Speaker threatens to suspend parliament over Finance Minister heckling
The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Ocquaye Thursday threatened to suspend the house sitting to hear the 2017 Budget presentation by the Finance Minister.
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That warning was necessitated by a rancorous banter between the majority and minority sides as Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta dished out pleasantries either welcomed by the majority or reviled by the minority.
Soon after announcing his mission in Parliament, to wit: he had come to present an abridged version of the maiden Budget Statement and Economic Policy for the year ending 31st December, 2017 on the authority of the president and in accordance with Article 179 of the 1992 Constitution, Ken Ofori-Atta proceded to thank Parliament for approving his nomination for the Finance portfolio.
“Mr. Speaker, I also stand here humbled by the President’s courage and confidence to elevate me to this very weighty and high office of Finance Minister of the Republic of Ghana.”
The ensuing giggling from the floor was more than deafening, causing the minister to repeat “of the Republic of Ghana” before the Speaker stepped in with “Order! Order!” as the minister tried to retrace his delivery with “I thank you, I thank you.”
“Of the Republic of Ghana”, he continued, “a nation of manifest niche for greatness, a nation with very high expectation of President Akufo-Addo’s government, a nation that is 60 years old, remains a diamant de roche and therefore needs more than a shine.
“Mr Speaker, it is this providential point in our history that I’ve been given this great but exciting responsibility to participate in sending Ghana beyond aid and to realise our birthright as the Black Star of Africa.
“I, Mr. Speaker, accept this role with all the solemnity and reverence that it deserves.
"Mr. Speaker, I want to assure this House, as I also did with the Finance Committee, that I will work to blend this with utmost candor and respect, to ensure foremost the Legislature, the representatives of our people that I’ve been privileged to witness the sacrifices you made in 2016 and thankfully to be here. Ayekoo!
Of course members responded “hear, hear.”
Haruna Iddrisu and Ose Kyei-Mensah-Boansu, Minority and Majority leaders respectively
Then another rancour follows as the Finance Minister goes into an anthology of family history in national service.
“Mr. Speaker, I am standing in a rather large-sized shoes of a legacy of family members, such as Dr. J.B. Danquah…”
The minister is interjected by high-pitched shouts from both sides and the Speaker will thump his gavel a number of times, backed by shouts for “Order! Order! Order!” but as the noise won’t die down with Ken Ofori-Atta attempting to wade through unsuccessfully with “I am, I am, I am,”, the Speaker brings down his gavel a couple more times.
Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta
The Minister then pushes on; “I am standing in the rather large-sized shoes of a legacy of family members, such as Dr. J.B. Danquah, Mr. William Ofori-Atta, Honourable Amoako Atta of CPP, Dr. Jones Ofori-Atta my father, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Honourable Atta Akyea. I have, Mr Speaker..(the ensuing uproar forces the Speaker to step in at this stage).
“Honourable Members, Honourable Members,…I may have to suspend sitting and have a conference with leadership if you are not in a position to listen. If this continues, this is what we have to do”, he cautioned.
Even as the Speaker tried to instill order, a voice could be heard over the PA system shouting “Read the budget”, as another mocked in the backround “cousins and daughters cabinet”, and yet another one, “But he should read the budget”.
Eventually, sanity prevailed, at least for the time being, to allow the Finance Minister to continue with his presentation.
