NDC, NPP Chief Whips Clash Over Who Is Obstructing Gov’t Business
The Chief Whips of both side of Ghana’s Parliament are up in arms against each other over who is actually impeding the business of the House from progressing.
They both accused each other of abandoning Parliamentary proceedings to the pursuit of other agenda which hitherto does not inure to the benefit of their constituents who elected them.
Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh on Tuesday July, 2023 accused the Minority retarding the business of the House by that decision to abandon proceedings which he described as unpopular among their members and has actually divided their front.
He further accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs of deception because they secretly take part in committee sittings even though they claim to have abandoned sitting.
“I think that they should bury their heads down in shame, it is a very unpopular decision by the leadership, I know their side is divided about it.
“We were patiently counting that they will meet the mark and then we see what happens only for me to have the rude shock of my life, the Minority participated in two committee meetings yet they refused flatly to show up in the chamber. What kind of principle are they espousing?”
“This is an act of deception. I want to challenge my friend the Honourable Ato Forson that he should show true leadership. If you are boycotting, boycott it through and let’s see that you are boycotting it. I also want to tell the Ghanaian people that they shouldn’t take the Minority seriously,” Mr Dompreh stated while addressing journalists afterwards on Tuesday.
Reacting to these claims on Wednesday July 19, 2023, Minority Chief Whip, Kwame Governs Agbodza expressed shock at the outburst by his colleague, the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh who attributed difficulty in transacting government business in the chamber of Parliament to the absence of the Minority caucus.
He indicated that the Minority was only executing its earlier notice served publicly to abandon sittings on days their colleague Member for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson would have to appear in court as a sign of solidarity.
According to Mr Agbodza, even the majority leader and his deputy have been missing from parliamentary proceedings the entire week whiles majority of the the NPP MPs have been following presidential candidate hopefuls around the country campaigning.
He questioned the Majority Whip’s perspective stating, “Is it a case that you brought a deal here to solve the problems of this country; rising costs of living, inability to pay contractors, and the inability to deal with current economic situations that the absence of the minority did not permit you to address?”
Mr Agbodza who is MP for Adaklu emphasized that key government officials, including the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who are supposed to be busy at the office finding solutions to the economic difficulties, are rather engaged in political campaigns all over.
He stated that the problem of Parliament not getting a quorate number to transact government business was rather due to the absence of the majority NPP MPs who do not attend upon their parliamentary duties and not the NDC Minority who had publicly declared its stand.
“Contrary to this assertion, the Minority members are not childish but very bold and have been honest about that.”
“The reason you couldn’t do business on Tuesday was that your own members are not coming to work.”
“You can’t even count 50 NPP members this morning, so let the country be aware that the reason Parliament is not forming a Quorum has nothing to do with the minority members,” he added.
Mr Agbodza asserted further “So the problem is yourself,” and further issued a challenge, “If you produce your 138 members tomorrow morning, we shall provide our 137 members tomorrow morning.”
He emphasized the fact that the absence of the minority from Parliament has no bearing on the country’s pressing issues, including payments to contractors, petrol price hikes, poverty reduction among others.
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