The Minority Chief Whip Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed has accused the Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta of refusing to appear before members of Parliament to answer pending questions by members of Parliament.
Addressing his grievances, he said some of the questions have piled up for the past eight months but the Minister has refused to appear before them to answer.
According to the Minority Whip, this is unacceptable because if the minister could make himself available for town hall meetings, then he should be able to come and answer his questions.
He cited the standing orders directing the period of time the finance minister should answer these questions.
”Mr. Speaker, some of these questions have been pending for over eight (8) months yet the Finance Minister keeps giving reasons not to come and answer them. Mr. Speaker, I find this to be very unacceptable because the Finance can find time to be going around the country for town hall meetings, and yet he doesn’t want to come and answer to the representatives of the people.”
He lamented that 13 of the questions have been pending for a long but he has failed to come to the House to answer questions.
He added the standing orders were clear on how long ministers should take to appear before the House to answer questions that the Minister of Finance has breached.
He warned if the House keeps entertaining the excuses of the Minister, the questions would not be answered.
He pleaded with the Speaker to give definitive instructions to the Minister to come and answer the pending questions.
However, the Majority Chief Whip Mr. Frank Annor Dompreh rubbished the allegations levelled against the Finance Minister by Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed.
He said the questions advertised in the name of the Finance Minister had gone through the normal process.
He stated emphatically that the Finance Minister has not refused to appear before the House to answer questions.
He said the Minority was only raising unnecessary tension over the matter, adding it was false for him to claim that the pending questions were over 8 months.
”The Finance Minister has not on any occasion refused to come and attain upon this house and answer questions advertised din his name. I will plead with my colleagues not to raise unnecessary pressure this morning.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
