Parliament commences second meeting

The Third Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana on Tuesday reconvened for its second meeting of the second session of its four year life which ends in 2004.

The 200 members have tabled 202 questions to be answered by Ministers of State. According to the agenda for the meeting, 10 bills including the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill would grace the floor of Parliament while six Legislative Instruments would be considered.

The House, which was short of one seat for some time after the resignation of Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, former Member for Bimbilla, is now full. The replacement is Mr Dominic Nitiwol, a 25 years old teacher.

Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, Speaker, said he had high hopes for the meeting. He appealed to members to always endeavour to reach consensus on issues and avoid acrimony and mistrust.

Nitiwol takes seat in Parliament

Mr Dominic Nitiwol, winner of the recent bye-election in Bimbila, was on Tuesday formally inducted into office as a member of the third Parliament of the Fourth Republic.

The Twenty-five year old New Patriotic Party (NPP) member replaced National Democratic Congress' Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, who resigned after his appointment as the Executive Secretary of ECOWAS.

Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, Speaker, administered the oaths of allegiance to the State and Member of Parliament to Mr Nitiwol. After taking the oaths the House Marshall led Mr Nitiwol, the youngest Member of Parliament, to his seat amidst applause.

He sits at the last roll, just a seat from the main aisle that technically separates the Majority from the Minority in the House. Soon after he took his seat, several members streamed to welcome him while some sat shouting "Small boy! Small boy!"

Mr Ala Adjetey asked him to seek the guidance of older members and respect seniors since "seniority is much appreciated in the House." He described the member's sitting position as "wilderness" saying; "you would find out that there are other people like you in the wilderness." Most backbenchers in the house have complained about their inability to catch the eye of the Speaker due to the sitting arrangement in the chamber