NDC MPs frightened by Bawumia’s movement – Tolon MP

The Member of Parliament for Tolon, Habib Iddrisu, has said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs) are scared of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia's movement.

Speaking on State of Affairs on GHOne TV with Lantam Papanko, the lawmaker disclosed that the NDC MPs forcing Parliament to adjourn due to a lack of quorum was deliberate.

“They have said we were in their constituency campaigning. They are fighting about the movement of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. They said on the floor of Parliament that while they are sitting here doing government business, we are in their constituencies campaigning."

“So they are frightened by the movement of our flagbearer; he is a serious campaigner with a strong message. So they get the feedback from their constituencies,” the deputy Majority Chief Whip stated.

“So they said that ‘if we don’t have the numbers, then we adjourn’. But we will get there; we will talk to each other and get our members into the chamber, and then we will be able to do government business,” he added.

Background:

The Minority has followed through with its threat to scuttle proceedings if the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs fail to show up in the chamber.

At the commencement of business on Monday, July 15, there were fewer than 50 MPs in the chamber instead of the required 92 for the commencement of business, prompting MP Tamale Central Murtala Mohammed to draw the attention of the Speaker.

According to him, the NPP Members of Parliament are in the NDC constituencies campaigning to unseat them and thus cannot expect government business to proceed.

“Relying on our numbers to have a government business executed, for me, demonstrates a lack of seriousness. And I don’t think that we need to be giving them this opportunity. Mr. Speaker, last week and the last two weeks, I raised this issue. They are in our constituencies, campaigning, yet they expect us to execute their business for them," said Mohammed Murtala.

The move by the Tamale Central MP follows a warning from Bole-Bamboi MP Yussif Sulemana and Minority Chief Whip Govern Kwame Agbodza last week that the Minority will halt proceedings if their majority colleagues fail to show up to perform their legislative duties.

The speaker was compelled to suspend sittings for an hour. The lithium agreement that was to be laid had to be put on hold as a result of another objection from the minority.

When sitting resumed after the suspension, the number of MPs was reduced further to 24, compelling the Speaker to adjourn the sitting to Tuesday, July 16.