Parliament reconstitutes membership

Page 17, March 3, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

PARLIAMENT has reconstituted its membership in the Pan-African Parliament and the ECOWAS Parliament.
By the provision of Article 5 (3) of the protocol of the Pan-African Parliament, if a member ceases the national parliament he belongs to, he automatically loses his seat in the Pan-African Parliament.
During the December, 2008 elections, four out of the five members who represented Fourth Parliament of the Fourth Republic lost their seats, hence the need to replace them.
They are Alhaji Malik Alhassan Yakubu, Mr John Dramani Mahama, who is now the Vice- President, Mr Kwabena Adusa Okerchire and Ms Josephine Hilda Addo.
The reconstituted members who would represent Ghana in the Pan-African Parliament are Mr Edward Adjaho, First Deputy Speaker and MP for Ave-Avenor, Mr Ambrose Dery, Deputy Minority Leader, Mr E.T Mensah, MP for Ningo-Prampram, Mr Moses Asaga, MP for Nabdam and Ms Elizabeth Agyeman, MP for Oforikrom.
The reconstituted membership of Ghana’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament are Mr John Akologu Tia, Deputy Majority Leader, who is the leader of the delegation, Mr Michael Teye Nyaunu, MP for Lower Manya, Mr Francis Yaw Osei-Sarfo, MP for Krachi West, Alhaji Dr Mustapha Ahmed, MP for Ayawaso East, Mr Stephen Kwaku Balado-Manu, MP for Ahafo-Ano South, Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, MP for Assin North and Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, MP for Bosomtwe.
Meanwhile, the House on Thursday continued with the debate on the President’s State of the Nation address with the Majority MPs sticking to their line of argument by supporting the President’s programmes and policies while the Minority MPs criticised the President for failing to include some sectors such as tourism in his address.
The Minister of Communications, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, indicated in his contribution that the government was committed to the expansion of fix and mobile telephones throughout the country as part of efforts to enhance easy communication, even in the remotest part of the country.
He said increasing access to communication would also enhance business activities among the people.
Mr Iddrisu commended the President for being forthright and truthful in his address, especially about the state of the country’s economy.
He stated that the NDC government would work towards the modernisation of agriculture in order to reduce the importation of food, especially rice to save the country’s foreign exchange for other purposes.
For his part, the NPP MP for Bosomtwe, Mr Simon Osei-Mensah said it was unfortunate that the President failed to include the plan of his government to develop the tourism sector in his maiden state of the nation address.
He explained that the development of the tourism sector was key to the solution to the reduction of poverty and wondered why President Mills did not deem it fit to include his plans in his address.
Touching on the President’s assertion on the country’s economy, the MP described the address as lacking what he termed “fair economic fact deficiency syndrome” and called on politicians to let what they say on political platforms reflect their actions when they were elected into office.
The Minister of Women and Children Affairs, Ms Akua Sena Dansua in her contribution stated that the number of programmes and policies outlined in the President’s address would ensure the welfare of women and children if they were implemented.
She added that the efforts would be made to mainstream gender issues in all government’s development programmes for the achievement of objectives of women affirmative action.
When she caught the eye of the First Deputy Speaker, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho who conducted the business of the House for the first time, the MP for Asante Akim South, Mrs Gifty Ohene-Konadu said it was in line of the provisions of the Afirmative Action of 1998 that the NPP government established the Women and Children’s Affairs Ministry and gave it a Cabinet status.
She said the Affirmation Action called for the mainstreaming of gender issues in all ministries, department and agencies.
Mrs Ohene-Konadu expressed the hope the NDC administration would continue with the good works started by the previous administration so that the quality of life of women and children would improve.