Bryan Acheampong does not have powers to call for keeping the president’s travels secret, Minority
Ghanaians are entitled to know the cost of Akufo-Addo’s trips, Minority
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has said chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in parliament has no right to advise the National Minster, Kan Dapaah, to keep the president’s foreign trips ‘top secret’ for security reasons.
According to the MP, Mr Acheampong doesn’t have power to decide whether or not the executive should respond to a question before parliament after the Speaker of parliament has admitted the question.
He added that his colleagues’s comments undermine the authority of the Speaker of Parliament and it’s clearly stated in Order 66(1) of our Standing Orders.
“…Bryan Acheampong’s statement is upfront to parliament and it undermines the authority of the Speaker of Parliament. Order 66(1) of our Standing Orders is very clear.
“We want to state clearly that the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee is totally out of order. He is arrogating to himself powers that he does not have, and he must stay clear of the Speakers authority under Order 66(1),” he told the media in parliament.
On Tuesday, November 23, 2021, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee of parliament, Bryan Acheampong, told parliament that, he has advised the National Security Minister, Kan Dapaah, to keep President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s foreign trips ‘top secret’ for security reasons.
According to him, this is to prevent people from tracking the president’s movement and he is also of the view that not every information is supposed to be revealed to the public.
But Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa wondered why government is refusing to be open on the president’s trip.
He added that Ghanaians are entitled to know the details and cost of the president’s foreign trip as government is seeking more taxes from Ghanaians.
“…how ironic, you want more taxes from the people, momo tax, E-levy, you are removing bench mark value, and you are increasing property rate. You are imposing burden after burden on an already suffering Ghanaian public and yet you want to continue to live like a Russian hooligan, like an Arabian King like a British Aristocrat, all three at the same time at the Ghanaian taxpayer expense and he refuses to be accountable the Ghanaian people and refuses to show respect to parliament.”
He added that “We want to state very clearly that we are not accepting this newfound position. The Ghanaian people will not accept. You want more taxes, you must be accountable.”
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