Member of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Benjamin Kpodo, is questioning the rationale behind reassigning Obuasi West MP Kwaku Kwarteng from Chairman of the Finance Committee to Chair of the Economic Committee.

The Majority Leader made the announcement on the floor of Parliament on Friday, June 28, to the disappointment of some Majority MPs.

This was the only change Afenyo-Markin announced. It is expected that other changes will be made public in the subsequent days.

However, sources say the removal was because the Obuasi MP was allegedly frustrating government business, and the reassignment was intended as a form of punishment.

But Afenyo-Markin argued that this shake-up was a promotion.

Touching on the matter on Joy FM’s Top Story, Mr Kpodo argued that there is nothing in the new standing orders about the hierarchy of the committees.

He asserted that this move was probably to gauge the reaction of Majority MPs before making subsequent announcements.

“It can not be an elevation because nothing has been brought before the committee on economy is higher than the committee on finance. there is no hierarchy statement whether finance committee is higher than economy or budget. There wasn’t any statement to that effect so I don’t know who are saying that there is a promotion or a demotion,” he said.

• Read also: Majority shakes up leadership in parliament, reassigns Kwaku Kwarteng to speak on economy

Also, Mr Kpodo, who doubles as the Ho Central MP, said that if the party really wanted to punish Mr Kwarteng, it should have considered assigning him to another committee that does not relate to finances, budget, or the economy.

“What at all has Kwasi Kwarteng done. They should remove him and put him in a committee that does not do anything. If they want to punish him, they should remove him  from anything like economy, finance or budget and throw him to a committee that does nothing.

“They cannot be saying that they are putting him on the Economic committee and removing him from the Finance committee. What is the difference,” he questioned.

The legislator said that during Finance Committee meetings, Mr Kwarteng does not conduct himself in a manner that seeks to frustrate government business.