July 16, 2010

The NPP Member of Parliament for Obuasi Hon. Edward Ennin has called for the immediate resignation of Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Alban Sumana Bagbin and Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Kwame Dufour.

Mr Ennin alleges that the two ministers refused to heed to advice from some members of the house that the STX housing deal deserved proper scrutiny before it was brought to parliament for debate.

According to the MP, the time wasted in parliament debating the STX housing deal amounts to causing financial loss to the State and therefore both the Finance Minister and the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing should be fired.

“I am very sad because initially, members of the minority side at the committee advised the chairman of the committee and other government officials that this deal would not fly…they brought it before us and wasted MPs’ time here. This is seriously causing financial loss because we could have used that time to do other serious important things”.

“But what has happened here, they went ahead and presented it and now they are withdrawing it, so I am calling for the Minister for Works and Housing and the Finance Minister to resign immediately”
Parliament on Thursday July 15, suspended the adoption of the $1.5 billion STX agreement for the building of 30,000 housing units for security services indefinitely.

The decision announced on the floor of the house, came after President Mills directed the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Alban Babgin to immediately withdraw the motion filed before the house.

However in an interview with Citi News Hon. Edward Ennin indicated that the two ministers showed gross disrespect to the house by submitting a deal when they knew that documents covering the deal were inconclusive and deserved proper scrutiny. He therefore charged President Mills to dismiss both Ministers before Parliament returns from recess.

“The two ministers should resign…the president should sack them because they have wasted Ghanaians time and they should go”