GRi Parliament Ghana 02 - 02 - 2001
Speaker walks out of Parliament
Minority accuses
Speaker of bias
Speaker walks out of Parliament
Accra (Greater Accra) 02 February 2001
Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, Speaker of Parliament, on Thursday stormed out of the House in protest against what he termed the unruly state of affairs.
It all began when the Speaker's ruling on a voice vote on a motion on the report of the Committee of Selection moved by Mr J.H. Mensah, Majority Leader, was challenged by the Minority, who called for a head count.
While the Minority waited for his response, Mr Mensah rose to make a submission, which the Minority termed as a violation of the Standing Orders of the House.
Mr Amos Larweh Buertey, NDC-Ada, contended that since a vote was taken on the issue, the Speaker should not allow Mr Mensah to make any more contributions on it.
At that juncture, many Minority members tried to shut the Majority Leader down and banged their tables in protest, thus creating a rowdy situation.
The Speaker then rose and all the Majority members stood up as well. The Minority side still remained seated and shouted "shame, shame!".
Mr Adjetey then bowed and walked out of the House. After about one hour 15 minutes, the Speaker returned to the chamber to find only the Majority side in attendance.
He said he deserted the House because the situation became unruly and ungovernable.
After it became clear that the Majority was not willing to continue with the proceedings in the absence of the Minority, the Speaker requested Mr Mensah to move for adjournment.
The House adjourned to reconvene on Friday.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 02 February 2001
Parliament on Thursday approved the first batch of 12 people nominated by the President John Agyekum Kufuor for ministerial appointment. This followed a report by the appointments committee, which unanimously recommended the approval of the nominations by the House.
They are J.H. Mensah, Minister of State and Leader of Government Business, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Minister of Defence, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Minister of Finance, Mr Hackman Owusu Agyemang, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nana Akufo-Addo, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice and Alhaji Malik Al-Hassan Yakubu, Minister of the Interior.
The others are Dr Kofi Apraku, Minister of Trade and Industry, Major Courage Quashiegah (rtd), Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister of Women's Affairs, Professor Dominic Kwaku Fobih, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology and Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Lands, Mines and Forestry.
Mr. Freddie Blay, Chairman of the Appointments Committee moved for the adoption of the report and was seconded by Mr Alban Bagbin Minority Leader.
Mr Blay said no adverse report, petition or objections were received on any of the nominees, adding that all them have the requisite qualifications and experience to handle their respective portfolios.
Mr Bagbin said the public should understand that screening of nominees is a democratic process to ensure quality leadership in government.
He said the nominees were not on trial as some people thought and regretted that some members of the public heckled committee members who asked questions.
Mr Bagbin said the live TV coverage of proceedings was a further proof of democratic practice at work.
Mr Doe Adjaho, Minority Chief Whip asked members not to make lengthy remarks saying the new ministers should quickly go and take oaths before the president so that they can start working immediately.
This, he said, would avoid the tendency for them to exercise ministerial functions without parliamentary approval.
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Minority accuses
Speaker of bias
Accra (Greater Accra) 02 February
2001
The NDC parliamentary caucus on
Thursday accused Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, the Speaker of Parliament, of bias
towards the Minority in the performance of his duties when he walked out on the
House after they had rejected his call for a voice vote and insisted on a head
count.
Mr Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader,
said NDC MPs were forced to abandon Wednesday's proceedings because the Speaker
action was unfair and a violation of the constitution.
"Once this unfairness existed
and the Speaker was out, we are also not going back to the chamber today. We cannot contain the Speaker's
unfairness."
He told a hurriedly convened press
conference after the walkout that the Speaker had vindicated NDC MPs' suspicion
and fear that, as an NPP stalwart, he could not be fair in his rulings.
"Mr Adjetey has shown that he
is not only an embodiment of the NPP but the heart of the party and that his
decisions in the House are only meant to further the cause of the NPP," Mr
Bagbin said.
He said the Speaker's earlier
ruling that ministerial nominees become ministers as soon as they are approved
by parliament is a manifestation of the Speaker's bias because the ruling
violates the Constitution.
Mr Bagbin explained that nominees
approved by parliament must swear the oath of office and secrecy to the
President who is the appointing authority and described the Speaker's stand as
an illegality.
The Minority Leader also referred
to the conduct of the Speaker when he walked out on the House as the Minority
challenged his ruling on a voice vote and pressed for a head count.
He quoted Standing Order 113 (1),
which states: "When the question has been put by Mr Speaker at the
conclusion of a debate, the votes shall be taken by voices 'Aye' and
'No'", provided that Mr Speaker may in his discretion instead of declaring
the results on the voice votes call for a head count".
Mr Bagbin said the head count was
all that the Minority was asking for to ensure that the rule of law prevailed, adding: "we will not condone
illegality, which is evident in the conduct of the Speaker".
He said he had conferred with the
Speaker after his walkout and just before he called the press conference and it
came out that Mr Adjetey had regretted his action.
"The Speaker has agreed to
proceed with the head count but the Minority will not go back to the chamber
because Mr Adjetey's action was meant to enable the Majority to whip their
members into the chamber for the head count".
Reacting to the incident, Mr Papa
Owusu-Ankomah, Deputy Majority Leader, told the GNA that the Speaker walked out
because the House was unruly and his voice could not be heard.
He declared support for the
Speaker's action.
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