The Majority Caucus in Parliament has said it will not support the Minority to push through their agenda to censure the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.
The caucus explained that the censure motion was politically motivated, therefore, the Majority will not aid the Minority to obtain the 183 members to succeed in removing the minister.
“Mr Speaker, the Minority should not be under any impression that in any so-called secret ballot you are going to have somebody to support you as you do not have the numbers,” the Majority Caucus further stated.
Personal attack
Speaking on the floor of Parliament last Thursday, the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, said nobody was against the censure motion process; hence, the Minority Leader should not create any impression or mischief since the motion had already failed.
Mr Afenyo-Markin stated this when he responded to a remark by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, who called on Parliament to bring closure to the censure motions against the Finance Minister and the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu.
“The motion has already failed and who told you that you are going to get any support from this side; we have told you that it is a political motion and we will not support you as we made it clear,” the Deputy Majority Leader indicated.
He pointed out to the Minority that “the imaginative number that you are thinking about, you will not get any support and we will debate you on that and prove to you that it is a personal attack on the Finance Minister”.
The Minority Leader said if the House was unable to take those motions against Messrs Ofori-Atta and Agyeman-Manu on the floor, they should be deferred to be part of business next week.
He, therefore, requested the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, who presided, to accordingly direct the Chairman of the Business Committee, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, to take note.
“In the words of Article 82 of the Constitution, Parliament is not given perpetuity to discuss the matter, particularly in relation to the censure against the Finance Minister,” Mr Iddrisu stated.
We need cooperation
Mr Iddrisu, who is also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South in the Northern Region, had informed the House that Parliament was within a defined time limit to consider the motion and take a decision as appropriate.
He said the move to censure the Finance Minister would be an exercise in futility if they did not get the cooperation of the Majority who were “now backtracking”.
“If those courageous 98 gallant NPP MPs or Majority MPs cooperate, we will be very successful in getting a new Finance Minister for Ghana and exiting Ken Ofori-Atta,” Mr Iddrisu observed.
Source: graphiconline.com
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