Fisheries Minister pleads for forgiveness over ‘no show’ in Parliament

Parliament today [Tuesday] received a favourable apology from the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye who failed to show up on the Floor of the House last week to answer questions.

Last Thursday, Parliamentary sitting was suspended for a while as frantic efforts were made to haul the Minister before the House to answer questions from some Members of Parliament.

Subsequent to that, the Speaker issued stern directives to ministers and Chief Directors on how to communicate to the House when Ministers are not available to answer questions.

Appearing before the House today, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye rendered an apology before taking her turn to answer the questions with a promise not to absent herself without permission.

“Mr. Speaker, I was expected in Parliament on Thursday to respond to questions. Unfortunately, the call to respond to the questions came at a time when I was already on my way out of the country. For my ministry to get the entire House to a standstill, I plead for your forgiveness and I ask that you forgive me. I promise that this will not happen again,” she assured.

The questions centered on the payment of contractors who executed contracts in restocking of selected dams, waiver of tax on aquaculture input materials and the construction of a fish landing site at Dzemeni were to be asked by Mr. Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, and Mr. Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Member of Parliament for South Dayi.

The Speaker, Prof. Aaron Mike Ocquaye who wholeheartedly received the apology asked Ministers to follow due procedures anytime they are unable to respond to summons.

He reiterated his directive to Ministers of State to write expressly to Parliament if they cannot be in the House to answer questions.

“The apology is duly accepted except that, you must know why deputy ministers are there. Furthermore, your Chief Director and Deputy Director are all there. When the Minister is not available, there is more reason the Chief Director must be here. If you can't be here, let us know.”