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15.07.2014 NDC

NDC Blocks World Cup Probe

By Daily Guide
NDC Blocks World Cup Probe
15.07.2014 LISTEN

Isaac Asiamah and Speaker Edward Doe Adjaho
The Majority National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Parliament yesterday blocked an attempt by the House to look into Ghana's ill-fated participation in the just-ended Brazil 2014 World Cup.

The group used its majority number to torpedo a private motion by New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Atwima Mponua, Isaac Asiamah.

The private motion had asked Parliament to set up a bipartisan parliamentary committee of inquiry to investigate events and activities before, during and after Ghana's preparation and participation in the World Cup.

The motion was the main reason for the special sitting yesterday; but the Majority NDC voted 96-76 against the motion, thereby preventing Parliament to set up the committee to investigate Ghana's poor performance at the World Cup.

The current Minister of Youth and Sports and MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, had tried to prevent the motion from being moved by invoking Article 278 of the 1992 Constitution which allows the President to set up a commission of inquiry to look into any matter of public interest upon a resolution by Parliament to task the President to do so.

He indicated that the President had realised the importance to set aside the three-member ministerial committee and rather set up a commission of inquiry to look into all matters relating to Ghana's participation in the World Cup and consequently set up that commission on Friday, July 11.

The Minister argued that once the President had fulfilled that constitutional requirement, it would be 'unconstitutional' for Parliament to do same.

Bad Faith
The Speaker, Edward Doe Adjaho, however ruled Ayariga out of order, pointing out that the Minister's refuge in the constitutional instrument was in itself a bad faith and could also undermine the power of the legislature.

According to the Speaker, the standing orders of Parliament gave the House power to also set up a committee to investigate any matter of public interest – irrespective of any action taken by the Executive in that direction – and therefore if he (the Minister) had any problem with Parliament also setting up a committee to investigate the matter, he could go to the Supreme Court for interpretation of that portion of the Constitution.

The MP for Sekondi, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, said he was very disappointed in President Mahama for trying to stifle the work of Parliament by intentionally setting up a commission of inquiry to disable Parliament to look into the matter independently.

“I am sorry for this country because the Minister of Youth and Sports was in this House last Wednesday to tell us that administrative inquiry has been set up by the government to look into the World Cup issues and within 30 days, the report will come out; but after Parliament decides to also look into this matter independently, the President, upon further advice, changes his mind to set up a commission of inquiry in order to undermine the authority of Parliament,” he said, adding that the President, as former MP, must know that Parliament is an independent arm of government and has the power to oversee the Executive.

Anger
The MP for Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea, was mad at the attempt by the government and the Majority NDC to undermine the independence of Parliament, saying that the Legislature must not be seen as an extension of the Executive.

He said per Article 103, Parliament has that undeniable power to conduct such investigations and that if it could not exercise its oversight responsibilities, then it should as well be dissolved for Parliamentarians to stay at home because they would have no business to represent the interests of the people in the House.

The Majority Chief Whip and MP for Asawase, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, said it would be a waste of time and money for Parliament to set up a parallel body to investigate the same matter that a commission of inquiry had been set up to investigate and therefore the motion ought to be rejected.

The mover of the motion, Isaac Asiamah, had wanted Parliament to investigate and establish how much was spent on each supporter to Brazil, how much was spent on each official and the total cost involved, how much was spent on the so-called 'ambassadors' to Brazil, why the government refused to pay the appearance fees of the players before they left for Brazil as promised by the government, how much it cost the nation to airlift $3 million cash to Brazil as well as the breakdown of government's allocation and private sector contributions for Ghana's preparations and participation in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

 Email: [email protected]
 By Thomas Fosu Jnr
 
 

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