If anybody at all has any advice they should give it to Supreme Court not Minority - Akandoh

Minority blocks loan agreement for lack of quorum

Let’s do what Supreme Court thinks is right in parliament, Akandoh

Organize your people to form the quorum, Akandoh tells Majority

Member of Parliament for Juaboso Constituency in the Western Region, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has asked individuals to stop blaming the minority side for rejecting the approval of loan agreement due to the lack of quorum.

According to him, if anybody at all has any advice, they should give it to the Supreme Court as the apex court has decided to set rules for parliament.

He explained, that the minority is only implementing the ruling of the Supreme Court which references Article 104 (1) of the 1992 Constitution that the house must form a quorum any time there is a motion before the house.

Therefore, their actions have nothing to do with the minority sabotaging government’s business.

The lawmaker comments come after a legal practitioner, Bobby Banson, urged the minority to set aside their political differences and build consensus in the house.

Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb, he said “if anybody at all has any advice they should give it to the Supreme Court, We have all independent eyes on parliament, we should respect and corporate with each other for the progress of the country. But you don’t sit in your court and determine what should be done in parliament. It is also the reason we don’t sit in Parliament and determine what to be in court. We respect each other. There should be respect.”

He further explained that if there is anybody to be blamed in these circumstances, it should be the majority as they have failed to show up in their numbers to form a quorum for business in parliament.

“…You have been voted to come to parliament to come and work in the interest of the party, why are they not coming. And you see us in the minority all time been the majority in parliament. Some of you are ministers you cannot be in parliament all the time, so we need consensus-building," he said.

Government business was brought to a halt by the minority caucus in Parliament for the third time this week when the majority was accused of not forming a quorum.

The Minority on the three occasions made references to the recent Supreme Court ruling which stated that a sitting Deputy Speaker can vote while presiding.

The apex court presided over by Justice Jones Dotse, held that the Deputy Speaker does not lose his right to take part in decision-making upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 103 and 104 of the 1992 Constitution.

The minority has vowed to abide by the ruling of the Supreme Court by referencing Article 104 (1) of the 1992 Constitution any time there is a motion before the house hence their actions.