News:
April 10, 2020
The Minority in Parliament has lamented over the conduct of the Speaker of the Seventh Parliament, Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye for illegally suspending the House on April 4, and recalling the House back on Wednesday, April 8, 2020.
According to the Minority, the business conducted on Wednesday 8th of April 2020 could have long been concluded before adjournment despite persistent calls from the Minority Leader.
Mr. Haruna Iddrisu in addressing the media noted, the House’s Standing Orders were breached in Wednesday’s proceedings. Order seventy-five (75) was appropriate and not Order seventy-two (72).
And further added that the inability for the Majority Leader to locate the Minister of Health was unacceptable as he was needed to brief the House.
On the Minority position on the president’s interventions on the fight against the spread of the Coronavirus, Mr. Iddrisu noted that President Nana Akufo-Addo did not appear to consult stakeholders with the confusion among stakeholders like the Ghana Medical Association (GMA).
Again, measures taken by the president were not adequate and must intervene in electricity bills, communications data, LPG, petroleum prices as articulated by former president John Mahama.
“Frontline should be properly defined to avoid the current confusion as security personnel’s are also frontline’s and can be categorized on other jurisdiction and should not be left out. We condemn the current shabby treatment they are receiving in respect of cut of their allowance of ten Ghana cedis (10) per day”.
The Minority further demanded a national COVID-19 plan which should be adequately costed to guide the nation’s response in its preparedness and social mitigation strategy, in addition the Minority called for cut in expenditure in order to save resources that would be channeled into the fight against corona virus.
“In the absence of a costed plan and expenditure cuts the Ghana Heritage Fund should be totally off Governments contemplation and the alleviation programme to be implemented should be non-partisan. We would insist on safeguarding and ensuring that the funds we have approved are not used for partisan campaign”, the Minority emphasized.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com