Speaker cries over Sam George’s castigating letter

Rt. Hon. Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, Speaker of Parliament, has expressed sadness about the honourable member for Ningo-Prapram constituency, for indicating that parliamentary sittings are a waste of his precious time.

He told the parliamentarians that Samuel Nartey George had stated that parliamentary business in the wake of the global Coronavirus pandemic was just to approve loans, something he, Sam George, does not want to be part of.

“I inform you with deep regret that I have received a castigating letter from the Hon. Sam George MP for Ningo-Prampram Constituency which says he cannot attend the Sitting of this House again because sittings are just a waste of his time as the sittings during this period are only to approve loans.

“This is sad,” Mr. Speaker said.

Sam George in his letter to the Speaker and the Leadership of the House of Parliament indicated that Ghana sits on tenterhooks as the novel Coronavirus ravage the human race and parliamentarians are not immune from this global pandemic.

He said: “The risks we are subjecting ourselves to must be worth it. I am prepared to come to work every day from morning to night if it is about working with the Executive to deal with the pandemic at hand. I am prepared to go the extra mile if it is work that would protect the citizens and put the Executive in a better stead to protect the Republic.”

“What I am not prepared to do sir, is to take risk that is needless. I am not prepared to risk exposure to the virus by coming to Parliament every day just to come and work on bills that are of no emergency nature and do not relate to the coronavirus or to come and sit and approve loans and tax waivers for private business interests, many of which are foreign.

“It is my considered belief Rt. Hon Speaker, that the august House of Parliament is failing to exercise its truly intended mandate in crisis times like this. I hold the strongest conviction that we are pandering whilst the flames that may engulf the state are being stoked.

“In the past two weeks, the House has met and deliberated on several issues. Top among them is the Imposition of Restrictions Bill 2020 and the granting and approval of a number of commercial loan agreements. None of these deals with the coronavirus pandemic directly,” Hon. Samuel Nartey George wrote.

The MP added: “For once, let us have our priorities right.”