GRi in Parliament 17 - 05 - 2002
Parliament has the right to delve into any matter
Formula for GETFund gets to Parliament
Parliament has the right to delve into any
matter
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 May 2002- Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, Speaker, on Thursday ruled that Parliament has all the powers to delve into any matter under the sun relating to good governance in the country. Mr Speaker said; "nobody can curtail the freedom of debate that goes on in this House in view of the privileges and immunities that the House enjoys and as obligations the Constitution imposes on Parliament".
He was giving a ruling on a point of order raised by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Justice and Attorney -General when members were questioning the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Ernest Akubuor Debrah on the award, execution and payment for a contract for the renovation of the District Chief Executive's bungalow at Wenchi.
Nana Akufo-Addo had raised the point of order following a barrage of questions from the Minority saying that the event was a local one at Wenchi that could have been solved by the district assembly and at the regional level without it being necessarily dragged to Parliament.
Mr Ala Adjetey said though it might be more convenient for the matter to be handled at that level yet Parliament has its constitutional responsibility to question the Minister and any other fellow at any remotest part of the country to ensure good governance.
He said the Regional Minister is the representative of the President in the region and by that he was the competent authority who should answer for issues relating to the performance of District Chief Executives, District Assemblies and on any other issues that Parliament might have wished to delve into.
Mr Ala Adjetey said; "what we are doing here is perfectly legitimate". Mr Debrah in an answer to the question that stood in the name of Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, NDC-Wenchi West, said he intervened in the matter and saved the district assembly more than 40 million cedis.
Mr Debrah said he found the circumstances surrounding the contract irregular and that the assembly was to rehabilitate the DCE bungalow at more than 73 million cedis. "When the information got me about the contract I intervened and put it on hold and ordered that direct labour should be used to utilise about 25 million cedis worth of materials procured for the project."
GRi…/
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Formula for GETFund gets to Parliament
Accra (Greater Accra) 17 May 2002- The Ghana Education Trust fund (GETFund) is asking Parliament to approve a formula for it to disbursement of 390 billion cedis for this year. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Justice and Attorney -General, laid the document on Thursday in Parliament on behalf of the Board of Trustees of the fund.
The fund allocated 190 billion cedis being 48.72 per cent to the Universities, Polytechnics and others; second-cycle schools got 100 billion cedis while basic education received 74 billion cedis. Ten billion cedis was set aside for investment and six billion cedis would go to the Ministry of Education and its agencies while six billion cedis is set aside for operational expenses and create a contingency fund of four billion cedis.
According to the document the allocation for this year was an increase of 7.7 per cent of that of last year. Under the distribution 1,000 classrooms would either be rehabilitated or constructed and the entire 110 districts would benefit from the project. The fund would give 1,000 girls scholarship grants this year.
GRi…/
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