Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, Hon Alexander Afenyo-Markin has given some reasons he thinks had effect on the actions of the speaker during the sitting on the 2022 budget on 26 November which saw the Majority walked out of the house.
The majority explained their reasons for boycotting the sitting saying Rt Hon Alban Bagbin was strongly against the government's proposed expenditure which includes the E-levy. They also claimed that he felt the expenditure was bias towards the Minority MPs .
They also accused the speaker of conniving with his party to reject the 2022 budget in the absence of the majority.
Later that fateful Friday, the speaker admitted that Ghanaians reactions on social media were not pleasant; adding that he was ready to put his integrity on the line to make the House accountable to the citizens.
However, the Deputy Majority Leader, Afenyo-Markin is of the view that the decision of the speaker was more impacted by the reactions on social than he revealed.
Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile the lawmaker said earlier that afternoon the leadership met the speaker to devise best way to settle the impasse in the house over the budget.
Afenyo-Markin said while discussing the issue, Mr. Alban Bagbin spoke indirectly about condemnatory comments by Kelvin Taylor which were directed at him.
“In the process, the Speaker said that there is a video where Kevin Taylor is insulting him that he was supporting the government to pass the budget, and his own people were insulting him,” he said on Saturday.
On the back of this, the Speaker “suddenly gave up on the engagement that he was going to robe and get into the chamber,” he further stated
The Deputy Majority Leader continued to say that "Mr Speaker knows the truth. He said his people were insulting him. They’ve reported him to Kevin Taylor. And there is a video [in which] he [Kevin Taylor] is insulting him. These were his words.”
Meanwhile NDC Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram ,Hon Sam George who was on the show rubbished the claim qualifying it as "completely incorrect and unfortunate.”
“How is that a man who adjourned [the House] for 30 minutes and gave them [NPP MPs] three hours – two and half hours more, came back into the chamber because of Kevin Taylor,”
He further asked Afenyo-Markin to render apology to the speaker for making such a comment about him.
The controversial budget was approved the following proceeding in the absence of the Speaker who has traveled outside the country for medical check up.
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon Joseph Osei Owusu acted as a Speaker and annulled the decision by Alban Bagbin.
The decision for the approval was also taken in the absence of the Minority who also walked out of the house out of anger
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