The Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has shot down claims by the Minority that President Akufo-Addo has delayed in delivering the 2022 State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Speaking on the floor of the House on Friday, March 18, 2022, he stated that the Speaker and leadership in Parliament are yet to agree on a date for the President to come and deliver the SONA.
He was responding to a question raised by Mr. Rockson-Defeamekpor, the South Dayi MP on the matter.
He indicated that the members of the house would be duly informed when the date for the SONA was set.
The said date, he noted will be communicated to the President accordingly.
“Don’t say that Mr President has delayed. Mr President has not,” he stated.
It was also the case of the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, that President Akufo-Addo’s delay in delivering the 2022 SONA stalled stakeholder engagements on the 2021 Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill.
“We should have finished this but for the fact that we thought the President will deliver the State of the Nation Address earlier and once a message of the state of the nation is delivered, then we will have to debate that particular message and during the debate, it would not be possible for us to be having frequent committee meetings.”
But Afenyo-Markin disagreed insisting that the Speaker would have to set the date and inform the President about it
On the issue of the E-Levy he told the House the levy was already on the table of parliament and would be addressed at the appropriate time.
“The E-levy is a Bill before the Business Committee. Anytime there is a need for us to look at it, you will be given notice. E-levy is on the table. It is a property of this House. It is with us. Mr Speaker, you and I know that we are engaging,” he added.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
