Former Deputy Minister asked to file question on Asawase incident

Prof Aaron Michael Oquaye, the Speaker of Parliament has asked Mr James Agalga, former Deputy Minister for the Interior to file a question on the recent shooting incident that claimed the lives of seven young men from the Asawase, alleged to be armed robbers.

Mr Agalga, who is also the MP for Builsa North, had got up and caught the Speaker’s eye after the Business Statement for next week had been presented to the House by Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, on Friday.

The former Deputy Interior Minister, had wondered why no space was created in the Business Statement for next week for the House to be briefed on the incident and wanted to seek the Speaker to issue a directive for a briefing of the House, on the incident.

However, the Speaker, in response, asked the MP to use the appropriate channel and file a question, which would solicit an answer from the relevant Ministry.

Presenting the Business Statement, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu informed the House that there would be One Week Observance of the death of former MP for Sunyani East and former Minority Leader and Senior Minister, the late Mr JH Mensah.

“In this regard, the House would commence sitting at 10:00 am and suspend sitting at 2:00 pm to attend the one-week observance and resume sitting of the House hopefully at 4:00 pm,” the Minister said.

He also reminded the House that the burial service of late former Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur would be held on Friday 27th July 2018, at the Accra International Conference Centre.

“In view of this programme, sitting of the House is expected to commence at 12:00 noon and not the usual 10:00 o’clock in the morning.

“It is hoped that Honourable Members would be in attendance to pay their last respect to the former second gentleman of the Republic, “the Majority Leader said.

He announced also that the Young Parliamentarians Forum is scheduled to hold its official launching on Wednesday, 25th July 2018 at the 12th Floor of Job 600, and urged all members of the House below age 45 to attend.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu announced again that the House was expected to adjourn sine die on Friday, 27th July, 2018, but added however that, “given the extra activities programmed from Wednesday through Friday, the House may sit on Saturday and close at mid-day.”