News:
December 12, 2017
Second Deputy Speaker, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has said it is wrong for any Speaker of the House to receive communications from Ministers and decide on it, instead of bringing it to the House for a decision to be taken by the House.
He further noted that a Speaker is the servant of the House, he listens and implement decisions of the House. According to the Second Deputy Speaker, a Minister cannot by unilateral fiat be amending business of Parliament.
His comments came to light, when five sector Ministers, Railways, Lands and Natural Resources, Employment and Social Welfare, Regional Reorganization, and Works and Housing sent a written letter to the House that they could not make to the House to answer questions.
The sector Ministers took permission to attend the funeral of the late queen mother of Ashanti Kingdom, leading to no question being asked on the floor of the House last week Thursday.
Mr. Alban Bagbin noted that, the Majority leader OseiKyei Mensah-Bonsu could be under pressure to sermon the Minsters to the House, if he kept defending their absence and for not being in the House to answer questions.
Deputy Minority whip who did not take kindly to the absence of the five Ministers, noted that the current government had been voted for barely a year ago.
“Mr. Speaker if you look at the order paper, Business Committee cannot go and arrange business for the day and not even a single business is ready for execution.
If they cannot handle the power given to them by Ghanaians, they should give it to us we are ready to handle, five Ministers of state failing to come before the House to do Business”.
By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com