Minority shoots down loan approval over Supreme Court ruling

Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, has scuttled the approval of over 38 Million Euros loan agreement between Ghana and Deutsche bank of Frankfurt for construction of 40-bed District Hospitals in three constituencies.

The loan facility was to see the construction of 40-bed hospitals in Ayensuano, Effiduase, and Offinso as well as the completion and equipping of Old Tafo maternity and Kumasi South maternity blocks.

The Tamale South MP, however, cited the Supreme Court judgment on the difference between quorum for commencement of business and quorum for decision making.

The move is to arrest a motion moved by Deputy Finance Minister, John Kumah for rescission of a loan facility with the Czech Republic approved in November 2020 for the same projects.

The move was to make way for approval of a new loan agreement for the projects.

Haruna Iddrisu, however, argued the house did not have the required numbers for a decision to be taken based on interpretation of articles 102 and 104 by the Supreme Court which gave deputy speakers voting rights.

The development led to the shelving of both the motion and the new loan facility.

“Mr. Speaker, we are all in this country, the Supreme Court has ruled and provided a dichotomy between a debating quorum or a decision quorum and voting quorum in pursuant to Article 102 and 104 of the Constitution.

“Looking at the composition of this Parliament, Mr. Speaker I’m not sure we will be in Contempt of the Supreme Court if we proceed to put a question when we do not have a voting quorum. As it required in Article 104 and the ruling of the Judges of the Supreme Court, we are no longer masters of our procedures by that ruling,” he added.

The Minority Leader explained that “Therefore, you may not proceed with the question. This is not a voting quorum. We don’t have a voting quorum and therefore, Mr. Speaker, Article 110 was to serve our purpose that we were masters of our procedures that have been called to question. We are no longer masters of it, no decision of the house without more than one half of this house.”