Haruna Iddrisu – Minority Leader
Minority in Parliament has walked out of a debate on the cash-for-seat probe which investigated claims the Presidency was used for fundraising by a private event organizer, Millenium Excellence Foundation.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, walked out after the committee tasked to investigate the scandal presented a report before Parliament without the input of the Minority.
The Minority contribution to the report was rejected after Dominic Ayine presented his side’s view after the deadline, it has been reported.
Dominic Ayine has been accused of failing to participate in committee meetings, not picking calls and sending text messages at 2:00am to explain his absence.
As the Chairman of the committee, Ameyaw Kyremeh, who was presenting the 146-page report was interrupted by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, who protested on the basis of a Point of Order.
He explained that by the Standing Orders of the House, 48 hours must elapse before a motion on the report can be debated.
“Mr. Speaker, 48 hours have not elapsed and I am at a loss as to why we are in a hurry”, he said amidst heckling.
The Minority Leader said MPs only received copies of the report in the morning and cannot be expected to study the voluminous 146 pages within minutes.
The House degenerated into heckling until the Speaker intervened and asked for the Minority Leader to be heard.
Thanking the Speaker for “the protection”, Haruna Iddrisu further argued, there can be no meaningful contributions to the debate if the MPs are not given time to study the report.
He said he has noticed that the “lucid” testimony of the Controller and Accountant-General during the televised bi-partisan probe was missing from the report.
He castigated the committee for presenting a “one-sided” report which did not include the side of the two NDC MPs on the five-member committee before announcing a walk-out.
“I am sorry, Mr. Speaker, be guided that you can proceed with the motion but the Minority is unable to participate.”
His declaration was swiftly followed by boos and jeers from the NPP MPs who banged their desk chanting “away, away, away”.
-Myjoyonline