A $24 million loan agreement between Ghana and Fidelity Bank for the completion of the Job 600 building was passed amidst controversy by Parliament yesterday.
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, was of the opinion that more work needed to be done on the loan agreement and had intended to stand it down for further consultation between himself and the leadership of the House on the issue.
Therefore, he signalled some members of the leadership of the House when public business was ongoing, for a discussion.
But a Deputy Speaker, Mr Ebo Barton-Odro, who took the Speaker’s Chair after Mr Adjaho had vacated it as well as other members of the House were unaware of that intention.
As a result, when Mr James Klutse Avedzi, Chairman of the Finance Committee presented the committee’s report and it was seconded by Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah (NPP, New Juaben South), Mr Barton-Odro put the question requesting the House to give the nod which was done.
Mr Adjaho and the leadership of the House returned only to find that the loan agreement had been given the nod.
The Minority Leader and member for Suame (NPP), Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, reminded the House that there had been an agreement that for the sake of consensus building, the loan should be stood down and wondered why the agreement had not been respected.
The statement drew reactions from some members on both sides, including the Majority Leader, Mr Benjamin Bewa-Nyog Kunbuor, giving the impression of a form of mistrust among members on the loan agreement.
Mr Adjaho appeared angered by the move made in his absence and said he had “come to the end of the road on this matter” and would not have anything to do on the issue any longer.
He said he would not lead efforts to provide office accommodation for MPs any longer, adding “ I want to be above board on this matter.”
He gave a sort of history of efforts made to secure offices for MPs as well as the genesis of the loan agreement and said he had sought to do some due diligence on it.
“I did not expect the matter to end this way,” he said.
After the brouhaha, calls for a closed sitting was made leading to the media and visitors leaving the press and visitors galleries.
MPs Common Fund
Meanwhile some members of the Minority banged their desks several times during proceedings to draw attention to the failure of the government to release to MPs, their share of the District Assemblies Common Fund and to honour other statutory obligations.
That was at the time the Minister of Finance, Mr Seth Tekper, was moving the motion for the adoption of some loan agreements and Mr Avedzi was in the process of seeking the adoption of the Finance Committee’s report on some of the loans.
They shouted “Common fund” repeatedly as they banged their desks, nearly disrupting activities.
Mr Barton-Odro appealed several times for order and calm.
Apparently, Mr Tekper had given some assurances behind closed doors in the forenoon that at 2 p.m, the issue would be brought for discussion, therefore, when the clock struck 2 p.m, the attempts to disrupt proceedings begun.
Mr Barton-Odro informed members that the leadership of the House and Mr Adjaho were discussing the issue, hence there was the need for calm.
But after close of sitting, Dr Assibey-Yeboah, told the Daily Graphic that no agreement had been reached on that particular issue.
Other business
The House also waived taxes totalling $4,679,710 on goods and specific machinery, equipment and materials to be procured under the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP III), among other things.
By Mark-Anthony Vinorkor/Daily Graphic/Ghana
