The Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrisu has claimed that Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin had a predetermined agenda when he adjourned the House during Thursday’s parliamentary session.
According to him, it is customary for the Speaker to meet with leadership from both sides before proceedings begin, to review the business schedule and address upcoming matters.
Speaking on JoyFM’s Top Story on Thursday, November 7, Mr Iddrisu said Alban Bagbin failed to do that this time around.
“Today, that didn’t happen. We were just heading towards the chamber, with the deputy majority leader, the second deputy whip and Kennedy Agyapong.
“Before we could enter the chamber, the Speaker was seated. And then the NDC, the minority group, were seated on the right side of the Speaker. So we waited, and he was just about to adjourn the house,” he explained.
He dismissed suggestions that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus intentionally boycotted Parliament after they had called for the reconvening of the House to conduct government business.
“I think it’s not a fact to say that we did not show up to this meeting,” he said.
“So it is not true that we never turn up. The Speaker, as he already has in his mind an agenda that is purely set up, and then he just went into the chamber to sit,” Mr Iddrisu said.
The Deputy Chief Whip argued that Alban Bagbin’s actions bypassed established processes.
He further questioned how the Speaker could preside without first engaging the leadership of the House.
Mr Iddrisu stressed that Alban Bagbin, who is neither the leader of government business nor the Majority Leader, should have spoken with them before presiding.
“Before he could go and preside, he needed to reach out, get his clerk at the table to reach out to us in the majority. We discuss the businesses that we were going to do, and then he could be able to sit. But before we realised he was presiding,” he added.
His comment comments followed the Speaker’s decision to adjourn the House indefinitely on Thursday, November 7, after NPP MPs failed to attend the session.
Speaker Bagbin announced that without the presence of the NPP MPs, the House could not meet the quorum required to make decisions, and with no business before the House, legislative action could not proceed.
The absence of the NPP MPs from Parliament came after the NDC MPs once again occupied the majority side of the House, claiming to be the majority party following the Speaker’s ruling that declared four MPs’ seats vacant.
