Roads in Volta Region seem not to matter –
Kedem
Government does not control the State Media
Roads in Volta Region seem not to matter –
Kedem
Accra (Greater Accra) 02 November 2000
Mr Kosi Kedem, Member of Parliament for Hohoe South, was the toast of the Minority in Parliament on Wednesday as he lamented the neglect of roads in the Volta Region.
The NDC member, who is seeking re-election, said the poor state of roads in the region was not accidental but the result of a deliberate official omission.
He was contributing to a motion for the adoption of a report on a 91.2 million-dollar loan agreement being contracted by the government from New Energy and Product Ventures to finance the rehabilitation of the 84-kilometre Sogakope-Aflao Road.
Mr Kedem said a lot of promises have been made on the improvement of the roads in the region and now it looks as if the promises are mere political gimmicks intended to throw "dust in the eyes of the people".
Mr Hackman Owusu Agyeman, NPP-New Juaben North, said the ruling government has failed the people and should be voted out of power. He said the ruling party is harbouring people who do not see to the welfare of the people.
On point of order, Squadron Leader Sowu (rtd), NDC-Anlo, said the saboteurs lurk in the public service. Mr Mike Hammah, Deputy Minister of Roads and Transport, said it is the wish of government to distribute the resources of the nation equitably.
He said in most cases donor-funded projects have certain conditionalities that are unfavourable yet cannot be ignored. The Deputy Minister assured members that all efforts would be made to get the project completed on schedule.
He said poor remuneration and other conditions of service do not help the Ministry to retain the needed qualified staff.
According to the report on the loan issued by Commodore Steve Obimpeh, Chairman of the Finance Committee, the real cost of the project is 50 million dollars with the remaining going into the rehabilitation of the Sogakope-Ho road, Ho Township roads and the Kete-Krachi-Dambai road.
Repayment of the loan would start in 2005 and last through 2015 with an interest rate of 2.5 per cent. Cdre. Obimpeh said the three-year project is expected to start next year.
The project will upgrade the trunk road to a single carriageway with two lanes and drains running along. He said the provision of traffic control devices and the improvement in the alignment of the poor sections of the road to enhance safety are part of the package. The road forms apart of Ghana's portion of the Trans-West Africa Highway.
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Government does not control the State Media
Accra (Greater Accra) 02 November 2000
Mr John Mahama, Minister of Communications, on Wednesday told Parliament that the government does not control the state media and that any complaints from its operations should be directed to the National Media Commission (NMC).
"I don't have any control or direction on the editorial matters of the state-owned media and this is in compliance with the constitution."
Mr Mahama was responding to a debate in the House after the Minority had said they only hear the jingles of only one political party from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).
The debate was on the adoption of a report on 48.75 million-Deutsche Mark loan for the GBC to modernise and expand the corporation's television and FM Radio networks. The loan is being contracted from Rhode and Schwartz Company of Germany.
Supporting the motion, Alhaji Malik Yakubu, (NPP-Yendi) said there was the urgent need to modernise GTV to expand its coverage.
He said that it was also necessary that the GBC should be fair in its coverage of political activities and not feature the jingles of only one political party. This drew shouts of "We pay for it; we pay for it; you, too go and pay" from the Majority. Mr Mahama commended the GBC for its performance and said "it is even on record that many Minority members of parliament have shared similar sentiments and were happy for having access to, especially, the radio".
He repeated that the government has no intention of divesting the state- owned media, adding that the privatisation of the New Times Corporation and the Graphic Group of Companies had been shelved.
Commodore Steve Obimpeh (rtd), Chairman of the Finance Committee, moving for the adoption of the report, said the loan is to enable the extension of TV coverage and FM radio broadcast by using the satellite distribution system to reach a majority of the population in the 10 regions of the country.
He said that, with the satellite system, effective TV and radio transmission would be ensured. This would lend support to distant and health education as well as other programmes.
The new satellite technology would fit into the existing network and enhance standardisation with less maintenance cost and be able to cope with the digital and computerised broadcast network.
All speakers from both the Majority and Minority sides to the debate supported the adoption of the loan report.
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