News:
Rt. Hon Speaker
February 16, 2022
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has served notice to the House that he does not want to leave Parliament as a Speaker and be investigated by government’s agencies. As such, the Finance Ministry should assist the House with the relevant documentations for parliament to approve the financial agreements that parliament needs to approve.
According to him he has prompted the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning on the subject matter and under scored the need to attach documentation to international agreements. “Finance Ministry, take note you need to write officially attaching agreements you have entered into”.
The various agencies which have entered into agreements, he noted the House need to know; “after one year it has not been done; we cannot depend on documents from those agencies as authentic document to work with. This is notice to the Ministry of Finance personally. I have called the Ministry a number of times, take these things seriously; judgment debts are becoming too many in the country”, he emphasized.
He also pointed out that he does not want to be part of this and would not work on any document that is not emanating from government sources, and he knows the legal implications and would not risk that.
In the case of government financial International agreement not coming to parliament for approval, Rt. Hon Alban Kingsford Bagbin has told the House he would not be part of a situation where he would leave the House as a Speaker and later be called to any government agencies for investigation.
The Speaker made this point on the floor of the House, when Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram Samuel Nartey George touched on Article 181 clause (5) of the 1992 constitution in a matter relating to the states acquisition of AirtelTigo Ghana from its partner holdings.
Article 181 (5); “This article shall, with the necessary modifications by Parliament, apply to an international business or economic transaction to which the Government is a party as it applies to a loan”.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com