Business Committee in disarray over Fortiz

The disagreement between the Majority and Minority Members of Parliament, last Monday, over the motion filed by the Deputy Minority Leader, Mr Dominic Nitiwul, (NPP, Bimbilla), calling for investigations into the Merchant Bank and Fortiz deal, did not begin on the floor of the House.

Hours before sitting began, a conflict arose between MPs from both sides who were members of the Business Committee over what should constitute the business of the day.

Wearing “political spectacles,” both parties argued on issues such as the authority of the Business Committee to schedule the motion as business for consideration by the House, requirement of notice of motion and non-requirement of notice of motion.

As a result, the committee was unable to reach a consensus in relation to the issues.

Authority of the Business Committee to schedule the motion as business for consideration by the House

Some members of the committee held the view that since the power of admissibility or otherwise of motions for consideration by the House was vested in the Speaker and him alone, and considering the fact that the House had been recalled pursuant to Article 112 (3) of the constitution and Standing Order 38(1), apparently for consideration of the motion, the role of the Business Committee in determining the motion as business for consideration of the House at the recall was redundant.

In the view of some members, however, it did not appear that the Speaker, Mr Doe Adjaho, in summoning Parliament, just complied with the constitutional provision; thus leaving all matters relating to scheduling of business (the motion) for the sitting to the discretion of the Business Committee.

Requirement of notice of motion

Some other members also maintained that per Standing Order 78 and 80 of the House, the motion in question did not fall into the categories of motions exempted from the requirement of notice.

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They further maintained that the motion, even if scheduled by the Business Committee for consideration of the House, could not be taken by the House at the sitting on Monday, primarily, by reason of the requirement of notice.

Non-requirement of notice

There were some other members who also contended that the admission of the motion by the Speaker and the consequent summoning of Parliament pursuant to Article 112 (3) of the constitution and Standing Order 38(1), necessarily, raise a presumption of urgency of the motion and that the requirement of notice was by implication dispensed with.