Anti-Terrorism Bill goes through second reading

Page 16, June 26, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Anti-Terrorism Bill, which was placed before Parliament in October, 2005, has passed through its second reading stage.
With this hurdle cleared, the bill would have to go through its consideration stage, during which proposed amendments would be considered before it goes through the third reading.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Joe Ghartey, moved the motion for the second reading, and was seconded by the Chairman of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament, Mr Yaw Baah.
Presenting the object of the bill, Mr Ghartey said it had become incumbent to have legislation on terrorism, because all member states of the United Nations were obliged under the Security Council Legislation Resolution 1373 of 2001 to deny safe haven to those who finance, plan or commit terrorist acts.
He explained further that there was a Commonwealth Plan of Action on Terrorism which enjoined members of all Commonwealth nations to implement Resolution 1373.
Apart from the UN and Commonwealth initiatives, there was the Algiers Convention on the Prevention and Combating Terrorism, 1999, which had become the framework for the collective African response to terrorism.
The convention, according to Mr Ghartey, mandated member states of the African Union to review their national laws to include terrorist offences.
Mr Ghartey stated that although there were provisions in the Criminal Code, 1960 (Act 29) on the safety of the state and other matters connected with terrorism, these were not considered adequate to meet the current international best practice standards on the matter.
“It is necessary to provide comprehensive anti-terrorism legislation to avoid a situation where the country may become a haven for terrorists because of laxity in the law,” he said.
Presenting the report of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Baah stated that the committee had examined provisions of the bill, and noted that they provided adequate legal basis for Ghana to meet its international obligations to counter terrorism.
He stated that the passage of the bill would enable Ghana, as a member of the UN and a signatory to all the international conventions of anti-terrorism, bring the country’s legal regime in conformity with international requirements.
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chireponi, Ms Doris A. Seidu, has called for a strategy to be worked out to minimise the inflow of under-aged girls, mainly from the three northern regions to cities in the south.
She suggested that a temporary home should be provided for such people who were homeless, while efforts were made to repatriate and reintegrate them into their original communities.
Ms Seidu made the call when she made a statement on the floor of Parliament on the need to find a lasting solution to the plight of head porters (kayaye) in the country.
She suggested the establishment of a fund by the government to oversee the rehabilitation, repatriation and re-integration of the kayaye into their original communities.
MPs who contributed to her statement, advised the government to properly resource the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs and the Department of Social Welfare to enable them effectively play their roles to curb such social problems in the country.