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Deputy Majority Leader now Minister of
State
Accra, Dec 17, Ghanadot/GNA- Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei,
Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, on Monday,
said it was important to empower the front bench of
Parliament, especially that of the ruling Government for the
effective discharge of the work of Parliament.
He said it was necessary to amend the rules to clothe the
leadership with more powers that would enhance their roles,
especially the Deputy Leaders to effectively act in the
absence of the Leaders.
Dr Osei made the point in the House in a contribution to
approve President J A Kufuor's nomination of Mr. Osei
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Deputy Majority Leader as Minister of
State.
The House, by consensus approved the nomination of the
Member, who until recently was the Majority Chief Whip, and
also Member of the ECOWAS Parliament.
Dr. Osei described the Minister Designate as a hard-worker
and "fine gentleman whose standards are the best
everywhere."
Mr Enoch Teye Mensah (NDC-Ningo Prampram) and former
Minister for Youth and Sports said the elevation of the
Minister Designate, who once served as shadow Minister for
Youth and Sports had been long overdue.
He however added, in apparent reference to the few months
before the conduct of Ghana's 2008 general elections that,
Mr Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, coming in at "injury time.." would
deliver.
Mr Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader referred to the
Appointments Committee Report, and said Mr Kyei-Mensah Bonsu
discharged himself extremely well before the Committee, and
further congratulated him on his new would be position.
Mr. Lee Ocran (NDC-Jomoro), who said he had thought Mr.
Osei-Kyei Mensah Bonsu " had a Degree in the Standing Orders
of Parliament", endorsed the nomination, but advised him not
to come with too many points of orders.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, in a statement on persons
with disability has called on Ghana to ratify the
international "Convention to end the injustice,
discrimination and violation of the rights that confront
most persons with disabilities."
The Convention, which recognizes the importance of
international development cooperation in supporting national
implementation efforts, required that all development
programmes, including those supported through international
cooperation be inclusive and accessible to persons with
disabilities.
Mr Kyei-Mensah Bonsu observed that, " a representative body,
Parliament is required, through its oversight function to
play a key role in ensuring respect for the human rights of
persons with disabilities. Its premises and other venues
should be accessible to persons with disabilities.
He noted Ghana's efforts in addressing issues on
disabilities, such as signing the convention on persons with
disabilities, and the passage of the Disability Act, Act
715, of 2006, as well governmental direction to provide
facilities that would make for the disabled to use public
places.
The Minister Designate however, stated: " the Act passed by
this august House on its own is not enough if we do not add
our voice and hands to the ratification which will bond us
together with other countries and organization to promote,
protect and project persons with disabilities.
He made a strong case for the need to ratify the Convention,
which only seven had ratified, out of the 118 countries
which had signed.
The Convention can only be enforced if 20 or more countries
ratified it.
The House also approved the budget estimates of GHC 15. 63
million for the services of the Ministry of Justice; GHC
28.37 million for the services of the Judicial Service; GHC
21.3 for the Services of the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and
Employment, GHC 2.7 million the Ministry of Parliamentary
Affairs and GHC 236.0 for the services of the National Media
Commission, all for the 2008 fiscal year.
The GHC 36.8 million budgetary allocation for the Electoral
Commission, whose debate was curtailed last week on grounds
of insufficiency, was approved, subject to a review for a
supplementary allocation by the end of February 2008.
There was a similar case for the Audit Service which Mr
Haruna Iddrisu (NDC-Tamale South) raised objection on its
adequacy and called for a rejection for the vote of GHC
14.04 million.
GNA
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