Decision on censure motion to be taken before Christmas break – Kyei Mensah-Bonsu

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has assured Members of Parliament (MPs) that a decision will be taken on the censure motion against the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, before the Christmas break.

“It (censure motion) cannot be abandoned. No, certainly, before this house takes an adjournment, we would have done justice to this motion, so it is not as if anybody is wishing it away.

“It will be attended to in the fullness of time,” he stated.

This was after the Minority Group in Parliament expressed their concern about the delay in voting on the censure motion to decide the fate of embattled Minister of Finance.

The minority MPs filed a censure motion against the Minister which was subsequently referred by the Speaker of Parliament to an ad-hoc committee.

The Committee was tasked to, within seven days, review the censure motion against the Minister. The Committee has since presented its report to the House.

However, the business statement presented for next week had nothing on the censure motion despite the constitutional provision that the censure motion must be debated and voted on within 14 days after it has been filed.

Addressing MPs on the floor of the House on Thursday, MP for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, lamented the seeming lack of action on the censure motion.

“Going through the business statement for next week, this very important motion does not find space in the business statement that has been presented.

“If you look at the order of business, Wednesday does not seem that busy in terms of the motion and papers to present, same as Thursday,” he said.

“I was just wondering, Mr. Speaker, if leadership cannot consider that this very important motion that has national and international consequences is considered within Wednesday and Thursday?” he queried.

Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, also criticised the Majority Leader for failing to schedule the censure motion as part of the business for next week.

“The words in Article 82 do not give Parliament the perpetuity to discuss the matter. We are within a defined time limit to consider the motion and take decision appropriately.

So whatever committee has been set up we need to bring closure to it.”

Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin reiterated that the Majority will not support the motion against the Minister.

He described the motion as “dead on arrival” filled with a political motive and a “personal attack on the Finance Minister.”

Source: ghanaiantimes