Majority looks for Bagbin’s whereabouts on final day of e-levy debate

The Majority in Parliament has accused the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, of supporting a tacit agenda of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to “frustrate” and “obstruct” business of the Akufo-Addo-led government.

According to Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, his caucus’s leadership did not know the whereabouts of Speaker Bagbin as of the evening of Monday, December 20 when they expected him to preside over proceedings on the Electronic Transfer Levy Bill.

The Bill was brought before the plenary under a certificate of urgency despite a strong resistance of the Minority members on the Finance Committee.

The Majority suspects the Speaker, who returned to Ghana on Tuesday, December 14 from a medical review in the United Arabs Emirates (UAE), to have deliberately absented himself from Monday’s proceedings to reduce the number of the Majority during voting on the Bill.

This is because one of the Deputy Speakers will preside in the Speaker’s absence.

For Mr Afenyo-Markin, who is also MP for Effutu, the Majority has been given a raw deal since they are still not in the know as to the whereabouts of the Speaker.