Minority returns to Parliament

Page 17, feb 24, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

THE Minority in Parliament yesterday returned to Parliament after boycotting proceeding of last Friday’s sitting in solidarity with an NPP activist, Nana Darkwa, who was remanded by an Accra Circuit Court for his comment on the fire outbreak in ex-President J.J Rawlings’s Ridge residence.
After an early morning closed-door meeting at the office of the Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the NPP MPs started trooping into the House one after another, thereby giving hope that they had rescinded their decision to boycott sittings of the House indefinitely.
After the Speaker, Mrs Joyce Bamford Addo, had led the House in the usual daily prayer, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu informed the House that they had decided to come back, since new positive developments had taken place after their action.
He said even though Nana Darkwa had been released, the Minority would continue to engage the leadership of the Majority to ensure that the obnoxious law that was used to remand him in prison custody would be expunged from the statute books.
The Minority Leader used the opportunity to welcome the new Majority Leader, Mr Cletus Avoka, who assumed office yesterday.
“I extend a hand of friendship to the new leadership of the Majority side and I hope they will co-operate with us to ensure the smooth running of the House,” he said.
He said the Minority had followed events that led to the selection of Mr Avoka and Mr Rashid Pelpuo as the Majority and Deputy Majority Leaders respectively, adding that the attempt by the President to make the selection was unnecessary.
He said it was heartwarming that after initial resentment, members of the Majority side amicably resolved the issue and endorsed the new leadership.
“I hope that the new leaders of the Majority side will not play the musical instruments of yesteryears and sing the tune of their masters,” he said, and gave assurance that the Minority side was ever ready to partner them to successfully transact the business of the House.
Replying, Mr Avoka commended the Minority for reversing their decision to boycott sitting of the House and advised that though boycott was permissible, the Minority should resort to them as a last resort.
He explained that the selection of the new leadership of the Majority was done with the involvement of the NDC as a party, the leader of the party and MPs from their side.
Mr Avoka called for co-operation, consensus building and the building of bridges between the Majority and the Minority to ensure the smooth running of the business of the House.
Meanwhile, the Speaker had asked the leadership of the House to investigate a matter raise by the Minority Spokesman on Finance, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, over an alleged 450 million dollar loan contracted by the government from the IMF without the involvement of Parliament.
Dr Akoto told the House that Parliament was constitutionally mandated to ratify all loan agreements between Ghana and other countries or institutions.