- The Majority caucus questioned why a committee should be constituted to probe the expenditures made across several sectors which falls under public funds and is already being subjected to scrutiny by the auditor general.
- Meanwhile, the Minority has argued that there is a need for an investigative committee because the government has overspent in relation to its coronavirus virus alleviation programme.
The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has taken a swipe at his first deputy, Joseph Osei-Owusu, for consistently overturning his rulings.
The Speaker has described Osei-Owusu’s actions as “unconstitutional, illegal and offensive”.
The Speaker expressed his displeasure on 23 February 2022 over the conduct of his deputy, who dismissed a motion by the Minority on Tuesday after Bagbin had initially admitted the motion.
The Minority had requested the House to constitute a bipartisan committee to investigate expenditures on COVID-19 by the government since 2019.
However, Osei-Owusu who was presiding at the time after listening to the arguments from both sides dismissed the motion on procedural grounds.
The Speaker in a strong-worded statement at the commencement of sitting today [23 February 2022] indicated that he will have a meeting with his deputies to put an end to the recurring anomaly.
“The penchant of the First Deputy Speaker [Joe Osei-Owusu] to overrule my ruling is, to say the least, unconstitutional, illegal, and offensive. Be that as it may, I shall not be taking any steps to overrule the decision of the First Deputy Speaker to dismiss the motion as moved by the Honourable Ranking Member of the finance committee,” he said.
Bagbin indicated that this is the second time the First Deputy Speaker has taken the chair to overrule his earlier ruling after the Speaker had made a decision to disapprove the 2022 Budget statement.
He said: “This is the second time the First Deputy Speaker has taken the chair and has made a ruling whose effect was to overrule a position I have earlier on established before the House,” he said.
Listen to Speaker Bagbin in the audio below:
Clash over COVID-19 bipartisan committee
The Minority and Majority in Parliament on Tuesday (22 February) clashed over a private member’s motion seeking the House to constitute a bipartisan committee to enquire into the expenditures made by the government in relation to COVID-19.
The committee was to be chaired by a member of the Minority caucus. The two sides were at variance over the relevance of the committee.
Minority disagrees
The Majority caucus questioned why a committee should be constituted to probe the expenditures made across several sectors which falls under public funds and is already being subjected to scrutiny by the auditor general.
According to the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the request by the Minority undermines the work of the Auditor General.
He described the moves as inappropriate and mounted on bad faith.
Minority makes a case
Meanwhile, the Minority has argued that there is a need for an investigative committee because the government has overspent in relation to its coronavirus virus alleviation programme.
According to the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, the move by his side is to ensure probity and accountability in all public expenditures.
Motion rejected
However, the motion was subsequently quashed by the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, who ruled that the public accounts committee is already designed to probe into such expenditures that are already chaired by a Minority member of the House.
Nicholas Brown
Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
99.5 in Accra, 90.7 in Ho, 98.5 in Kumasi, 99.7 in Tamale, 89.5 in Tarkwa, 100.3 in Cape Coast and 106.9 in Walewale
Follow us on Twitter: @asaaseradio995
#AsaaseRadio
#TheVoiceofOurLand
