News:
March 22, 2021
The Rt Hon Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has said, he would be forced to form his own Parliamentary Service Board to assist him carry out other important and mandatory duties, should the advisory committee fail to advise him by Friday, March 25, 2021.
He explained that, the Constitutional provision is clear on how the Parliamentary Service Board is constituted where two have been identified by the Constitution, which is the Speaker himself as Chairman and the clerk of Parliament, and four others that are to be appointed by the Speaker, Acting in accordance with the advice of the Committee of Parliament.
Rt. Hon. Bagbin further said as at today March 22, 2021, the advisory committee has remained mute without advising him on which other four people are to be selected or appointed to be part in the formation of the Parliamentary Service Board.
He has therefore sounded a word of caution to this advisory board to act between today, Monday 22 to coming Friday March 25, 2021 to come up with their advice or else, he would be left with no option than to form his own Board to carry on with other duties that the Parliamentary Service Board is mandated to perform.
Responding to Speaker’s comment, the Majority Chief Whip and MP for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh Dompreh said, the advisory committee which the Speaker is referring to is made up of both NPP majority and NDC minority and such matters need not to be discussed at the plenary or on the floor of Parliament.
Mr. Dompreh said, the two leaders, both Majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu and Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu were informed about contributing to how to resolve this matter of advisory committee, therefore, this matter should have been left with the two leaderships to handle it privately instead of open chamber.
But the MP for Bawku Central and member of the Constitutional Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Mahama Ayariga was really wondering why the Speaker has not formed the Parliamentary Service Board, since the advisory committee is failing to perform its duty.
This discussion ensured when the Member of Parliament for Banda Ahmed Ibrahim sought to know from the Speaker why the board was not in place, and wanted to know the challenges confronting him in its formation.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com