third quarter of common fund has just been released
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 July 2001
The Majority and the Minority sides of Parliament clashed on Tuesday over accusations of irresponsible use of radio by sympathisers of the government.
Ms Akua Sena Dansua, NDC- North Dayi, in statement that heralded the trading of accusations, counter accusations and controversies, said there was a seeming threat to national security, unity and survival due to messages carried in the media, especially the radio.
"Of late a section of the media particularly radio stations are being used by certain individuals and groups to fan political, tribal and violent sentiments among the citizenry."
She said: "Instead of focusing on issues that will accelerate the development of this country, certain people and groups motivated by prejudice and vengeance particularly against the previous political dispensations and its operatives are using the media to engage in activities likely to disintegrate the nation."
The member called for immediate action to salvage the situation.
Nana Akomea, Deputy Minister of Tourism, said tribal politics was the trademark of the NDC and asked the member not to divert the peoples' attention from that fact.
He said ex-President J. J. Rawlings was the source of destabilisation and was even on record to have said that there would be a coup d'etat in Ghana.
Nana Akomea said the NPP government believes in the freedom of the media that was why it was in the process of repealing the Criminal Libel Law.
"We believe that the media has the necessary organs to check itself. This is not the time for anyone to intrude into the operations of the media."
Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Gomoa West, said prominent members of government including Dr Amoako Tuffour have stated on radio (Peace FM) that all NDC members were thieves.
This assertion attracted shouts of "Rawlings said worse things!" from the Majority.
Mr Edward Osei Kwaku, Deputy Minister of Presidential Affairs, said the statement was unnecessary since there was no perceived or real threat to national security.
He said the media discusses national issues and have helped the ordinary Ghanaian to understand and contribute effectively towards national debates.
The Member said ex-President Rawlings was the one, who through irresponsible remarks and threats, was trying to destabilise the country.
He disagreed with Ms Dansua's assertion that there was a looming crisis in the system.
"We do not see such crisis. We as a government are focused and sooner or later all Ghanaians would enjoy life."
He blamed the widespread of armed robbery on the past government's indiscriminate use and supply of arms.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 July 2001
Major Courage Quashigah (rtd), Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) on Tuesday said the government has negotiated for a concessional loan of 13.32 million dollars from the African Development Fund for the implementation of a Cashew Development Project in selected areas of the country.
The loan agreement is currently before Parliament for ratification.
The project aims at increasing cashew cultivation and processing of the nuts for export, Major Quashigah said in an answer to a question by Mr Joseph Tsatsu Agbenu, NDC-Afram Plains North, on the support and protection the Ministry would give to farmers, who go into the cultivation of cashew in the Savannah areas of the country.
He said the recent recognition of cashew as a major export crop for the savannah zones has sparked off the rapid establishment of commercial holdings in the Northern, Upper West, Brong Ahafo and Central Regions thus creating a high demand for cashew seeds.
Major Quashigah said farmers in the Savannah and the transitional zones have discovered that cashew grows well in dry areas and on soils unsuitable for most staple crops such as maize and rice.
He said the high demand and favourable world market price for raw nuts and kernel have attracted the attention of the government and farmers as a source for income generation and foreign exchange earnings.
The Minister said the project would diversify the country's export base, generate employment and support women, adding that under the project, MOFA would assist the Cocoa Research Institute to upgrade its research on cashew at the Bole Station so that farmers would have access to improved techniques.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 July 2001
The District Assemblies' Common Fund (DACF) for the third quarter of last year was disbursed on Monday, Mr Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development told Parliament on Tuesday.
Mr Baah Wiredu was contributing to a debate on the adoption of the formula for the disbursement of this year's common fund.
The Committee of the Whole House (when Parliament sits in camera) appraised the formula, which was designed by the Administrator of the Fund.
Factors used for determining the disbursement were; need, responsiveness, service pressure and equality factors.
Districts with more needs were given more resources to fund programmes and infrastructure.
Mr Baah Wiredu said his ministry was working out a programme with the Ministry of Finance to speed up the releases of the fund.
He asked the various assemblies to improve on their revenue generation activities and endeavour not to rely solely on the fund.
The Minister said the whole Common Fund idea was being appraised to make it more relevant to the needs of the country.
Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Minister of Finance, asked that well endowed areas like Accra and Kumasi Metropolitan Assemblies should be made to fund "if not all their programmes then about 90 per cent."
"There are a lot of loopholes in the revenue collection system and until we plug those holes, the idea of decentralisation would fizzle away."
Alhaji Abdulai Salifu, NDC-Talon, disagreed with the data used to determined the formula.
He said the database was premised on the assumption that every district had a medical doctor but there was no doctor in Tolon Kumbungu.
Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, NDC-Fanteakwa, asked the Ministry of Health to close the widening gap in the doctor -patient ration of the country.
"In Kasena Nankana District there are eight doctors while in a district like Sunyani with a population of 156, 000, there is only one doctor. The Ministry should find a way of moving some doctors around."
Mr Johnson Aseidu Nkestia, Wenchi West, said in future any such data used for drawing up the formula should take into consideration the quality and capacity of facilities and not the sheer numbers of it.
"In the Berekum District where we have 9 health facilities, only one of them, that is Berekum Holy Family Hospital, has the capacity and influence that outweighs all the 19 health facilities in the Wenchi District."
Mr Freddy Blay, Chairman of the Committee, said the committee observed that there was a low recovery of the Poverty Alleviation Fund advanced to individuals.
He said members were displeased about the award of contracts and procurement practices at the district level.
The committee asked that members of Parliament met with the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, the Controller and Accountant General, Governor of Bank of Ghana and the Administrator of the Common Fund to address nagging issues.
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