Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin petitioned Speaker Bagbin to convene Parliament for an emergency session.
The majority leader revealed they would handle six major government concerns, including tax exemptions, a $250 million financial fund, mining lease ratifications, and 17 pending measures.
Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Majority Leader in Parliament, has asked Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin to convene Parliament for an emergency session to resolve six critical government problems and 17 pending bills.
The request comes after the Supreme Court’s 5-2 decision on Tuesday, November 12, which overruled Speaker Bagbin’s proclamation on the four vacant seats debate and restored the NPP’s status as the majority caucus.
You will recall that on November 7, the Speaker postponed Parliament indefinitely due to the absence of NPP MPs from the chamber.
In a petition dated Friday, November 22nd, Afenyo-Markin emphasized that several major government issues remained unsolved, including:
Beneficiaries of the One District, One Factory programme are exempt from paying taxes.
The International Development Association has approved the $250 million Ghana Financial Stability Fund.
Consideration of the President’s nominees for Supreme Court Justices.
Ratification of mining lease agreements for Ashanti Bauxite Company Ltd. and Barari DV Ghana Ltd.
He also listed 17 pending measures, which included:
Environmental Protection Agency Bill, 2024.
Social Protection Bill, 2023
Intestate Succession Bill, 2022.
University of Sports for Development Bill, 2024.
Afenyo-Markin said that recalling the parliament will signify national unity as Ghana prepares for the general elections on December 7th.
It would demonstrate that, as the election season nears its zenith, Parliament is steadfast in its constitutional obligations and devoted to advancing the national interest through bipartisan cooperation.
He urged the Speaker to use his powers under Orders 57(3) and 58(4) to facilitate the recall, adding:
It would demonstrate that, even as we approach the peak of the electoral season, Parliament remains steadfast in its constitutional duties and committed to advancing the national interest through bipartisan cooperation.
These are high-priority issues for the government.
However, NDC MPs have stated their determination to boycott any emergency recall. National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia has urged NDC MPs to abstain, describing the action as a waste of state resources.
Read the petition below
