The emergency recall of Parliament is a waste of taxpayers’ money, the Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi, Honourable Yusif Sulemana, has indicated.
According to him, the issues for which Parliament was recalled could have waited until the House reconvened. However, for reasons unknown, MPs had to be recalled, a situation he described as wasteful.
The emergency recall was based on Article 112(3) of the Constitution, which states: “Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, fifteen percent of members of Parliament may request a meeting of Parliament, and the Speaker shall, within seven days after the receipt of the request, summon Parliament.”
As a result, a two-day emergency sitting of Parliament was scheduled, but it took place at the Dome of the Conference Centre because the House was undergoing renovations.
The Bole Bamboi lawmaker raised his concerns after the close of the first day of the emergency sitting.
He argued that the matters at hand could have waited until Parliament reconvened and noted that the country would spend a significant sum of money on this unnecessary recall. He added, “The question I ask is, after the whole day, what have we accomplished?”
According to him, the order paper listed about six important issues, but none were adequately prepared for discussion on the floor. He alleged that another addendum was introduced under the guise of presenting an instrument, which was also unprepared.
He criticized the method adopted by the majority as “kangaroo laying,” noting that no report had been submitted to the Clerk’s table, saying, “Only the NPP administration would do such a thing.”
“Some of us have been speaking out against how they have been wasting state resources without considering the hardship they have subjected Ghanaians to,” he lamented.
The MP pointed to the current state of the markets as evidence of the mess the NPP has plunged the nation into.
“Today, as we speak, go to the filling stations, and you’ll regret voting for them. Why? Is this the kind of reward after voting and keeping you in office for eight long years? Is this the reward?” he questioned.
He continued, “But we gave you the opportunity to compare the previous government and the NPP, and now, nobody needs to tell you where your vote should go. We are fed up with the rampant waste in the system, and I appeal to the media: the message that people should vote based on their situation must be spread.”
He urged Ghanaians to put Ghana first, warning that otherwise, one day they might wake up and find that there is no Ghana left.
By Prosper Kwaku Selassy Agbitor
