The Chief Whip of the Minority Caucus in Parliament, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, has charged the leadership of the Majority side of the House to ensure that the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta is made to come to Parliament to answer questions standing in his name.
He pointed out that more than thirteen (13) questions standing in the Minister’s name which have been advertised on the Order Paper of the House have gone unanswered for over Nine (9) months now. He thinks such practice is undermining the country’s democracy negatively.
“The Finance Minister’s refusal to answer questions in the House is unacceptable. Meanwhile, he goes around the country conducting TownHall meetings. Help us to get the Minister to come to the House to answer questions,” Hon. Muntaka stated.
The Minority Chief Whip, who is also the MP for Asaawase in the Ashanti Region, made the call on Thursday when the House sat for the business of the day. He was not happy that questions in the name of the minister were not advertised for the day as earlier planned. He noted that the Minister’s absence from the House is not only telling on the questions he had to answer, but also on some businesses which has been outstanding for months, some of which had to be taken on his behalf by his deputies.
He maintained that henceforth the minister’s absence would be called out by the Minority side.
Majority Chief Whip, Hon Frank Annoh-Dompreh described the situation as unfortunate.
In a later interview, the Second deputy Minority Whip, Hon. Ibrahim Ahmed, wondered whether the Minister is afraid of coming to the House to account for to the people of Ghana. He argued that it is because the Minister is President Akufo-Addo’s relative and that is why he is unable to reshuffle him even though it is clear that Ken Ofori Atta has failed woefully as a Finance Minister.
By S. O. Ankamah