NPP doesn't need money to debate on budget - Dominic Nitiwul

Deputy Minority leader, Dominic Nitiwul has denied that the minority’s decision to participate in debating the 2013 budget that will be presented to Parliament next week is influenced by their need for some monetary benefits.

Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Sampson Ahi, has alleged the Minority’s decision to be present for the budget debate is not only hypocritical but also because they want to enjoy some financial benefits.

“Because they want money; they want to participate in the document that has financial matters and benefits.”

However, Mr. Nitiwul rebutted his comments saying “What money is he [Sampson Ahi] talking about; is he saying that a member of parliament gets money for mainly participating in approving the budget…? If he and his people [NDC] are doing that, we in the NPP don’t get money for participating or working for the people of Ghana. We don’t get involved in getting money out of participating in parliamentary duties.”

Speaking on Citi FM, Mr. Nitiwul also said “the NPP have never said they do not recognize the legitimacy of President Mahama as the President of the Republic.

“Nobody is saying that we don’t recognise that he [President Mahama] is a President; who told him [Ahi] that the NPP say they don’t recognise that he is the President,” Mr. Nitiwul lamented.

“We are just saying that we will not help President Mahama put up his government because when the President loses the court case the government will go and we have said any other thing that will continue to linger around even if he loses the case such as the budget we will participate in; we have always made this point very clear.”

According to the NPP Member of Parliament for Bimbilla the party’s decision to be present during the budget debate has nothing to do with monies to be received.