In a recent parliamentary session, Bagbin addressed the controversy surrounding the approval of the budget. He refuted Ofori-Atta’s claim, made after a walkout by the majority, that the parliament had passed the budget.
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader, brought the matter to the house’s attention, calling for Speaker Bagbin’s intervention. He emphasized the importance of adhering to proper parliamentary procedures in budget approvals.
Meanwhile, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu maintained that the budget had received approval after the speaker declared results following voice votes. He insisted that the procedure complied with established parliamentary norms.
Bagbin, former MP for Nadowli-Kaleo, countered this view, stating that the approval process for the budget did not reach a logical conclusion. Therefore, he affirmed, the budget still awaits the house’s approval.
Addressing the impasse, Bagbin directed to reschedule the budget discussion for the following week. He aimed to ensure a thorough review and transparent examination of the budget proposal.
Deputy Minority Chief Whip Ibrahim Ahmed urged Bagbin to consider the budget immediately rather than delaying it to the next week. He also questioned the majority MPs’ absence, except for four leaders, during this critical discussion.
Ahmed confronted the majority MPs’ behavior following their walkout, particularly their criticism of the speaker. He called for maintaining respect and decorum in parliamentary proceedings.
In response, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu dismissed the deputy minority whip’s allegations, asserting that the speaker had not been personally attacked. He called for constructive debate and mutual respect in Parliament.
In his closing remarks, Bagbin disclosed that the decisions made during the session had prior consensus in pre-sitting engagements with the leadership. He expressed surprise at the accusations against him and emphasized that such attacks target the Parliament, not him as an individual.
This development in Ghana’s Parliament underlines the importance of procedural adherence in legislative processes. The resolution of this dispute will have significant implications for the nation’s fiscal policy and governance.
As Ghana’s Parliament navigates this challenge, the focus remains on upholding a transparent and democratic process for approving the nation’s budget, a cornerstone of effective governance and economic management.
