E-levy voting: Minority kept changing order of proceedings - Bagbin explains absence

• The speaker of parliament has responded to some allegations being leveled against him over the happening in the house
• According to Alban Bagbin, his absence during the voting on the e-levy bill was solely the fault of the majority in parliament
• Bagbin said he was ready to preside but the minority kept of changing the order of proceedings

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has given reasons why he could not be present in the house to preside over the voting on the controversial e-levy bill on Tuesday, December 21, 2021.

According to Bagbin, he was ever ready to preside of the second part of Monday's sitting but the majority kept on changing the order of proceedings.

His comments come after, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader, said the absence of Bagbin throughout the first part of the sitting was part of a grand plan by the minority to frustrate the approval of the bill.

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Bagbin rejected the claims made by the Afenyo-Markin saying he was in the chair to the point he felt he needed to go and rest, as they were delaying the business of the day.

“... when I was leaving I passed through my usher to give to them that it was after 10 in the night, and I had to go and take a rest because you delayed in a sitting. I had to compel the house to sit after 2:00 pm, and I presided, I said let us discuss E-levy, you said no, rather the other business,” he said.

2022 budget was rejected by speaker over unmet demands- majority leader

Meanwhile, the majority leader and the minister for parliamentary affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has revealed the real reason why the 2022 Agyenkwa budget statement has not been approved.

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In explaining himself, he blamed the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, for the recent happenings in the house.

According to the Suame legislator, the Speaker warned the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, that the budget will be thrown out if he did not allocate 2% of the country’s total revenue to Parliament.

First deputy speaker stood up to use the washroom; not to vote O

Explaining what happened on the floor of parliament, Kyei Mensah-Bonsu stated what exactly happened on the floor of parliament that led to a fight on Monday, December 20, 2021.

According to him, the first deputy speaker, Joe Osei Owusu was not feeling too well on Monday and stood up to go take his medications and use the washroom.

Kyei Mensah-Bonsu said, when the acting speaker stood up, the minority misinterpreted it and thought he was going to vote as the Bekwai MP to pass the e-levy bill.

Source: YEN.com.gh