The Member of Parliament for Okaikoi Central, Patrick Yaw Boamah has said that his colleague Sarah Adwoa Safo was present in Parliament on Tuesday when the House approved the 2022 budget.

According to Mr. Boamah, the Dome Kwabenya MP attended a Majority caucus meeting and interacted with some legislators present.

He made this known in an interview on Joy FM‘s Super Morning Show in response to the allegation that the Gender Minister was impersonated by an unknown lady during the approval of the budget on Tuesday by the Majority-only House.

“My goodness. Adwoa was in the House. We even had a caucus meeting and she was there. Everybody had a chance to talk to her,” he told hosts Kojo Yankson and Winston Amoah on Wednesday.

In an earlier submission on the show today, the North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa revealed that the Minority is investigating a case of impersonation of Dome Kwabenya MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo.

This, he noted is because the Minority suspects the lady who was present in the House during the vote to rescind Parliament’s earlier decision on the 2022 budget is not the Dome Kwabenya MP.

“Following pictures and videos we are reviewing this morning it is becoming quite apparent to us that there may be a case of impersonation with regards to the lady who was presented as Adwoa Safo. It’s beginning to appear that she may not be Adwoa Safo,” he said.

This allegation according to Mr Patrick Boamah, comes as a surprise to him and believes this is an attempt to shift matters.

“I am surprised. They shouldn’t be shifting the goal post,” he stated.

The Okaikoi Central MP, therefore, admonished the Minority side to collaborate with Majority Group to finalise processes regarding the budget in the interest of the general public.

“They should come let us do business for the good people of this country. If you have an amendment to the E-levy, come let’s debate it. That is how we want to progress as a House and we should forget about what has happened and work for the good people of Ghana, and ensure that whatever they have asked us to do, we do it in accordance with the wishes of the people.

We are a listening Parliament,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mr. Boamah has indicated that he will file an amendment to Parliament to address some challenges with government’s electronic levy, whose rate has been reduced to 1.5 per cent from 1.75 per cent according to Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

Majority approves 2022 budget

Parliament on Tuesday, November 30, approved the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of government presented by Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta on November 17.

The budget was approved in the absence of MPs from the Minority, who declined to participate in the business of the day.

In their absence, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta re-submitted a revised version of the 2022 Budget, which was unanimously approved by the Majority MPs including the Speaker.

The Majority side had accused Mr Bagbin of acting in breach of the 1992 Constitution after he said that 137 MPs had taken a decision to reject the budget last Friday.

Minority objects approval

According to the Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, the decision by their Majority counterparts to approve the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy in their absence is unconstitutional.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu stressed that the purported approval of the 2022 Budget by the Majority is a slap in the face of the law; basing his assertions on Article 104 (3) of the Constitution, and standing order 109 of Parliament.

According to him, the combined effect of the two provisions, read in a purposive manner, points to a manifest illegality on the part of the Majority, as they did not have the required numbers to approve the Budget.

“Therefore if they claim that they respect the Constitution, they must respect the fact that today’s decision is a constitutional nullity because the Deputy Speaker has no original or casting vote. Nothing more. And therefore, they were at best, 137”, Haruna Iddrisu explained.