Hot Exchanges Over Kumasi Military Hospital

MEMBERS OF Parliament on Tuesday engaged in heated arguments and wild gesticulations over the construction of a proposed 500-bed military hospital near the Sofoline Interchange in Kwadaso, Kumasi in the Ashanti region.

The apparent confusion ensued following an urgent question from the New Patriotic Party MP for Kwadaso, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, asking the Minister for Defence when the construction of the hospital would commence.

The MP did not understand why the project, which was awarded to a contractor before the Kufuor administration left office, was not being executed by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) three years after taking over power, probably giving credence to rumours that government intended to divert the project to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.

He contended that the long delay in executing the project was denying the people in the northern part of the country the needed medical emergency services.

Attempts by Minority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and other NPP MPs to seek further clarification on rumours that government intended to divert the hospital project to Accra generated heat, virtually reaching boiling point in the House.

“There are rumours that you want to divert the hospital to elsewhere. We need your assurance that this is not true,” Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei told Defence Minister amid shouts of “sit down sit down” from the Majority side.

It all started when Majority Leader Cletus Avoka accused the Minority Leader of using gesticulations that did not show respect to other members in the House.

“The Minority Leader has the habit of using wild gestures to intimidate members and this is an acceptable,” Mr. Avoka remarked.

Replying sharply, the Minority debunked the claim, stressing it was rather the Majority Leader who had the record of showing disrespect to members.

The altercation flared up tempers, compelling First Deputy Speaker Edward Doe Adjaho, who was chairing proceedings in the House, to call for ceasefire.

“You are the leaders of the House and you should make my work easy,” Mr. Adjaho, who is also the MP for Ave/Avenor, urged.

Answering the question from Kwadaso MP, Dr. Akoto, the Defence Minister, Lt. Gen. Joseph Smith, indicated that the project had not started because 90 percent of the land earmarked for it had been encroached, with the remaining 10 percent going to Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly for a community project.

This, he stated, was based on a report received on November 21, 2011.

The Minister told the House he had set up a committee on November 21, 2011 to resolve the issue of the land, promising that once the matter of encroachment was sorted out, the project was going to commence in Kumasi and not diverted to Accra.

“Every effort is being made so that we start the project as soon as possible,” the Defence Minister added.

But Dr. Afriyie Akoto disagreed, pointing out that those occupying the land where car mechanics who had been there for the past 50 years and were prepared to relocate any time government wanted to commence the project.

“The mechanics are aware of the relocation because I am in touch with their executives,” Dr. Akoto maintained, stressing the mechanics were in four groups and all of them had given him their word they would relocate for the project to commence.