Parliament starts debate on State of Nation Address

Accra, March 2, GNA - Parliament begun the debate on the second State of the Nation Address of President John Evans Atta Mills on Tuesday without the usual heat and heckling among members. Mr. Dominic Azimbe Azumah, Member for Garu Tempane, seconded the motion moved by Mr Cletus Avoka, Majority Leader, without a single point-of-order or point-of- correction.

The House was quiet when Mr. Azumah catalogued a number of achievements of the ruling National Democratic Congress.

He said in the face of the vile economic meltdown, President Mills was not deterred but employed the services of a strong economic team whose prudent management allayed the harsh conditions the economic crisis brought. Mr. Azumah said the oil find, which was a nuisance to some countries, would be good luck for Ghana with the Oil and Gas Revenue Management Bill in the offing. This he said would regulate the disbursement of revenue that accrue from the oil exploration equitably.

He said the proposed Stock Management Agency would promote food security that would be facilitated by the rehabilitation of the 12 ware houses of the erstwhile Ghana Food Distribution Corporation. Mr. Azumah noted that the President is committed to fighting corruption through the strengthening of the anticorruption agencies to make them more effective in enforcing the laws.

"Those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear," adding that under this regime anyone irrespective of his political affiliation would be dealt with if found to be corrupt. Mr. Joe Ghartey, Member for Esikadu/Ketan said the address failed to address Article 34 (Section Two) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandated the president to report to parliament at least once a year about all the steps taken to ensure the realisation of policy objectives in particular basic human rights, the health of the economy, the right to work, the right to good health care and right to education.

He made reference to Bawku where he said some people were murdered but nothing had been done to bring to justice to the affected families. Mr Avoka reacted to the debate by admonishing members not to allow passion to over run facts in their attempts to comment on the speech of the president.

When Mr. Ghartey had the floor again he said the President failed to create jobs as required by the constitution and only detailed ministers of state to submit blue prints on job creation. Mr Catherine Afeku, Member of Parliament for Evalue/Gwira said the President was insensitive to the plight of some women whose items were destroyed by fire in Kumasi since he failed to sympathise with them in his address. She said President Mills did not also explain why he failed to honour his promise to appoint 30 per cent of women to ministerial appointments. 2 March 10