Parliament angrily summons two deputy ministers

Two deputy ministers at the Local Government and Rural Development Ministry have been summoned to appear before Parliament on Wednesday July 15.

Members of the house led by the Speaker of Parliament were angered because officials of the ministry has failed to honor previous invitations to answer an urgent question on the steps the ministry is taking to prevent the perennial flooding in the national capital, Accra.

The MPs expressed anger at the behavior of the two deputies, Nii Lante Vanderpuiye and Emmanuel Agyekum, who are also members of Parliament.

Some of the irate MPs suggested sanctions for the two deputies.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development together with the Mayor of Accra, were scheduled to appear before Parliament Tuesday to brief the house on steps being taken to prevent floods in Accra.

But neither the sector minister Collins Dauda, nor his two deputies were available.

The Majority Leader, Alban Bagbin, told the house the substantive minister, was out of the country and one of the deputies was expected to appear before it and asked for more time for them to avail themselves.

After some papers were laid, the two deputy ministers had still not shown up although the Accra Mayor was present.

this infuriated members.

"The two deputies who are members of this house are aware that the questions have been slated for their ministry and the Chief whip made all efforts to get them here. And Mr. Speaker if you look at the time we can't sit here waiting for them" said MP for Ashaiman Alfred Agbesi.

Manhyia North and Sekondi MPs of the minority side, others called for sanctions.

"Mr. Speaker it is unacceptable and I am urging you to urge the majority leader acting that these ministers be brought here for sanctions. They can't even provide answers in our order paper"

The other said, "they are indirectly compelling you to exercise the powers that you have. Executive power is vested in the President so I am urging the President to urge his ministers to take matters in this house seriously".


The Majority Chief Whip and NDC MP for Asawase, ?Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, said the two deputy ministers earlier agreed to come to the house but later ignored his phone calls.

"As early as 9:30 this morning, I called again to remind them that the question was on the order paper; but for the past forty minutes; I have been calling all of them but none of them is picking the phone. It is ringing but they are not picking" he lamented.

The Speaker, Edward Doe Adjaho, expressed disappointment at the development and ordered the two to appear before the house on Wednesday or face sanctions.

" One thing that I can say for now is that, the deputies should be summoned to this House Wednesday to answer questions. If they do not come, the house will look at any sanction that is available. Honorable members, the democratic path that we have chosen as a people should not be allowed to be undermined by a few individuals. And this house's right of oversight over the executive must always stand" he stated.