By Yvonne Atilego
First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has given justification as to why Parliament’s approval of the 2022 Budget cannot be described as unconstitutional.
Addressing the House on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, the Bekwai Member of Parliament (MP) explained that, unlike Speaker Alban Bagbin who is not an MP, he is.
According to him, he does not forfeit his right as a Legislator when presiding proceedings in the House in the absence of the substantive Speaker. Mr. Osei-Owusu said his role is to assist the Speaker as defined in Article 96 (1) of the 1992 Constitution.
”The first ruling was by Honourable Martin Oduro, the then first Deputy Speaker and is related to the Bank of Ghana Act which we updated the members in the Minority were more than the Members of the Majority, but when you add the group together it is not up to one half of the Members and so the Presiding Deputy Speaker then said that vote is invalid”.
”Those on the Minority challenged it and when Mr. Speaker Honourable Doe Adjaho came he explained that, he referred to the Constitutional Provision to justify that unless 50% or more were in the House the votes were invalid, that has been stated over again”.
”So honourable Members, let me put on record that I am a Member of Parliament and I was counted. I did not vote”, according to Joe Osei Wusu.
