The Majority Caucus in Parliament has requested of the Speaker of the House, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, to recall the House to consider urgent government businesses.
A memo dated November 22, 2024, and signed by the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, listed six items for consideration for the proposed two-day meeting.
Mr Afenyo-Markin, who is also the MP for Effutu, admonished that the recent Supreme Court ruling on the declaration on the vacancy of four parliamentary seats should provide the House a “clean slate to move forward in unity and purpose”.
“Mr Speaker, I submit that reconvening Parliament at this juncture will send a powerful message of national unity and institutional stability. It would demonstrate that, even as we approach the peak of the electoral season, Parliament remains steadfast in its constitutional duties and committed to national interest through bipartisan cooperation,” the memo said.
The items for consideration are: requests for tax exemptions for designated beneficiaries under the One District, One Factory policy, a US$250 million for the Ghana Stability Fund and approval of nominees to the Supreme Court.
Others are the request for the ratification of mining lease agreements between the Government and Ashanti Bauxite for the mining of bauxite in Nyinahini and Barari DV Ghana Limited for the exploitation of lithium in Ewoyaa.
The rest are 17 bills, including the Free SHS Bill, J. B. Danquah University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, University of Sports Development Bill, Budget Bill, Ghana Book Development Council Bill, and the Intestate Succession Bill amongst others.
The memo cited provisions of Standing Orders 57(3) and 58(4), which says the Speaker may recall the House before an agreed resumption day and during emergencies, and impressed on him (Speaker) to exercise his discretion to recall the House to undertake business.
“Respectfully, Sir, if the above request finds favour with you, I propose that you consider Thursday, November 28, 2024 and Friday, November 29, 2024 as the scheduled dates for this emergency recall,” the memo asked of the Speaker.
Having the pending election in mind, the Majority Leader was hopeful that “once done, Members can go back to their constituencies over the weekend to continue their campaigns towards the December 7, 2024 general elections.
“Let us seize this opportunity to demonstrate to the people of Ghana that their Parliament can rise above partisan considerations to serve their interests effectively,” Mr Afenyo-Markin said.
The NDC Minority caucus, meanwhile, has been directed to boycott Parliament if it was recalled.
“Let no NDC MP set foot in Parliament. If they like, they can go and burn the sea. There’s no work in Parliament that can be said to be an emergency. There’s no emergency. Parliament will only be recalled so they can continue with the insatiable corruption they have perpetrated for the past eight years,”
NDC National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, told party supporters at a rally at Asasetre in the Ellembelle Constituency of the Western Region.
The House has been in abeyance since the Speaker declared four seats vacant after the three MPs filed to contest as independent candidates and an independent MP filing to contest on the ticket of the NPP in next week’s election
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI