The Minority in the Ghanaian Parliament has abruptly announced that it will once more oppose the ratification of the 2024 budget. Speaker of the House Alban Bagbin’s voice vote in support of the majority on the budget statement and economic policy given by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta ignited the issue during the ratification process.
Discontent with the voice vote, the Minority insisted on a headcount, prompting the Majority caucus to stage a walkout during the approval process. Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, addressed journalists, stating that the 2024 budget’s approval remains in limbo and will face another defeat today.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, however, maintains that the budget was successfully passed, citing the Speaker’s declaration of the voice vote. Despite the Minority’s position that the budget has not been approved, Ofori-Atta expressed confidence in the validity of the vote.
“At the end of the day, the Speaker put it to vote twice, and he declared that the ‘ayes’ have it. That means the budget, in my view, has been passed. Later, there was a challenge, which has not been resolved. So far as I know and believe, we have the 2024 budget passed until such time that they resolve whatever they want to resolve,” he said.
The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, expressed frustration over the Speaker’s actions, accusing him of a sudden U-turn. He emphasized the need for proper resolution, pointing out that the Speaker initially declared the ‘ayes’ had it.
“You were all there; you heard the Speaker loud and clear. Why should a Speaker beat such a hasty retreat from what he has said? In this case, he said the ‘ayes’ have it. Then you have the Speaker making a sudden U-turn that he didn’t add that the ‘ayes’ have it. He just expressed an opinion. And that’s most unfortunate. So, we think that the proper thing should be done.”
The controversy escalated as the Speaker’s decision for a headcount was met with delays, leading to accusations from the Majority that it was an attempt to buy time for absent Minority MPs to return to the chamber.
MP for Tolon, Habib Iddrisu, defended the approval, stating that the budget and economic statement had indeed been approved. He highlighted disagreements in the chamber, leading to the removal of NPP MPs during the crucial moment of the Speaker mentioning MPs’ names.