Parliament adjourns sittings for NPP primaries

Parliament on Friday adjourned earlier to allow members of the Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) to have enough time to prepare for their parliamentary primaries scheduled for today June 13.

After reading the Business Statement for next week, Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, Majority Chief Whip and member of the Business Committee, sought for the adjournment from the First Deputy Speaker, Mr Ebo Barton-Odro, who was in the chair of the Speaker.

Many of the members from the Minority Side were not in the House and are apparently in their constituencies preparing for the primaries.

At the time of reading the Business Statement, only three members on the Minority Side were in the chamber.

They were Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, MP for Akuapem South, acting as Minority Leader; Mr Joe Baidoe-Ansah, MP for Efia Kwesimitsim; and Mr Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, MP for Effutu.

The request for adjournment was seconded by Mr Amoah, and the House accordingly adjourned to next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Business Committee has scheduled the Minister of Health to attend upon the House, next Tuesday, June 16, 2015, and brief it on the proposed Phase 1 of the Ebola Vaccine Trial in the Volta Region.

In all, 22 questions, including one Urgent Question, have been programmed to be answered by the Ministers of Health, Local Government and Rural Development, Youth and Sports; Gender, Children and Social Protection; and Roads and Highways.

On the Youth and Sports Sector, the Minister is expected to answer among other questions, why the Ministry rescheduled the implementation of the National Youth Policy from 2014 to 2017.

The Minister would also be asked when the President would reconstitute the governing board of the National Youth Authority per the Act of 1974 (NRCD 241).