Make-up of Finance Minister censureship c’ttee can be problematic – Inusah Fuseini
Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, a former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central Constituency, has hinted that the constitution of the ad hoc committee set up by the Speaker of Parliament can pose an obstacle at the end of the proceedings.
He explained that the committee which was set up by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to investigate allegations of corruption and incompetence levelled against Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance, by the Minority side of Parliament in their motion of censure was evenly constituted with members from both divides of the House could be problematic after the proceedings.
The 8-member ad hoc committee is co-chaired by K.T. Hammond, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi Asokwa Constituency in the Ashanti Region and Dr Dominic Ayine MP for Bolgatanga East Constituency in the Northern Region.
Other members of the committee from the Minority side were Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu Constituency in the Volta Region, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, MP Klottey-Korle Constituency in the Greater Accra Region and Bernard Ahiafor, MP for Akatsi South Constituency in the Volta Region.
The rest from the Majority side included Yaw Boamah, MP for Okaikoi Central Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Emmanuel Anyimadu-Antwi, MP for Ashanti Akyem Central Constituency in the Ashanti Region and Andrew Egyapa Mercer, MP for Sekondi Constituency in the Western Region. According to Alhaji Fuseini, while the membership of the committee may be trying to communicate sense of neutrality, recent developments in the House may suggest otherwise due to after the time Mr Bagbin established the committee, the partnership could be seen in the deliberations.
“You could see the various actors in Parliament lining up behind their various leaders so I am not surprised even though there had been attempt to appear to be neutral and interested in presenting the facts for people to understand what is at stake, those who are disputing the facts have laced their objections with political undertones.
“There has been an attempt by the Minority to prove beyond doubt Ken must go, and equally the Majority who are unrelenting in their defence of the Finance Minister so you have for the first time in our parliamentary democracy, apart from the censure motion, this is the only time a committee of Parliament has been formed which has no Majority and Minority.
“This membership structure will prove to be a problem at the end of the seven days when members are expected to come up with a resolution to be presented before the House and with the even distribution of the committee and the unyielding stance of both sides, it is unlikely that consensus will be easily reached,” Alhaji Fuseini contended.
