Kufuor to give account of stewardship to Parliament

Accra, Dec. 21, GNA - President John Kufuor is expected to give an account of his stewardship over the past four years in a State of the Nation address in Parliament on January four, before the dissolution of the Third Parliament.

Mr. Jones Kugblenu, Director of Public Affairs, who was interacting with members of the Parliamentary Press Corps at Parliament House on Tuesday, said, that same day would also be used to honour some Members of Parliament at an awards ceremony to be held later that night.

Giving details on some arrangement for early next year, Mr Kugblenu said the President would be ushered into a second term of office when Parliament convenes at the Independent Square, on January seven, where President Kufuor would be sworn in.

This would be after new members of the Legislature are sworn in on January Seven at Parliament House.

Earlier in Parliament, before the commencement of Public Business, Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Lands and Forestry told the house that there were some proposals that the curriculum of the Police Training College should be expanded to include courses in forestry and wild life laws to create awareness and to enable police officers to assist in law enforcement in illegal hunting.

The Minister was answering a question on measures being taken to control illegal hunting and the capture of wild animals during the closed season.

He said the Forestry Commission was liaising with the office of the Chief Justice to set up special courts to handle forestry and wildlife cases, including illegal hunting and poaching.

He appealed to MPs to help in educating the public on the need to observe the close season to ensure sustainable management forest and wildlife resources.

Prof. Fobih said laws were not enough to check illegal hunting and therefore, a lot needed to be done by way of public education.

Mr Hackman Owusu Agyemang, Interior Minister, who was also in the House to answer a question, said there were plans to re-locate the Central Prison in Kumasi to a more secure place.

Mr. Yaw Baah, NPP-Kumawu, had wanted to know when the prison located in the economic hub of the city would be re-located. The Minister said the present location was not the best, however, a few details were being looked at, to solve the problem.

He said a place had also been secured for the re-location of the Borstal Institute in Accra at Doryumu.