Minority not certain about role of ministers-designate

Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, minister-designate for Foreign Affairs, on Thursday nearly got himself in a snare of the minority when he volunteered a piece of information to the House that related to foreign relations.

The member had thought that he could help the house reschedule its special seminar slated for January 30 because the special guest for the occasion, a British Minister, would not be able to make it.

Mr Peter Hain, hitherto with the British Home Office and in charge of African Affairs, was moved to the Energy Ministry during a recent cabinet reshuffle in that country.

The Minority, who had made several unsuccessful bids to comment on its assumption that ministers-designate are already in post, seized the opportunity to launch the long awaited attack.

Mr John Tia, NDC-Talensi, enquired: "What are you? Mr Speaker, what should we call him"?

Several echoes and cat-calls greeted the enquiry and the Minority asked the minister-designate where he had that message.

Mr Owusu-Agyeman explained that he only volunteered the information to the house in his capacity as a Member of Parliament.

This did not go down well with the Minority and it had to take the eloquence and mastery of Mr J.H. Mensah, Majority Leader, to dislodge the matter.

He argued that the Minority were flouting the rules of the house since the topic on hand was the discussion of the business statement for next week.

Although, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, Speaker, ruled that all had transpired was irrelevant, the minister-designate for Foreign Affairs was vindicated later when it was learnt that Mr Hain was not coming after all.

The Speaker communicated this to the house after the debate.