Bagbin declares 2024 budget not approved

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has declared the 2024 budget has not been approved.

According to the speaker the budget statement and economic policy of government is still before the house contrary to claims it’s been passed.

The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta on Wednesday after a walkout by the majority truncated the approval process told the media the budget had been approved.

The majority MPs subsequently repeated that chorus.

Minority leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson today during the correction of votes and proceedings brought the matter to the attention of the house and the speaker for an intervention.

Majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu insisted once the speaker declared the results in favor of his side after the voice votes before the call was challenged by the minority, the budget was indeed approved.

Alban Bagbin however disagreed. According to the former Nadowli-Kaleo MP the budget is still before the house since the approval process did not follow through to a logical conclusion.

He consequently directed for the budget to be rescheduled for next week.

The Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ibrahim Ahmed however appealed to the speaker to put the budget up for consideration immediately instead of shifting it to next week.

He questioned the absence of the majority MPs but for 4 leaders made up of majority leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, his deputy Alexander Afenyo-Markin, chief whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh and deputy whip Habib Iddrisu.

The Banda MP questioned the basis for the attacks on the person of the speaker by the majority yesterday after the walkout.

Majority leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu rejected the assertions of the deputy minority whip. The Suame MP insisted the speaker was never attacked.

The speaker in his concluding remarks disclosed every decision he took while in the chair yesterday had been agreed during the pre-sitting engagement by leadership and thus was surprised by the accusations leveled against him.

He stated such attacks are on parliament and not his person as speaker adding he leaves the attackers to God and their conscience.