According to a communiqué issued by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin, on Wednesday, August 7, Parliament is supposed to reconvene for an emergency session on Tuesday, September 3, in the afternoon.
Alban Sumana Bagbin had earlier made a decision to adjourn parliament’s previous session on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, indefinitely. However, Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, in a letter dated July 31, expressed the majority caucus’ dissatisfaction with the Speaker’s decision.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin argued that the government had urgent business to discuss, such as a financing agreement with the International Development Association, tax exemptions for beneficiaries of the One District, One Factory program, and other matters regarding the consideration of bills.
He stated, “We wish to emphasise that this requisition is made in the utmost good faith and in the national interest to enable the government to discharge its constitutional and democratic obligations to the people of Ghana.”
Recalling events from last week, Bawku Central MP Mahama Ayariga questioned the need for a parliamentary recall, arguing that many New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs often failed to attend parliamentary sessions.
He said that the lack of attendance from the ruling party’s MPs undermines the urgency of reconvening Parliament. “There were days when we all just go and sit there and there is no work to do because they [the majority caucus] haven’t brought the work that they needed us to do and we, because we are a minority, we don’t present business.”
Despite this, the speaker of Parliament has scheduled a session for Tuesday, September 3, in the afternoon.
