Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader
Members of the minority National Democracy Congress (NDC) yesterday embarked on a sit-down strike in protest against the treatment allegedly meted out to them by the leadership of parliament during the consideration of the ‘Cash for Seat’ report.
According to them, the leadership of parliament did not respect their views in the report adopted by the house on Tuesday on the ‘Cash for Seat’ probe.
They boycotted the debate on the report of the special ad hoc committee set up by the speaker, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, to look into allegation leveled against officials of the Ministry of Trade and Industry by two of the NDC Members of Parliament (MPs) to the effect that they (officials) collected moneys from expatriate business people to enable them sit by the same table with President Akufo-Addo during the Expatriate Business Awards ceremony last year.
They claimed the views they expressed during the special committee’s sittings were not incorporated into the final report.
The minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, said before they boycotted proceedings, the majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, had denigrated Dr Dominic Ayine – one of the minority members on the ad hoc committee – that he (Ayine) was dishonest in dealing with the chairman of the committee in the preparation of its report.
They therefore came into the chamber and refused to participate in any business that went on yesterday.
It is unclear whether the same attitude would be put up by the minority members when President Akufo-Addo comes to the house today to deliver his State of the Nation address.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr