Good morning! And welcome to the morning after the dramatic approval of the 2022 budget in Parliament. Here is a summary of Wednesday morning's top local and international news stories.

Minority weeps over ‘illegal’ approval of revised 2022 budget by one-sided Parliament

The Minority is aggrieved by the approval of the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government by Majority MPs on Tuesday, describing it as illegal, null and void.

Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, said shortly at a press conference after the Majority approved the 2022 budget that the decision by the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu, who sat in as the Speaker to include himself and to exercise a vote in order to meet their mandatory defined 138 majority votes was wrong and unfortunate.

He said the First Deputy Speaker set aside the Standing Orders of Parliament and to the 1992 Constitution when he took that decision.

"Standing Order 109:2 reads that Mr Speaker has neither an original nor a casting vote and if upon any question before the House, the votes are equally divided, the motion shall be lost,” he said.

2022 budget could have been rejected had Minority MPs stayed to vote – Clara Kasser-Tee

GIMPA law lecturer and legal practitioner, Clara Kasser-Tee, has offered an interesting perspective on the events in Parliament on Tuesday, surmising that the revised 2022 budget would not have been approved had the Minority MPs stayed to vote on a motion to approve the economic policy document.

According to the Founder and Head of Chambers of Kasser Law Firm, in Ghana’s Parliament, where the votes on any motion are equal it shall be taken to be lost.

“So where for example 137 vote for the motion and 137 vote against the motion, what it means is that the motion has been rejected - the Majority would have lost…if you have at least 138 members in parliament, they would have met the quorum requirement.

“If it happens to be a Deputy Speaker presiding, (and this Deputy speaker is an MP), the presence of the deputy speaker will fulfil the quorum requirement, (because he is an MP and therefore part of the ‘all members of Parliament). But here is the thing, that Deputy Speaker presiding will have no vote,” she argued in a Facebook post shortly after the controversial budget was pushed through by a determined Majority on Tuesday, November 30, 2021.

Newspaper headlines: Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Click here for today's front-page stories of some of Ghana's top newspapers.

Akufo-Addo attends 45th Annual Legislative Conference Of Black Caucus Of US State Legislators

President Akufo-Addo, left Ghana, on Tuesday, 30th November, to attend the 45th Annual Legislative Conference of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, being held in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States of America.

The event, which will be attended by US Vice President, Kamala Harris, will see President Akufo-Addo deliver the keynote address at the “Africa Flagship Programme” session of the Conference, on “the intersectionality of Ghana’s post COVID economic development strategy and that of the US”.

Unpopular E-levy reduced to 1.5%

The controversial electronic transaction levy (E-levy) introduced in the 2022 budget has been reduced to 1.5% from the initial 1.75%, according to Deputy Majority Leader, Alex Afenyo-Markin.

The member of the Majority leadership in Parliament disclosed that the reduction is captured in a revised 2022 budget submitted to the House on Tuesday, November 30, 2021.

“…we know that government has shifted from 1.75 to 1.5,” he said on PM Express on Tuesday evening.

The E-levy has been among the contentious proposals in the 2022 budget with many analysts fearing that it would discourage mobile money transactions and undo progress towards making the economy cash-lite.

‘Wanted’ Madina MP Francis-Xavier Sosu moves to stay execution of his arrest warrant

Embattled Madina MP, Francis-Xavier Sosu, has filed for a stay of execution of his arrest warrant issued on Monday, November 29, 2021.

He is asking the Kaneshie District Court to set aside a bench warrant it has issued for his arrest because it is unlawful and unreasonable.

“I have instructed my lawyers and two actions have been filed today, Tuesday, November 30, 2021. The application to the High Court for Stay of Execution and for an order setting aside the said Bench Warrant issued on November 29, 2021, is fixed for hearing on Wednesday, December 8, 2021,” parts of a statement from the MP’s office said.

The warrant against the MP followed his absence from the hearing at the Kaneshie District Court on Monday morning.

2022 budget: There must be consensus building in Parliament - Oduro Osae

Director General of the Internal Audit Agency, Dr. Eric Oduro Osae has called for consensus building in Parliament following the rejection of the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy.

He stated that Parliament under the Constitution of Ghana has been mandated to provide and approve a budget statement as well as an Appropriation Act for the government's expenditure.

"The institution of Parliament has a responsibility, under the Constitution, Article 179 says as that arm of government, it is their responsibility to give us budget. It is not only a budget but to also approve the economic policy of government and go ahead to pass an Appropriation Act which then empowers government to spend," he said.

Dr. Oduro Osae indicated that the delay in the approval of the 2022 budget will incur economic hardships and instability in the country.

Rocky Dawuni asks Ghanaians to stop promoting negativity

Ghanaian reggae superstar Rocky Dawuni has expressed discontent with how his attempt to explain how Grammy nomination works was misrepresented by bloggers.

Rocky Dawuni said he’s very hurt with the way some Ghanaian bloggers and a section of the public twisted what he said while explaining the difference between a nominee in the Grammy and a feature in a nominated song.

Speaking to Hitz FM, Rocky said that the unexpected reaction from netizens has got his brother Stonebwoy alarmed which breaks his heart.

Rocky further said he has always had a good relationship with Stonebwoy so he sees no reason why he will speak ill of him.

Zimbabwe reimposes Covid lockdown measures

Zimbabwe has reimposed a lockdown and mandatory quarantines for all travellers amidst rising Covid cases and to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant.

The country has recorded over 130,000 Covid cases and about 4,700 deaths since the pandemic began early last year.

Zimbabwe authorities tightened Covid restrictions citing growing public complacency that they believe will only worsen as the festive season approaches.

There is also the fear of a fourth wave.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa reimposed a curfew from 21:00 to 06:00 local time.

Is rebound sex really so bad?

Breakups are typically stressful for both partners. A common reaction to this stress is to have rebound sex shortly after separating, even while both partners are still in pain. A widespread view criticizes such sex, claiming that its damage surpasses its benefits. Some empirical studies doubt this claim.