The Minority in Parliament on Friday, November 16 walked out of the House in relation to the much talked about creation
of new.
The Opposition MPs say the Speaker Prof Mike Ocquaye has, time without number, been disrespectful to Minority members and did not hesitate to register their protest during a debate on the proposed creation of new regions.
They accused the speaker of being bias.
According to them, the Speaker once again failed to acknowledge their leaders anytime they rise on the floor to put their arguments across.
Reports also say the Minority did not take kindly to failure by the Speaker to allow them time to speak during the debate on the proposed new regions.
Before staging their walkout, the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu argued that without copies of the Justice Brobbey report which formed the foundation of the proposed new regions they cannot take part in the debate on the CI 109.
He reminded the Speaker that he had since last week made requests for copies of the report to be made available to the house and quoted Article 11 of the constitution but that has not been done.
“If you have a CI called CI 109 this output can only be the output of the Justice Brobbey Report. How can I relate to it when I have not seen a copy of the report?†he asked.
But Minister of Regional Reorganization and Development, Dan Botwe in a counter argument said the President had not breached any regulation by not making the Commission of Inquiry's report public since the six months’ time limit hasn't elapsed.
The Minority walked out of the house accusing the Speaker of failing to acknowledge them.
Addressing the media after the sitting, Majority leader Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu accused the minority of failing to apply themselves with the provisions in the constitution.
He said copies of the Justice Brobbey report had been presented to the Committee Bawku Central MP Mahama Ayariga.
He found it strange that the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu would insist on being served with the Commission’s report when indeed the committee chaired by his own colleague, Ayariga had been served copies.
Quoting sections of the Constitution, on the creation of the new regions he said it is the duty of the Electoral Commission to table the report to Parliament if the MPs so desire to have them and not a minister.
“We work with rules and people should learn the rules before they make demands that cannot be substantiated,†he said.
He added a Constitutional Instrument emanates from a constitution and not a commission’s report.