National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has expressed his dissatisfaction with Parliament rushing to vet and approve some minister-designates of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He said the situation infuriated the minority in Parliament to stage a walkout during the swearing-in to express their disapproval of the whole process.
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu explanation came following the boycott of parliamentary proceedings by the minority group to show their disinterest in the vetting of four ministers at a time when the Speaker of Parliament had given an order for MPs to travel to their constituencies to participate in the tree planting exercise a few weeks ago.
Speaking on Metro TV‘s Good Morning Ghana, Friday Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa indicated that, the day those ministers were sworn in was the same day the management committee of the Parliamentary Friendship Association was being inaugurated.
“But you will observe that that day Wednesday, the management committee of the parliamentary friendship association was being inaugurated. I am a member of the management committee but I had sought permission to attend this Nurses and Midwives events at Ho. So I was not at the inauguration,” he said on Friday, June 25.
Mr. Ablakwa indicated that some prominent members of the House were absent during the ceremony to run another important errand.
“The RT. Speaker was at the inauguration swearing-in members and that’s why you noticed that our [Minority] Leader, the Hon. Haruna Iddrissu was not in the chamber that day, the Majority leader, the Chief Whips because they are all part of the management committee of the Parliamentary Friendship Association and that explains the speaker’s absence from the chair. It was the Second Deputy Speaker that has to chair because the First Deputy Speaker must be on the floor to present his report,” he pointed.
The political commentator for the NDC mentioned that the Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi felt the initiative was wrong therefore he objected but to no avail.
“The deputy minority leader and raised the matters and said that look, let’s do things right. The Appointments Committee cannot become a charade. It’s just like a mere formality. It doesn’t really matter what the constitution and outstanding orders expect of us. And that we should do things properly. That we are not going to be part of it,” he added.
Ablakwa expressed that the minor group has their own question marks about the event stressing, “This whole development is a matter that we have served notice that we will formally draw the attention of the speaker and we will want the speaker’s decision on this matter because, after the approval which was one-sided, it’s the speaker who must transmit the communication to the president for the swearing-in of the ministers to be done,” he stated.
By: Ernest Tetteh Kabu | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
