Appear Before Parliament Or Face Privileges Committee – Speaker to Education Minister
The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament Rt Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has summoned the Minister of Education, Hon Dr Yaw Adutwum to appear before parliament, to brief the house on why he failed to comply with parliament directive to reschedule the reporting date for first year senior high school (SHS) students.
According to the Speaker, the minister will be referred to the Privileges Committee for contempt of parliament if he fails to comply.
Last Thursday, the Member of Parliament (MP) of Akatsi North, Hon Peter Nortsu Kotoe made a statement on the floor of parliament seeking intervention for the education minister to reschedule the date for SHS new entrants, reporting to school as stated by the Ghana Education Service (GES).
This was after some members expressed worry about the numerous calls from their constituents concerning the short notice from GES on school reporting date.
The Rt Hon Speaker directed the minister for education to hold on the date given and appear before parliament to brief members on the school reporting date for first year students.
He expressed his disappointment over the response given by the GES against parliament directive.
“Majority leader with all due respect, I will enforce the authority that the people of Ghana have given me, that I will enforce and if the minister fails to report by 12:30pm, I will definitely refer the matter to Privileges Committee for contempt.”
“I am not subject to directive of the president but on all the occasions the president sent for me, I reached there before the time but I am not an appointee and I don’t take directive from him, so I am not going to entertain such disrespect from any minister and am saying this for good reason and the majority leader is aware of it,” he stated.
The Speaker advised MPs not to allow their constituents to think that they are a dysfunctional democracy and to try and do what is right and good for their people.
Story by Nana Kwaku Boffah.
