GRi in Parliament Ghana 18 – 06 - 2001
Minority rejects submissions by Minister for
Media Relations.
Parliament to examine nation's foreign accounts
Justice Annan urges Parliament to work by consensus
Minority rejects submissions by Minister for
Media Relations.
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 June 2001
The Minority in Parliament on Friday rejected submissions by the Minister for Media Relations on how to forestall the frequent interruptions in television transmission in the Volta Region and parts of the Eastern Region.
The stand of the Minority was that the Minister, Ms Elizabeth Ohene was not the right person to answer the question and argued that the Minister of Transport and Communication should have been the appropriate person to do so since the matter bordered on technicalities.
The Minority Chief Whip, Mr Doe Adjaho had disrupted the submissions of the Minister saying the question should have been referred to the appropriate ministry.
The First Deputy Speaker, Mr Freddie Blay asked Ms Akua Sena Dansua, NDC Dayi, the questioner, whether Ms Ohene should be allowed to answer her question.
Ms Dansua requested that the question should be stepped down to enable her to consult with the leadership of her side.
Dr Kwabena Adjei, NDC-Biakoye, said Members of the House have the fundamental duty to put matters in the right perspective and they should not countenance any moves that were not in tune with the orders of the House.
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, NDC- Wenchi West, contended that it was necessary for the member, who posed the question to be made to refer it to the Appropriate Minister for the necessary response.
Ms Ohene was thus made to discontinue with her submissions until the Minority arrived at a decision.
Mr J. H. Mensah, the Majority Leader and Minister for Government Business, said even though the Minority have a case he has just had a release to the effect that Ghana Broadcasting Corporation has been placed under the direction of the Ministry of Media Relations.
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 June 2001
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Peter Adjetey on Sunday said the House would now have to examine the Foreign Accounts of the nation as the Constitution empowers it to do.
He said the Constitution enjoins Parliament to examine the nation's foreign accounts at least every six months and expressed regret that this had hitherto not been done perhaps because the legislature was not itself aware that it has such powers.
Mr Adjetey was giving the closing remarks at the end of a two-day induction seminar for 200 Members of Parliament the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), which was sponsored by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).
He stressed the need to equip all MPs intellectually to enable them to play their legislative roles effectively and examine public accounts with insight and dispatch.
He said as stipulated in the Constitution, the Speaker would henceforth close and open Parliament as against the previous practice where the President opens the legislature.
President only delivers an address on the state of the nation and that address should not be referred to as "Sessional Address", he said.
Presenting a paper on "Budgetary process and public accounts and finance committees", Mr J. H. Mensah, the Majority Leader and Minister of Government
Business, said the money that the executive allocates for expenditure in its budget does not belong to the government.
It was the taxpayers that generate revenue to finance the government machinery and thus enabling the undertaking of projects on behalf of the citizenry.
"The popular way of talking about public finance is to say government has provided six million for a hospital here or government cannot afford single-handedly to bear all the costs of university education.
"This gives the impression that the government of the day, somehow somewhere has its own financial resources with which it benevolently comes to the assistance of the citizens", Mr Mensah said.
He said this thinking was wrong and expressed regret that learned MPs and public servants also fall prey to the thinking.
He stressed that the government has no other money anywhere and whatever money the government spends comes out from the pockets of the citizens or even if it is borrowed it is done on behalf of the people, who must repay it.
Mr Mensah, therefore, urged the MPs and the people to demand accountability from their governments.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 June 2001
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice on Saturday urged Members of Parliament (MPs) to assert themselves in fields they are knowledgeable in so that their contributions could be effective and enrich parliamentary work.
He said MPs, who are not heard in Parliament normally face accusations from their constituents of not being vocal, although they might be good parliamentary materials.
Nana Akufo-Addo was presenting a paper on practice and procedure of the House on Standing Orders at a two-day induction seminar sponsored by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) for the 200 MPs at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
Nana Akufo-Addo said an MP could develop authority in the field he or she was interested and be able to put coherent and convincing points during debates or when making contributions.
"Such effective contribution could be heard and will enrich the work of Parliament," he said.
"It is necessary too for the MP to make interventions and contributions by quoting the relevant portions of the Standing Orders to make a point."
Nana Akufo-Addo said the MP is called by the name of his constituency because the reference to a unit area conjures or triggers the country's unity in diversity.
Mr Samuel Ntim Darkwa, Former Clerk of Parliament, spoke on the structure of Parliament and the roles of the Speaker, Deputy Speakers, the Majority and Minority leaders.
Mr Darkwa called for the constant review of the Standing Orders to bring them in line with current parliamentary practices.
Mr Alban Bagbin, the Minority Leader, in a paper on the Committee System, urged Select Committees to take their work seriously because the greater part of parliamentary work is done at that level.
He said the work of the committees called for research and important meetings, which promote democratic practices.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 June 2001
The former Speaker of Parliament, Mr Justice Daniel F. Annan on Saturday, urged Parliament to adopt a healthy consensus building for sustainable national development.
Speaking on the role of the Legislature in Governance at a two-day induction seminar for Members of Parliament (MPS), Mr Justice Annan said "given the strength of the parties in parliament, a reasonable case could quite clearly be made for a well defined policy of consensus building."
The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) is hosted the seminar sponsored by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).
Mr Justice Annan said in a developing country like Ghana, "democracy is a lot more about the economies of national development".
"Parliament's collective leadership in its institutional capacity branch of government could provide an incentive for developing informal discussions between current and former political office holders be they Presidents, Ministers, MPS or Party Leaders"
Me Justice Annan said good governance is now associated with sound economic policies, access to equitable health, effective management of the public sector and the development of a free, articulate and responsible society anchored on the rule of law and the respect for fundamental human rights.
He said the legal machinery must be such that it has independent commissions that are effective for the protection of the rights of citizens without bias on grounds of ethnicity or gender.
The legislature must be committed to the principles and practices of transparency and accountability of leaders in politics, public administration, private sector and civil society generally.
GRi../
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