President Nana Akufo-Addo
Parliament will receive President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo today to deliver a message on the State of the Nation (SoNA), in the first session of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.
Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, delivering the explanatory memorandum on the Business Statement for the seventh week ending Friday, March 5, 2021, indicated that Members of Parliament (MPs) would consequently debate the message.
He added that the Financial Policy of the Government of Ghana for the year ending December 31, 2021 would also be presented on March 12, 2021 for approval.
According to him, the Minister-designate for Health is also scheduled to brief the House on the COVID-19 situation in the country, including the ongoing vaccination exercise.
“The briefing is programmed to take place tomorrow, Wednesday, March 3, 2021. Accordingly, the Business Committee proposes that the House commences sitting at 10:00am tomorrow for the conduct of scheduled business and thereafter, recline into a Committee of the Whole to grant audience to the Minister-designate for Health,” he stated.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu therefore called on members to take note of the programme and avail themselves for the said briefings.
He took the opportunity to welcome all MPs back from the short break, and said he was hopeful they endeavoured, during the break, to observe the COVID-19 protocols, “and therefore are in good health to discharge their mandate as Members of Parliament.”
“During the brief intervening period until the House adjourns sine die by March 30, 2021, the House would be expected to consider some very critical businesses,” he added.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, said 12 MPs and staff out of 550, who earlier tested negative, had retested positive.
They are currently in isolation, he noted and added that majority of them were auxiliary staff. “This represents a positivity rate of 2% which compares favourably with the national positivity rate of 10%.
“It is my expectation that all members and staff who are required to retest would actually submit themselves for the test,” he admonished.
He added that the measures put in place, including the three-week break, had yielded positive results and allowed MPs who were exposed to the virus to overcome the infection.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House