Minority MPs are lazy – AFAG

Pressure group, Alliance for Accountable Governance(AFAG) has described the minority in Ghana’s parliament as lazy following their decision to boycott proceedings of the Appointments Committee.

The pressure group contends that the move by the minority reflects their poor attitude to work and smacks of hypocrisy.

The Minority NDC MPs serving on the Appointments Committee, have boycotted the vetting of deputy ministers which is currently ongoing at the New Block of the Parliament of Ghana.

The NDC MPs led by their leader, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, Friday, March 31, 2017, served notice that they will not sit beyond Tuesday’s vetting as well as Wednesday’s sitting in the Chamber.

It was also originally advertised that the Appointments Committee will break the vetting of deputy ministers on Tuesday, April 4, 2017, and continue when the House is in recess.

MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa told journalists of the Parliamentary Press Corps that the Majority Side of the House wants to rush things by forcing them to vet all the 54 ministers of state and deputy ministers.

According to him, because they want to do due diligence in the vetting process, they have decided not to be part of the exercise until the return to the original schedule.

Commenting on the development, the Deputy General Secretary of AFAG, Winston Owusu said the minority’s action is not in the best interest of the nation.

“If you look at the issue at hand, you will realise that the attitude of the minority is gradually becoming something of a lazy approach to the work of parliament. The reason we would say we are describing them in this words is that, this is not the first time parliament is sitting beyond a certain period. Even if we extend the argument further, you will realize that on several occasion parliament has been recalled while they were on vacation to sign some document that will push the work of parliamentary proceedings. And so for them to want to use this excuse now – I think I have heard two sides of the story now- that one group says they are tired and the other group for whatever reason. But we believe that the services they are rendering they are not rendering to themselves. They are rendering this services to their constituents and by extension the people of Ghana. So it is not in any proper decision for them to say that they are boycotting the decision as it stands now,” he told Accra-based Citi FM.