Accra, Ghana – June 20, 2024
In a dramatic turn of events, the Minority Group in Ghana’s Parliament forced an early adjournment of proceedings on Thursday, June 20, 2024. This came after the group returned from court in solidarity with their Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC)-led Minority had earlier declared that they would boycott parliamentary sessions as long as Dr. Forson was scheduled to appear in court, alleging political persecution against their Leader.
The day’s sitting, which was supposed to start at 10 AM, was delayed for over six hours as the Majority side struggled to gather the required 138 Members of Parliament to form a quorum. The House finally convened a few minutes before 4 PM with only about 16 Majority Members present.
Due to the absence of the Minority MPs, the scheduled parliamentary questions, which were meant to address constituents’ concerns, had to be postponed. Despite the low attendance, the House moved forward with the consideration stage of the National Road Authority Bill.
Midway through the proceedings, a section of the Minority leadership, including the Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza, entered the chamber.
Agbodza immediately raised objections, criticizing the rushed consideration of the Bill and accusing the presiding Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Kwame Asiamah, of facilitating the process without proper scrutiny. He also pointed out that many MPs involved in the discussion lacked adequate knowledge of the Bill.
“You are not making the law for the NPP; you are making the law for the country, so allow us to do a thorough job. I can guarantee you majority of the people on this side, probably with the exception of the Former Majority Leader, probably don’t have the understanding of the Bill as it ought to be…
“Mr. Speaker, don’t be tempted to think that you are helping them to rush through the Bill. Because you might end up passing a Bill which would become very ridiculous. Allow us to take time. We are not opposed to this Bill,” he cautioned.
The situation escalated when Former Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzie, cited Standing Order 64 to officially highlight the lack of quorum. At the time of the headcount of the MPs present in the House at the time, they were not more than 50. The number fell short of the 1/3 requirement of the 275 MPs which comes up to 92. This move compelled the House to adjourn early, disrupting the legislative agenda for the day.
The Minority’s strategic return and subsequent actions underscore the ongoing tensions within Parliament and highlight the challenges of maintaining quorum and legislative productivity amidst political disputes. The NDC’s stance and the Majority’s response will likely continue to shape the parliamentary landscape in the coming weeks.
Source: Clement Akoloh||parliamentnews360.com
