When Parliament reconvened on Thursday morning at the Accra International Conference Centre, only Members of Parliament belonging to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were in attendance in the chamber by 8:30 a.m., occupying seats on the majority side usually allocated for the caucus with the largest representation.
The House was noticeably imbalanced due to the absence of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) members who had not yet arrived.
The NDC members voiced frustration over the absence of NPP MPs, interpreting it as a sign of the governing party’s lack of commitment to parliamentary business.
Joseph Bukari, the MP for Saboba, expressed his disappointment, describing their absence as disappointing. He also felt that their lack of attendance showed a clear disregard for parliamentary duties, especially at such a crucial time.
The governing side has proven to be insincere, as we came prepared to conduct business only to find that they invoked the Speaker’s recall provisions. We expected them to be present and ready to work with us, but they have failed to show up.
We are required to arrive in the Chamber before 10 am, as the Speaker enters at 10 am. If both the Speaker and other members are not present, it suggests a lack of dedication to government business. This behavior not only wastes our time but also that of the Ghanaian people. Unnecessary requests and prolonged sessions in Parliament hinder our ability to focus on our constituencies.
Speaker Alban Bagbin recalled the session to address various pending issues, such as budgetary allocations and legislative reforms, which were held up by recent parliamentary tensions.
The ongoing power struggle between the two parties was highlighted by the NDC members occupying the seats usually held by NPP MPs in the early standoff.
The NDC has continuously stressed that their presence demonstrates their commitment to addressing national issues, whereas the NPP’s tardiness has exacerbated the existing tensions among members of the House.
