[ 2016-10-25 ]

Sports Ministry’s no show angers Speaker, Akoto Osei
The Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Akoto Osei
has charged persons in charge of government
business to release members to go back to their
constituencies if they are not serious in
conducting government business in parliament.

As the campaign season gains momentum, most MPs
especially those who are not seeking another term
have shown less interest in the business of the
house. The few who have abandoned their campaigns
to participate in proceedings of the house, like
Akoto Osei, appear disappointed. Akoto Osei who is
a former Minister of Finance expressed his
unhappiness Monday, when the house was to debate
the Sports Bill 2016. The substantive Minister was
not present.

His Deputy or any Director from the Sports
Ministry did not also show up. The normal practice
per the standing orders of the house is for
invited Ministers to appear any time they are
called upon by the Majority Leader who is in
charge of government business.

As at 12:00pm on Monday when the Minister of Youth
and Sports, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye was expected to
appear before the house for the debate on the
Sports Bill to proceed, he was nowhere to be
found.

The Majority Chief Whip Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak,
tried to shield him by informing the house that
the minister was suffering from cold which he said
has resulted in his inability to be in the house
at that time. But Ranking Member of the Finance
Committee Akoto Osei insisted that members cannot
be summoned for them to travel all the way from
their various constituencies at the risk of their
lives to Parliament only to realize that those in
government business after all are not serious.

Akoto Osei was livid that while they are committed
to promoting and working for the nation at this
crucial time, majority of their colleagues are
campaigning. The Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe
Adjaho supported his views, noting that Mondays
are even not normal time for sitting, but we the
MPs were assembled because the house is press for
time as a result of the upcoming elections. The
Speaker maintained that those in charge of
government business must be serious since time is
not on the side of parliamentarians.

Source - 3news.com

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