NPP MPs hold Parliament to ransom as they fail to show up to vote on 2022 Budget

 

The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, the Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Bargbin, has suspended Parliament for 30 minutes awaiting the presence of the Majority side of the House. The Majority Group has been conspicuously missing in the Chamber since morning.

Members of Parliament from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) have failed to show up for today’s sitting as at 2:25pm on Friday even though the House is expected to conclude debate on the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government for the year ending December 31, 2022.

When the Speaker entered the Chamber on Friday, December 25, 2021, at about 16 Minutes pass 1:00pm, only MPs from the Minority Group were in the House while the Majority side of the Speaker’s Table was completely empty.

Subsequently, Speaker Bagbin took a decision to suspend sitting for 30 minutes after the Deputy Minority Whip, Ibrahim Ahmed had aised the issue of the absence of the Majority Leadership in the House. He said the leadership of both sides of the House were together in an earlier meeting within the precincts of Parliament. And could not understand why all members of the Majority side should be absent from the House after that.

The Speaker informed the House that he had heard that the Majority side was at a Caucus meeting, but contrary to to the rumors going round he had not been officially communicated to.

Until the House resumes with a full House, the fate of the 2022 Budget still hung in the balance in this hanged Parliament.

By Clement Akoloh || parliamentnews360.com