ghananlpcommunity/ghana-gov-speeches-sentences huggingface dataset:
| am therefore calling on govemment agencies such as NADMO, Town and Couniry Planning Department, International agencies such as UNHCR and World Food Programme (WFP) to come fo the aid of the Fuveme community.
We need ifems such as tenfs, prefabricated dwelling houses, household utilities and conveniences etc, The Municipal Assembly is prepared to offer any local assistance that will facilitate the work of these agencies in the resettiement of the people of Fuveme and in the rebuilding their community.
Hon Speaker let us be reminded by the age old adage that a stitch in fime saves nine.
We need to move very fast in order to save lives and property in the Fuveme community.
In the medium to long term, Ghana needs a plan to stabilise the shorefine of the Volta estuary and prevent the redrawing of Ghana's map in the iuture.
In other countries with similar estuarine geomorphology this offers a potential for natural harbours e.g.
in Abidjan in Cote d'lvoire and Apapa in Lagos.
| therefore urge government fo look af the development of the Yolta estuary into a natural harbour in order fo stabilise the shoreline as well as providing an additional harbour to increase the cargo handling of ships that dock in Ghana.
This will increase trade with the outside world as well as creating an economic hub for Ghana and generating jobs for the people of the area.
In the meantime, government needs to recall the Volta River Authority (VRA) < dredger that used to operate regularly in the estuary but has now ceased operations.
This will ensure free flow of the river info the sea as well as pumping sand fo shore up the remaining settlements in the estuary.
In conclusion, Rt.
Hon Speaker, the situation that | have just referred to is desperate and some quick acfion is need to save lives and property.
1 thank you for the opportunity.
Submitted 01/12/2015
STATEMENT ON THE MURDER OF IBRAHIM MOHAMMED AND THE INDISCRIMINATE SHOOTING AND KILLING OF INNOCENT CITIZENS IN THE FEJURA-SEKYEDUMASE MUNICIPALITY BY ALHAJI MUHAMMAD BAWAH BRAIMAH, M™MP, EJURA- SEKYEDUMASE It is with deep sorrow and regret that I make this statement on the floor of the House.
As I make this statement, there is turmoil in my beloved Ejura- Sekyedumase constituency as armed police and military men have shot into the crowd of innocent and unarmed civilians who were returning from the burial of one Ibrahim Mahammed alias Kaaka Macho who died on Monday 28™ June, 2021.
The late Ibrahim Mohammed was a member of the Fix The Country movement.
As an active citizen who is interested in the development of the Ejura- Sekyedumase Municipality, Ibrahim Mohammed has been engaged in a vigorous social media campaign to expose development challenges that confront the people in the Municipality that need to be fixed to the admiration and support of many citizens of the area.
In the early hours of Saturday 26" June, 2021, some unscrupulous persons attacked Ibrahim Mahammed at his residence where he sustained severe injuries.
He was therefore rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Unfortunately, he could not make it.
He was reported dead on Monday 28" June, 2021.
The attack on Tbrahim was reported to the Police but they took no immediate action.
Tbrahim Mohammed was laid to rest on Tuesday morning.
Upon the return for the family, friends and sympathizers from the cemetery, armed police officers and military men reportedly shot into the crowd of innocent citizens discharging live ammunition causing severe injuries to about six persons and killing two of them Nasiru and Mutarla instantly.
This exercise of indiscretion by the police and the military has exacerbated the security situation in the Municipality.
Prior to the attack on his life, Tbrahim reported that he had received several voice messages of threats on his life from faceless miscreants.
He therefore lodged complaints to the police for investigation.
The gruesome murder of Ibrahim represents yet another dark day for our democracy.
That an active citizen like Ibrahim Mohammed who is genuinely concerned about underdevelopment in his community will be gruesomely murdered.
Even more regrettable is that fact that Police and Military officers who are trained to maintain law and order and to protect life and property will discharge live bullets into a crowd of innocent citizens thereby killing and maiming them is most regrettable.
It is heartwarming that at least two suspects by name Ibrahim Issaka alias ‘Anyas the Bible’ and Alhassan Fuseini alias Alhassan Jamoro who are both bodyguards to the Municipal Chief Executive Mohammed Salisu Bamba have been arrested in connection with the murder of Ibrahim Mohammed.
These same suspects have been linked to the voice message threats sent to [brahim.
1 am by this statement calling for calm in Ejura-Sckyedumase Municipality.
I call on the Minister for National Security, the Minister for Defence, the Interior Minister and the Regional Security Council to take immediate steps to restore calm in the Municipality.
[ am also calling on the Defence Minister to institute a full scale investigation into the shooting incident to ensure that the trigger happy soldiers can be brou ght to book.
1 demand nothing but justice for Ibrahim Mohammed and his family.
T he Police must thoroughly investigate and prosecute the killers of Ibrahim fo s erve as a deterrent to persons who are acting with impunity in the Municipalit y. While praying for the soul of Tbrahim, I also commiserate with his f amily, friends and loved ones especially the young widow and a child he left behind.
1 sympathize with the families of the victims of the shooting incident an d wish all those who sustained injuries and receiving treatment a speedy recove ry.
" STATEMENT MADE IN COMMEMORATION O INTERNATIONAL, WOMEN’S DAY BY HON.
CE"CILIA ABENA DAPAAH, MP (BANTAM.
Speaker, I wish to join in the celebration of 8™ March as the International Women’s Day (IWD), and alsc wish to use this opportunity to congratulate all women but most - especially, women in Ghana for their hard work, dynamism and resilience.
It is an “established fact that the women in Ghana are industrious and have brought their knowledge, values, skills and wisdom to bear on national development.
Speaker, it is also universally acknowledged that women form the majority of our population but continue to be the most vulnerable in our society.
On this day Mr.
Speaker, it is important for Ghana as a country and for Parliament, to remember and recognize the achievements of women in all spheres of life and to encourage them to strive higher.
I wish to salute our women for their role as care givers in our homes, in our communities and in our hospitals.
T wish to also salute them in their natural roles as mothers and guardians.
I congratulate first of all our women fatmers who toil day and night to produce food for us as a nation.
Our industrious market women whose activities form the barometer of our economy need special mention, and also salute the teachers Mr.
Speaker, who help shape the characters of our youth.
My congratulations go to women in politics have come a long way and continue to contribute their quota to national development.
They have blazed the trail for other women to follow.
I believe Mr.
Speaker that it is only when women oceupy their rightful place in the excentive, legislature and judiciary that the national development would be given the impetus it critically needs.
I believe that women do not need high-sounding titles to discharge their obligations faithfully to serve their communities.. We women, Mr.
Speaker, must assert our humanity and for that matter our womanhood by respecting the right of all our people to life, liberty and happiness.
As women MPs we have assumed our rightful place as political leaders and as our own liberators from tyranny, fear, poverty, humiliation and dehumanization.
Speaker, we 1as women MPs., shomld help hght Ihe s’oello-cultural factors, V{hxch nom\a.lly mhlbfi ‘women.
These factors mist be demysufled fo free the women éoclally, culturally and psychologically to contmbute more to national development.
Speaker that female Members of Parliament form a good platform for advocacy and must help champion the cause of gender, children, and the vulnerable in our society.
It is also important Mr.
Speaker, to remind ourselves that there arc also a number of initiatives that have to be assiduously worked on to improve the lives of women.
Issues on women’s safety outside and within their homes, access to and control over resources like credit and land, and ensuring equity in property distribution as well as issues on their participation at all levels of our governance process, have to be worked on systematically through the collaboration of civil society and institutions of state such as Parliament, Once again Mr.
Speaker, we congratulate our women farmers, Doctors, Market women, Engineers, Pilots, Lawyers, Artisans, Masons, Hairdressers, Dressmakers, Home Economists, Activists, Parliamentarians, Ministers, and all women within the civil society.
Speaker, I will end by calling on all women to be proud and grateful that God created us in a special way.
We must cherish the roles we are playing, It is tough and difficult at times but I urge all of us to soldier on for there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel.
We say ‘ayckoo’ and well done to our noble women on International Women’s Day.
STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR NINGO-PRAMPRAM CONSTITUENCY, SAMUEL NARTEY GEORGE ON THE OCCASION OF THE FRENCH NATIONAL DAY 2021 RT Honorable Speaker, Today, 14 of July 2021, France celebrates its National Day.
Many think that it commemorates Bastile Day, the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789, But it actually commemorates the "federation” of 1790 as decided by the constiiution of the Third Republic.
It celebrates the national unity, the getting together of all different regions and cultures.
Unity around values expressed in the motto: Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité - Freedom, Equality and Fraternity.
France and Ghana have a long history of Friendship.
France was among the first countries to recognize Ghana as an independent sovereign state in 1957 and to establish an embassy in Accra.
These respectful and fruitful relations have never faded.
They are based on shared values of democracy, freedom, human rights, solidarity and generosity.
In the past months, through the pandemic, France has proven constant support to Ghana, discreetly yet efficiently providing PCR tests and vaccines through the COVAX facility, Ghana was the very first country fo benefit.
Deeply involved in supporting Schelian armies the war against terrorism, France is sharing with Ghana ifs knowledge, experience, training and capacity building to support our readiness fo keep terrorism away from our homeland.
Through investments and trade, the French government and French companies contribute to the development of a flourishing, inclusive and sustainable economy.
Ghana france frade in in favor of Ghana and provides us with a surplus of 200 Million USD; over 1 billion USD French investments are currently in Ghana and another 30 to 60 Million USD each year are directly invested from France.
In fimes when gatherings are painfully disabled by a pandemic that has killed over 110 000 French, France celebrates the precious value of fogetherness, where the concept of “federation " is a corner sfone: in building a united country along the centuries, in building Europe for over 60 years and in building a multilateral world where each country has a voice.
As France celebrates her National Day, | urge this honorable House tfo express ifs commitment to support France's efforts for a healthier, stronger, safer Ghana and more peaceful and equal world.
Long live France Long live Ghana Long live the Ghana France friendship HON.
SAMUEL NARTEY GEORGE (MP)
THE TRUE STATE OF THE NATION, 2014 BY THE MINORITY IN PARLIAMENT APRIL 2014 Fellow Ghanaians, on February 25, 2014 His Excellency John Dramani Mahama came to Parliament and addressed the nation on what he considered as the State of the Nation.
The State of a nation is “the condition, situation or set of circumstances that pertains at a given time” (Ref.
Chambers 21% Century Dictionary) in this case, the present condition or situation of Ghana and measures that are to be taken to advance the cause of the State over one year.
Whereas a President’s delivery of the message on the State of the Nation is an obligation imposed by Article 67 of the constitution, it is Article 34(2) of the constitution that provides for the contents of the message which should capture the policy objectives of chapter 6 of the constitution.
These are in the areas of political, economic, social, educational, cultural and international objectives.
In particular, the address, according to Article 34(2), must relate to the __ state of steps being-taken-in-respect-of basic human rights; a healthy economy, the right fo worlg————w- the right to good health care and the right to education.
It is in these areas that we will analyze the President’s speech, delivered on February 25, 2014.
But before we proceed it is important to make preliminary observations: Five of them, we intend to make. )
¥ First, there are three arms of government: The Executive, the legislature and Judiciary.
The President in his delivery spoke about two of the arms of government but did not have one sentence or even a4 word for (he Judiciary.
That is a sad commentary.
After the oversight has been acknowledged, space has been created for two sentences to be inserted on the judiciary, Is it the case that official documents are doctored?
Are we revisiting the era of the infamous “page 28”7 v Second, the constitution in chapter 20 deals with decentralization.
The conduct of District Assembly elections as captured by Atticle 246 is a critical undertaking in the composition of the MMDAs.
Elections at that level are due this year.
Four years ago, the conduct of the elections became very epileptic.
At the time of the President’s message, the Electoral Commission had sounded that the elections might have to be postponed indefinitely because of non-release of funds to start the registration of potential new voters, The President had no word on this and the nation was put in a quandary.
v" Third, the Statistical Service estimates that four (4) years after the last population and housing census which put our population figures at 24.6million at thai time, our population today is in the region of 27.2million using an annual growth rate of 2.5%.
So if the President uses a population figure of 24million as he did in his State of the Nation Address his planning would be wrong.
Not planning for over 3million human lives “cach one deserving access to the basic necessities of life”, to borrow from the President’s own words, could only end in a disaster for the nation. "
The fourth observation is the admission by the President that Free Senior High education is possible in Ghana in a year from now.
Ghanaians should be happy with this.
It is good that the very person who less than 14 months ago categorically stated that the scheme was not going to be possible anytime soon, should be the same person now saying it is possible and it will soon come.
God bless our homeland Ghana and help us to identify characters of untruth from characters of truthfulness.
v The fifth point, the President spoke about commencing some projects which however are not captured in the 2014 budget.
Is the nation to expect another over expenditure spree, when the effect of the events of 2012 are still rampaging?
The Econonry The preamble of the President’s address restates the 4 thematic areas of the NDCs 2012 Manifesto and which were captured in the introduction of the 2013 message by the President, and these are: 1.
Putting People First; 2.
A Strong and Resilient Economy; 3.
Expanding Infrastructure and 4.
Transparent and Accountable Governance.
Let us first speak to the economy.
The President stated on page 9 of his message “Our economic fundamentals remain sound and our mid-term prospects are good.”
He buttressed his point with statistics on economic growth.
Assuming that economic growth rate alone constitutes economic fundamentals, let me give you the historical figures to enable you make your own judgment about the President’s characterization of the current state of the economy.
In 2000 the GPD growth rate inherited by Kufuor was 3.7%.
In 2001, the GDP grew at 4.2%.
In 2002 it grew at 4.5%; tising to 5.2% in 2003 and to 5.6% in 2004.
It rose to 5.9% in 2005; 6.4% in 2006; 6.3% in 2007 and to 8,4% in 2008.
All this was without the benefit of crude oil exports.
The rebasing of the cconomy only started in 2008.
This is how a sound economic growth aggregate really looks like.
Now compare the Kufuor administration’s sustained and consistent growth rates with the rates since 2009 under Mills and Mahama.
In 2009 the economy slackened from the 2008 level of 8.4% to 4.0%.
It rose to 5.9% in 2010 and to 14.4% in 2011 with about 7% due to oil.
In comparable non-oil growth rate the economy really shrank to about 7.4% in 2011 and even with oil it shrank further to 7.1% in 2012.
In 2013 the estimated 7.4% GDP growth rate is being revised downwards and the non-oil growth rate shrank even more to 5.8% and it is expected to shrink again in 2014, If the checkered, non-steady, shrinking economic growth rates are what the President referred to as sound economic fundamentals then we wonder where he learnt this bogus economics analysis fiom since he characterized this section of the address as a lecture in €CONOIMICS.
If on the other hand the President really was refemring to the full set of economic aggregates that constitute what is properly called economic fundamentals then please listen to these facts.
The cedi is now selling at GHg 2.8=$1 and continues to fall at an accelerated rate.
In fact it has depreciated by as much as 17.6% in the first quarter alone this year compared with a depreciation of 1.1% in the same quarter last year.
It is very conceivable that at the rate at which the cedi is depreciating we will hit $1 to GI¢ 3 by the end of the second quarter.
Interest rate is now hovering around 30%; our gross reserves in months of imports have dwindled to 2.6 months of imports and continues to dwindle; our trade deficit is well over $4billion; the fiscal deficit was 11.8% of GDP in 2012 and 10.8% in 2013 or about e GH¢12billion, our_current account defieit is 12.8% or $5.7billion (GH¢14:8billion); it was $4.9 or GHg¢12.7billion in 2012, This is the first time in a long period that we have had a twin current account deficit and budget deficit twice in a row; public debt stock is now GH¢55.6 billion up from GH¢51.6billion in December 2013 which is well over GHg2.00 per every Ghanaian, old or young.
Again it means that we are borrowing at the rate of GHS 2 billion a month; the debt to GDP ratio is well above 57%; inflation is above 14% and no longer single digit.
Compatriots, the evidence of the true state of the economy can be found in our everyday lives: in the markets, in our residences, in the workplaces, in the industries and in the streets.
The cost of doing business has sky-rocketed and this has impacted negatively on employment in both formal and informal sectors.
The high cost of living is exacting its toll on all of us and it is no wonder that public sector workers are agitating for pay rise from government.
Standard of living is falling, life is becoming unbearable and our people are getting poorer.
Public financing is out of control and to state that the economy is in trouble is a huge understatement.
Ladies and gentlemen this is the horrifying state of the economy.
The economic fundamentals are hopeless and cannot be described as sound by any stretch of imagination.
1 will now describe some of these fundamental indicators in more detail.
Lublic Debt Ladies and gentlemen, what are the causes of the sharp decline in the cconomic circumnstances of our people?
First is the Huge Public Debt.
The Mills-Mahama administration inherited a total public debt of US$8billion (paragraph 94 of the 2009 budget statement), the equivalent of GH¢9.5 billion (or ¢95 trillion) at the beginning of 2009.
That figure translated to 33% of GDP in the then non-rebased economy.
Within 5 years this debt has escalated to over GHg¢55.6billion (or ¢556trillion) which is more than four times or indeed 485% increase in debt stock over 5 years.
This debt stock is equivalent to about 58% of our rebased GDP.
Indications are that by the end of 2014 the figure will reach 60%, that is, if we do not change course in our economic management.
If the public debt reaches the 60% threshold it would be unsustainable.
The piling up of such debts simply means that every year, from 2009 to 2013, the NDC-led government has on the average, added, GI1¢8.1billion to our public debt.
The public debt of GHg9.5billion or ¢95trillion meant that at the end of 2008 every Ghanaian owed GH¢422.22 or GHg4.2million.
The public debt of GIH¢55.6billion or GHg556trillion cedis now means every Ghanaian including babies who have been just born as I speak now owes GHg¢2,100.00 or ¢2Imillion, Certainly, this is a reflection of the poor quality of economic management.
Sad to observe, that over 48.5% of the debt was borrowed locally.
This means that government has been competing with the private sector for money domestically.
The effect of this is the rise in interest rates which makes it harder for domestic businesses to grow and create jobs.
The huge number of our youth roaming the streets without jobs and the multitude lining our roads selling ————dog-chains-and-chewing gum in-the-intensity-of the sun, should indicate to us the colossal figures of the unemployed.
It is sad to relate that it is the youth who are now unemployed who will be required to pay this debt sometime in the future.
Unfortunately, fellow Ghanaians, there is not much to show for all these huge loans contracted.
Not much productive investment.
What has registered strongly, however, is the dubious payments to Woyome, Isofoton, Construction Pioneers, Waterville and other cronies of the establishment.
That is the real state of the nation, Since 2009, this government has resorted to sheer propaganda in their choreographed effort to portray that they are better managers of the economy.
The GDP growth figures point in | another direction for, since 2009, the non-oil sector growth rate has never matched the GDP growth rate recorded in 2008 which was 8.4%.
In 2013, economic growth in countries in West Afiica most of which are non-oil producing averaged 6.7% and the countries are Gambia, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Ghana’s non-oil sector was projected to grow by 5.8% (see pe.11 par 28 of 2014 budget).
Reality check indicates that this figure will be reviewed downwards.
Of the 10 Primary and Secondary criteria of economic growth established for countries in the WAMZ, Ghana placed last in the league of countries such as The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Iiberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone as we were the only country to have attained only 3 of the 10 criteria in the course of the year.
Indeed, by December 2013 we had even slipped on “exchange rate stability” and, possibly, “real interest rate” and hence at the close of 2013 we met only one of the 10 criteria.
That represents the worst performance by Ghana in over 20 years.
(See page 13 par 34 of 2014 budget).
Instead of addressing the real causes the President told Ghanaians that the couniry has caught the bug of “the 2007 world financial crisis™ and “the recent tapering policy announced by the US Federal Reserve”.
Ladies and gentlemen, for 2011 when GDP growth rate hit 14.4% and both the Finance Minister and the President came to Parliament beating their chests for what they called “prudent economic management” which had resulted in “unprecedented GDP growth rate” they made no reference to the 2007 world financial crisis.
The then President was most !
expressive comparing figures with countries in the West Aftica Monetary Zone.
Today, ow President instead of admitting to their manifest incompetence in managing the economy is rather referring to events in the USA, Russia, Turkey, Portugal and Greece.
The President must be | candid with Ghanaians!