- As Akufo-Addo & Gabby Use him to whitewash controversial 2022 Budget
The Minority in Parliament, has challenged claims by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, that the rejection of the E-Levy, amounts to frustrating government policy, insisting that a rejection of the E-Levy, does not amount to frustrating government.
The Asantehene on Sunday at his gala night in Kumasi, urged MPs not to dictate to the government, but rather allow the electorate to pass judgment at the polls.
Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament (MP) for Asaawase; Muntaka Mubarak and the MP for the North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, have defended minority MPs’ resolve to subject government business, especially the 2022 budget statement to thorough scrutiny before lending its support to it.
Meanwhile, both President Akufo-Addo and his cousin, Gabby Otchere-Darko, appear excited by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s statement on Sunday at his gala night in Kumasi and have since taken to social media quoting him to drum home what the Asantehene said.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Kumasi event had stated that “We elect people to represent us to make sure there is some equilibrium in what governments do. It is to our good that our representatives in Parliament subject the national budget to the most rigorous scrutiny and to call for changes.
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“Government must also have the humility to acknowledge and embrace the useful inputs from all sources, but our representatives need to bear in mind that it is not their role to either determine policy or to frustrate the executive from performing their legitimate duties,” Otumfuo said.
But taking to social media, the North Tongu legislator, indicated that some members of the NPP, including the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, and Majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, will look back into time and be proud of how they “frustrated a number of matters they felt strongly about, including boycotting President Mahama’s message on the state of the nation and boycotting the vetting of his ministers on the instruction of party leaders as they pursued their legal challenge of the 2012 election outcome.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, thus maintained that minority MPs, should not be seen as serving as an impediment to government business in the House.
“Parliament exists in a democracy as a countervailing force to keep the executive in check and curb impunity. When other MPs exercised their oversight mandate in the past, they were hailed as nationalists; those who do same now must not be cast in a different light. Good conscience, genuine feedback from our constituents and the supreme national interest shall continue to be our raison d’etre,” he said.
Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S Okudzeto Ablak) December 13, 2021, The Minority MPs are on an uncompromising position with government on the announced electronic transaction levy otherwise known as e-levy in the 2022 budget statement and economic policy. The levy is expected to have a 1.75% charge slapped on all transactions on digital platforms including mobile money.
Minority chief whip, Muntaka Mubarak, argued the move by the NDC MPs is rather to safeguard the interest of the public.
“All over the world, oversight is done by the minority and we are just doing our work. We don’t intend to frustrate government, we don’t to obstruct government business, we will not stand in the way of government trying to do what is right.
“We cannot just leave our role in the House and wait for the next election. It is the reason a budget is brought here, it is the reason four state of the nation addresses are read within the four-year tenure.
“We can assure his majesty and all the pastors and imams that as Minority we are not here to obstruct government business. Encourage government to do what is right,” he said.
Muntaka, also revealed ministers are unable to account fully for their 2021 allocations.
One Chris Gyamfi Boateng, has also angrily written on Asantehene’s statement, saying “We are not in the Native Authority era wai ………”
He wrote “the Heck of It:- I’m happy to be uncultured if denouncing Asantehene’s tacitly coercing NDC MPs to approve Akuffo Addo’s devilish budget makes me so.
We live in a democratic and constitutional Ghana, not under a delusional individual thinking he is an Emperor and therefore what he says is final. We are not in the Native Authority era wai.
You have the right to kiss his balls, but that should not be my headache.
They write a script for you to read and you do so without thinking about the ordinary Ghanaian who will suffer the consequences of it.
Where was Asantehene’s voice when innocent Ghanaians were murdered in cold blood to enable Akuffo Addo hang on to power?
I swear to God; woe betides any NDC MP who acquiesces to this budget.
Mr. Otchere-Darko, who together with Nana Bedietuo Asante, were was once berated by Asantehene for attempting to soil his reputation, and had to go begging appears to have found a new love for him quoting all over social media.
One of the quotes read “Whether you are navigating through the labyrinths of international diplomacy or confronting the intractable issues of domestic politics, from the United States to Germany, from Israel to Japan, through all the land proclaiming their faith in democracy, the name of the game is Compromise.
“It makes sense. History and perhaps science too should tell us that when an irresistible force meets an immovable object, the inevitable outcome is chaos.
“When the art of governance becomes overly rigid and inflexible, it invites the search for an irresistible force and an unorthodox path to resistance. Or if you like, when you tempt fate too often you risk the danger of fate descending with unintended consequences.” Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, 12:12:21.
Mr. Otchere-Darko, who was at the gala night in Kumasi over the weekend, again quoted Otumfuo Osei Tutu II that “We elect people to represent us to make sure there is some equilibrium in what governments do. It is to our good that our representatives in Parliament subject the national budget to the most vigorous scrutiny and to call for changes. Governments must always have the humility to acknowledge and embrace useful inputs from all sources. But our representatives need also to bear in mind that it is not their role to either determine policy for the executive or to frustrate them from performing their legitimate duties.” Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, 12:12:21
Thirdly, Mr. Otchere-Darko quoted Otumfuo Osei Tutu II “We have been brought up on the notion that democracy simply means the minority have their say but the majority have their way. That may very well be, but in the cold world of real politic, it cannot be without caveats. As national and international problems become more complex, nations are finding that the smart and prudent way is to seek the convergence of different points of view. Thus across many jurisdictions today, one word has come to symbolise the lifeblood and the soul of democracy. It is called COMPROMISE.” 12/12/21
Nana Akufo-Addo, also quoted Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s statement “I do not know of any form of taxes that is less painful than others. So at last, government, by all means, would have to raise taxes to meet our needs and if we are good citizens, we will pay our taxes.”
