Speaker puts Finance Ministry business on hold
Ofori-Atta, Transport Minister fail to show up in parliament
It appears parliament is on a unanimous front on the issue of absenteeism of some ministers who are summoned to answer questions in the house.
Last week, Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin put the Finance Ministry business on hold following the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta’s absence in parliament.
Ofori-Atta was supposed to appear before the house to respond to questions about the COVID-19 expenditure but failed to show up.
On Tuesday, June 21, 2022, Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, was also supposed to have appeared before the house to respond to some 9 questions about his sector but equally failed to show up.
The Speaker, addressing the subject, read a letter from the Transport Ministry signed by the Chief Director of the ministry, explaining that the minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah is unavoidably absent.
He then raised questions about what exactly the words ‘unavoidably absent’ mean, adding that the continued absence of some ministers to respond to questions in parliament is something he [Bagbin] will not tolerate.
Bagbin also gave Mr. Ofori Asiamah the last opportunity to appear to respond to questions from the house, failure to do so, he said, would attract strict actions including the referral of the issue to the Privileges Committee for hearing.
Meanwhile, Minority Chief Whip Mubarak Muntaka who had earlier raised concerns about the absentee ministers said it appeared some ministers were beginning to take the house for granted and urged for necessary action to be taken to avoid a repeat of same.
TWI NEWS
Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh Dompreh, on his part supported the call by his colleague and added that naming and shaming of such ministers should be done by parliament to avoid any subsequent recurrence.
Annoh Dompreh further argued that this should be the last time such a thing is happening.
WH/BB
View his Timepath below:
