2023 Budget: Stay in Qatar after the World Cup - Dr Otchere-Ankrah tells NPP MPs

Governance lecturer at the Central University, Dr Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, has berated Members of Parliament from the majority caucus who traveled to watch the World Cup as the House is debating to pass the 2023 budget.

Speaking in a Peace FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Dr Otchere-Ankrah said that the actions of the said MPs show that they lack a sense of priority and respect for the people who put them in power.

“There are places where people stand in queues from 1:00 am just to vote for these MPs. People have injured themselves, and some even died, just because of elections. If people die just to elect you and you are not doing the job you are supposed to be doing, it is really bad.

“These MPs are supposed to be putting the executive in check but they are not doing it. If you are not doing your job, how will you tell somebody else how to do his job?

“A lot of them have gone to Qatar – taking selfies and all that. So the budget that is being debated is not important. If Qatar is more important than the budget, stay there after the World Cup has ended,” he said in Twi.

He added that the MPs must earn the honourable title they are given by taking their responsibilities seriously.

The lecturer also said that it would be totally out of place if the MPs were sponsored by the government to attend the World Cup.

Meanwhile, the minority caucus in Parliament expressed concern on Tuesday about the absence of members from the Majority side of the House from the House.

The concern was anchored on the premise that the debate on the 2023 budget, as presented by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, was expected to start with a race to pass the Appropriation Bill in time.

Though no official reason was given for the mass absence of the majority members, GhanaWeb checks show that some of the majority Members of Parliament (MPs) were out of the jurisdiction.

At least three of them were spotted in Qatar, where the 2022 FIFA World Cup is ongoing.

One of the MPs who has been in Qatar for the past two weeks is Mustapha Ussif of Yagaba-Kubori, who doubles as Minister of Youth and Sports.

Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West Constituency, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, was also spotted in Qatar, according to social media posts.

Minister of Energy and Manhyia South MP, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh is also in Qatar cheering on the Black Stars.

Patrick Yaw Boamah, Okaikwei Central MP is also in Qatar, where he has been sharing photos of himself on the streets and at the stadium supporting Otto Addo and his charges.

Watch the interview below:



Watch the second part of Elvis Afriyie Ankrah's interview on GhanaWeb TV below:





Also watch the nomination for the GhanaWeb Excellence Awards Youth Edition below:



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