Use recess to educate constituents — Speaker

Page 17, March 27, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Speaker of Parliament, Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo, has challenged Members of Parliament to use their time during the recess to educate their constituents on activities of Parliament, especially the processes of legislation and oversight responsibility over the executive.
She noted that by so doing “we would be consolidating our infant democracy”.
Mrs Bamford-Addo was giving her closing remarks at the end of the first meeting of the second session of the Fifth Parliament of the Fourth Republic on Wednesday. The House is expected to resume sitting on May 18, 2010.
The Speaker stated that “I cannot gloss over the fact that collectively we have come thus far without challenges...but amid the challenges, you have all worked hard to enable the House to finish its business promptly”.
She, therefore, commended the MPs and expressed her wish that they would show a far greater commitment to work during the next meeting.
Mrs Bamford-Addo called on the MPs to at least present themselves in the Chamber on time and apply themselves more to the business of the House during subsequent meetings.
In his closing remarks, the Majority Leader, Mr Cletus Avoka, enumerated the achievements of the House during the meeting, remarking that the presentation of the State of the Nation Address by the President marked the main highlight of the meeting.
He said the meeting also witnessed the approval of 10 nominations by the President as ministers and deputy ministers and commended the Appointments Committee of the House for working around the clock to vet the nominees.
Mr Avoka, on behalf of the new leaders of the Majority side, thanked his colleagues for the confidence reposed in them, assuring them that "we shall not abuse that confidence".
While commending the Minority Leader for his co-operation, he also thanked the Speaker and her two deputies for their dedication to duty to ensure a successful meeting.
"Let me at this juncture commend you, Madam Speaker, for the impartial manner in which you steered the affairs of the House. I have no doubt that every member will attest to the fact that you handled issues in the House like a true mother always striving to meet the needs of all sons and daughters within the family," he said
For his part, the Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, welcomed the new leadership on the Majority side and expressed the hope that they would work together to entrench parliamentary democracy.
He noted that irrespective of party affiliations, MPs had joined hands together during the meeting to contribute their quota towards the betterment of the country.
Before the adjournment, the House passed the Alternative Disputes Resolution Bill (ADR) and approved the petroleum agreement between the government and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) on one hand and the Challenger Minerals (Ghana) Limited), Afex Oil (Ghana) Limited and Tap Oil (Ghana) on the other hand for the conduct of exploration and production operations in the offshore Accra Area.
It is expected that when the Alternative Disputes Resolution Bill is passed into law, it will help ease congestion in the law courts.