Tit-for-tat? – Majority Files Question Over Bagbin’s Travel Expenses
Majority Leader and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has disclosed that the travel expenditure of Speaker Alban Bagbin is the subject of a question before the House.
Without mentioning which MP had filed the question, he disclosed on Accra-based Joy FM’s News File programme over the weekend that Bagbin’s use of the presidential jet is also part of the question.
“I know somebody has also filed a question relating to the expenditure of the Speaker’s own travels. When he also used the presidential jet to Nigeria and so on, why hasn’t that question also featured prominently?” he told show host Samson Lardy Anyenini.
The host had asked whether or not the responses to questions on cost of presidential travels had been part of demands by the Minority in Parliament relative to the passage of the 2022 budget.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stressed that the issue of presidential travels was immaterial to the budget because it did not pass as component of policies and principles of the budget.
North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has file urgent questions seeking information on the cost of luxury chartered jet travels by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Ministers of Finance and Defense appeared before the House months back and informed that the issue was in the domain of National Security Minister, who failed to appear at a scheduled date weeks ago.
Parliament comprising the Majority bloc last Friday, November 26, 2021; voted to reject the 2022 budget as presented by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta. This happened after the Majority Group walked out of the house over disagreement in the ruling of Speaker Bagbin.
The Majority insists that the rejection was unconstitutional because it breached relevant rules on quorum required for a vote on bills.