Speaker set up a kangaroo ad-hoc censure motion committee – Muntaka

The Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, has described the ad-hoc committee set up to investigate the censure motion against the Finance Minister as a kangaroo committee.

According to him, the committee was unnecessary and the Speaker had acted beyond his authority to unilaterally create, and refer the motion to the ad hoc committee.

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, had referred the motion of censure to an eight-member ad hoc committee to hear the claims being made by the Minority against Ken Ofori-Atta and to give the Finance minister ample opportunity to defend himself with the help of a counsel.

The committee was to provide a report of their proceedings in 7 working days.

Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express, Muntaka Mubarak explained that the Standing Orders of Parliament does not create space for the Speaker to create an ad-hoc committee when the suggestion has not been put forward by a member of the House.

“That committee was not necessary, our Standing Orders are very very clear and I encourage you to read 106 of our Standing Orders. It is a member who would say that maybe where we have reached in the debate, can we set up a committee to look at the details and report, not for a Speaker to unilaterally refer the thing to a committee and set up a committee to do that. It is not, it is a member,” he said.

He is convinced that the only reason someone from the Majority side had not moved the motion for the setting up of a committee was simply because they had been outnumbered by the Minority.

“As at the time when the decision was taken, we were 135 and they were 77. So if any member on their side had moved for such a committee to be set up, it would have been defeated because it would have been a decision of the House where we’ll vote.

“And probably, my view, it was the reason that kind of kangaroo method was used. And I continue to call it Kangaroo because in Order 6 where the Standing Order is not explicitly clear then Speaker’s discretion can set in.

“But where it is clear, Speaker has no discretion. Speaker has no authority to do any other thing contrary to what is stated in the Standing Orders and I’ll continue to maintain that,” he said.