Bobby Banson, a lawyer, has urged Parliamentarians to put aside their political differences and work together to achieve national development goals.
His remark comes after the Minority side of Parliament stalled the approval of a €20 million loan agreement between the government and Germany due to a lack of quorum in decision-making.
The facility, which will finance the Green Credit Line under the two countries’ Reform and Investment Partnership, is expected to help reduce carbon emissions.
However, shortly after Finance Committee Chairman Kwaku Kwarteng presented his Committee’s report on the facility on Thursday, NDC MPs Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor and Bernard Ahiafor raised concerns.
Bobby Banson, a lawyer, has urged Parliamentarians to put aside their political differences and work together to achieve national development goals.
Based on the Supreme Court’s decision, which granted Deputy Speakers voting rights while presiding, they were concerned about quorum under Articles 102 and 104.
Bobby Banson, speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, said that while their actions are constitutional, they are stifling initiatives that could benefit the average Ghanaian.
“I watched one of the videos where they didn’t complain when it came to discussing an amendment to the criminal law or something like that, but as soon as it came to the loan agreement, they said ‘hold on, we don’t have one,'” he said.
And the Deputy Majority Leader was furious, but at the end of the day, you see, it goes to show that even though they’re there in their partisan colors, they should consider the national development agenda.”
He explained that while the Minority is opposed to the Supreme Court ruling on the voting rights of the presiding Deputy Speaker, they should not take it out on issues that jeopardize national development.
“The primary responsibility of Parliament is to pass laws to aid in the development of the country.” So, even though the Supreme Court has stated that it is ABCD, some of them are not pleased. This loan will not develop constituencies that voted for the NPP.
“It’s going to every single part of the country,” he said. “I believe the various Chief Whips of the parties or the leadership should be able to reach a consensus on some of these things and then let’s move the country forward.”
The Supreme Court, presided over by Justice Jones Dotse, ruled that a Deputy Speaker can be counted when forming a quorum for parliamentary decision-making and voting while presiding over parliamentary business.
The landmark decision came after Justice Abdulai, a private legal practitioner, filed a case against the Attorney-General to challenge First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-decision Owusu’s to count himself during a vote to approve the 2022 budget.
Justice Abdulai had also requested that the Supreme Court interpret Articles 102 and 104 of the 1992 Constitution and rule that Mr Osei-actions Owusu’s were unconstitutional.
Following that, the Court declared Order 109(3) of the Standing Orders of Parliament unconstitutional.
Former President John Mahama, on the other hand, believes the 7-0 ruling undermines the legislative arm of government and may have an impact on future House deliberations.
