Accra, Nov. 29, GNA - Debate on the 2008 budget shifted dramatically to politics on Thursday when Nana Ado Dankwa Akufo-Addo,(NPP-Akim Abuakwa South) alleged that two NDC officials had indicated that the country would see violence should the NPP retain power in the next general elections.
Nana Akufo-Addo, who was contributing to the debate on the budget, veered off into politics by referring to some newspaper publications alleging that some NDC officials had threatened mayhem should the NPP win the elections.
He said such utterances should not be encouraged to ensure a peaceful election.
The allegation brought Mr Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader, to his feet, who said Nana Akufo-Addo's comments were untrue and mere allegations.
He said it was improper that Nana Akufo-Addo should use newspaper publications as a reference point to argue in Parliament without checking out the facts on the ground.
The Speaker, Mr Ebenezer Sekyi Hugues, stepped in and asked that, Nana Akufo Addo speak to the motion on the floor of the House, which was to approve the 2008 financial policy of government. Earlier, Nana Akufo-Addo began his contributions to the debate by saying that revenues, which would accrue from the discovery of oil in the country, should be handled with transparency.
He said such revenues should not be used to line up the pockets of a few in power to the detriment of the citizenry because this could lead to problems as is the case in some other African countries who have discovered oil.
Mr Mahama Ayariga, (NDC-Bawku Central), in his contributions, said government had not shown commitment to addressing poverty and improving upon access to potable water.
He said the 2007 budget was supposed to provide over a 1000 hand-dug wells but only 63 such wells have so far been provided. Alhaji Collins Dauda (NDC-Asutifi South) said Forestry Sector had requested an amount of 620 billion cedis for the support of activities in that sector in 2008.
He suggested that the Ministry of Finance took measures to make the Forestry Commission more efficient in its revenue collection. Alhaji Dauda said out of an arrears of 637 billion cedis, the Commission was only able to collect 288 billion cedis with the remnant still in arrears of timber rights.
He therefore reiterated that full payment was made before rights were granted to increase the revenue available to the Forestry Sector, adding that if all these were paid, there would not be any need to tax airtime on making mobile telephone calls.
Mr Joseph Henry Mensah (NPP-Sunyani East) in a comparison of Ghana's export levels said Ghana needed to remove the plugs that hindered her export development.
He observed that China currently exported half billion dollars of goods everyday, a situation he attributed partly to the devaluation of that nation's currency.
"What can we do to our exports." Mr Mensah asked? The House earlier congratulated the Zion College in Anloga in the Volta Region on the celebration of its 70th Anniversary after Mr Albert Zigah (NDC-Ketu South) had made a statement on it.
