Bagbin advocates for equitable tariff for advanced communities and urban slums
Mr Sumana Alban Bagbin, Minister Designate for Water Resources Works and Housing on Wednesday said he would over-turn the inequitable distribution of water, in which advanced enclaves pay less than urban slums.
He said he would draw on the experience, as the chairman for Water Sector Reform during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) regime, from 1992 to 2001, to solve the perennial water shortages, to “bring life to the people”.
Mr Bagbin, who until his nomination was the Majority Leader in parliament, said this, when he appeared before the Parliamentary Vetting Committee, which is vetting the new Designate-Ministers of some Ministries.
He said it was unfortunate that the less endowed communities rather paid more for water than developed communities, who have running water and uses it most, and even for gardens and others.
He said the demand for the commodity far outweighed supply, adding that, much must be done to solve “this long drawn problem to bring life to the people”.
Mr Bagbin said in tackling the problem, Ghana must learn from the experiences of other countries, which have been able to manage the sector adequately.
He said he would defend the truth at all times, stressing that, “what excites me most is the courage to speak the truth and nothing but the truth.”
In what seems as a farewell message to his colleagues, Mr Bagbin said he would never be an absentee in parliament.
“I will be with you always and do my best to strengthen parliament,” he said.
He said parliament, which must be the most powerful institution was rather the weakest.
“We have not even inculcated the culture of democracy let alone entrench it in Ghana,” he said.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Minority Leader, and a member of the vetting committee, had a few advices for his colleague, saying “Do not forget the unfinished jobs when you go- the Standing Orders of the House under review, the constitution under review and many other jobs of the House, which you did with dexterity in building parliament,” he said.
He stressed: “Your exit is a big blow because you are of tremendous help to parliament.”
Mr John Akolugo Tia, the Designate-Minister for Information said the principles of objectivity that guided him when he was working with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) would help him in the dissemination of information.
Mr Akologu said he would do his best to ensure that media outlets did not go beyond their limits in informing the nation.
He said democratic states thrived on unimpeded flow of information and would ensure that information flow was adequate for the growth of the country.
He said the National Media Commission would be empowered to perform creditably.
Mr Akologu said, as the spokesperson for the government, he would distinguish between party information and those that bother on national security.
Source: GNA