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| Dep A-G urges Minority to return to House |
2/15/2007 |
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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, the Central 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. 14 Feb. 07Source:
GNA
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