Days of Criminal libel law almost over
Majority deserts Parliament technically
Parliament approves three loans
Accra (Greater Accra) 27 July 2001
Members of Parliament by a unanimous decision took the Criminal Code Amendment Bill through the consideration stage on Thursday.
The amendment, which primarily seeks to scrap the Criminal Libel and Seditious Laws from the Criminal Code attracted considerable interest and hot exchanges among members during the second reading stage.
During the consideration stage, members looked at the language of the draft rather than the principles behind the Bill.
The simple and short amendment moved by Mr Abraham Ossei, Chairman of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, to the original amendment, called for the cessation of all criminal proceeding against anyone at any court or tribunal when the law comes into force.
Parliament is expected to conclude its legislative activity on the bill by Friday.
Meanwhile, Alhaji Mohamed Mumuni, NDC-Kumbumgu, has welcomed the mendment saying aggrieved persons would now seek alternative means of seeking legal redress other than sending Journalists to gaol.
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 27 July 2001
The Majority on Thursday technically deserted Parliament to escape defeat in an impending vote on a Deputy Ministerial nominee, Mr Benjamin Osei Kuffour on whose approval the House got divided as to the clarity over his background.
Mr Kuffour, an MP for Asunafo North and Deputy Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines-designate became the centre of controversy when the Appointment Committee was split as to whether he was dismissed by his former employers, Mim Timbers Company for stealing.
The Committee's investigations revealed that he vacated his post but a letter on his file claimed he was summarily dismissed over an allegation of fraud.
Mr Freddie Blay, First Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Committee, said Mr Kuffour denied ever receiving any letter from his former employers.
Alhaji Mohammad Mumuni, NDC-Kumbungu said the House would be doing a disservice to the nation if it approved Mr Kuffour's nomination because a lot of clouds have gathered over the issue for a long time and that resulted in the House's inability to approve the nominee's appointment.
He said a Northern Region has a proverb that "Tuozafi (TZ) cooked for a long time becomes a bad food".
He asked why the NPP that has prided itself in having abundant talents could not replace people considered to be suspect to high positions.
Mr Emmanuel Zumakpeh, NDC-Nadowli South, said the government must justify its credibility by appointing people with integrity to high office.
At that juncture the Majority began to leave the Chamber in ones and twos with the Minority shouting at them to come back while the Speaker, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey asked the members to resume their seats for the work of the House to continue.
The Speaker said he could not put the question to vote since there were 92 members present in the House including with only 10 on the Majority side.
The House of 200 members needed half that number to vote on the nominee.
All attempts by the Speaker to summon members outside the Chamber to come and vote proved futile.
Mr Adjetey expressed regret that the Standing Orders of the House did not give him power to do more than that and that he has no other power to compel members to assemble.
Mr Alban Bagbin, the Minority seized the opportunity to lash at the Majority, saying: "We in the Minority are prepared to work with a government that has an agenda to fulfil."
"The Majority is seriously doing a disservice to the House and if this is the way that they decide to behave, then, I am afraid they are losing the power to govern."
Papa Owusu-Ankomah, the Deputy Majority Leader, retorted: "The Minority should also behave likewise. We in government are fully prepared to implement our agenda and we are more than committed to this."
"In the spirit of democracy, the Minority should bear in mind that even in wars of attrition there are rules."
The Speaker agreed with them and urged both sides to play the game to the rules.
GRi.../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 27 July 200
Parliament on Thursday unanimously approved three loan agreements totalling 222.3 million dollars and 11 million Deutsch Marks (DM) for the execution of various projects in the country.
The 220 million dollars being contracted from the International Development Association (IDA) goes into the Road Sector Development Programme (RSDP) while the 11 million DM from Germany is to support the District Capital III Project in ten districts in Brong Ahafo and Ashanti Regions.
The third is 2.3 million dollars from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for poverty reduction in Ghana.
Except the last loan that was described as meagre and a "little bit demeaning", the rest went through the approval process without comments.
Mr Moses Asaga, the Minority Spokesman on Finance, ridiculed government for taking the loan but called for the implementation of stringent economic measures to reduce poverty.
The Minister of Finance, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo retorted that Mr Asaga negotiated for the loan when he was a Deputy Minister of Finance in the former government.
GRi…/
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