Minority challenge genuiness of LIs

Page 14, November 26, 2007
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Minority in Parliament yesterday questioned the genuineness of the Legislative Instruments laid before the House last week to give legal backing for the new districts and municipalities which were created recently.
They said it was unfortunate that though the instruments were not ready, they were laid before the House.
Instruments laid before the House take 21 days to mature.
The chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, Mr Francis Abotse, was the first to raise the issue after the Majority Leader, Mr Abraham Ossei Aidooh, had presented the Business Statement of the House for next week.
The MP for Lawra-Nandom, Dr Benjamin Kumbuor, supported Mr Agbotse and said: “We have information that the Electoral Commission, which was responsible for the demarcation of districts, was not aware of the creation of the new districts and municipalities”.
“Mr Speaker, I wonder whether papers, which are not ready can be laid before the House, ” he said and enquired whether the 21 days duration could catch up???? with the instruments.
But Mr Aidooh explained that the instruments were shown to him before they were laid before the House saying that since they had already been laid, they could come into effect after the 21 days.
The Minority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin, however, disputed the Majority Leader’s claim and said that since the instruments were not properly laid, they could not come into effect after the 21-day period.
In the end, the Speaker, Mr Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes, directed that the issue should be resolved outside the floor of the House with his involvement.
Meanwhile, the debate of the 2008 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the government, which was presented to the House on November 16, 2007 would begin on Monday, November 26, 2007.
Mr Aidooh, who announced this yesterday said that both the Majority and Minority leaders and the seconder of the motion would be given 20 minutes each, other members of the leadership and chairmen/ ranking members, 10 minutes each and the rest of the MPs would each have five minutes to debate the budget.
In another development, a 10 million euro loan facility agreement between the government and the KFW, Frankfurt am Main for the Multi Donor Budget Support IV was laid before the House.
Other papers, which were laid were; the Land Title Registration (Amendment) Regulations, 2007 (L.I 1837) and Report of the Committee on Selection on the Membership of the Committee.
According to the report of the Committee of Selection on the Composition of Membership of Committees and the MP for Kumawu, Mr Yaw Baah, replaces Mr Kofi???? Osei Ameyaw as the chairman of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
Mr Osei-Ameyaw is currently the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations.
The chairmen of some of the committees are; Nii Adu Daku Mante (Finance), Ms Hilda Josephine Addo (Gender & Children), Mr Ishmael Ashitey (Government Assurances), Alhaji Malik Yakubu Alhassan, ( Members Holding Office of Profit), Mr Samuel Sallas-Mensah, (Public Accounts), Mr Speaker Sekyi Hughes (Selection & Standing Orders), Mr Francis Agbotse, (Subsidiary Legislation) and Majority Leader, Abraham Ossei Aidoo (Special Budget, House and Business committees).