Frank Annoh-Dompreh
Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh has threatened to use the Constitution to teach the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin a lesson since he knows what he did is unconstitutional and went ahead to abuse the law.
This follows the rejection of the 2022 Budget of the Akufo-Addo government by the National Democratic Congress Minority Members supervised by the Speaker after the Majority MPs walked out last Friday.
The Majority Chief Whip, also a Member of Parliament for Nsawam/Adoagyiri on his Twitter handle noted that the action of the Speaker meant that he abused and insulted the constitution of the land.
He said “You abused and insulted the Constitution of the Republic. It would be in your wild dream to think that this would be allowed to stand. We will kill your killer intentions by ‘teaching’ you the law. The law is Supreme!”.
Already the Majority Caucus has debunked the claims that the 2022 Budget has been rejected by the Minority side of Parliament, thereby calling on Ghanaians to disregard the decision by Speaker Alban Bagbin, that 137 members of Parliament have the power to decide for Parliament and have consequently rejected the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana.
According to the Majority Caucus in a statement, Article 104 of the 1992 Constitution and Order 109 of the Standing Orders of Parliament are very clear.
“The two provisions, read together, require that at least 138 MPs needed to have been present in the Chamber at the time of the purported vote, therefore, the claim that the budget has been rejected by 137 Members of the House is null, void, and of no effect because the same is unconstitutional”.
The statement continues that the Majority Caucus finds it unfortunate that after making requests to the Finance Minister to reconsider some items in the Budget Statement, the Minority Caucus assisted by Speaker Bagbin, who had earlier indicated his ability to obstruct Government business, refused to allow the Finance Minister to accommodate their requests and instead hurriedly moved on their own, attempt to vote against the Budget in a bid to subject the Government of Ghana to embarrassment for mere partisan reasons.
It added that “for the record, the acts of the Minority and the decision of the Speaker to endorse it, constitute unconstitutionality and illegality and should be disregarded, as the same is void and of no effect whatsoever”.
“We assure the good people of Ghana of our resolute willingness to ensure that the 1992 Constitution is respected to the letter by Speaker Bagbin and the Minority” the statement concludes.
Meanwhile, the majority has indicated to give a showdown on the budget coming Tuesday at the floor of Parliament.
BY Daniel Bampoe