MPs protest over delays by the executive

Accra, May 19, GNA - Minority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin, on Friday urged the Speaker, Mr Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes to strictly enforce the requirements of the Standing Orders to ensure that parliamentary business was not unduly delayed by the inability of ministers to respond to questions, for which sufficient notice had been given.

He said the Standing Orders required that no minister should take more than three weeks to respond to questions from the house upon receipt of

such questions. Mr Bagbin said these on the floor of the house, following protests by Mr Edward Salia, (NDC-Jirapa), and Mr Ibn Abass, (NDC-Bimbilla) that, their questions to some ministers had not been answered.

Mr Abass said his concerns bordered on the security situation in Bimbilla, while Mr Salia said his question, which centred around the allocation and choice of beneficiaries for the Millennium Challenge Account had been delayed and had lost its relevance, because of the time limit attached to the question.

Mr Bagbin, who then expressed concern about the issues raised by the two members, said the Speaker must ensure strict adherence to the Standing Orders of the house to uphold the dignity of parliament and enforce compliance from the other arms of the government.

Earlier, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho had expressed similar concerns, saying that, the house had since the beginning of this session not been served with the agenda for the meetings and asked for a response from the Majority Leader but Mr Bagbin said it was the duty of the Clerk of Parliament, under the guidance of the speaker, to furnish the house with the agenda for the session.