Haruna Iddrisu, leader of NDC caucus in Parliament

The Minority in Parliament has filed a motion praying the House to set aside the ruling of the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, on the 2022 Budget.

Mr Osei-Owusu on December 1, 2021 ruled for the approval of the budget after the Minority had declined to engage in the business of the day.

According to the Minority Leader, the ruling contravenes the rules, conventions and practices of the House.

A letter, sighted by JoyNews and signed by the Minority Leader, called for the ruling to be set aside.

“That this Honourable House sets aside the purported ruling of the 1st Deputy Speaker, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, MP delivered on Wednesday, 1st December, 2021 against the motion moved by the Hon. Minority Leader, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu and seconded by the Hon. Member for Bawku Central, Mr. Mahama Ayariga, as captured on page 9 of the Votes and Proceedings of Wednesday, 1st December 2021,” part of the letter noted.

Parliament on December 1, 2021, approved the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of government presented by Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta on November 17 in the absence of MPs from the Minority.

Upon a motion by Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, and a vote by the House, the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu ruled that the earlier decision by the House to reject the Budget was in error and in violation of Article 104 (1) and caused it to be expunged from the records.

Parliament then proceeded to consider the motion on the budget and subsequently approved it.