Nketiah says NPP run false govt for past year
Pictures speak louder than words
NDC
MPs must see a psychiatrist
Parliament begins debate on President's address
Kufuor’s
sessional address is positive - Medical association
Rawlings declines to comment on President Kufuor's address
President urges district assemblies to assert authority
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 February 2002 - Parliament on today unanimously agreed to thank President John Agyekum Kufuor for delivering the State of the Nation Address after two weeks of debate during which the Minority attempted to tear it into shreds while the Majority pieced it together.
A motion standing in the name of Mr Kwasi Kyeremateng, NPP-Afigya Sekyere East requested the House to thank the President for delivering the address as the Constitution demanded.
In summing up the debate, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, the Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, said some members described the address as hollow, lacking in focus and direction while others saw it as excellent, forthright and courageous. "It was like an elephant which when people touched its different parts describe it in the way they felt it. Some said it was tender while others said it was hard".
Papa Owusu-Ankomah said it must be acknowledged that Parliament had had its legislative and deliberative duty in debating the address devoid of fear and intimidation. He said members should feel-free to raise matters in the House to strengthen the practice of parliamentary democracy rather than carrying them to the media.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah said the budget, which would be presented on Thursday would encompass the nitty-gritty of the address which was rather a broad out-look on the entire State of the Nation.
Mr Alban Bagbin, the Minority Leader said the NPP should purge itself from the culture of intolerance and harping on what the National Democratic Congress (NDC) should have done or could not do.
He said: "If the NDC had done everything well there will be no justification for the good people of Ghana to vote the NPP (New Patriotic Party) into power. If we have made mistakes, it is for the NPP to correct them and move the nation forward according to their electoral promises."
Mr Bagbin said the NPP had thrown more than three million people out of job and could not fulfil its promise of creating 100,000 jobs in its 100 days in office.
He said the affected workers were from NADMO, private lottery operators and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and asked whether these were negative or positive achievement since the NPP claimed to represent a positive change.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 04 February 2002 - The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has described the President's state of the nation's address to Parliament as very positive with regard to the health sector. According to GMA, the President's address actually identified all the priority areas in the health sector that needed to be tackled.
The association's appraisal of the President's sessional address to Parliament has come at a time when Minority Leader in Parliament, Hon Alban Bagbin has described it as an empty speech, which was only aimed at scrutinizing the former NDC administration.
In a release issued by the GMA on Friday and signed by its President, Dr Jacob Plange-Rhule, a day following President Kufuor's address, the association intimated that the refurbishment and modernization of health facilities which took prominence in the President's address are very important for the delivery of quality health to the people of Ghana as well as his emphasis on preventive medicine and environmental sanitation.
While acknowledging the fact, the address did recognise the biggest difficulty facing the health sector, which has to do with brain drain. The GMA further welcomed the announcement by the President to address the conditions of service and remuneration for doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other paramedics as a measure to encourage them to remain within the country to offer their needed services.
Another integral part of the President's speech, which was of much concern to the Association was the pronouncement of the establishment of the Ghana Postgraduate Medical College, which according to the GMA, it is a step in the right direction. The GMA believes that there is no doubt that the initiative is one of the ways of stemming the brain drain of doctors from the country, the release concluded.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 14 February 2002 - Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, NDC-Kumbungu, on Wednesday said President John Agyekum Kufuor's zero tolerance dictum was applicable to the government's "zero tolerance for opposition". Under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government there has been suppression of political opponents, intimidation, gagging and intolerance, he said.
Contributing to the debate on the President's State of the Nation Address, Alhaji Mumuni gave a catalogue of incidents, which he regarded as blight on the NPP administration's claim of being the apostles of the rule of law and the protagonists of democracy.
Alhaji Mumuni, whose contribution met a lot of hecklings, point of orders and uproar from the Majority side declared that the claim by President Kufuor that his government was a listening one could be described "as a government that listens but does not hear."
Alhaji Mumuni, who was continuing the debate he had to cut short on Tuesday when the Speaker ruled him out that he would not be heard in the House because he had refused to withdraw a statement, purported to have been made by Mr J.H. Mensah, Senior Minister at an NPP congress in Accra.
He withdrew the statement on Wednesday and apologised to the House for the Speaker to allow him to continue his contribution to the debate.
He said although the majority of Ghanaians opted for the 1957 time frame for the Reconciliation Bill, the government ignored that opinion. Alhaji Mumuni said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) consequently sent a petition to the President on the issue that the law if assented to would rather divide the nation and polarise the body politic.
"The President did not even acknowledge receipt of the petition. That is not a government that listens," he said. Alhaji Mumuni said Albert Hamid Odinga, a Belize national and a friend to Former President Jerry John Rawlings was arrested under bizarre conditions and was charged under the seditious law when at that time that law was under repeal.
After the repeal of the law Odinga has been under arrest at the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) since June, last year and his lawyers have now filed a habaes corpus at the appeal court.
At that juncture the Speaker, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey drew the House's attention to the fact that Parliament has no right to touch on a case that was pending at a court of jurisdiction.
Alhaji Mumuni continuing said his own car was seized from him by the security services for more than six months and it was only released to him through the intervention of Mr J. H. Mensah, Senior Minister, while the same government detained Mr E. T. Mensah, a member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram for more than 48 hours contrary to the Constitution.
This brought Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to his feet on point of order saying that the BNI once arrested him in Koforidua under the previous regime under suspicion. The Speaker said such matters should not be introduced into the debate and that "we must make progress. I was also in the BNI cells before."
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Accra (Greater Accra) 14 February 2002 - Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, NDC MP for Kubumgu, on Wednesday apologised to Parliament and withdrew the statement he made that led to an impasse in the House.
Alhaji Mumuni on Tuesday defied the ruling of the Speaker, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, to withdraw a statement he made when he was contributing to President John Agyekum Kufuor's State of Nation Address.
The Speaker then ruled that he was not to be heard in the House and that he was referring the matter to the Privileges Committee. Following an amicable solution the Leadership of the House brokered, Mr Mumuni withdrew the statement, saying: "I did not intend to abuse the authority of the Speaker. I don't want the issue to ruin relationship in the House".
The Speaker said Mr Mumuni, by his withdrawal, had "purged himself of any contempt. The matter will no longer be referred to the Privileges Committee." Mr Adjetey said it was the dignity of the House and not that of his personal self that was at stake. "It will be an affront on the House to accept unsubstantiated statements."
He said what happened on tuesday was that the member did not have the proof to substantiate. Mr Alban Bagbin, the Minority Leader, said he believed that whatever the merit or demerit of what happened, the House should be able to find amicable solution to it.
He said he hoped the Speaker would put the issue behind him and allow the members to continue the debate. Papa Owusu Ankomah, the Majority Leader associated himself with Mr Bagbin's intervention and said as a House, any issue that would bring about disharmony must be resolved in such a way that communication did not break down.
When the Speaker gave way to Alhaji Mumuni to continue with his debate, the NDC-MP bounced back to attack President Kufuor's government and accused it of suppression political opponents, intolerance and its ability "of listening but not hearing". Alhaji Mumuni's contribution drew hecklings and point of orders from the Majority side of the House.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 February 2002 - The Leadership of Parliament on Tuesday said they were working together to find an amicable solution to an impasse that hit the House during the debate on President John Agyekum Kufuor's State of the Nation Address. The Speaker Mr Peter Ala Adjetey had barred Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, NDC-Kunbungu, from speaking in the chamber of Parliament until further notice.
The Member had refused to comply with a ruling the Speaker gave, demanding of him to withdraw a statement he had made in his contribution to the debate. "Mr Speaker, I would look ridiculous in the face of Ghanaians if I withdraw, since the statement is a well known fact," Alhaji Mumuni had said.
The Speaker then replied: "Then I can no longer hear you. You would not be heard in the House until the Committee on Privileges has sat and made recommendations on the matter."
The Member had asserted that during the last New Patriotic Party (NPP) congress, Mr J. H. Mensah, Senior Minister, said by the time the trial of former National Democratic Congress (NDC) officials was over, the party would have collapsed and claimed that there were subtle manoeuvres by the government to subdue the Minority.
Mr Abraham Ossei-Aidoo, NPP-Tema West and the Majority Chief Whip, rose on a point of order and challenged Alhaji Mumuni that Mr Mensah never said those words and prayed the Speaker to ask the member to withdraw it.
The Speaker asked Alhaji Mumuni to substantiate his statement or to withdraw it. Alhaji Mumuni said the statement had been published widely in the media and had not been refuted and declared that he would look ridiculous if he did so.
The Speaker then ruled that he would not be heard and that the case was being referred to the Privileges Committee of Parliament because it was an affront to him since a member could not challenge his ruling without a substantive motion.
Papa Owusu-Ankomah, the Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, speaking to the media in his office after the House had adjourned, said the Leadership would resolve the issue in a manner that would not do any damage to the proceedings there.
He said open defiance to the Speaker was a serious thing but it should be recognised that parliamentary proceedings "are always emotive. You live with the Speaker's ruling. If you don't where do you go," he asked.
Mr Alban Bagbin, the Minority Leader, said: "For a member and the Speaker to disagree is a normal parliamentary practice." Mr Bagbin, who was not in the chamber during the incident, said he was in touch with the Speaker and that the Leadership of the House would come out with an amicable solution on matter. "It is part of a parliamentary game. I don't see it as a serious matter that will affect proceedings in the House."
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 February 2002 - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Tuesday said it had forgiven the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for subjecting them to severe criticisms when they were in power in the spirit of reconciliation and the development of the nation.
The Minority denied that they were lambasting President John Agyekum Kufuor's state of the nation address as retribution of the bashes the NPP had subjected the addresses of ex-President Rawlings to in the past.
Mr Isaac Adjei-Mensah, NDC-Techiman South, and the Deputy Minority Leader raised the issue on a point of order to correct the contribution by Mr Alex Korankye, NPP-Asante Akim South, that the Minority was paying back the NPP in its own coins.
Mr Korankye said: "I am not surprised that the Minority has for more than one week or so now been describing President Kufuor's address as uninspiring, lacked bite, hollow and et cetera.
"I must confess that it is not surprising to hear them do so because when Rawlings delivered his 2000 address it received bashes from the then Minority. They are paying us back."
Mr Adjei-Mensah replied: "Don't impute bad motives to our cause. We are contributing to our nation's development. It is not retribution. "We are doing it in the spirit of reconciliation. We have forgiven you."
Mr Korankye continuing his contribution said the President's address was premised on the pursuit of vigorous infrastructure development, modernisation of agriculture and enhanced social services with special emphasis on education and health, good governance and private sector development.
He said President Kufuor has demonstrated that he had the political will to take decisions and he has done that by stabilising the cedi, taken the state out of a state of hopelessness, fear, intimidation, poverty and indiscipline.
Mr Korankye said: "The address encompasses everything that Ghanaians needed to develop. There is light at the end of the tunnel."
Mr Mumuni Seidu, NDC-Wa Central said criticism and tolerance were the beauties to parliamentary democracy and urged the government to be tolerant of critical views. "It is unfortunate that some of us have not acquired the acceptance of criticism and have become worst enemies to democracy and have fallen into complacency.
"I was gladly satisfied that the NPP was continuing about 85 per cent of NDC's projects and policies unlike other regimes when the ruling government threw overboard the policies of previous government. "We should not allow change of government lead to change of policies. This is what we want in Ghana."
Mr Seidu said the government should, however, pursue its promises and that one would have expected that the President had concluded the work on the code of conduct for his ministers as he promised in his previous address.
He said he agreed with the President that one must first know where one was coming from to be able to know where one was going but that one year was long enough for the NPP "to know where we are going."
Mr Seidu said the fact that there was the need to review the educational reform programme did not mean that it had failed and that in reviewing it the government should not adopt any gimmicks and play to the gallery because the exercise was more important "than giving promises".
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Accra (Greater Accra) 13 February 2002 - Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, on Tuesday said the legislative instruments setting up the district assemblies are to be reviewed to ensure their effective functioning.
The size of the membership of the District Assemblies are also being looked into while consideration of over 70 applications for creation of new ones would be covered in conformity with the law and the economic capability of the country.
At the resumed debate on the State of the Nation Address by President J. A. Kufuor, Mr Baah-Wiredu told Parliament that a team had been constituted to work on the Local Service Bill to be submitted to Parliament during this session.
Mr Baah-Wiredu said guidelines on the Members of Parliament share of the District Assemblies' Common Fund were to be enforced. On sanitation, the Minister said a comprehensive plan was being organised to handle waste disposal at residential, commercial and industrial centres while solid and liquid waste would be cleared especially choked drains at lorry parks and markets.
Mr Baah-Wiredu said a proposal for setting June 28th as Sanitation Day ("Cleanup") with the support of non-governmental organisations, the private sector, schools, churches/mosques, the media, politicians and rotary club was being considered.
He said 86 billion cedis belonging to District Assemblies, which have not benefited from the sanitation vehicle deduction of five per cent for the years of 1998, 1999 and 2000 were to be given back to them to help them fight the sanitation situations of their areas.
Mr Baah-Wiredu called for the needed support and good governance, so that the country would experience a sustainable and an enhanced local socio-economic development. After the Minister's contribution the NDC members did not make any input.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 February 2002 - Mr John Setuni Achuliwor, Deputy Minister for Communication and Technology, on Thursday said the achievements chalked in the macro-economy over the past year had restored confidence in the banking system.
He said due to the stabilisation of the cedi, the banks have now responded by lowering their base rates to an average of about 35 per cent from an average of about 50 per cent at the beginning of last year.
Contributing to the debate on the State of the Nation address delivered by President John Agyekum Kufuor last week, Mr Achuliwor said there had been a significant growth in savings and time deposits, indicating lower inflationary expectations and increased confidence in the holding of domestic assets.
He said inflation, which raged at 40.5 per cent in 2000 has now come down to 21.3 per cent with the cedi also stabilising against the major currencies recording a marginal annual depreciation of only 3.6 per cent as compared to an annual depreciation of 91.5 per cent.
Mr Achuliwor said the government had also reversed the imbalances in the economy such as high inflation, sharp depreciation of the cedi against convertible currencies, high interest rates and huge domestic and external debts and a demoralised private sector.
The government also needed commendation for clearing all arrears inherited in the public sector; such as the District Assemblies' Common Fund and the Ghana Education Trust Fund and paid 214 billion cedis out of the 234 billion cedis arrears.
Mr Achuliwor, who is the NPP member for Navrongo Central, said if proper focus was placed on the five priority areas of the President's address, there would be accelerated growth that would be the envy to most governments.
On the transport sector, the Deputy Minister said the idea of stimulating the rail system would improve urban railway services while the telecommunication industry would receive further boost due to the positive change the government was bringing about.
Mr Achuliwor said the government by placing irrigation on its high priority agenda would not only encourage the numerous tomato farmers in his constituency but would allow for more farmers to go into supplementary farming.
Mr Modestus Ahiable, NDC-Ketu North said the address contained inconsistencies and failed to address various atrocities in the past, which had continued to confront the people.
He said the address did not mention the issues of harassment, equitable distribution of funds under emergency social relief and poverty alleviation and the cocoa spraying exercise, which he claimed were all partisan.
Mr Ahiable said on assumption of office, the government withdrew military guards for police guards but a military officer was guarding the President just a year after, which was a clear case of inconsistency.
He said the government asking district assemblies to hold decentralised departments accountable was unconstitutional since no law backs the directive. Mr Ahiable said the GETFund would not succeed without further support if the government went ahead with its plan to upgrade at least one senior secondary school in each of the 110 districts.
Mr Paul Collins Appiah-Ofori, NPP-Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa said for the past five years there had been short falls in the internally generated revenues, which had had a telling effect on the economy. He said the government's economic policy was, therefore, in the right direction since it would bring about sanity in the socio-economic development of the country.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 February 2002 - Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Member of Parliament for Wenchi West on Wednesday said that a false government had been run for the past year in which the President and his members appeared to be organising forums as if views expressed at these meetings represented public opinion.
"What the government is doing only appears that they want to be told only what they want to hear, proceed to hear it, act upon what they have heard as if that was public opinion and organise praises for themselves".
Continuing the debate on the President's State of the Nation address, delivered to the House on January 31, Mr Nketiah said during the past year, "the NPP government has clearly demonstrated their shortcomings in speech writing and document preparation that it would be absurd for any critical observer to expect a better presidential address than what has been presented".
During the past year, "we have witnessed what appears to be orchestrated durbars to honour government functionaries merely for their being appointed into various offices but not their achievements in those offices", Mr Nketiah further said.
The reality was that violent criminality was on the increase with armed robbers daring the security agencies, the MP said, adding that the witticism of the President's address that: "Governments and employers pretend to pay workers, who in turn pretend to work" was a falsehood, since nowhere in the recent past had this been more applicable than the past year.
The past year had not seen any significant increases in salaries, no releases for items two and five on the budget and no transport claims for, especially agricultural extension workers, Mr Nketiah observed and added that the government did not believe in the rule of law since it appointed public servants before they were requested to apply for the jobs.
The Minister of Communications ordered right-hand drive buses, which was clearly against the law with the explanation that they intended to amend the law in future. He commended the government for its recognition that land acquisition was a critical factor to be addressed in farming but cautioned that mechanisation through leasing of tractors would not succeed without other support.
Mr Nketiah, who is the NDC ranking member on agriculture, called for a critical look at the collapsing cotton industry and to consider the use of composite flour for pastries.
He said the cocoa industry has so far not enjoyed any "pride of place" in the government's attention as was being alleged, adding that smuggling was a rational response of cocoa farmers to bad government marketing policy.
Mr Gabriel Yaw Amoah, NPP-Bosome-Freho and Chairman of the Committee on Local Government, commended the President for his forthrightness in identifying the problems of the local government system and trying to find solutions.
He said lack of political will, by the previous government to implement the decentralisation programme had created a lot of inconsistencies at the district assembly level.
Mr Amoah said of particular concern was the setting up of the Non-Formal Education Division (NFED), which absorbed most trained teachers and depleted most schools of qualified teachers in the interest of adult education.
He said adult education rightly belonged to the Department of Community Development and to improve the sector there was the need for the non-formal sector to be referred back to the department.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 February 2002 - Mr Boahene Aidoo, Western Regional Minister on Wednesday needed more than words to state his position on the state of the nation address so he "tendered" in an album of pictures of feeder roads.
"Mr Speaker, I tender in these pictures in evidence of what I want to say." Mr Aidoo's action is the first of its kind in this session but joins the queue of members in previous Parliaments, especially, Mr Kwaku Baah, who took fried fish and kenkey to the Third Republican Parliament.
He said: "The pictures are in two sets and they tell two stories. The first one talk about what I met and the second one about what we have been able to do." Mr Aidoo said for the first time in the history of the Western Region, a long stretch of a feeder road had been tarred. Roads in his region were being put in good shape to facilitate development.
"The President was right for making infrastructure development the first priority among his priorities." Mr D. Y. Mensah,NDC-Atebubu North, said the government had portrayed to the world that Ghana was a patient "whose disease was incurable and the NDC, the virus responsible"
He said Ghanaians, especially opponents of the government, have been intimidated through arrests and threats. "So it left them no time to concentrate on the affairs of the nation." Mr Mensah commended government for supporting Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas to become the ECOWAS Executive Secretary.
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NDC MPs must see a psychiatrist
The
acrimony that has characterized parliamentary debates on President Kufuor’s
Sessional Address reached a crescendo on Thursday, with Members of Parliament
(MPs) resorting to abrasive language.
The Speaker
of Parliament, Hon Peter Ala Adjetey, on several occasions had to call upon
members who made such vitriolic statements to render apologies and conform to the
provisions of the Standing Orders of parliamentary proceedings.
The
insulting statements reached their peak when Hon Kwame Osei-Prempeh, MP for
Nsuta Kwamang, called on those NDC MPs who see the President’s State of the
Nation’s Address presented in Parliament as empty and without vision to see a
psychiatrist.
There was
near commotion in the House as NDC MPs became incensed by the statement made by
Hon Osei-Prempeh and demanded that he withdraw his statement. The Speaker,
whose attention was caught by the demands of the NDC minority MPs impressed
upon the MP for Nsuta Kwamang to withdraw his statement, which he did. - The
Ghanaian Chronicle.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 06 February 2002 - Parliament on Tuesday began a heated debate on the state of the nation's address presented to the House by the President John Agyekum Kufuor last Thursday. The state of the nation address, also known as sessional address, was on the government's achievements during the previous year and the plans for this year.
Mr Kwasi Akomea Kyeremateng, NPP-Afigya Sekyere East moved that the House should commend the President for the address, which was "like Nehemia seeking to rebuild the desolate walls of Jerusalem."
Quoting extensively from the book of Nehemia in the Bible, Mr Kyeremateng urged the President not to loose guard and to fail, notwithstanding "the current predictable distractions".
He said the President last year set goals for his government and brought down inflation to 25 per cent, the free fall of the cedi was halted and the menace of serial killers has come to an end.
Mr Kyeremateng said the government was taking steps to stem the brain-drain of health and other professionals, increasing enrolment in all training institutions, the establishment of post-graduate medical college and introduction of service condition policy for medical practitioners.
He said the government was also instituting training programmes for nurses to specialise, the introduction of degree course in nursing and others, which would include remuneration and incentive packages to those doctors, who would like to establish their practice in deprive communities are also being considered.
Mr Kyeremateng's motion suffered a dent, when he referred to Accra-Yamoransa, Accra-Aflao and Accra-Kumasi roads and said the NPP government was going to undertake their construction and would not suspend any project in an area whose people might have not voted for the government, as was the case in the NDC regime.
He alluded to the suspension of some project in his constituency because the people did not vote for the NDC. This brought Mr Doe Adjaho, Minority Chief Whip, and Mr Emmanuel Zumakpe, NDC Nadowli South to their feet on different points of orders claiming that although those roads had remained on the drawing board for a long time the Accra-Aflao road would have started in 2001 had the NPP government not gone HIPC.
Amidst shouts of "yeah, yeah" from the Minority side with the Majority side countering, "it is not true, it is not true", Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, the Speaker was forced to use his gavel to bring the House to order.
Mr Edward Salia, NDC-Jirapa said he was then the Minister of Roads and Transport and the suspension of those projects was due to lack of funds and was not based on any political motives by the previous government.
Mr Kenneth Dzirasah, Second Deputy Speaker, seeing that the House was becoming unruly advised that members should stay away clear from controversies to which the Speaker thank him for.
Mr Kyeremateng said "the President and his team within this one-year have worked tirelessly and deserve commendation" and that the President courageously spoke the bitter truth to give meaning to positive change.
Dr Kwabena Adjei, NDC-Biakoye took the House by storm when he said he was rising to second the motion with reluctance. The Speaker quickly brought him to track and told him that every member of the House was a free man who should be free to pursue an action freely and it was either for him to second the motion without reservation or not to second it at all.
This brought Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Minister of Foreign Affair, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Majority Leader and Mr Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader to cut in with jokes about Dr Adjei's approach to debates when he was a Majority Leader in the previous Parliament.
Dr Adjei in his characteristics combatant mood asked, "by the way whose judgement or assessment does President Kufuor use as the basis for believing that unlike the past regimes, his administration, can be exonerated from human rights, can claim to be impeccable upholders of the rule of law and is perceived to be more politically tolerant of opposition or dissent.
"It is very dangerous for any government to revel in positive self-assessment and in the assessment of its performance". He said the President ought to have told Ghanaians about how all-inclusive his government really was to dispel the perception that his government "is the most exclusive in political and ethnic terms than any other in the political history of post-independence Ghana".
Dr Adjei asked whether it was true that the NPP regime within 12 months added six trillion to its external debt of some 41 trillion, and if so, why should an apparently debt-averse government take about 800 million dollars loan from external sources in one year.
He said the address deserved to be described as empty, hollow, lacking in substance and uninspiring.
GRi../
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The Ghana
Medical Association (GMA) has described the President’s state of the nation’s
address to Parliament as very positive with regard to the health sector.
According to GMA, the President’s address actually identified all the priority
areas in the health sector that needed to be tackled.
The
association’s appraisal of the President’s sessional address to Parliament has
come at a time when Minority Leader in Parliament, Hon Alban Bagbin has
described it as an empty speech, which was only aimed at scrutinizing the
former NDC administration.
In a
release issued by the GMA on Friday and signed by its President, Dr Jacob
Plange-Rhule, a day following President Kufuor’s address, the association
intimated that the refurbishment and modernization of health facilities which
took prominence in the President’s address are very important for the delivery
of quality health to the people of Ghana as well as his emphasis on preventive medicine and environmental sanitation.
While
acknowledging the fact, the address did recognise the biggest difficulty facing
the health sector, which has to do with brain drain. The GMA further welcomed
the announcement by the President to address the conditions of service and
remuneration for doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other paramedics as a measure
to encourage them to remain within the country to offer their needed services.
Another
integral part of the President’s speech, which was of much concern to the
Association was the pronouncement of the establishment of the Ghana
Postgraduate Medical College, which according to the GMA, it is a step in the
right direction. The GMA believes that there is no doubt that the initiative is
one of the ways of stemming the brain drain of doctors from the country, the
release concluded.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 February 2002 - Ex-President, Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings said on Thursday that he would not like to prejudice the peoples' mind about President John Agyekum Kufuor's State of the Nation Address delivered to Parliament.
He said it was for the masses to read between the lines and make their own judgement since "as at now they have become aware of the propaganda being peddled around by the government, so let us hear what they feel about the address".
Flt. Lt. Rawlings said at the Parliament House, where he had gone with his wife Nana Konadu Agyemang to listen to the address, that President Kufuor had made his speech and he would not want to make any comment until Members of Parliament had debated on it and made their input.
Dr Edward Mahama, Leader of the Peoples' National Convention (PNC) said the presence of the various political leaders, especially Flt. Lt. Rawlings gave hope for the development of democracy and nationalism and that it was not an occasion for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to rejoice about.
Dr Mahama said he would like to study the address before making any comments and that it was too early to pass judgement on a number of national issues without any background information.
Mr Dan Lartey, Leader of the Great Consolidated Peoples' Party (GCPP) described the address as empty and without any structure for development in the country. He said President Kufuor was just elaborating on loans contracted, which could not be used for development projects.
Mr Lartey expressed disappointment over the gradual phasing out of the "Cash and Carry" system in the address, adding, "we supported a positive change and not progressive change which seems to be the case now."
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 February 2002 - The Minority Leader Alban Bagbin on Thursday described President John Agyekum Kufuor's Sessional Address to Parliament as "uninspiring, without focus and lacking priority."
He said the address was rather disappointing, " because it is business as usual, outlining projects and programmes that were initiated and approved by the former National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
"This goes to vindicate us that we, as a government were doing the right things, so far as the development of the country was concerned'', Mr Bagbin said in an interview with the Ghana news Agency.
He said the Minority thought after one year in office, President Kufuor was going to come out with new plans and projects that his government was going to implement leading to a significant socio-economic change.
"He should not be telling us what we had already initiated and approved as a Parliament." The Minority Leader said "the Accra-Aflao and Accra- Yamouransa roads for instance, were approved by the last Parliament and is nothing new to us."
When asked if he saw nothing new and positive in President Kufuor's address, he said: " We do not see anything new in the whole address. If there is anything new, somebody should call my attention to it."
Mr Bagbin said the speech was not reconciliatory as it failed to recognise the presence of former President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife Nana Konadu Agyemang in the chamber.
"The address did not even recognise the presence of the Vice-President, Chief Justice and other notable persons, who were present. This is not reconciliatory enough and would not help the reconciliation process that we are trying to build."
The question of recognising dignitaries, who attended Parliament, came up for debate in Parliament recently and the Speaker Mr Peter Ala Adjetey ruled that such persons should not to be recognised since they were visitors to the House.
Mr Bagbin made reference to the State of the Union Address of the United States, where President George Bush showed respect and recognition to all the former leaders and notables present.
"The opening part of the speech did nothing but attack the previous regime, giving the impression that the previous regime did nothing worthy of credit." He said President Kufuor's prioritisation that put infrastructure ahead of good governance "shows that he has misplaced priorities."
Mr Joe Badoe Ansah, Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communication, Mr Joe Badoe Ansah's observation contrasted sharply that of Mr Bagbin, describing the address as "positive capturing the vision of the President, what had happened last year and how we intend to change things."
"The address takes a multi-sector approach to things and no doubt reflects the overall determination to development."
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Accra (Greater Accra) 01 February 2002 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday defended his government's decision to opt for the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative as the necessary response to the reality on the ground at the time.
"Our debts were suffocating us. They are mostly unproductive debts and we were spending more than half our revenue to simply pay the interest on them, leaving us with very little for urgently needed development," he said.
Delivering his Second State of the Nationa Address to Parliament he told the packed House that it was not difficult to come to the conclusion that Ghana was a highly indebted poor country because, "on the books and in reality, it was. Nobody can dispute that."
He said the country would within the next few weeks reach the decision point to facilitate the debt relief being sought. "Simply put, it means our creditors having been convinced that Ghana truly deserves a respite, would tell us on that date, how much relief they would grant us on our indebtedness.
"The indications from the G8 member countries, the world richest nations, who are our main creditors, are that we can expect a total write-off from most of them," he said.
President Kufuor said because Ghana opted for the initiative, its creditors suspended transfers of about 200 million dollars, which would have gone into paying interest on debts for last year.
The main conditionality that HIPC demanded was that the money accruing from the relief should be transparently channelled into poverty reduction strategy. "We cannot and we were not hoping to base our economic recovery programme on HIPC, nor, indeed, on Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) alone..... (HIPC) is only meant to give us some breathing space while we reorganise our affairs properly," he said.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 31 January 2002 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday said the Reconciliation Law was not intended to target any particular person or group for persecution.
The government only sought to provide an opportunity for people, who were aggrieved, to air their grievances and for the state to intervene to secure the appropriate redress to reconcile the nation and move it forward in unity and harmony, he said.
The President said: "It was a matter of deep regret to me that there was such acrimony during the debates. Let me state clearly that there is no hidden agenda on my part in the matter of this law."
President Kufuor said this on Tuesday when he delivered his Sessional Address on the State of the Nation to the Second Session of the Third Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana in Accra.
Members of the Council of State, the diplomatic corps, politicians, chiefs, the clergy and Service Commanders were at the Parliament House to listen to the two-hour address read from a 26-paged booklet.
The former President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife Nana Konadu also attended. The Minority group in Parliament on seeing the couple greeted them with cheers to which they responded as they took their seats on the front row of the public gallery.
President Kufuor said the independence of the National Reconciliation Commission in its work would be totally respected by government to ensure that it commanded trust and co-operation across board.
"This is the only way its objective of helping to reconcile the nation can be secured," he said. The President appealed to Parliament and Ghanaians to co-operate with the Commission to discharge its function for the good of all Ghanaians.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 31 January 2002 - The President, John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday said the necessary studies towards abolishing the cash and carry system have been completed and very soon a systematised approach to fulfilling the policy would be announced by the government.
"Our health as a people needs much to be desired," he said. "This government accepts its responsibility of the health delivery needs of the people. We campaigned on the promise to abolish the cash and carry system within our first term of office, and we shall," he added.
The President who was giving his State of the Nation address to Parliament said a number of health insurance schemes had been initiated on pilot basis and the government was evolving the necessary regulatory measures to ensure the management of the scheme as it matured.
He said the good thing about the current process was that communities, missionary institutions and some private companies had declared their interest to participate in the scheme.
President Kufuor noted that the physical state of some of the country's hospitals and clinics left a lot to be desired and said government would continue to rehabilitate and modernise them to enhance health delivery.
He said the unsustainable rate at which doctors and nurses were leaving the service for greener pastures remained a big problem. "As the economy as a whole improves, and the pay structures become more realistic, job satisfaction will hopefully improve to halt this drain."
In the mean time, the government would do its best to improve the conditions of service for doctors, nurses and para-medical staff, President said.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 31 January 2002 - President John Agyekum Kufuor said on Thursday that the security of the nation and of the individual was paramount and that the government was supporting the specialised agencies - Police, Armed Forces, Prisons and other security agencies to enhance their competence.
He said the government had the duty of reassuring the people that they "can go about their lives without fear for as long as they operate within the law".
In his State of the Nation Address delivered at the beginning of the Second Session of the Third Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana at the Parliament House on Thursday, President Kufuor said the present numerical strength of the Police Service was unacceptable and deplored the quality of their training, their lack of equipment and their poor living conditions.
The Government, he said, had started tackling these problems with a major recruitment drive that commenced this year to raise the number of personnel to an acceptable level to commensurate with the population.
President Kufuor said equipping the Police was also on course and that about 400 vehicles and communications equipment would arrive this year to enable the service perform better. The quality of their training, he went on, was also being improved to restore discipline and loyalty in the profession.
On the Armed Forces, he said that the government was seeking to restore it to its traditional role, saying, "all quasi-political organisations have been banned from the forces and our soldiers are concentrating on being soldiers".
He said there had been a marked improvement in civil/ military relations, especially, with the institution of the "open day" ceremonies, which has demystified the armed forces and helped in the promotion of a better atmosphere between both sides.
President Kufuor said the government was committed to modernise and equip the forces for more efficient service in safeguarding and upholding the sovereignty of the country.
Concerning the Prisons Service, he said new Prisons Council would be inaugurated soon and would be tasked with reviewing the state of affairs to come up with a program of reform. This, he said, was necessary because of the deplorable state of the prisons.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 31 January 2002 - One hundred high occupancy buses ordered by the government for private sector operators would arrive this year to improve the public transportation system.
President John Agyekum Kufuor in his State of the Nation Address to Parliament on Thursday, said railway shuttle services, which had been revived between Accra and Nsawam would be extended to other communities within the Accra Metropolis and the Tema Municipality.
The address, which highlighted the government's development priorities such as Vigorous Infrastructure Development, Modernised Agriculture, Enhanced Social Services with emphasis on Health and Education, Good Governance and Private Sector Development, was interspersed with shouts of "Hear, Hear" and laughter by a large audience, including Former President Jerry Rawlings and his wife.
Vice President Aliu Mahama, Chief Justice Edward Kwame Wiredu, Ministers of State, Members of the Council of State and the Diplomatic Corps were also in Parliament.
On the situation at the nation's two ports, the President said the government was taking steps to streamline operations and combat the corruption that had frustrated business for a long time.
"Government is also improving the physical state of the ports through private sector participation to make them competitive for global trade," he said. With the dredging of the Tema Port last year, the President said, Burkina Faso and Niger had announced their intention to use it for their international trade.
He said negotiations were ongoing to engage major international container operators to locate at the ports for their operations in the sub-region.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 31 January 2002 - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday asked district assemblies to exercise their revenue raising powers and demand accountability from ex-officio members assigned from the central ministries.
"The decentralisation process that has been in place for more than a decade still has many failings," he said, adding: "The district assemblies do not seem to appreciate the full scope of their power and seem either incapable or unwilling to demand accountability from officials who serve at that level."
This was part of President Kufuor State of the Nation address to Parliament, which highlighted the government's development priorities as Vigorous Infrastructure Development; Modernised Agriculture; Enhanced Social Services with emphasis on Health and Education; Good Governance and Private Sector Development.
A large audience, including Former President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife Nana Konadu Agymang Rawlings, were in the House to listen to the address, which was interrupted with shouts of 'Hear, Hear ' and laughter.
Vice President Aliu Mahama, Chief Justice Edward Kwame Wiredu, Ministers of State, Members of the Council of State and the Diplomatic Corps were also at the Parliament House.
President Kufuor announced that a new Local Government Bill to replace Act 462 would be placed before Parliament to strengthen the workings of local government.
On the disbursement of the Common Fund, the President said the Local Government Ministry would strengthen its monitoring and supervisory authority over the assemblies to ensure efficiency and proper management.
President Kufuor said he had instructed the Sector Minister to ensure that district assemblies developed comprehensive plans aimed at maintaining high levels of environmental sanitation through effective plastic and waste disposal.
"It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Environment and the district assemblies to keep our towns and cities clean." The President said district assemblies would be tasked to enforce regulations that would ensure effective town and country planning as well as orderly development of villages.
He appealed to Ghanaians to keenly contest the district level elections scheduled for July. Ghanaians, he said, should also maintain healthy habits and attitudes to prevent the choking of gutters and littering of towns and cities.
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