Avoka, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu 'fight' for more powers for Kunbuor

Member of Parliament for Zebilla Constituency, Cletus Avoka, has backed calls by the minority leader that Majority Leader, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor should be given a ministerial position.

Mr Osei Kye-Mensah-Bonsu had argued that offering Dr Kunbuor a ministerial portfolio would augment his work in the National Assembly.

According to Mr Avoka, past experience has shown that when the majority leader is not appointed as minister, there are certain documents the law bars the individual from laying on behalf of the President on the floor of Parliament.

“How can he [Kunbuor] be in charge of government business when he cannot even lay a common paper on behalf of the government he represents? So I think the minority leader is right and I support his call,” he explained.

Speaking to Accra based Citi FM, Mr Avoka said: “I had a lot of challenges when I was the majority leader. Sometimes there would be no minister on the floor and therefore have to defer the name of that particular document, but if a majority leader who is often in the House is made a minister of state, he [or she] may have the opportunity to do so and government work will go on uninterrupted.”

Against that backdrop, the Zebilla legislator disagreed with the assertion that appointing the majority leader as a minister of state will adversely affect his performance in Parliament.

“The Constitution says that majority of ministers of state must come from Parliament so if an MP is also a minister of state, how does that affect the integrity or separation of powers.

“The most important thing is integrity! How will you be able to execute your duties in the legislature without compromising with the executive?” he queried.