Ato Forson
Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs with questions in their names for Ministers of State abandoned them after failing to appear for proceedings in the House yesterday.
The NDC MPs are Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey (Krowor), Dr. Albert Tetteh Nyakotey (Yilo Krobo), Seidu Issifu (Nalerigu/Gambaga), Wisdom Gidisu (Krachi East), Dr. Kwabena Donkor (Pru East), Dr. Clement Abas Apaak (Builsa South), Bede Anwataazumo Ziedeng (Lawra), Alexander Gyan (Kintampo South), and Rockson-Nelson E. K. Dafeamekpor (South Dayi).
The rest are Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare (Techiman North), Oscar Ofori Larbi (Aowin), Williams Okofo-Dateh (Jaman South), Kwabena Mintah Akandoh (Juaboso), Dorcas Affo-Toffey (Jomoro), Kofi Arko Nokoe (Evalue Ajomoro Gwira),
The House had programmed the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, and the Roads and Highways Minister, Francis Asenso-Boakye, to answer questions from the MPs.
The sector ministers appeared in the House to answer questions, but the time was wasted because there were no NDC MPs there at the time, having abandoned the chamber in solidarity with their leader.
The House opened proceedings with members of the Majority House present due to the decision made by the Minority.
Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, who lamented over the development, said the NDC MPs, by electing to be absent, were “clearly demonstrating their true colours to the Ghanaian people.”
“Speaker, I want to make an application to you so that we publish the answers to these questions in line with our orders,” he appealed.
Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, who was in the chair, granted the application and added that this was a convention of the House.
“Yesterday [referring to Wednesday, June 19, 2024] we did a similar arrangement. Those who were not here, we didn’t allow anybody to ask the questions on their behalf.
“We published the answers as already in the Order Paper so I think it’s in order,” he stated.
Minority MPs occasionally bare their teeth at Ministers of State for failing, in some cases, to honour the House’s call to answer questions from their constituents, and the Majority Chief reminded the House about the presence of the ministers.
“Speaker, thank you for granting my application as we got left handed. More often than not, we’ve had our colleagues complain about ministers. And yesterday for instance, they insisted that before we take a particular bill, the Attorney General should be in the House.
“So we have in the records the two ministers – Minister for Roads and Highways and the Minister for Communications – have been here all day. And it’s interesting that our colleagues have elected not to show up. So let the record reflect that the ministers respected the call,” he stressed.
As the embodiment of the sovereign will of the Ghanaians, Parliament exercises oversight of the Executive by keeping a close eye on the performance of the Executive, which controls public services, to ensure that public policy implementation conforms to the state’s approved developmental agenda and expenditure is in accordance with parliamentary authorisations.
Questions to ministers is one way by which Parliament exercises this function, but when the time came for it, the NDC MPs chose to substitute this with a political decision.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House