Ayariga ‘Bribe’ Report Coming

The leadership of parliament has called on the Special Investigative Committee probing the bribery scandal to release its report to make the matter rest.

At a joint press briefing in Accra yesterday, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the members were awaiting the committee’s report latest next week, to inform the house as to how to handle the issue.

Although he wanted an immediate release of the report, Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said the committee deserved to be given the necessary space and time to come out with a complete report.

The committee, chaired by Joe Ghartey, a former deputy speaker, is investigating bribery allegation made by Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga, against Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko that he (minister) paid members of the Appointments Committee to approve his nomination.

Budget Debate
The general debate on the 2017 'Asempa' budget will commence today in parliament with some new members of the house eager to make some impact during the debate.

It is expected to be a heated debate from both sides.

The leadership of parliament has decided to give more slots to new members from both the majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the debate.

The majority leader, Osei  Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who briefed the media about the intended debate, urged the parliamentary press corps and media houses to give a lot of space and attention to the debate since it is the time real critique is made on the government's budget and financial policy.

He said leadership had decided to give more time to new MPs to contribute to the debate and for them to prove their worth in debating on the financial policy of a government.

The debate will focus on all the sectors of the economy and chairmen of the various select committees as well as ranking members would be given 15 minutes each to advance their arguments while ordinary members would be given 10 minutes to debate.

The minority leader, Haruna iddrisu, indicated the minority's readiness to subject the 'Asempa' budget to serious scrutiny.

The motion on the debate is expected to be moved by the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah.

Meanwhile, the minority leader who is the ranking member of the Appointments Committee, has indicated that the committee would start the vetting of the deputy regional ministers on Tuesday, March 14.

He has appealed to President Akufo-Addo to quickly submit the list of the rest of the deputy ministerial positions to the committee for it to complete its work on time.

By Thomas Fosu Jnr