The Minority in Parliament has staged a walk-out protesting the Speaker’s decision to refer a motion for a rescission of the $510m AMERI power deal to the Mines and Energy Committee for consideration.
The Majority caucus booed, shooed and chanted ‘away, away,away’ as the NDC MPs filed out of the chamber in anger and frustration.
Minutes before the walk-out, the Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu was seen furiously gesticulating at his opposite number after the Speaker had shot down his objections to a motion on the AMERI deal.
Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon Prof. Mike Ocquaye
Haruna Iddrissu had challenged the motion on the rescission of the AMERI deal. He said no where in the Standing Orders are motions referred straight to a committee without debating it.
KT Hammond had early on moved the motion for the rescission of the AMERI deal which was seconded by the deputy Majority leader Adwoa Safo.
The Minority Leader’s move to stop the motion was over-ruled by the Speaker. Effectively, the motion was moved and seconded without debate, something the Minority members were not happy about.
Moments after walking out, the Minority addressed two press conferences addressed by the Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak and the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu.
‘Small Boys’
Muntaka Mubarak
Mubarak who was the first to meet the press protested what he said was the contempt and disrespect of the Speaker towards the Minority.
He does not understand why the Speaker will prevent them from speaking to the motion.
We are not “small boys” he suggested, adding, if they cannot have their say in Parliament as MPs where would they comment on issues.
He threatened the Minority will continue to walk out and protest if the Speaker continues to treat them with disrespect.
The writtings have been on the wall after the Minority only four days ago expressed frustrations at what they saw as an attempt by the Speaker to stifle debate.
Baseless referral
The Minority Leader who was next to meet the press, questioned the decision by the Speaker to allow a motion that is seeking to alter a decision taken by a previous Parliament.
“There is no basis and justification for the referral, he said.
According to him, he was raising a constitutional objection to the decision by the Speaker to refer the motion to the Mines and Energy Committee as well as seek interpretation of Order 93 (3) but the Speaker will not allow him to do so.
Haruna Iddrisu
He said they had to walk out to protest how the Speaker has been treating them.
The AMERI deal was signed in 2015 to help in stabilizing Ghana’s power which was in crisis at the time.
The $510 million deal was criticised by the then opposition NPP and some think tanks like IMANI, ACEP who claimed the deal had been inflated.
IMANI said AMERI power the Dubai based power company had been gifted with a whooping $150 million for no job done.
On winning power, the NPP MP KT Hammond insists he has intercepted documents that suggest the country had been ripped off by the previous government.
He wants a rescission of the deal.
Minority stages walkout over AMERI deal
-