Parliament Is Not Your Personal Property--Minority To Speaker

The Minority in Parliament has dissociated itself from the cash-for-seat report that has been laid before the House, venting its frustration on the Speaker.

The opposition lawmakers say Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye has been opposed to the investigation into the cash-for-seat scandal despite constituting a Special Investigative Committee.

Addressing an emergency news conference in Accra Tuesday, shortly after walking out of Parliament, Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu said they will not allow the Speaker to dictate the pace in the House.

“The House is not the Speaker of Parliament,” a visibly angry Tamale South Member of Parliament said.

The Cash-for-seat Committee has submitted its 146-page report to Parliament after interacting with at least eight people on the matter.

The Committee was formed by the Speaker of Parliament following Minority claims that Trades Minister Alan Kyeremateng extorted money from some expatriate businesses in exchange for seats close to president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at an Awards night.

The Trades Minister has denied any wrongdoing and the president has said nothing untoward was done in the matter.

But the five-member bipartisan Committee charged to investigate the matter, split days to the conclusion of its work, leading to the release of separate reports.

Leading the Minority side is Bolga East MP Dr Dominic Ayine who accused his Majority colleagues of covering up for the Trades Minister and event organisers, Millennium Excellence Foundation (MEF).

Trades Minister Alan Kyeremateng
Regrouping after they boycotted a sitting to consider the report submitted by the Committee, Mr Iddrisu said the Minority does not want to have anything to do with the issue.

“If you see the Minority dissociate ourselves it is because we are convinced the edge of justice is not being used right,” he said.

Also speaking to the media, Dr Ayine said the Minority's report is not significantly different from the one submitted by the Committee Chairman.

"The findings of fact reflect that," the former law lecturer said, adding "whilst we were working there was a pretence at a consensus."

But after every session when the members of the Committee meet to evaluate the evidence presented, the Majority always try to hide the truth.

He said the conduct of the Majority was similar to the behavior of his headmaster at High School who always said "my mind is made up, don’t confuse me with the fact.’