Parliament Resumes Today

Speaker of Parliament, Prof Mike Oquaye

Parliament will reconvene today for the first meeting of the third session of the current Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic.

The first meeting of the third session is expected to be busy.

With the House re-opening today, topical issues such as the kidnapping of girls, alleged contract killings, as well as general security situation in the country are expected to be discussed by the legislators.

Some of the minority members have indicated that they would raise those issues on the floor immediately parliament resumes.

The ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, who is the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, last week officially wrote to the Minister of National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah, to remind him of his constitutional duty to brief the House every year about the nation’s intelligence agencies.

According to the ranking member, the Constitution states that the Minister of National Security should brief parliament every year on the intelligence agencies in the country, but the current Minister has never presented a report to parliament since assuming office two years ago.

He, therefore, gave the minister a 20-day ultimatum to perform the constitutional duty or else the Minority would be compelled to go to court to drag him to parliament.

Another issue that will also engage the attention of the House is the Right To Information (RTI) Bill, which is currently at the consideration stage in Parliament.

Many Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have blamed parliament for dragging its feet in the passage of the bill.

The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, assured the public just before parliament rose for the Christmas break that the RTI Bill would definitely be passed in the first meeting of the third session.

President Akufo-Addo is also expected to deliver the State of the Nation address during this meeting for parliament to debate and adopt.

By Thomas Fosu Jnr

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