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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Pathetic. Now they are trying to save face. Why? You think other people are not human beings? You carry out baseless attacks on the integrity of other people, and when it is clear that you are wrong, instead of admitting it and moving on, you feel the need to protect your integrity by engaging in some evasive antics. Same thing Ayariga did, and when it was proven to him that he was lying, he was still posturing as if he was right, but only obeying authority by apologising. Tweeaaa!!!
People should stop voting for such MP's
@ Delali thank you. Look at this fuuuuuulish maaaaamaaals.You guys are too corrupt.Wait and see your real size.Mmoa
It’s about time harsher and stiffer punishments are meted out to these eeeediots roaming around in parliament. Parliament should be taken seriously and not be a place where propaganda and evil agendas should be set. We knew these allegations were false from the get go but as usual, these good for nothing madafakas were bugging our ears like an irritant mosquitoes disturbing our valuable peace of mind. This is about the third or fourth baseless uuuseless they’ve made since this gov took over. If these f0000ls are to be punished hard, it will serve as a deterrent for others. Kwaaa.sem seyie na mo di. See why some of us have a problem with this democracy especially in Africa? They always abuse everything. They really are unfit to be there. Honourable my a$$
NDC IS NOW CONFUSED AFTER MISSING THE TARGET. THE REAL AIM TO REQUEST FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY INVESTIGATION WAS FOR THEIR MOTION TO BE IGNORED BY SPEAKER OR REJECTED BY THE MAJORITY AT PARLIAMENT. THAT WOULD HAVE GIVEN THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MORE NOISE. THEY WOULD HAVE EQUALISED THAT WITH REJECTION OF THE PETITION TO INVESTIGATE MAHAMA FORD SAGA. THE SPEAKER AND MAJORITY WERE SMART AND ALLOWED THE MOTION, WHICH HAS DISPOSED MORE OF NDC AS MISCHEVIOUS AND DISINGENOUS.
Parliament should get their act together, if you walk out, you don't get paid for the day you walk out. Period!
This immaturish act was just to cover their pathetic ridiculous false allegations levelled against the trade ministry. They knew they were backing up the wrong tree. They knew from the onset these were baseless accusations but oh noooo, they had to waste everybody’s time and resources just to be seen as working. ***barred word*** bunch of morons...I don’t blame them, I blame the wack political system we have. I pray they all lose their seats come next elections. The fact that you are in opposition doesn’t mean u should acts like twats.
NDC MPS ARE DOING ALL THIS OUT OF SHAME. THEY HAVE ACTED ON IMPULSE AND BEHAVED WITH NO HONOUR AND INTEGRITY. IN FACT IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE PARLIAMENT OKUDZETO AND MUBARAK SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUNISHED FOR THEIR FALSE AND IRRELEVANT CLAIMS. SINCE ALL WERE TELECAST FOR THE NATION TO SEE AND PASS THEIR OWN JUDGEMENT, THE NDC MPS ARE ASHAMED TO SIT AT THE DEBATE OF THE REPORT. FIRST AFEDZI TRAVELLED OUT OF THE NATION AT THE FINAL COMPILATION OF THE REPORT. THEN AYENI PLAYED HIDE AND SEEK WITH THE REST OF THE COMMITTEE AND INSINCERELY CAME OUT WITH A SECOND REPORT THAT COULD NOT BE SUPPORTED BY THE FACTS OF THE TESTIMONIES AND EVIDENCE OF THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE INTERROGATIONS. SHAME TO YOU NDC PMS.
The Nation is paying for FREE education given to some people earlier in their life.Nana,FREE education for all is the best policy introduced.
It was NDCs Victor Gheho's company that benefited most from this seat thing.... What at all are these NDC f.0..0ls up to? True corruption is GYEDA, SADA, Bus branding, SSNIT software deal, John Mahama's Kanazoe ford bribe, Jospong dustbin deal, non-existing road contracts....name the rest. We must gang up and campaign against these MPs and get them out of parliament in the next election. They are wasting everyone's time with these distractions for political reason.