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The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has explained why members on the Parliamentary Service Board (PSB) flew to Dubai, in what several reports said, to have a meeting at his convenience.
Online news portal, MyNewsgh.com, reported that eight Parliamentary Service Board members went to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to engage the Speaker to decide on some critical decisions concerning parliament as the year comes to a close.
But responding to the reports that have gone rife in a statement, Alban Bagbin indicated that although the PSB members were in Dubai, it was only to participate in an international workshop organized by Crown Agents in Dubai.
“There has not been any meeting of the PSB in Dubai held at the instance and convenience of the Speaker of Parliament. The PSB participated in an international workshop and team building exercise by the Crown Agents in Dubai.
“It is worth noting that arrangement for the workshop predated the Speaker of Parliament‘s medical trip to Dubai. It was initially planned for April 2021 and was finally held in September 2021. It had to be postponed a couple of times due to time constraints and availability of members of the PSB. Consequently, the workshop and the Speaker’s medical trip had nothing in common,” parts of the statement read.
Alban Bagbin has consequently entreated the public to disregard the false reportage which are calculated to tarnish his image and that of the PSB.
“We entreat all well-meaning Ghanaians to disregard this misleading publication, which only seeks to traduce the Rt.Hon. Speaker’s character by negatively projecting him and the Parliamentary Service Board,” the statement concluded.
The reported trip to meet the Speaker in Dubai by the PBS triggered widespread condemnation from a cross section of the public.
Reacting to the media reports on his social media timeline, North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, questioned the basis that necessitated the travel when they could have alternatively explored virtual means to engage.
He indicated that the development does not augur well for the image of parliament, especially when the legislative arm of government had been clothed with powers to exercise financial oversight over government spending.
“We know the Rt. Hon. Speaker. Alban Bagbin and the Majority Group Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, were both at some point in Dubai receiving medical attention, however, the fundamental question is: if the meeting couldn’t wait for their return perhaps because urgent matters had to be discussed, couldn’t this board meeting have been organized virtually so other members of the board participate from Ghana?” the North Tongu legislator wondered.
“It would be most disconcerting if it emerges that truly there was no virtual component to this board meeting. We must admit that as the arm of government responsible for financial oversight, especially, over the executive, this doesn’t look great if confirmed, more so, when Parliament has been trying with much difficulty in recent times to rein in an unhinged profligate executive,” he continued.
He thus entreated the parliamentary service board to come clear on what transpired.
“Probably, there’s a superior explanation to address the legitimate anxiety being expressed by many Ghanaians. If there is, we can only urge the Parliamentary Service to put out a statement clarifying matters, since for now, the optics do not do the image of Parliament any good,” he added.
The Speaker, Alban Bagbin recently returned to Ghana on Tuesday December 14, 2021 after leaving the shores of the country on Saturday, November 27, 2021 to undergo a medical review in Dubai.
The parliamentary service board which is said to be chaired by the Speaker, has the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Leader of Government Business, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu; the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu; former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament and former Majority Leader, Abraham Osei Aidoo, Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, as well as the Clerk to Parliament, Cyril Nsiah, as members.
Below is the full statement from the office of the Speaker
