The Greater Accra Regional Organizer of the National Democratic Congress, Anthony Nukpenu, has still maintained that there was no quorum when the controversial e-levy bill was passed.
In his view, once the Majority Leader, Haruna Iddrissu had stated their intention not to participate in the proceedings and subsequently walked out, there was no quorum.
“Per the records in parliament, having walked out on the second reading before the third consideration and the final approval, you can’t tell us that because we formed a quorum for the debate so that quorum applies to the approval at the time we were not present.”
The majority side passed the e-levy after the minority caucus staged a walk out prior to the third reading and consideration stages of the bill.
Responding to a question after the passage of the bill, the Majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said there were no issues regarding quorum because “there was quorum.”
But expressing a divergent view, Haruna Iddrisu said “the Majority of less than 137 conducting business only proceeded on illegal and unconstitutional business. Parliament did not have the numbers to take any decision that should be binding on Parliament and Ghanaians” thus, they would challenge the passage in court.
To buttress his stance, Mr. Nukpenu indicated that “we walked out earlier even before the second reading was done, before the consideration of the clauses was done even before the question…look at Haruna’s statement before staging the walk out, it was clear…even if you find somebody sitting, he didn’t participate [and] you cannot count him because the side has already declared that we are out of the chamber or we are out of this process.”
The Greater Accra Regional Organizer further questioned why Speaker Alban Bagbin didn’t make a definite statement on November 30, 2021 that there was no quorum for only the minority caucus of 137 members to reject the 2022 Agyenkwa Budget.
“Why wasn’t that same statement made [and] why was a Supreme Court action initiated for the ruling to show that what the minority did was null and void because 137 cannot reject a budget and cannot take a decision but the right [figure] is half of parliament which is 138…”, he said in Twi.
He added that because they didn’t file an injunction there is nothing that prevents the president from assenting the bill or stops the implementation of the levy.
He however called on the court to be swift in setting the date to sit on the case and come out with their verdict on the matter.
