Ablekuma MP makes maiden statement
Speaker had it tough controlling proceedings
Government procuring more cars for doctors - Minister
Need for cocoa processing plant stressed
Ablekuma MP makes maiden statement
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 June '99
Mr Victor Okuley Nortey, NPP-Ablekuma Central, on Wednesday appealed to the government and the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) to take immediate steps to address the drainage and sanitary needs of his constituency to prevent an out break of an epidemic.
The member who was making his maiden statement after his induction into the House last month, said with the coming of the rains in earnest, the people stand the risk of being displaced by floods if drains are not provided immediately.
''I am appealing to the authorities of the AMA to step up efforts in constructing drains for the people of the area before things get out of hand.''
Mr Nortey said the assembly should provide the area with garbage containers as a matter of urgency to stop people from throwing rubbish into drains to compound the drainage problem.
Mr Nortey further appealed to the AMA to assist the women in the constituency with loans from the poverty alleviation fund to enable them expand their petty trading to improve on the quality of life in the area.
Aside of this, he said traders especially spare parts dealers mostly found in his constituency, have complained about high import duty in addition to VAT on their products.
To this end, he appealed to the Ministry of Finance to review the taxes to make their items more affordable to transport owners to reduce accidents on our roads.
Mr Nortey noted that the numerous armed robberies, murders and other criminal activities in the area would be reduced if the Electricity Company of Ghana provided streetlights.
The member took the opportunity to express appreciation to all those, who helped him to win the by-election.
''I thank all honourable members of both sides of the house, and your Speakership Sir, for the warm welcome accorded me during my induction into office.''
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Speaker had it tough controlling proceedings
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 June '99
Mr Kenneth Dzirasah, First Deputy Speaker, on Wednesday had a hectic time in controlling proceedings in Parliament during a debate on a private member's motion.
Due to several interventions from the Majority side, Mr Dzirasah was compelled to rule that Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, the Minority Leader, who has had the floor for 75 minutes, either winds up in two minutes, which was left for the House to adjourn, or continues with his contribution on Thursday.
Mr Mensah and most members on the Minority side did not take kindly to the First Deputy Speaker's ruling.
The Minority Leader stated categorically that looking at the volume of his contribution, which he said, was met with one interruption after the other from the Majority, the chair is not being fair to him if he is asked to wind up in only two minutes.
He, therefore, acceptance the ruling to continue with his contribution when the House resumes sitting.
Nana Akufo Addo, NPP-Abuakwa, and the Minority Spokesman on Constitutional and Legal Matters moved the motion last Friday, which was amended by Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, the Majority Chief Whip.
Nana Akufo Addo's motion enjoins the National Media Commission and the governing bodies and management of the state-owned media to "take immediate steps to comply and or ensure compliance with the unanimous decision and judgment of the Supreme Court. In the case of NPP vrs GBC (Writ No CSI/93) delivered on 30th November, 1993 by granting equal time, space and access to the activities of all registered Political Parties."
In the Amendment Motion, the Majority Chief Whip is praying the Commission to investigate whether the state-owned media are complying with Articlce 55(11) of the Constitution. It states that "the State shall provide fair opportunity to all political parties to present their programmes to the public by ensuring equal access to the state-owned media" and report to the House indicating among other things, the constraints if any, that they face in complying with the said Article.
Nana Akomea, NPP-Okaikwei South, seconded Nana Akufo Addo's motion, whilst that of Mr Adjaho was seconded by Mr Ebenezer Kobina Fosu, NDC-Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa.
Mr Mensah in his contribution wondered why six years after the Supreme Court's ruling on the matter, the order has not been complied with.
In his view, the Minority Leader said it is the duty of the Executive to enforce orders of the courts whether they are favourable or not favourable to them.
He took the Attorney-General (A-G) on, and pointed out that as the prosecutor of all cases, especially of the one in question, the said A-G has failed in its constitutional obligation to ensure the state-owned media's strict compliance with the Supreme Court's ruling.
This, Mr Mensah explained, is the more reason why the other political parties other than the ruling party, are finding it difficult to gain equal access to the state-owned media.
Mr John Dramani Mahama, Minister of Communications and MP for Bole in his argument, was of the conviction that insofar as political parties differ in terms of sizes and resources, big parties would naturally attract more attention and followers.
Mr Mahama said the media would encounter difficulties if they decided to feature activities of political parties equally.
He disagreed with Nana Akufo Addo's assessment of the Daily Graphic on the matter based on the previous week's editions of the paper before moving his motion.
The Communications Minister stated that the conclusions drawn by Nana Akufo Addo indicating the NDC's domination of the political page of the paper has no scientific base.
Mr Mahama pointed out that the argument of responsible, fair and balanced reporting, by the media apply to both the state-owned and the private Media.
He, therefore, found the excesses in the private media rather unfortunate.
On the role of the Information Services Department (ISD) in ensuring equity and fairness to the activities of all political parties, the Communications Minister pointed out that ISD falls under the ambit of the Civil Service with supervision from the Communications Ministry.
He said since the Department propagates government programmes to the public and sends feedback, it is procedurally wrong to expect the Media Commission to ensure that ISD gives equal access of space and time to all political parties.
Winding up, Mr Mahama charged the Media Commission to carry out fair investigations into the matter, come back to inform the House in order for members to take a firm decision.
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Government procuring more cars for doctors - Minister
Accra (Greater Accra), 24th June 99 -
The ministry of health is procuring more vehicles for distribution to doctors and other health professionals in the districts, especially those in the deprived areas, Mr Samuel Nuamah Donkor, the sector minister, told parliament on Wednesday.
He said out of 100 vehicles bought by the government for the health sector in 1997, 50 were allocated to the Ghana Medical Association for distribution to its members. The ministry distributed the remaining 50 through the various professional health associations.
Mr Nuamah Donkor who was answering questions in the house during "Question Time", explained that the criteria used in the distribution of the vehicles included the number of years of service, non-beneficiaries of car loans and service in deprived areas.
Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, NPP-Asante Akyem North, wanted to know the criteria used by the ministry in the distribution of vehicles to medical personnel in the country, and when doctors in his constituency would benefit from the exercise.
The Minister assured the member that doctors in Asante Akyem North and their colleagues in other districts "will benefit from the package in due course".
Mr Nuamah Donkor told the house that to operationalise the Food and Drugs (Amendment) Act 1996, Act 532, the essence of which is to ensure that only iodated salt is marketed locally, the Food and Drugs Board was inaugurated in 1997.
He said the ministry, working with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), had brought into Ghana machines for the iodation of salt.
The ministry, he said, had charged the Ghana Standards Board and the Food and Drugs Board to set up a technical committee to devise strategies to flood the market with iodated salt.
The minister said measures have also been taken to prevent exporters from diverting the non-iodated salt meant for export, into the local market.
He was reacting to a question on what measures the ministry has taken to ensure effective implementation of the provisions of the Food and Drugs (Amendment) Act, 1996, Act 532.
Mr Malik Al-Hassan Yakubu, NPP-Yendi, asked the minister whether he is aware that the Yendi hospital rehabilitation project is more than two years behind schedule, and that the scope of work in certain areas has been reduced?
Mr Nuamah Donkor said the ministry was aware of the delay and attributed this to design and engineering studies as well as changes made by end-users, which were not originally within the scope of the work, leading to cost overruns, among other factors.
He, however, disagreed with the questioner that there had been reduction in the scope of work in certain areas of the project.
The Minister explained that due to the cost overruns resulting from changes in the original design to meet demands of end-users, certain parts of the project had to be phased out to enable civil works to be carried out.
He assured Mr Yakubu that the ministry has not abandoned the modern hostel project for the hospital.
"We consider the Yendi hospital as an important health facility which we intend to use among others, for teaching purposes for the Medical School of the University for Development Studies in Tamale."
He said the ministry would also sponsor the training of personnel in hospital, and financial and equipment management to enhance services at the hospital.
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Need for cocoa processing plant stressed
Accra (Greater Accra) 24 June ’99
A member of parliament on Wednesday called for the establishment of more cocoa processing plants in the country to add value to the product and to provide jobs for the people.
''If we don't process our beans into different finished and semi finished products but continue to export raw beans, our economy will continue to suffer shocks and disturbances,'' the member said.
Mr. I.K. Nyame Ofori, NDC-Sefwi Wiawso, who made the call in a statement to the house on current problems facing the cocoa industry said the country stand to gain in view of the decline in world cocoa prices.
Of the total annual production of about 400 000 tonnes, only 75,000 tonnes (19 per cent) is processed locally.
The member said, however, that such a plant should be sited at Sefwi Wiawso, which is the centre of the highest cocoa producing area in the country.
He said a sizeable piece of land has already been earmarked for such a venture, apart from this, water, electricity and good roads are available.
Mr. Ofori noted that increasing the amount processed locally would also reduce congestion at the ports.
He said farmers must be encouraged to increase productivity per hectare instead of the present system of clearing more and more of the forest reserves.
Farmers in Ghana achieve 400 kilograms per hectare as compared to 650 kilograms in Cote d'Ivoire and 800 kilograms in Malaysia.
''In order to increase production, various inputs to motivate and assist farmers must be made available to achieve higher yields per hectare.''
The house agreed to defer contributions to the statement in order to devote more time to it.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 June ’99
Mrs. Ama Benyiwa-Doe, a Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare on Wednesday commended the Black Queens, the national women's soccer team, for the achievement chalked so far at the on going Women's World Cup in the USA.
In a statement to the house she said the one-one drawn game against the Matildas of Australia is no mean achievement considering the fact that the training backgrounds of the two teams are not the same.
''The drawn game is recommendable result. Though this was their first appearance in such competitive football, they were not intimidated into inferiority complexes, neither were they complacent.''
Mrs. Benyiwa-Doe said' "the fact that they were reduced to 10 and yet held their opponents to a drawn game portrays the resilience, tenacity of purpose and the willingness to die a little for the nation, a characteristic trait of Ghanaian women".
''This confirms the saying that 'what a man can do, a woman can sometimes do better.''
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