News:
May 19, 2018
Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed has said the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Akoto Afriyie is found of sending his Deputies to Parliament to answer questions instead of coming himself.
According to the Chief Whip, respect is even not given to the Speaker Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye by informing him ahead of time that the Minister can’t come to the House to answer questions.
He is always sending his Deputies to answer questions on the floor of the House, as a similar situation was witnessed at the last meeting where three questions were unanswered.
This came to light when the Food and Agriculture Minister failed to turn up on the floor on Thursday 17th May, 2018 to answer an urgent question on the floor of the House.
Mr. Mubarak Muntaka further said he knows the difficulties the Speaker is having because he was not informed ahead of time that the Food and Agriculture Minister would not be on the floor to answer questions but only got to know on Thursday.
“We would plead that the Majority would respect the Speaker and the office he occupy”.
Chairman of the Finance Committee, Dr Mark Assibey Yeboah indicated on the floor of the House that the Minority Chief Whip was wrong in saying that the Food and Agriculture Minister should be hauled before the House.
But the Speaker pointed out that by the standing orders of the House allows Ministers to be compelled to appear before the peoples’ representative to response to questions or any other matter whatsoever the House consider relevant.
By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com