NDC Splits …At Cash-For-Seat Committee

Sources close to the five-member Adhoc Committee investigating the alleged cash for seat allegation indicates that one of the two National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament on the Committee is set to present a separate report to the plenary apart from the Committee’s consensus report on grounds of disagreements.

Dr. Dominic Ayeni of the NDC is said not to be in agreement with the manner the New Patriotic Party (NPP) members on the Committee are handling findings gathered in the report compiled from the evidences gathered from witnesses.

The former Deputy Attorney General is reported to be compiling his own version of the report which in his estimation will be a true reflection of the work of the Committee.

Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu further corroborated the claims in an interview with journalists in Parliament House yesterday.

According to him Dr. Ayeni’s posture has delayed the presentation of the committee’s report.

“The Committee was supposed to conclude their work yesterday (Wednesday, January 31, 2018) and you know they’ve cocooned themselves in a hotel and they are working on it. Yesterday, they had programmed to meet at 3pm to conclude everything in order for them to submit their report today.

“Three of them went to wait and one of them was absent – the Hon. Dr. Dominic Ayeni. Unfortunately, they called him and he said he will be there at 5pm but he couldn’t go and said to them that they should give him two hours more. 7pm they called him and his phones were off. For whatever reason, it was not until 12midnight that he sent a word to them to respond to their earlier call and it is clearly – even the uninitiated will know that there is something happening.

“So, this morning at the Business Committee meeting at 9:30am, my colleague the Minority Leader came to inform me that the Hon. Dr. Dominic Ayeni says that he wants to write a Minority report. That cannot delay – if you want to write the Minority report why don’t you tell your colleagues and you went to tell the Minority Leader. He said he has something to discuss with the report”, he disclosed.

Parliament set up the Kwesi Ameyaw Kyeremeh chaired five man Committee on Friday, January 5, 2018, following a motion filed by the Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Mubarak-Muntaka and seconded by North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

The five members of by partisan committee includes three from the Majority NPP Caucus and two from the Minority NDC Caucus.

They include Kwesi Ameyaw Cheremeh (Chairman), Yaw Buabeng Asamoah (Member and Spokesperson) and Dr. Mark Assibey Yeboah from the NPP and James Klutse Avedzi and Dr. Dominic Ayeni from the NDC.

The was originally expected to present its report on January 24, 2018 but pleaded for one-week extension of time to enable them engage with expatriate businesses that requested for an in-camera meeting.

January 31, 2018 was agreed for the report to be presented.

The report was advertised to be laid on the floor on Wednesday, January, 31 and Thursday, February 1, 2018 but the Committee failed to deliver.

The Majority Leader on Thursday craved the indulgence of the Speaker to step down the laying of the report to enable the Committee round up their report.

The Committee is again expected to lay its report on Friday, February 2, 2018 and allow the debate or deliberations on the report to take place on Tuesday, February 6, 2018.

By: Christian Kpesese/ thePublisher