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Minority describes approval of 2022 Budget as a nullity
The Minority in Parliament has described as a nullity the approval of the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government by the House on Tuesday, November 30.
On November 26, 2021, 137 Members on the Minority side voted to reject the Budget, during which the Majority side staged a walkout.
Tuesday’s reinstatement and approval of the Budget was carried out by the 137 Majority MPs as the First Deputy Speaker, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, MP of Bekwai presided.
However, the Minority was absent from the Chamber of the House.
Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader, speaking at a press conference after the Majority’s approval, said he was unhappy with the decision of the First Deputy Speaker, who sat in as the Speaker to include himself and to exercise a vote in order to meet their mandatory defined 138 majority votes without recourse to the Standing Orders of Parliament and to the 1992 Constitution.
“Standing Order 109:2 reads that Mr Speaker has neither an original nor a casting vote and if upon any question before the House, the votes are equally divided, the motion shall be lost,” he said.
He said the Constitution says “A Deputy Speaker or any other Member, presiding, shall not retain his original vote while presiding”.
“So, constitutionally they were also 137, so Ghanaians should also expect that what they had done is also a nullity to quote them if we are to respect the provisions of the Constitution.”
The, First Deputy Speaker, however, explained later that he counted himself for the records and not to cast a vote.
On why the Minority did not participate in Tuesday’s sitting, Mr Iddrisu said the Majority Side did consult them prior to the sitting and that they were to approve the Budget subject to concessions granted by the Minister of Finance.
However, there were no concessions in the Budget; he said, adding; “and, therefore, what are they approving?”
Mr Iddrisu said the Minority’s views were that the Budget should be revised to reflect those concessions before it would be approved by Parliament.
The Minority was against the introduction of the Electronic levy (E-levy) and the re-introduction of the Agyapa Deal in the 022 Budget and wanted a downward revision of the E0-levy to one per cent for the good of the Ghanaian people.
The Minority Leader said they were determined to support the Government in its efforts to redeem the economy. -GNA
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana Tourism Authority is leading Ghana’s participation at ITB Berlin, which opened in Berlin with a vibrant national pavilion highlighting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, tourism destinations and investment opportunities.
March 5 has been designated as Ghana Day, a special platform to promote Ghana’s languages, cuisine, Kente, festivals and business prospects to the global tourism community. The stand has already drawn strong interest with traditional arts and crafts displays, immersive multimedia presentations and popular Ghanaian snacks.
Seven private-sector players are exhibiting alongside government officials as part of efforts to deepen trade partnerships, expand market access, and attract investment across the hospitality, heritage tourism, ecotourism, and creative arts sectors.
Ahead of the official opening, the Ghana delegation also engaged young Ghanaian investors in Germany in collaboration with V Afrika-Verein and the Ghana Embassy, strengthening diaspora investment linkages and highlighting opportunities within the tourism value chain.
Ghana’s coordinated presence at ITB Berlin 2026 reinforces its strategy to position the country as the Gateway to Africa and a competitive destination for leisure travel and global investment.
