Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu approved as Minister of State

Accra, Dec 17, GNA- Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei, Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, on Monday, said it was important to empower the front bench of Parliament, especially that of the ruling Government for the effective discharge of the work of Parliament.

He said it was necessary to amend the rules to clothe the leadership with more powers that would enhance their roles, especially the Deputy Leaders to effectively act in the absence of the Leaders. Dr Osei made the point in the House in a contribution to approve President J A Kufuor's nomination of Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Deputy Majority Leader as Minister of State.

The House, by consensus approved the nomination of the Member, who until recently was the Majority Chief Whip, and also Member of the ECOWAS Parliament.

Dr. Osei described the Minister Designate as a hard-worker and "fine gentleman whose standards are the best everywhere."

Mr Enoch Teye Mensah (NDC-Ningo Prampram) and former Minister for Youth and Sports said the elevation of the Minister Designate, who once served as shadow Minister for Youth and Sports had been long overdue. He however added, in apparent reference to the few months before the conduct of Ghana's 2008 general elections that, Mr Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, coming in at "injury time.." would deliver.

Mr Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader referred to the Appointments Committee Report, and said Mr Kyei-Mensah Bonsu discharged himself extremely well before the Committee, and further congratulated him on his new would be position.

Mr. Lee Ocran (NDC-Jomoro), who said he had thought Mr. Osei-Kyei Mensah Bonsu " had a Degree in the Standing Orders of Parliament", endorsed the nomination, but advised him not to come with too many points of orders.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, in a statement on persons with disability has called on Ghana to ratify the international "Convention to end the injustice, discrimination and violation of the rights that confront most persons with disabilities."

The Convention, which recognizes the importance of international development cooperation in supporting national implementation efforts, required that all development programmes, including those supported through international cooperation be inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities.

Mr Kyei-Mensah Bonsu observed that, " a representative body, Parliament is required, through its oversight function to play a key role in ensuring respect for the human rights of persons with disabilities. Its premises and other venues should be accessible to persons with disabilities.

He noted Ghana's efforts in addressing issues on disabilities, such as signing the convention on persons with disabilities, and the passage of the Disability Act, Act 715, of 2006, as well governmental direction to provide facilities that would make for the disabled to use public places.

The Minister Designate however, stated: " the Act passed by this august House on its own is not enough if we do not add our voice and hands to the ratification which will bond us together with other countries and organization to promote, protect and project persons with disabilities.

He made a strong case for the need to ratify the Convention, which only seven had ratified, out of the 118 countries which had signed. The Convention can only be enforced if 20 or more countries ratified it.

The House also approved the budget estimates of GHC 15. 63 million for the services of the Ministry of Justice; GHC 28.37 million for the services of the Judicial Service; GHC 21.3 for the Services of the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment, GHC 2.7 million the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and GHC 236.0 for the services of the National Media Commission, all for the 2008 fiscal year.

The GHC 36.8 million budgetary allocation for the Electoral Commission, whose debate was curtailed last week on grounds of insufficiency, was approved, subject to a review for a supplementary allocation by the end of February 2008.

There was a similar case for the Audit Service which Mr Haruna Iddrisu (NDC-Tamale South) raised objection on its adequacy and called for a rejection for the vote of GHC 14.04 million. 17 Dec. 2007