According Citi News’ Parliamentary correspondent, Duke Mensah Opoku, members of the Minority only asked three questions but refused to comment on any other business in the House.

Duke Opoku also reported that they did not participate in a Finance Committee report that was discussed thereafter.

He added that they also did not second any motion on the Floor including on the adjournment of the House when the proposal was made by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu.

[contextly_sidebar id=”DIjTDRWt5aZwBgD4hObPOrEg5s6zn4NG”]The Minority staged a walkout in Parliament on Tuesday when the ‘cash for seat’ investigative report was being debated in Parliament, which they believe reflected only the views of the Majority side on the committee.

Explaining the rationale of their action to Duke Mensah Opoku, Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi said they are doing so because they feel that the Majority considers their views as “irrelevant.”

“The Majority thinks that the views of the Minority are not relevant. That is why the views of the minority members on the committee were rejected by the chairman of the committee and he did not incorporate the views of the Minority in that report. So the report that came is not the committee’s report, it is the majority members on the committee’s report. If they had accommodated the views of the minority then we could have said it is the committee’s report.”

When asked when the Minority will end their protest, Mr. Avedzi said “we don’t have a termination point” but he assured that they will always be present for sittings.

“We will only participate when the Majority considers our views as relevant. They think that Ghana belongs to them, they think that Parliament belongs to them and that they can work without the Minority. That is why for the first time in the history of this parliament, a witness who appeared before a committee was given the opportunity to debate that report on the floor. Minister for trade and industry and industry who is a witness, who appeared before the committee was contributing to the debate yesterday, has it ever happened before?”

We only observed 

Meanwhile, Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah has said the reasons adduced by the Minority to back their actions are uncalled for.

He said the Majority members only observed what the Minority did but “we were not told officially.”

“…Yesterday I’m told they said I used hard language. I related to some people having acted dishonorably and dishonestly and I will repeat same anytime giving the sequence of event. I’m not saying that, that person is eternally or chronically dishonest, I’ve not said so. I’ve said that, that conduct is a conduct that could be described as dishonest and I insist on that. The rules are clear. The rules provide for the committee chairmen to write a report. Repeatedly they have not followed the rules,” he said.

Click here to read full background of the cash for seat saga:

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Minority in sit-down protest over ‘one-sided’ cash-for-seat report appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The committee finally presented its report yesterday [Friday] February 2, 2017 after several postponements.

However, since the report was presented it has been revealed that it included only the input of the three members from the majority side on the committee, excluding the input of the Minority members.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Rmwqd6r2e39mtDUXq5jc2AeMnd4oGsmK”]A leaked report authored by the two other members from the Minority side appeared to indict the Trade Ministry and one of the organizers of the awards, Ashim Morton.

Speaking on Citi FM’s News analysis programme the Big Issue on Saturday, Mr. Abban who is also the NPP Member of Parliament for the Gomoa West constituency said all avenues should have been explored to prevent the discord in the Committee before the document was handed to Parliament.

“My problem is how they could not resolve this at the committee level so that if Dr. [Dominic] Ayine had a problem with the views of the majority, he could say that this is my view, could it be incorporated in this report so they present the whole report as one single report in conformity with the provisions of the standing orders. Then it comes as one report so we [Parliamentarians] deal with it. What he [Dr. Ayine] is presenting, is it a report or an opinion?”

The MP said the seeming double report contravenes Parliament’s Standing Orders.

“We don’t have anything like that in the standing orders. That is why I’m saying that nothing could have stopped him [Dr.Ayine] from giving his report to the committee so that it comes out as one composite committee report, all of us will read and see his views in that report then we will debate it,” Abban added.

Withdraw report

Meanwhile, a member of the minority on the adhoc committee, Dr Dominic Ayine has called for the withdrawal of the already laid document so that a composite report will be presented to Parliament.

According to Dr. Ayine, though Minority members including himself and Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi had detailed their perspectives on the saga, the Majority side had refused to integrate them before presenting the document to the house.

“I was expecting the committee chairman to integrate the report I had prepared with what he had prepared but he stated that he would not integrate my report since it was titled ‘Minority report’,” Dr. Ayine stated on Eyewitness News.

Confusion rocks committee

Dr. Ayine had raised similar concerns on Thursday which, according to the Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah- Bonsu, led to the committee’s failure to present the report, despite having had its deadline pushed back twice already

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu had told Citi News on Thursday that the laying of the report had been postponed several times because Dr Ayine had wanted to present a separate report capturing the Minority’s conclusions on the matter.

Background of “cash for seat” saga

The Ministry of Trade, which partnered the event organizers, Millennium Excellence Foundation, is alleged to have charged between $25,000 and $100,000, to enable expatriates to sit close to the President at the awards ceremony.

The allegation was first made by the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak in Parliament in December 2017.

Mr. Mubarak said the fees charged at the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards were not approved by Parliament, adding that the monies were also not accounted for in the Internally Generated Funds [IGF] of the Ministry’s accounts.

The allegation was further reinforced by Mr. Ablakwa, who suffered verbal assaults from Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah over the matter.

The Ministry of Trade said it played no role in determining prices for seats at the event, and clarified that it only facilitated the implementation of a new initiative by the Millennium Excellence Foundation.

But the Ministry after an order from the President to probe the matter clarified that an amount of GHc2, 667,215 was realized from the event. This was made known only after the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, had asked the Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen, to investigate the matter and report to him.

The organizers of the Awards had also explained that no one paid to sit close to the President, and that the amount was raised from sponsorship through a fundraising at the event.
Parliament subsequently formed a five-member bi-partisan committee to investigate the matter.

The Committee held several public hearings and a few in-camera sessions that featured all parties named in the allegation, and those who made the allegation.

The committee was supposed to present its report on January 24, 2018 but was subsequently given a one-week extension which was supposed to have elapsed on Wednesday January 31, 2018, but failed to do so.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Cash-for-seat committee’s ‘double report’ unfortunate – MP appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This process has, however, not gone without controversy after complaints from a member of the Committee, Dr. Dominic Ayine that the report which was presented to the House did not include the final input from the Minority members.

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu had said  on Thursday that laying of the report had been postponed several times because Dr Dominic Ayine had wanted to present a separate report capturing the Minority’s conclusions on the matter.

[contextly_sidebar id=”NZsOiRz8mBNSMoPgvKX6NC0uoFYvkgiK”]He told Citi News’ Duke Opoku Mensah that members of the Committee had all agreed to conclude the report on Wednesday, and present it yesterday [Thursday], but Dr. Ayine did not show up at the hotel where the meeting was supposed to take place, despite several assurances from him.

Mensah Bonsu said the committee members had planned to meet on Wednesday at 3 o’clock in the afternoon to put everything in order to be able to submit the report on Thursday.

“One of them was absent, Dr. Dominic Ayine unfortunately, for whatever reason couldn’t go. They called him and he said he will be there at 5:00pm but he couldn’t go. They called him and he said they should give him two hours more which was 7:00pm. 7:00pm they called him, his phones were off. It was not until 12 midnight that he sent words to them to respond to their earlier calls.”

Mensah Bonsu said he was however taken aback when the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, informed him on Thursday that Dr. Ayine decided to present a supposed Minority report on the investigations by the Committee.

Mensah Bonsu who is also the MP for Suame, however, urged the committee members to resolve their differences in order for the report to be presented today.

Background of “cash for seat” saga

The Ministry of Trade, which partnered the event organizers, Millennium Excellence Foundation, is alleged to have charged between $25,000 and $100,000, to enable expatriates to sit close to the President at the awards ceremony.

The allegation was first made by the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak in Parliament in December 2017.

Mr. Mubarak said the fees charged at the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards were not approved by Parliament, adding that the monies were also not accounted for in the Internally Generated Funds [IGF] of the Ministry’s accounts.

The allegation was further reinforced by Mr. Ablakwa, who suffered verbal assaults from Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah over the matter.

The Ministry of Trade said it played no role in determining prices for seats at the event, and clarified that it only facilitated the implementation of a new initiative by the Millennium Excellence Foundation.

But the Ministry after an order from the President to probe the matter clarified that an amount of GHc2, 667,215 was realized from the event. This was made known only after the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, had asked the Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen, to investigate the matter and report to him.

The organizers of the Awards had also explained that no one paid to sit close to the President, and that the amount was raised from sponsorship through a fundraising at the event.

Parliament subsequently formed a five-member bi-partisan committee to investigate the matter.

The Committee held several public hearings and a few in-camera sessions that featured all parties named in the allegation, and those who made the allegation.

The committee was supposed to present its report on January 24, 2018 but was subsequently given a one-week extension which was supposed to have elapsed on Wednesday January 31, 2018, but failed to do so.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post ‘Cash for seat’ Committee presents report to Parliament appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The latest challenge follows reports that, one of the Committee members on the Minority side, Dr. Dominic Ayine, had insisted that he wants to present the minority’s side of the report.

According to the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, the report is being held back by Dr Ayine’s uncooperative stance.

[contextly_sidebar id=”XTCxYPMcvl9cMkqYsUF5CgNYL8zUFTXD”]He told Citi News’ Duke Opoku Mensah that members of the Committee had all agreed to conclude the report on Wednesday, and present it today [Thursday], but Dr. Ayine did not show up at the hotel where the meeting was supposed to take place, despite several assurances from him.

“Yesterday [Wednesday], they had programmed to meet at 3 o’clock in the afternoon to conclude everything in order to be able to submit the report today [Thursday]. One of them was absent, Dr. Dominic Ayine unfortunately, for whatever reason couldn’t go. They called him and he said he will be there at 5:00pm but he couldn’t go. They called him and he said they should give him two hours more which was 7:00pm. 7:00pm they called him, his phones were off. It was not until 12 midnight that he sent words to them to respond to their earlier calls.”

Mensah-Bonsu said he was however taken aback when the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, informed him today that Dr. Ayine decided to present a supposed minority report on the investigations by the Committee.

“…This morning at the business meeting, my colleague the Minority Leader came to inform me that Dr. Ayine wants to write a minority report. That cannot delay. If you want to write a minority report why don’t you tell your colleagues? Clearly there is something amiss,” he said.

The Majority Leader, who also is the Member of Parliament for Suame and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, said he subsequently urged the Committee members to resolve their differences before close of day, so that the report could be presented on Friday.

He however maintained that, the report, which is over 50 pages, will certainly be laid before the House on Friday, whiles the debate  will be deferred to Tuesday, February 6, 2018.

“They [the committee] were going to lay the report, [but] I prevailed upon them to wait, so they could have a meeting. So eventually they agreed to have a meeting at 4:00pm. They should go and have that meeting, then tomorrow they will lay the document. The meeting is because of Dominic Ayine. So whatever he has, he should come and share with the committee, they will know how to handle it,” he added.

Background of “cash for seat” saga

The Ministry of Trade, which partnered the event organizers, Millennium Excellence Foundation, is alleged to have charged between $25,000 and $100,000, to enable expatriates to sit close to the President at the awards ceremony.

The allegation was first made by the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak in Parliament in December 2017.

Mr. Mubarak said the fees charged at the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards were not approved by Parliament, adding that the monies were also not accounted for in the Internally Generated Funds [IGF] of the Ministry’s accounts.

The allegation was further reinforced by Mr. Ablakwa, who suffered verbal assaults from Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah over the matter.

The Ministry of Trade said it played no role in determining prices for seats at the event, and clarified that it only facilitated the implementation of a new initiative by the Millennium Excellence Foundation.

But the Ministry after an order from the President to probe the matter clarified that an amount of GHc2, 667,215 was realized from the event. This was made known only after the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, had asked the Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen, to investigate the matter and report to him.

The organizers of the Awards had also explained that no one paid to sit close to the President, and that the amount was raised from sponsorship through a fundraising at the event.

Parliament subsequently formed a five-member bi-partisan committee to investigate the matter.

The Committee held several public hearings and a few in-camera sessions that featured all parties named in the allegation, and those who made the allegation.

The committee was supposed to present its report on January 24, 2018 but was subsequently given a one week extension which was supposed to have elapsed on Wednesday January 31, 2018, but failed to do so.

It was however expected to present the report today [Wednesday], but that did not also materialize.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Confusion rocks cash-for-seat committee appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.