Your ministry’s budget won’t be approved if you’re absent – Minority leader warns ministers

The Minority leader, Haruna Iddrissu, has warned that only ministers who appear in person to move the motion for the budget estimates of their ministries would have their budget allocations approved.

The Tamale South MP issued this warning on the floor during the debate on the 2023 budget statement presented to the Legislature by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori- Atta, on Thursday.

"Ministers who fail to appear in person to move the motion on a budget of their sector ministries will not have their budget allocations approved," he strongly warned.

The Minority Leader’s warning came on the back of some MPs and ministers' failure to appear in the house for the debate on the budget.

Some ministers have been accused of being truants in the house while others relish the prospects of the ongoing World Cup football tournament in Qatar at the expense of their parliamentary duties.

According to the Minority Leader, "When we sit for the approval of budget estimates, if you don’t appear in person as a minister in Nana Addo’s government to move the motion for your ministry, we’ll not approve your budget."

He further stressed that failure to appear personally will lead to non-approval of budget estimates.

"The Minority will stand down on the approval of the budget estimates of ministers who fail to move the motion for their budget estimates.

"We intend to hold this government accountable and intend to strengthen the parliamentary oversight responsibilities.

"Mr Speaker when we get there, don’t intend to protect or save any minister," he said to the Rt Hon Alban Bagbin.

"So, ministers who are not interested in working, we will help them to sit at home," he maintained.

He reiterated that ministers who do not appear in person should expect "the fiercest resistance from this side of the house."