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March 11, 2016
Minority grills Minister of
Presidential Affairs
Accra, Nov 16, GNA - The Minority in Parliament on Thursday
pinned Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, Chief of Staff and Minister of
Presidential Affairs against the wall, grilling him on the
progress of work on the proposed Presidential Palace.
The grilling was also on why the Ministry of Communications
did not have a substantive Chief Director and the National
Communications Authority (NCA) did not have a substantive
Director General.
Mr Mpiani in his responses, which obviously did not go down
well with the Minority, came up to the Dispatch Box several
times to answer questions some of which got him fumbling in
the specifics and the legalities.
The questions stood in the name of Mr Haruna Iddrisu, NDC-Tamale
South and Ms Akua Dansoa, NDC-North Dayi.
Mr Mpiani could not tell the House the exact estimated cost
of the Presidential Palace project, arguing that, "in
construction, it would be improper on my part to come to
stand here and give you the exact amount of the project.
"You all know that in construction, there are variations
that come up at one time or the other. I cannot tell."
This brought Mr Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader to his feet
saying: "Mr Speaker, We want the Minister to take this House
serious and tell the people of this country, the taxpayers,
the estimated cost of the Presidential Palace because
according to him, " it is their taxes which pay us and the
Minister of Presidential Affairs."
Replying, Mr Mpiani said he takes the House seriously,
indicating that he was one time a Member of Parliament. He
said Parliament approved 30 million dollars earlier this
year and that was the cost.
To this, Mr Bagbin said the Minority was interested in
knowing the exact estimated cost, stressing that, not long
ago, government came to Parliament for an additional five
million dollars in the supplementary budget for the project.
Mr Iddrisu, who like a number of his colleagues in the
Minority, stood up several times to question the Minister,
said it was not right for the Minister to give answers in
halves that leave the House in doubt and pleaded with the
Speaker to make the Minister get to the bottom of the matter
on the floor.
The Speaker at this point cooled down the heat when he asked
Mr Iddrisu to reframe his question, during which Mr Mpiani
consulted with his colleagues for an answer.
Mr Mpiani said work on the seat of government and Presidency
being executed by Messrs Sharpoorji Pallonji and Co Limited
of India is expected to be completed by December 31, 2007.
The project started on July 2, 2006.
He noted that construction works was 14 per cent complete
and was well ahead of schedule, indicating that at the
current pace, "it is expected that the project would be
completed at least one month ahead of schedule."
Mr Mpiani, when asked what he meant by 14 per cent complete
said if the Minority wanted specifics, he was ready to
supply it, stressing that he did not have the full details.
Answering the question on why the Ministry of Communications
did not have a substantive Chief Director, the Minister said
the Public Services Commission interviewed a number of
applicants for appointment in 2005 and 35 of the number have
been short-listed.
"As part of the selection process, due diligence had to be
done on all candidates. So far due diligence has been
completed on 29 of them.
"Due diligence is yet to be done on the remaining five
persons, one of whom has been earmarked for the Ministry of
Communications.
The Minority then queried further saying it had taken too
long for the appointment of a substantive Chief Director,
arguing that perhaps "due diligence" was taking most of the
time.
On the matter of the NCA, the Minority wanted to know why
the Authority had consistently had acting heads.
Mr Mpiani said among other things, the Director-General
shall be appointed by the President in accordance with the
advice of the Board in consultation with the Public Services
Commission and that Article 40 of the 1992 Constitution
provided that the Minister for Transport and Communications
shall have Ministerial responsibility for the Authority.
When Dr Benjamin Kumbuor, NDC-Lawra-Nandom said there was no
such Ministry as Transport and Communications in Ghana, Mr
Mpiani said: "Mr Speaker the Constitution of the Republic of
Ghana said in Article 40 that the Minister for Transport and
Communications, who am I to change it", he questioned.
GNA
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