Interior Minister to address Parliament on May 17

The Minister of the Interior, Alhaji Malik Alhassan Yakubu will make a statement tomorrow May 17 in Parliament on matters of national interest.

Government sources say the Minister's statement will touch on national security matters and issues relating to the May 9 Accra Stadium disaster, such as the demonstration and destruction of property by the Nima and Maamobi youth and the subsequent arrest of former Youth and Sports Minister and Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, E.T. Mensah. Alhaji Yakubu's statement will also make known government's efforts at maintaining the peace and addressing various security concerns raised by Ghanaians in the past few days.

Also on the agenda, would be the arrest of the serial killer and what other inroads the police has made as far as such crimes are concerned.

The sources did not say whether the Minister would comment on the information available to the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) leading to the detention of Hon. E.T. Mensah which also resulted in the four-day boycott of Parliamentary work by members of the Minority NDC.

The Minority would not be in the House tomorrow as the Minister addresses it on such crucial matters of national interest due to the boycott.

Meanwhile, the absence of the Minority seems to be having some effect on the work Parliament. The House today, May 16, failed to continue with its agenda because of lack of quorum.

The Speaker of the House, Peter Ala Adjetey asked those members who are not joining in the boycott to endeavor to come to the House tomorrow, Thursday, May 17 for the business of the House to continue. Accordingly, he charged the leadership of the House, to rally all Ministers including Regional Ministers who are Members of Parliament, to come to the House so that certain pertinent decisions can be taken.

The Ghanaian Parliament needs a two-thirds majority to take key decisions. This has been lacking since the boycott by the minority.

Mr. Ala Adjetey told the House that the NDC group did not have his permission to carry out the boycott. He said the boycott, which was started on Tuesday May 15, was communicated to him by the Minority Leader on the same day. He noted that if his permission was sought on the matter he would have refused adding, "those in the boycott do not have the permission of the Speaker."

Commenting on the matter, the deputy Majority Leader, Papa Owusu-Ankomah said it is not fair for the Minority to take the decision they have taken.

According to him, certain matters, which are in the public domain, cannot be considered to be before Parliament. It would therefore have been proper and better for the NDC to make a case to Parliament. "They should have stated their grievances on the floor of the House", he said.

Indications are that the House would consider the matter when the NDC Minority returns for Parliamentary work.