By Edzorna Francis Mensah & Bubu Klinogo.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin has directed the Roads and Highways Minister to withdraw the directive on cessation of the collection of road tolls in Ghana.
According to the Speaker, the Sector Minister has no such powers to order motorists not pay tolls as he stressed the point that, failure on the part of him ( Amoako Attah) to rescind his decision will amount to contempt of Parliament.
The Minister gave the directive following the Budget reading without recourse to Parliamentary debates and approval.
The Minority Leader, Harruna Iddrisu, had earlier drawn the Speaker’s attention to a directive from the Minister for Roads purported to have asked workers at Tollbooths to vacate post and allow free movement of cars without paying.
Mr. Harruna further stated that, the Budget policy had not been approve by the House, “so why the hurry to issue a directive?”
The release has it that, effective midnight of 18th November, 2021, the collection of Road Toll levy ceases Nation wide.
The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonso on his part in a statement at the plenary, submitted that the House should take a serious view of the conduct and directive of the Minister as is an attempt to usurp the powers and mandate of the House.
He added that the Road Minister cannot be in a hurry to reverse a legislation by the House.
The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu noted that the Minister’s directives emanates from the budget presentation when the Finance Minister gave an indication that the Road Toll levy would be abolish.
He asserted that the House has not commence the debate on the policy and principal of the budget let alone to vote on it.
He however added that, immediately after the budget presentation, some confusion arose at some Toll Booths and to avoid further escalation of the confusion and chaos , the Minister wanted to arrest the situation hence the directive.
