Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has suspended sitting for thirty minutes after the majority side of the House failed to show up to conclude debates on the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy.
According to the Speaker, he has been informed that the majority side of the house are in a caucus meeting.
But Speaker explained that he was not informed earlier about the meeting but the only information he had was that the two sides of the House will have a caucus meeting before plenary.
Speaker said he was surprised to see that only the Minority side was present, hence his decision to suspend the House for thirty minutes to allow the Majority side to join for concluding debates on the budget.
Majority's absence
Members of the Majority Caucus were absent on Friday, November 26 at the time the Speaker of Parliament walked in to steer affairs leading to the approval the 2022 budget statement or otherwise.
It was unclear what was keeping the Majority out of the main chamber but some rumoured that they were waiting for all their members to have the budget approved in case it goes into voting.
The budget, which was presented by Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta on Wednesday, November 17, has been christened Agyenkwa Budget.
No wonder the Majority, throughout the debate on the policy document since Tuesday, November 23, has advocated its approval in order to save Ghanaians from the economic downturn occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.
But the Minority side has remained resolute to challenge and, in an extreme case, reject some of the policies introduced in the budget.
Majority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh has dismissed the “propaganda” by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs, saying the leadership of the House was called into a meeting by the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, just when they were getting ready to be in the chamber.
“So, we are still even in the meeting,” he stated at the time of addressing journalists.
“So for anybody to have the temerity to come and address you and to say that we are engaging in ferrying our members with chartered flights and all manner of stories, treat it with the greatest of disrespect and disdain.
“Members of Parliament would have to behave honourably.”
Meanwhile, the Speaker of Parliament decided to suspend proceedings for 30 minutes as the Majority members were still unavailable minutes after he had walked in.
It is unclear what decision he will reach after the half-an-hour break.