Ghana’s Parliament reconvenes after 2012 polls
Mrs Justice Joycelyn Bamford-Addo, the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, on Monday congratulated members of parliament for their hard work during the December 7 election.
She said members had gone through a lot of vigorous campaigning exercise which demanded great amount of energy, wits and tact and enormous material and financial resources to climb the democratic ladder.
Mrs Justice Bamford-Addo, who was speaking on the floor of Parliament when the House reconvened, said “it will therefore be an understatement for me to say that you have gone through stressful times. But be that as it may, we cannot wish this important democratic process away. We need to embrace it and build upon it.”
She congratulated all members who went through the exercise for inching up the country’s democratic credentials and added that both the victor and the vanquished should be commended for offering themselves up for consideration to be elected to serve the country.
“I am particularly impressed by your hard work, maturity and cooperation in seeing our country through yet another general election, my appeal to you all is to work hard tirelessly towards sustained peace especially after the elections to ensure continued development of the country,” she added.
Mrs Justice Bamford-Addo appealed to members not to down play the parliamentary meetings and they should make sure all scheduled businesses were well attended to with the needed dispatch.
Some loan agreements were presented after which the House was adjourned until Tuesday December 18, 2012.
The loans included; one between government of Ghana, Belster Trust (as lender) and Deutsche Bank Trust Bank Company Americas, New York as underwriter and collateral Agent for an amount of $180 million for the supply and installation of equipment for national rehabilitation of Ghana Water Company Limited systems in all the ten regions in Ghana.
An amount of $119 million for the implementation of Ghana’s Medium Term Agricultural sector Investment Plan (METASIP 2011-2015) was also presented.
A credit loan between the government of Ghana and ABN AMRO Bank NV of the Netherlands for €42,977,325 to finance the major rehabilitation of the Tamale Teaching Hospital-Phase II, a GH¢61 million loan from CAL Bank Limited to finance the supply and installation of streetlight, materials and equipment for the Municipal and District Capitals Street lighting Project as well as a GH¢21 million from CAL Bank to finance the supply of energy meters by Ghana Electrometer for the implementation of the ongoing Self-Help Electrification programme.
Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 and other papers were also presented.
Source: GNA