Minority Whip, Hon. Kwame Agbodza, has expressed surprise at Majority Whip, Hon. Frank Annoh-Dompreh, for attributing government business difficulties to the absence of the Minority caucus.
Agbodza pointed out that even the majority’s leaders have been missing from parliamentary proceedings the entire week.
He questioned the Majority Whip’s perspective stating, “Is it a case that you brought a deal here to solve the problems of this country; rising costs of living, inability to pay contractors, and the inability to deal with current economic situations that the absence of the minority did not permit you to address?”
Responding to the Majority Whip’s accusation on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, on the floor of Parliament, the Adaklu MP emphasized that key government officials, including the Vice President, are currently engaged in political campaigns.
The Minority members, he said, had openly declared their non-attendance and questioned why this is being linked to the majority’s inability to form a quorum for conducting government business.
He asserted, “So the problem is yourself,” implying that the majority should focus on their own attendance.
Agbodza then issued a challenge, stating, “If you produce your 138 members tomorrow morning, we shall provide our 137 members tomorrow morning.”
Rejecting Annoh-Dompreh’s claims that the minority members are acting childishly, Agbodza stated, “Contrary to this assertion, the Minority members are not childish but very bold and have been honest about that.”
“The reason you couldn’t do business on Tuesday was that your own members are not coming to work.”
“You can’t even count 50 NPP members this morning, so let the country be aware that the reason Parliament is not forming a Quorum has nothing to do with the minority members,” he added.
Agbodza stressed the absence of the minority from Parliament has no bearing on the country’s pressing issues, including payments to contractors, petrol prices, and poverty reduction.