GRi in Parliament 16 – 04 - 2003
Accra (Greater Accra) 16 April 2003-
The Resolution for the extension of the State of Emergency in the Dagbon
Traditional Area was defeated on Tuesday when the majority side failed to get
the 101 (simple majority) votes to legitimise it.
After debate on the extension
was completed and the vote was cast the Majority side had 88 votes as against 73
votes by the Minority side to defeat the motion to sustain the curfew and state
of emergency.
The Minority side contended that
the State of
This is the 11th time that
Parliament has reconvened to consider the extension of the State of
Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor,
Minister of Defence and acting Minister of Interior in moving the resolution
for the extension said over the last month since the passage of the last
resolution, the search for lasting peace and reconciliation has been moved
forward.
He said the two gates of the Andani and Abudu families at a
meeting in Tamale promised to co-operate and ensure that peace was restored in
the Dagbon Traditional Area to enhance the socio-economic development of the area.
Dr. Addo-Kufuor
said there was however one point on which agreement could be reached and this
concerned the State of emergency and the imposition of the curfew. Whereas the Andanis suggested that the curfew be restricted to Yendi alone, the Abudus were of
the opinion that the time was not ripe to lift the state of emergency or the
curfew.
The security agencies were of
the opinion that the state of emergency be maintained since it gives them the power
to act should the peace be threatened. The Minister of Defence said Government
has made some progress in trying to resolve the dispute since the occurrence of
the sad events a little over a year ago and "we need to ensure that the
fragile peace was jealously protected and we should be proactive in handling
this matter".
He said it was the considered
view of the government that the state of emergency should remain and the same curfew
hours retained (from
Dr Addo-Kufuor
said issues that needed to be addressed for government to proceed was how to
retrieve looted traditional articles from the Gbewaa Palace,
reconstruction of the Gbewaa Palace and performance
of customary rites including the burial of the late Ya-Na
and the installation of a Regent.
He said there was the need for
Parliament to support the Northern Regional Security Committee and the security
agencies involved in the peacekeeping operation to stay on top of the crisis to
enable them to deal with any insurrection effectively.
John Darko-Mensah, NPP- Okaikwei North stressed the need for the involvement of the
representatives of both gates to help resolve the crisis. Isaac K.
Adjei-Mensah, deputy Minority Leader commended the Minister of Defence for the
success chalked in giving some sense of peace to the crisis and welcomed the
new Minister of the Interior to his new position.
He said the Minority has been
very accommodating on national issues but that it was not only a state of
emergency that would bring about peace to the area, adding that if both gates
have agreed to let peace prevail what was the essence of maintaining the curfew
and that it was time the people of Dagbon breathed an air of peace and freedom.
Balado Manu, NPP- Ahafo Ano South said there was the need to involve all interested
parties in sincere and transparent discussions to let peace prevail while
calling on the people to consider their past and look to the future by arriving
at amicable solution to the crisis.
Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor,
NDC- Lawra -Nandom said
there was a lot of human suffering in the Dagbon area since the state of
emergency that was unconstitutional and not normal and infringes on the freedom
of the people.
He said the liberty of the individual
has been given a second consideration following the stance of the two gates
avowed aim for peace initiatives and so the need for lifting of the curfew
entirely in the area.
Dr Kunbuor
said non-warring unintended victims of the state of emergency should also be
considered in taking any decisions since the issue does not only affect only
the Andani and Abudu people
alone in the area.
Cletus Avoka,
NDC- Bawku West said he has sympathy for the passing of
the resolution, especially since a new minister was to assume duties and he
would need enough time to study the crisis but he was hopeful that being a
cabinet minister he was aware of the crisis.
He said he wondered why the
government has been unable to solve such domestic issues prevailing in the
north while it has successfully handled national security issues such as the
serial killings and armed robbery cases.
Avoka said it seems the appointment
of a Konkomba as a deputy Regional Minister of the
Northern Region was to win political favour and has no seriousness or
genuineness since up to date he has not been vetted by the Appointments
Committee of Parliament.
Kosi Kedem,
NDC- Hohoe South said emergencies were not supposed
to be permanent but it seemed the Dagbon crisis that took place more than a year
was turning to be made permanent and since it has been extended for the 11th
time it was time that the curfew was lifted to see if the people were ready for
peace.
He said development has been stalled,
political activities not performing and the District Assemblies have not been
functioning due to the state of emergency and that if it was about time it was
lifted to give peace a chance.
Ms Hawa
Yakubu, Bawku Central said there
was a transitional period following the appointment of the new ministers and so
there was the need for the extension of the state of emergency in the Dagbon
Traditional area.
Mohammed Mumuni,
NDC Kumbungu said there was the need to put aside the
state of emergency and restore the rights and liberties of the people of Dagbon
since this was a situation where majority of the people were being marginalized.
He said even Members of
Parliament cannot hold meetings with their constituents, development projects
have been stalled, while District Chief Executives are openly distributing
funds in partisan measures and wondered whether with the present state,
elections could even be held in the area.
Kobina T. Hammond, NPP-Adansi Asokwa said there was no
question of coercion in the Dagbon crisis and so the need for caution in the lifting
of the state of emergency in the traditional area.
He cautioned that the House
should not take any precipitated action that might engulf the area into another
war or carnage. Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Majority Leader said the state of emergency
was not imposed because government wanted to gain undue political advantage but
it was a necessary step to stop the warring factions and to maintain the peace
in the area. He said it was when a curfew was lifted that a carnage took place
in Yendi resulting in the slaughter of the Ya-Na and 30 others, adding that "let us not do
anything that will undermine the peace process".
GRi.../
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They are Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idriss, Minister-designate of Works and Housing, Alan Kyeremanten, Minister-designate of Trade, Industry and Special
Presidential Initiatives, Edward Martey Akita,
Minister of State Designate for Fisheries of Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
The others are Alhaji Rashid Bawa, Minister of state designate, Ministry of Education,
Youth and Sport in-charge of Youth and Sports, Dr. Samuel Nii
Ashong, Minister of state designate, Ministry of
Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Joseph Kojo Akudibillah, Deputy Minister-designate of Defence and
Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Deputy Minister-designate of
information.
The Chairman of the Appointments
Committee, Freddie Blay said the nominees appeared
before the committee and answered questions on pertinent issues relevant to
their positions and after carefully scrutinizing them recommended them by
consensus to be approved and appointed.
Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, ranking member on constitutional, legal and parliamentary
affairs said he was concerned about the increasing number of government
appointees, especially when the government critised
the previous government on the same issue.
He said Ghanaians would want to
ask the President, "how many more Ministers and deputy Ministers are going
to be appointed" even at this time of the country's economic woes.
Cletus Avoka,
NDC- Bawku West said the demeanour of Stephen Asamoah
Boateng at the committee's sittings was not
convincing as he was not straight forward with his answers and said he needed
to be advised since he was expected to be the link between the government and
the people.
Kosi Kedem,
NDC- Hohoe South in his submission said he thought
Dr. Kwasi Apraku should
have been maintained as the Minister of Trade and Tourism since he had
demonstrated a wealth of experience and that he has also produced documents on
trade and the Ghana Free Zone Project.
The statement did not go down
well with some of the majority members who said it was the prerogative of the President
to appoint whoever he wished to be in any position and so the member had no
right to question that.
The Reconstruction Levy
(Amendment) (number two) Bill that was placed on the Order Paper had to be
withdrawn when members of the minority protested against it, saying it was not
an urgent Bill and did not form part of the business of the House and after it
was referred to the Finance Committee it was consequently struck-off.
GRi.../
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