Two days for debate on State of the Nation address inadequate – Haruna Iddrisu

The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, has expressed concern about the limited time available for the House to debate and scrutinize the state of the nation address.

Legislators have been given a two-day window for the debate instead of the conventional three days.

But the Minority Leader said the timeframe is not enough for research to properly scrutinize the issues raised.

“Less than 72 hours for debating issues that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo presented to Parliament yesterday is woefully inadequate for adequate and proper scrutiny. The time is inadequate even for you to gather research,” he complained.

Mr. Iddrisu cited the developments on the Ghana Card emanating from President Akufo-Addo’s state of the nation address.

The Ghana Card number will from April 1 also serve as a Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and Tax Identification Number for persons yet to acquire one.

But in brief remarks on the matter, Mr. Iddrisu suggested that “the fact that you have a national ID card does not make you a contributor of SSNIT pensions and beneficiary of pensions.”

“The idea is a good one, but I need research to debate him, but I have only today and tomorrow to prepare for the debate,” the Minority Leader added.

Mr. Iddrisu was speaking as a panel member at a roundtable discussion on Ghana’s 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic: Leveraging on its Composition for Reforms organized by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) in Tamale.