The Majority Leader urged the Speaker to allow the Trade Minister to present the papers before the house, stating, “I want to plead to my colleagues to allow the Minister of Trade to present the paper on behalf of his ministry to us.”
In response, James Agalga, Member of Parliament for Builsa North, raised concerns about the quorum for business in the house, invoking Order 45 of the standing order.
He emphasized, "Mr. Speaker, looking at the numbers in the house, we do not have a quorum to transact business."
The Minority Deputy Whip, Ahmed Banda, also expressing dissatisfaction, over an attempt by the house to ambush them with the LI said “Mr. Speaker, let it not be said that there is a conclusion for the L.I. to be laid. This L.I. is neither in the business statement for last week or this week. It always comes as a form of ambush in the house to do what should not be done."
Trade Minister, in response to Banda's remarks, expressed his dismay, saying, "Mr. Speaker, I find it appalling that a member in this house could threaten a sitting competent and legally appointed Deputy Speaker of the house. It is in bad taste. He cannot blackmail you."
He continued, "The Speaker knew that the Minister has the constitutional right to raise it. They have no say in whether an L.I. is laid in this house or not, no one, with respect to the Speaker, the Speaker has no right over whether a Legislative Instrument is laid in this house; that is the constitution."
The Deputy Speaker called for the ringing of the bell to summon members of parliament into the chamber but later suspended the sitting.
Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.
NAY/FNOQ
KT Hammond, Trade Minister