News:
June 11, 2020
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Wednesday morning questioned, why the votes and proceedings of the House page 6 for Tuesday recorded that two hundred and two (202) reported to the House but the ballot they cast indicates that there were one hundred and ninety-eight (198).
Speaker Oquaye quickly ruled him out of order but Deputy Minority Leader Dr. James Kluste Avedzi re-put the issue up by saying as a House of record it was not right to record 202 members in the House but when the House was voting it had 198 members around.
“It means four members came to the House and did not vote or even did not come to House but were marked present, we need to interrogate this issue”.
The Speaker intervene by pointing out to him that he has ruled on the matter and prevented him from going on that tangent.
Majority Leader waded into the matter by pointing out to his colleague that earlier in the day the Assin Central lawmaker Ken Ohene Agyapong was in the chamber but during the voting time, he was no were to be found to cast his vote.
“He was in the House earlier and had been marked present and it is outrageous for anyone to think there has been anything untoward with the ballot that was casted yesterday”.
Professor Oquaye unhappy with the development noted that such remarks are not parliamentary and allows those who are not vested with Parliamentary workings to misreport things like this “it is just creating wrong impression”.
He further pointed out that the House has done a good job for those who voted to come to the House and learn on what happened as everything went on properly, “we should be proud of ourselves when we do something good, let us not stoke fire when there is nothing to be stoked”.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com