Members of Parliament yesterday was fumed with anger over the inability of the Minister of Agriculture to present before Parliament a statement and answers to some questions on the public business of the day, describing this inconveniences as unwarranted for wasting their time in Parliament without any business to discuss.

Parliament on Tuesday, July 11, was to receive statements from some various ministries including the Ministry of Agriculture to also answer some urgent question on what is being done to deal with fall armyworm invasion of farms.

But the Agric Minister Dr. Akoto Owusu Afriyie who was scheduled to appear before the House, couldn’t show up to address the issue, where the Majority Leader Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu had to step in to explain to the house the cause of the minister’s absence.

Though, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Majority Leader of Parliament had indicated earlier to members, reasons why a question on Agriculture could not be answered, explaining that the Minister had travel out for other business and the Deputy Minister scheduled to precede on his behalf was also unwell.

This reason according to some Members of the Minority, was just some lame excuses to cover up for the Minister’s incompetence and unacceptable on the part of Parliamentarians who made it to the house without any business to talk about.

The Member of Parliament for Keta, Hon. Richard Quashie in an interview with Newslinegh also expressed disappointment on the Minister’s inability to present before Parliament with answers to some pending questions, and his inability to provide a deputy to intercede on his behalf, whiles they were very much aware they owe Parliament a duty.

“We also know too well that the ministry of Agriculture has more than three (3) deputies and aside that, it also has a Minister of State in charge of Agriculture, so if the substantive Minister is unavailable, the Minister of State in charge of Agriculture could have come in to answer the questions, meanwhile, we had a Deputy Minister of Agriculture in the Chamber to have represented his Minister “

“That’s why I was on my feet to signal Mr. Speaker to allow me put these questions to the Majority Leader, but Mr. Speaker apparently didn’t see me, probably I’ve become so invincible that he couldn’t see me and that was a bit worrying “ Hon. Quashigah had lamented.

Though we are really in to help government carry out its business, He said, obviously, it looks like they don’t have any business which will require our support, because since we came back to the house, it has always been statement upon statements and questions. And even when these questions are a little nagging, it is not even allowed to be answered at all and this has been a problem.

“Even with the intention of creating jobs through planting for food, we are now being told that the implementation plan is unavailable, then we can really tell that the government is not well composed, they have a challenge and clearly, it a marking of substance darkness”. He reiterated.

Story: Blessing Roselyn Boateng

 

Exclusively Newslinegh