Parliament resumes sitting

There was renewed zeal and lot of excitement as Ghana’s 200 Parliamentarians reconvened Tuesday for yet another session that runs till December this year, when it is expected to break for the Yuletide.

The MPs, both majority and minority, openly embraced one another in a warm welcome as they waited for well over an hour for the commencement of the business of the day. The tone seems to be set for another session of consultation and consensus building, which is clearly becoming the hallmark of this Parliament where no single party has a clear majority.

It was seven minutes after eleven before first deputy speaker, Freddy Blay stepped into the chamber to call the House to order for the commencement of proceedings.

It was a full house except for the unavoidable absence of the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Peter Ala Adjetey who is indisposed. Blay told the House that the Speaker is in the hospital but would return later to take charge of the session. Conspicuously missing also were minority leader, Alban Bagbin, minority chief whip, Doe Adjaho and veteran Dr. Kwabena Adjei, making the minority bench lose a little bit of bite.

The majority side was enriched by the presence of such stalwarts as leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Papa Owusu-Ankomah and his deputy, Senior Minister, J.H. Mensah, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Nana Akufo-Addo, Foreign Affairs Minister, Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, Finance Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Trade Minister, Dr. Kofi Apraku and the president’s own brother, Defence Minister, Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor who is also the Acting Interior Minister among others.

The First deputy Speaker welcome Members back from their recess and charged them to continue to display political maturity, apply a lot of consensus building and consultation as they begin the session. He reminded them of the important role Parliament plays in the deepening of democracy in every country, describing it (Parliament) as the “hub of democracy” and called on members to work hard for the success of the session.

Mr. Blay who also MP for Ellembele swore in Mr. Yaw Baah who won the Kumawu bye-election.

The House later passed a resolution to extend the State-of-Emergency in the conflict area of Dagbon, in northern Ghana.

Defence Minister and Acting Interior Minister, Dr. Addo-Kufuor in rationalizing the call for the extension of the state of emergency in the conflict areas said, there is an easy calm in the area and so warrants the extension in order for government to decisively deal with the situation.

He told the House that, there is still tension and a great amount of mistrust among the two gates – Abudu and Andani, whilst arms are being stored outside the conflict areas, giving indications of possible more attacks.

The minister noted that the government, which has often been accused of meddling in the conflict, is neutral and will remain as such as it finds a lasting solution to the Dagbon problem, which he describes as “family feud”.

Minority NDC members although supported the government’s call for the extension of the state of emergency in the area, asked the government to do more than it has done so far in the resolution of the conflict. Of greater concern to them is the need for the perpetrators of the senseless murder of the Overlord of the Dagbon Traditional Area, Yakubu Andani II that led to the conflict, to be brought to book as soon as possible as the nation awaits the report of the Wuaku Commission.

Wednesday’s sitting is expected to be exciting as the Information and Presidential Affairs Minister is scheduled to appear before the House to answer such topical questions as the number of Special Advisers and/or Special Assistants to the President, Ministers, Regional Ministers and District Chief Executives so far recruited or employed?

The question which stands in the name of the NDC MP for Kunbugu, Mohammed Mumuni is expected to generate a heated debate between the two sides of the House who have been on each other’s throat on the matter as the minority sees government’s attempt to explain away the issues as a mere political rhetoric.

Also on the agenda for day is a question on the total number of foreign trips made and the amount spent by the president and his entourage on those trips from January 7, 2001 to date.