The Leader of the New Patriotic Party in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo Markin, has announced that the NPP caucus will continue to recall Parliament to sit and deliberate on urgent government business. This he says is part of efforts to compel the Speaker to follow due process.
Speaking to the media after the Speaker Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin adjourned Parliament indefinitely for the second time, Afenyo Markin expressed his dissatisfaction with the sequence of events that led to the adjournment.
According to him, the absence the absence of the NPP caucus was not due to negligence or irresponsibility but rather a procedural dispute. He explained that the Clerk of Parliament had failed to print the necessary documentation, specifically the agreed-upon Order Paper, which outlines the issues and agenda items for discussion in Parliament.
Meanwhile, Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has indefinitely adjourned the House after the Majority caucus failed to attend a session they themselves had called, leaving lawmakers without business to deliberate on.
This follows the Business Committee’s inability to meet and set an agenda, effectively stalling proceedings.
The recall session, requested by the Majority, had been anticipated to tackle critical issues. However, with their absence, Speaker Bagbin expressed frustration, noting that no agenda had been prepared and the Chamber lacked the necessary input from the Business Committee.
Addressing the House, Bagbin stated, “The matters for consideration, which I admitted from the Business Committee, are missing from the Order Paper. In fact, there is no Order Paper today because the Business Committee could not meet due to the absence of those who requested the recall.”
Pointing to the empty seats on one side of the Chamber, he remarked, “Although we have a quorum, there’s no business to transact. Without a prepared agenda, there is no other authority that can introduce business we haven’t adopted.”
With no committee input and no business at hand, Bagbin announced, “Due to the failure of the Business Committee to convene, I am left with no choice but to adjourn the sitting indefinitely. Given the challenges we face, day-to-day adjournments are not advisable, so the House will remain adjourned until further notice.”
This indefinite adjournment adds to the recent tensions between the Majority and Minority caucuses, further disrupting parliamentary business. With no clear timeline for reconvening, the legislative agenda for this session remains uncertain.
