Poor Attendance Forces Adjournment In Parliament

Poor attendance in Parliament today rendered the House incapable of performing its functions as the few members present dispersed after failing to raise 100 members to vote on four resolutions. In an unprecedented move, the backbenchers even conspired against their leaders as they voted against a motion for adjournment moved by the Majority Leader, Papa Owusu Ankoma. The First Deputy Speaker, Freddy Blay, who presided, got stuck procedurally and desperately sought unavailable counsel from the Majority Frontbench.

The NDC Member of Parliament for Amenfi West, who led the cause of the Backbenchers, suggested that since the motion had failed sitting should be suspended to allow members to get back to work at the committee level. The Minority Leader, Alban Bagbin, moved a motion for a second adjournment that was reluctantly voted for by the Backbenchers. He informed the House that the 25-member Public Accounts Committee and other Committees were supposed to meet for crucial deliberations. Several Backbenchers expressed misgivings about the running of business in the House lately.

Today?s sitting which was scheduled to enable Parliament to complete its work before it adjourns next week lasted only twenty minutes.