The Minority in Parliament walked out of the August House Tuesday afternoon over the cash-for-seat report.
According to them, they just received the 147 page committee's document and could not have gone through the report thoroughly for discussions to be generated.
Parliament today commenced discussions into the cash-for-seat committee's report as it was laid before the house.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, held that under the circumstances, his side of the House could not take part in the deliberations.
The Majority in Parliament has however decided to go ahead with the debate and discussions on the report.
The Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei-Kyei Mensah Bonsu, said the Minority MP’s refusal to take part in the debate was borne out of their lack of understanding of Parliamentary standing orders.
A 5-member ad hoc committee of Parliament which was set up to investigate extortion allegations against the Ministry of Trade and Industry cleared the sector Minister Alan Kyerematen and his officials of any wrongdoing.
The Minority led by MP for Asawase, Muntaka Mubarak alleged the Ministry took $100, 000 from expatriates to sit close to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the Ghana Expatriates Business Awards last year.
Some sections of the 146-page report said: “ . . After the hearings and the analysis and evaluation of the evidence adduced before it has come to a conclusion that there is no merit in the allegations leveled against the Ministry of Trade and Industry as contained in the motion and which culminated in the setting up of the Special Committee.”
The Committee, however, made the following recommendations: “That the Controller and Accountant General and the Ministry of Finance should consider in the formulation of the new Regulation of the PFM Act, adequate provision to cater for public private partnership arrangement and emerging or contemporary issues.
“That there is a need to have a second look at the recall mechanism and ensure that it is not needlessly invoked at any time because of its mandatory nature in the Constitution. Upon a recall, Mr. Speaker may have to establish that there is a “prima facie” case and if Mr. Speaker is not satisfied that there is a good reason for the summoning, he may dispense with the meeting. This test is likely to curtail frivolous and vexatious request for a recall.
“That the practice of some Members of Parliament trooping to the media to make allegations against highly placed officials must cease.
"The Committee is of the view that Members of Parliament who indulge in such acts ought not to be heard in Parliament if they should thereafter bring those matters before Parliament for Parliament to deliberate on the matter.”
'Minority report'
The bi-partisan committee probing the extortion claims was enveloped by controversy when its Minority members decided to prepare and leak a separate report that indicted some persons of interests in the probe, including the Ministry of Trade and the organizers of the awards scheme, the Millennium Excellence Foundation.
The Minority side of the Committee, comprising of Dr. Dominic Ayine and James Avedzi, concluded that, the Ministry of Trade engaged in multiple infractions including breaches of the public financial management law and multiple ethical violations.
It also said the Millennium Excellence Foundation, among other things, presented forged evidence to the Committee.
Dr. Ayine subsequently called for the withdrawal of the already laid report so that a composite report will be presented to Parliament.
Prior to the walkout, there were reports that the Minority was planning to boycott the debate of the report over the matter.
Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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' Like Seriously' communicated my thoughts on this issue. Moreover, the ordinary Ghanaian would have been more concerned if the minority had grounds to allege that the Trade Ministry misused the money they collected from the expatriates. If the minority is so worried about the procedure a Ministry used to generate money from expatriates, then what should we do to the likes of Wayome who connive with foreign elements not to generate money into public coffers but rather to steal public funds?
Name: @ ndc communications must work You’re indeed a pathetic excuse of a human being . A waste of space and a huge apology of a man. Is that your strategies your dumb a$$es have been working on? Your level of f00lishness is on a commercial level. You’re so weak and pathetic u go after individuals propagating lies and evil voodoo to silence your opponents. Only a weak person will think like u do. For your info,Ghanaians have been enlightened now so your propaganda machinery that sought and still seek to destroy people’s reputation on the basis of lies and evil defamation of characters will not work anymore but as usual, u are so Stuuuuu.pid to see. May all your evil plots and plans return to your bosom al the days of your life. May u fall on the very swords u draw to atttack your opponents. May u drink your own blood and eat off your flesh. May u fall deeply into your evil pits uve dug for your all the lists of names you’ve proposed to target. Indeed we shall see your end cos u think evil for good people. May the Lord punish u and yours. In the blood and In the name of Jesus I pray.!!!!Amen
So all our parliamentarians do is to lie to us? NDC OR NPP cannot tell us the truth in any situation. God is watching all of you. I think you should stop going to Church.
From the Kwasi Botchwey’s report and the subsequent meetings from NEC, all NDC Communicators must work hard as directed. I am compelled to put this across here because only few of us are working on Social Media. Note we are to: (1) Ensure Owusu Bempah’s mouth is shut as his constant media attack on NDC & Mahama contributed greatly to our defeat. When we work hard to bring scandals against him NDC communicators must hold it up. (2) We must attack Bawumia like he did against John Mahama. Whenever he speaks, good or bad he must be attacked. Let’s make governance difficult for him. (3) We must paint NPP as very corrupt. Hons Ablakwah, Ayariga, Ahi, etc. are spearheading that at Parliament. So we must back them up on social media. Contact the Communication Team if you require further information. Thank you!
aaah 4get those 1d10>ts. they dont know their left from their right. just ignore them and Ghana will be beautiful. they are walking out to hell to meet their creator the devil who according to sources has prepared a hot cane for them. they shd walk there and leave us alone.
In fact, i don't know how to describe the minority. So incomprehensible.
See haruna's face like a horse !!!
Who doesnt know that the minority is now the propaganda arm of the NDC? Was this committee even necessary in the first place? I am really disappointed in the speaker of parliament to be honest. What a waste of time!
These idyioots are wasting our time with their nquaseasemity. non3rntities of the century. They should go and never return because their presence is nauuseatingg any way
How can you sit on a committee, complete your work, and suddenly cannot sit down as a committee to write a report? And even when a draft report is submitted to you, you still find a way not to contribute, but decide to write your own. And what you have written is not based on the facts presented to the committee. Do you characters expect Ghanaians to take you seriously?