Muntaka takes on Majority Leadership over absence from Parliament

The Minority in Parliament says the consistent absence of the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and his Deputy, Alexander Afenyo-Markin from the house to present business statements is worrying.

According to the Minority, the failure of the Majority leadership to be present and punctual in recent times affects the conduct of business in the house.

Expressing his concern on the floor of Parliament on Friday, February 18, 2022, the Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka offered to read the business statement on behalf of the Majority Leader since he serves as a member of the business committee.

“It may sound like proving too difficult, but the challenge is that, you can’t have a majority side that knows that we are to sit at 10 o’clock, and you only have the Majority Chief Whip there. Look at the Majority side, how many people are there? And when they come they still want to be varying the business and be doing things at will, time and convenience,” he said.

But the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, appealed to the Minority Chief Whip to exercise restraint for the leadership of the Majority.

He explained that since the Minority Chief Whip is not part of government, he may not be able to address some issues regarding the business statement, hence he cannot be made to present the statement on behalf of the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.

“Under the circumstances, I would want to plead with you to exercise some patience… At the appropriate time I know if the Majority Leader himself doesn’t come, the deputy will come so that he can come and take the business statement. [If you take the statement] The follow-up questions may not be answered perfectly because you do not know how the government is working,” he pleaded.