Fifi Kwetey prevented from answering questions

Page 17, Feb 3, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE MINORITY in Parliament on Tuesday objected to the appearance of a Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Fifi Kwetey, before the House to answer questions on behalf of the substantive minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, on some of the economic policies of the government.
Their objection, which was upheld by the Speaker, Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo, prevented the deputy minister from answering the question posed by the New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim Swedru, Mr Joseph Ampomah Bosompem.
The MP had asked the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning what practical measures the government was taking to stimulate productivity and economic growth and another one enquiring about measures being put in place to reinvigorate the private sector to absorb the teeming unemployed youth into the public sector.
The Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, in his objection, stated that since the questions bordered on the core issues of the government’s economic policies, it would be better handled by the substantive minister.
He also explained that the answer given in the last Friday’s order paper, which could not be presented by the Finance Minister, was different from the one that was provided in today’s (Tuesday) order paper.
Not even the explanation by the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr John Akologu Tia, could compel the Minority to budge from their resolve not to allow the deputy minister to carry out the assignment assigned to him by his boss.
Mr Tia also explained that it was a convention in the House for deputy ministers to stand in for their substantive minister to answer question and thereby saw no reason why Mr Kwetey should be prevented from standing in for his boss.
He added that the Dr Duffuor was not in the House because he had joined the President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, to meet some officials of the Millennium Development Account (MiDA) for some discussions.
The Speaker explained that the permission for deputy ministers to answer questions was based on the acceptance of indulgence sought by the Majority Leadership “and since the Minority had requested for the presence of the substantive minister, I rule that the Minister should come to answer the question”.
As if the Speaker’s ruling had totally settled the matter, the House had to spent more time to debate whether the Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, who was also in the House, should answer questions on behalf of his boss, Mr Joe Gidisu.
Although, Mr Tia’s request for him to answer the questions was granted, the shout of no, no, no by the back-benchers of the Majority side compelled him to ask the Speaker to stand down the questions for a later date.
The Minority argued that after the House had granted the request of the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr Tia, to enable Mr Mettle-Nunoo to answer the question, he (Mr Tia) had no justification to request that the questions should be stand down.
Meanwhile, Dr Duffuor had stated that he was prepared to appear before the House to answer the questions next week.
He told the Daily Graphic after the adjournment of yesterday’s sitting of the House that he was unable to appear before the Parliament to answer the questions himself because he joined the President to meet officials of the MiDA.
He said even though he came to the House after the earlier incident, the meeting had almost ended and gave assurance that he would personally come to the House to answer the questions next week.