News:
March 16, 2021
Minister of State in charge of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has said Speaker Rt. Hon Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin cannot give directives to the President of the land, Nana Akufo-Addo on ceiling of the Judiciary and parliament on their budget.
According to him he shares in the principle that Article 179 clause 3 & 4 should be complied with. “I want to be clear on this, to say that the Speaker has directed the president, then he can direct that the president should be arrested.”
North Tongu lawmaker Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa jumped in to offer explanation that, the speaker’s directive was to the Finance Minister caretaker and the Vice President who were present at the reading of the 2021 budget.
Again, “Osei-Kyei was so busy that day so he did not receive the Speaker’s directives. He looked more like a finance Minister we have never had, the quality of the leather bag was so impressive to the extent that Ken Ofori Atta would want to hurry back to the country”.
Mr. Osei-Kyei further on his part noted that the issue as the Speaker has brought up could be taken up but it is not for nothing that Article 179 clause 1 has said a month before the budget comes to the House it should be presented so that if there is any suggestion it is dealt with.
“If there is any negotiation it could be done before it comes to the House, in this case as we all know, we did not have time, so it should be possible to resolve this in the midyear budget review it can be done”.
Mr. Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu further told the House on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 he is not sure in this case if there should be litigation on the matter, despite the fact that they want the best for Parliament, “but we cannot start on a quarrelsome note”.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com