Reports suggested they walked out because of the presence of Asiedu Nketia
But the Majority Chief Whip says they left because of the Speaker's threat to eject the Finance Minister
Habib Iddrisu, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Tolon and Deputy Majority Chief Whip has debunked assertions that they walked out of Parliament two weeks ago because of the presence of Johnson Asiedu Nketia.
According to him, the NPP Caucus decided to leave the chamber of Parliament on November 26, 2021, because of a threat of ejection that Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin had issued against Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Speaking on Saturday, December 4, 2021 edition of TV3’s The Key Issues news analysis show, the Tolon MP explained that the NPP took offense at the order issued by Bagbin because they felt that the Minister was at the heart of the 2022 budget presentation for which reason the house sat that day.
“Let people not think or assume that we walked out that day because of Asiedu Nketia, I am telling you as a leader from the Majority side, we walked out because when the Speaker said that the Finance Minister should leave or he will invoke the Marshalls on him, that is when we were offended.
“Because the Finance Minister was in the House pursuant to Article 111 of the Constitution… that a Minister who has presented a document on behalf of the president, that is the budget statement, comes and pleads with the Speaker … to be able to engage both sides.
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He continued: “The Minister has come to tell you that Mr Speaker I want to engage so and so… and you said that the House should make the determination; that is where the problem started from.”
He stressed that after the conclusion of the debate and the challenege that Hon. Afenyo-Markin made asking for a division after a voice vote, his side of the house walked out “for the fact that the Speaker did not treat us fairly and the fact that the Speaker did not listen to what we were actually asking for.”
Parliament had sat to vote on the 2022 budget on November 26 with Speaker Bagbin presiding. Ken Ofori-Atta came to the house to pray for time to engage both sides on issues raised but his request for more time was put to a vote subsequent to which the Majority Group left the House.
Videos showed NPP MPs pointing at the public gallery suggesting that the NDC General Secretary was also in the House and needed to be removed if the Finance Minister was being asked out. The Minority went ahead to reject the budget.
Four days later, the Majority Group reversed the rejection and approved the budget with sit-in Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu presiding and with the Minority boycotting proceedings.
A Minority move a day later aiming to reverse the approval led to violent scenes after the sit-in Speaker sought to justify his decision to have counted himself to form a quorum to validate the vote that rescinded and approved the budget on November 30.
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