Papa takes over Parliamentary leadership
Politicians must enter agriculture - Kedem
Ministerial nominees referred to Appointments Committee
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 October 2001-The third meeting of the first session of third
Parliament of the Fourth Republic began on Tuesday after two months recess.
The 200 member-House would consider seven bills including those of the National Reconciliation Commission and the Bank of Ghana.
Others are the Fisheries, National AIDS Commission, National Honours and Investiture, Ghana Investment Funds and Customs, Excise and Prevention Service (Management) (Amendment).
Eight instruments to be tabled include the Citizenships Regulation, 2001, L. I. 1690, Immigration Regulations, 2001, L. I.1691 and Water Use Regulations, 2001 L. I. 1692.
Five papers including an agreement between the government of the United States of America and Republic of Ghana on Narcotics Control are scheduled for consideration.
About 225 questions are to be asked.
Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, Speaker asked members to keep up the level of co-operation and understanding that have guided the House to make the meeting a successful one.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 17 October 2001-Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, the Majority Leader, on Tuesday officially handed over his chair to Papa Owusu-Ankomah, NPP-Sekondi in a short and emotional ceremony when Parliament resumed its third meeting after two months break.
Mr Mensah occupying the leadership chair got up, after the Speaker Mr Peter Ala Adjetey had welcomed members back from the holidays, and informed the House that the NPP (New Patriotic Party) Parliamentary caucus has endorsed Papa Owusu-Ankomah, who until this morning was the Deputy Majority Leader, to replace him.
Mr Mensah, a Septuagenarian Economist, now heads the government's economic team. Papa Owusu-Ankomah was moved from the Youth and Sports ministerial portfolio in last week's Cabinet reshuffle.
Mr Mensah asked the House to co-operate with his successor just as it did while he was the leader.
He left his front row chair and took his seat on the ministerial row. Mr Alban Bagbin, the Minority Leader, said it was right that the error earlier made by President John Agyekum Kufuor in announcing the leadership of the House has been corrected by bringing the issue to Parliament according to its Standing Orders.
"The NPP has realised the need to organise their team to grapple with the machinery of governance. We now recognise Papa Owusu-Ankomah as the Majority Leader of the House and will co-operate with him for democratic culture to take root".
Mr Bagbin reiterated that the Minority while co-operating with the ruling government would keep the Majority on their toes for good governance.
He commended Mr Mensah for his prolific contributions to debates, which showed that he was well groomed for democratic practices and for being able to accommodate every member of the House.
Mr Bagbin said: "We have a lot to learn from him." Papa Owusu-Ankomah gave the assurance that he would live up to expectations and that the announcement in the House about his new position was only to formalise the NPP Constitution and that of the Standing Orders of Parliament.
He said: "It is not infringement of the Constitution (for the President to announce the leadership of the House)."
The Speaker, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey while congratulating Papa Owusu-Ankomah on his new position asked that a Deputy Majority Leader should be appointed soon to assist the leader. He commended Mr Mensah for his immense contributions to the work of the House.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 17 October 2001-Mr Kosi Kedem, NDC-Hohoe South, on Tuesday urged members of Parliament and Ministers of State to enter into agriculture to pull the rest of the society along with them.
He asked government to make it a policy that only persons owning farms would be appointed to serve in government.
The member suggested that Ghana should copy the agriculture policy of La Cote d'Ivoire while contributing to a statement on World Food Day delivered by Mr Alex Kwaku Korankye, NPP-Asante Akyem South.
Mr Korankye called for stringent measures to improve the poor food supply in the country.
"As a matter of fact, any true and meaningful democracy must be properly viewed against the background of how adequately and regularly the people in that particular constituency feed themselves."
He said: "Any government which fails to make sure that the people are well fed can be described as hollow because it has failed to address the fundamental problem of man's survival."
He commended the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for initiating policies to address the food situation in the country.
Alhaji Mustapha Iddris, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, called for the conscious efforts to address the cultivation, processing and marketing of food since most of the time, food was plenty where little was needed.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 17 October 2001-The Speaker, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey on Tuesday referred four people the President has nominated for ministerial positions to the Parliamentary Appointments Committee.
They are Mr Yaw Barimah, MP for Koforidua and Deputy Minister of the Interior is now nominated for appointment as Minister of Works and Housing while Mr Edward Osei-Kwaku, a Deputy Minister of Presidential Affairs now becomes the Minister of Youth and Sports.
The others are Mr Imoro Andani, Chief Executive of the Tamale Municipal Assembly, is now nominated as Northern Region Minister while Professor Kasim Kassanga, a Deputy Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines now becomes a full Minister of the new Ministry of Lands and Forestry decoupling Mines to become a full ministry in its own right. Mr Ala Adjetey asked the committee to expedite action on their vetting.
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