Parliament this week: 4 Ministers respond to 44 questions

Four ministers of state are expected to appear in Parliament this week to answer questions from the members of the House, starting from today to Friday, June 28, 2024.

They will be responding to 44 questions, including two urgent ones, mostly from Minority Members of Parliament (MPs) on national and constituency concerns.

They are the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum; the Minister of Finance, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam; the Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Okoe  Boye, and the Minister of Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye.

The Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, made this known when he presented the business statement on the floor of the House last Friday.  

Tuesday

Beginning from today, Dr Adutwum will answer an urgent question by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for South Tongu, Kobena Mensah Woyome.

Mr Woyome seeks to know whether there is any plan to rebuild or renovate the girls’ dormitory of Comboni Technical and Vocational Institute in the South Tongu District which was badly hit by the recent Volta River Authority dam spillage.

On the same day, the NDC MP for Builsa South, Dr Clement Apaak, will also ask the minister whether various jolly educational materials have been printed, how much it costs to print and the company/companies contracted to print them.

The materials are pupil book 1 from primary one to primary six (3,180,000 pieces), pupil book two from primary one to six (3,180,000 pieces) and Teachers’ Guide from primary one to six (110,000 pieces).

The NDC MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, will also ask the minister whether investment of GH¢10 million made by the Ghana Education Trust Fund in SIC-FSL, which reached maturity in November 2018 but could not be honoured by the SIC-FSL has now been retrieved.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, the NDC MP for Klottey-Korle, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, will ask the Finance Minister an urgent question on what relief measures are in place to support persons whose livelihoods have been devastated by the most recent floods.

The Minister of Finance will also respond to a question by the NDC MP for Tamale North, Suhuyini Alhassan Sayibu, who will seek to know how much was realised from the donation of the whole or part of the April to June 2020 salaries of the President, Vice-President, Chief of Staff, Ministers of State, and Deputy Minister of State to the COVID-19 National Trust Fund and when the amount realised was transferred to the fund.

Thursday

On Thursday, the Minister of Health, Dr Okoe Boye, will also respond to a question on status of the $20 million concessional loan secured from Saudi Development Fund for the second and third phases of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital project. 

Friday

On Friday, Mr Asenso-Boakye will respond to a number of questions including when remedial works will be carried out on the Ejura to Atebubu through Prang to Yeji highway to avoid further deterioration of the highway.

The officials of the Ghana Boundary Commission are also scheduled to meet the House at the Committee of the Whole on Wednesday. The commission is expected to brief the House on the details of their activities, needs and challenges to enable the House to take the necessary action to empower the commission.

Mr Afenyo-Markin, therefore, entreated the members of the House to make themselves available for the engagement. The Leader also informed the House that the Committee of Selection was working assiduously on the composition of committees pursuant to the new Standing Orders which came into effect on January 2, 2024.

“A report on the composition of the committees of the House will be presented in due course for the consideration of the House,” he said.