|
Dep A-G urges
Minority to return to House
Accra, Feb. 14, GNA- Mr Osei Kyei Prempeh, Deputy Attorney
General and Minister of Justice, on Wednesday said the
decision of the Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC)
to boycott Parliament was dangerous to the country's
judicial process, saying it undermined the concept of due
process of law.
He said it was strange that after a court of competent
jurisdiction had tried a member of the House, members of the
Minority NDC boycotted Parliament as a form of protest to
twist the arm of the judiciary as it were during the appeal
process.
Mr Prempeh said, "Their decision frowns on provisions in the
1992 Constitution, undermines the court process, against the
rule of law and the judicial process itself."
The Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, who was
contributing to the President's State of the Nation Address,
called on the nation to condemn the boycott arguing that,
"if MP's cannot uphold judicial tenents then they need to do
some re-thinking."
Concerning the Ghanaian economy, Mr Prempeh said only those
who were sleeping could not see the miracle that the
Government has performed.
He said it was true that the New Patriotic Party (NPP)
Government inherited a weak and fragile economy in 2001
considering the fact that there was overdrawn position of
900 billion cedis at the end of December 2000.
He said GDP rose from 2.8 per cent to 6.2 per cent last year
making Ghana the toast of the world.
Mr. Prempeh said President Kufuor should have talked about
what he was doing about the water situation in the Sekyere
area and said it was not too late for something to be done
about the situation.
He said the Ghana@50 celebration was justified and must be
celebrated by all.
Mrs Gifty Eugenia Kusi, NPP- Tarkwa Nsuaem, said the
minority should use the courts to effect the change that
they were fighting for.
She urged the Central Bank to do more education on the
re-denomination exercise and expressed the hope that they (MP's)
would be supported to educate their constituents.
Mr Joseph Aidoo Boahene, Western
regional
minister, said
there was significant void with the absence of the minority.
"Their absence is very poignant and this has taken the heat
out of the debates we are having on the floor of the House.
Their contribution usually brings colour and vigour to the
debate.
"Indeed, their absence has made our debate mundane and not
romantic enough."
He urged the Minority to reconsider their position and
return to the House.
Mr Boahene condemned the rising importation of rice and
sugar saying that it was not good for a country professing
that agriculture was its mainstay of the economy.
He said, "We need to look at these two products and
eliminate their importation considerably.
GNA
|
