The Ministers, including deputies, absented themselves from at least 15 sittings without the permission of the Speaker of Parliament.

[contextly_sidebar id=”7Y9xZR2pP2J5Ty6pK6vr5h9jtTkzLabK”]This was contained in a report by Odekro, a civil society organization focused on activities of the legislature.

According to the report, the guilty MPs consisted of 18 Ministers and 21 Deputy Ministers.

Some of these MP-Ministers included Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Dan Botwe, Samuel Ata Akyea, Catherine Afeku and Ignatius Baffour Awuah.

On party affiliations, Odekro found that, 28 NDC MPs, representing 28% of the absentees, did not report to the house for at least 15 sittings without a written permission to the Speaker, beyond the limit that Article 97(1)(c) of Constitution allows.

NPP MPs who were guilty of the same offence, were 57 in number, representing 72%.

Click here to read the full report

Odekro, which had issued a caution over the appointment of several ministers from parliament over fears of a weakened legislature, said in the report that, there is the need for stiff punishment against MPs who absent themselves from the House without permission.

It noted that, the failure of the legislative body to punish MPs in the past for the offense, seems to have set a bad precedent which “encouraged impunity among some MPs.”

“There has never been an occasion where MPs in breach of Article 97(1)(c) have been summoned before the Privileges Committee of Parliament to explain their chronic absenteeism without written permission of the Speaker, and asked to vacate their seats upon failure to provide plausible reasons. Perhaps this lack of precedence has encouraged impunity among some MPs.”

It said “the high rate of absenteeism particularly among MPs who double as substantive Ministers of State is a major concern”

Odekro recommended that, “MPs found to have no reasonable excuse to be absent without written permission from
15 sittings and beyond, should be asked to vacate their seats in line with Article 97(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.”

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The group stands by its earlier position that such a move undermines the authority Parliament possesses.

The statement below contains details of Odekro’s concerns on President  Nana Addo’s appointment

Press Release: The fallout from Nana Addo’s appointment of 110 ministers continues to undermine Parliament

16 JULY 2017 on Ghana, Parliament, Politics

Accra | 17 July 2017

Odekro would like to commend the Selection Committee of Parliament for recommending to the House, the re-composition of leadership of parliamentary committees. We identify with the Selection Committee’s reasoning that “the re-composition became necessary due, among other considerations, to the fact that some chairmen and vice chairmen of committees have been appointed ministers and deputy ministers to various ministries and this will affect the oversight responsibilities of such members on the various committees that oversee the various ministries (emphasis ours).”

On March 20 2017, Odekro issued a statement to the effect that President Akufo-Addo’s appointment of 61% (67) Ministers and Deputy Ministers from Parliament would weaken parliament’s oversight responsibility, as MP-Ministers may be compromised by the Executive and national assignments that require Ministers and Deputy Ministers to work outside the confines of parliament. We also indicated that such action was at odds with the accolade the President enjoyed as a champion of democracy and his own assertion that parliament must not be the “junior partner” of the executive, but rather be allowed to grow as an “effective machinery for accountability and oversight of the executive”.

We further indicated that the President’s appointment of so many Ministers from Parliament drew away some of Ghana’s seasoned legislators from Parliament. Odekro is bewildered by the continued impact of the President’s action, even in the recommended re-composition. For instance, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong (MP, Assin Central) who ranked 258th out of 275 MPs, and was often absent as observed in Odekro’s assessment report of the Sixth Parliament, (also find evidence attached) has been retained as the chairperson of the Communications Committee. Though Mr Ohene Agyapong’s parliamentary seat is not in serious contention, his performance in the Sixth Parliament and public conduct, past and recent, somehow cast doubt on his ability to execute his duties competently, as a Committee Chair. We do not think this would have been the case had the President not appointed so many Ministers from Parliament.

We also find insufficient the reason adduced by the Selection Committee for the proposed re-composition. According to the Committee, “the situation where sector ministers superintend their oversight committees of the House is at Variance with best practice and indeed the conventions of the House.” Unfortunately, the Committee did not avert their minds to another problem at variance with best practice and the conventions of the house – chronic absenteeism. One third of MPs (92 of the 275) would have to be present for parliamentary business to commence. The lack of quorum suspends government business and affects the quality of representation and scrutinization of important bills. Our research based on the attendance records of parliament shows that MP-Ministers, irrespective of whether they chair committees or not, are twice as likely to be absent, often without permission, from Parliamentary meetings compared to MPs who are not ministers.

We reiterate, thus, our earlier recommendation for a strict separation of the Executive and Legislative arms of government in practice, including a reexamination of Article 78, the constitutional provision which compels the President to appoint the Majority of Ministers from Parliament.

Odekro will continue to monitor events in Parliament especially MPs’ attendance and activities. A report shall be made available to Ghanaians after analysis and assessment.

Signed:
Odekro | 17 July 2017

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Having more MPs as Ministers undermines Parliament – Odekro appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the group, the appointment of thirty-eight experienced parliamentarians as Ministers, could weaken the law making House’s leadership.

It added that, the  situation where some members of the NPP’s parliamentary leadership find themselves in the executive, will weaken the powers of the NPP MPs to hold the Executive accountable.

“… With the recent nomination of the current Deputy Majority Leader,  Ms. Sara Adwoa Safo (NPP-Dome-Kwabenya) as Minister of State for Procurement, both the Majority and Deputy Majority Leaders will also double as Ministers. This cooptation of the NPPs Parliamentary leadership into the executive, runs contrary to the President’s own statement that ‘Our Parliament, the legislative arm of government, must grow into its proper role as an effective machinery for accountability and oversight of the Executive, and not be its junior partner.How can the NPPs MPs be expected to hold the Executive accountable when their two most senior leaders are members of the Executive?”

The group believes that, the likely repercussions of President Nana Addo’s decision, which includes “the possibility of high absenteeism by MP-Ministers, can effectively threaten the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) standing majority and allow MPs in the minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) to occasionally delay votes on some important bills. ”

It explained that “should all 67 MP-Ministers absent themselves from Parliament and all 106 NDC MPs be present, the NDC will have more MPs in Parliament at that particular time than the NPP. ( The NPP will have 102 MPs to the NDC 106). “

“The NDC will therefore be able to block the passage of bills if the NPP is unable to whip its MPs to attend Parliament sittings due to the absenteeism of the MP-Ministers, as the NPP did when the NDC was unable to whip its MPs to pass the RTI Bill.

“The NDC could also use the quorom rule to delay Parliamentary business. The quorom rule requires one third of MPs (92 of the 275) to be present for Parliament business to commence. In previous Parliaments, the NPP (then with minority seats) used the quorum rule to delay Parliamentary business on several occasions. By appointing so many MPs as Ministers, President Akufo-Addo has therefore increased the likelihood that government business in Parliament will be delayed, conducted more inefficiently and at greater cost to the public.”

Apart from Odekro, several groups and organisations have expressed concerns about the appointment of over 100 Ministers to serve in President Nana Addo’s government.

But the President has justified his decision, saying the number will help him fulfill his campaign promises.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post More MPs as ministers will weaken Parliament – Odekro appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.