Audio By Carbonatix
Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has accused the Minority in Parliament of prioritising publicity over accountability, saying their recent actions show they are "only interested in the media optics" rather than obtaining answers from government officials.
Addressing journalists in Parliament, the Majority said the Minority's questioning of the decision to hear the BoG Governor behind closed doors suggested it was more interested in attracting media attention than in obtaining answers in Parliament.
"But clearly, what the Minority has done is to show that they are not interested in the question and the answers to the question. They are interested in the media optics," he said.
The Majority Leader also referred to disagreements over media access to parliamentary proceedings involving the Governor of the Bank of Ghana.
According to him, the Minority had insisted that the Governor should only answer questions if journalists were present, an approach he said was inconsistent with how Parliament engages other independent constitutional office holders.
"Saying that the Governor has come, ask him your questions. You say no, unless the journalists are standing there, you will not ask him your questions. But we don't do that for all the other independent constitutional institutions," he said.
"But why must it be the governor that we might be subjecting to that at all times?"
Mr Ayariga explained that when he previously supported media coverage of such proceedings, it was done through agreement and the approval of Parliament.
"I did it because I had the numbers, so I could convince the Committee of the Whole at that time to have the journalists in and cover the proceedings," he said.
He said that any decision to allow cameras into parliamentary proceedings should be reached through consultation rather than unilateral demands.
"If you want to do that, you have to approach us, you have to work with us, and we will all agree that this is how we are going to do it," he stated.
Mr Ayariga further criticised the Minority's response to the Deputy Speaker's ruling during the SIM card registration debate, accusing its members of showing disrespect to the Chair before staging a walkout.
"You were here this morning, you asked the minister a question, the minister answered, then you want to ask supplementary questions, the Speaker rules against you, you show gross disregard for the Speaker, and then you walk out," he said.
He warned that such conduct would only lead to stronger resistance from the Majority.
"When you have that attitude, even on simple matters, we too will grandstand. You act, and people also react," he said.
Mr Ayariga maintained that parliamentary business must be guided by established rules rather than the wishes of any individual or political group.
"When you adopt that kind of attitude... creating the impression that whatever he wants, that's what will happen, I will also show that it is the rules that will govern proceedings and not what you want. So that is what has happened," he said.
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