Speaker of Parliament Prof. Mike Oquaye has given Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful 48 hours to show up in the House to respond to questions on the controversial KelniGVG contract.

This comes after she failed to appear on three different occasions.

Ningo Prampram MP Samuel George had posed some questions to the Minister on the $89 million deal meant to monitor revenue of mobilisation from the mobile telecommunication companies.

His inquiry was about the status of the incremental revenue accrued by the state since its engagement with the company.

On Wednesday, when the time for her to answer the question was due, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu told the House he cannot locate the Minister.

“I have been trying to locate the Minister. Unfortunately, I have not been able to touch base with her.

“She could come, and where she comes, we may vary the order of business and allow the Minister to come and respond to the questions,” he said.

Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak complained that the minister’s non-appearance is untenable. He expressed worry over the development adding that “even the answers have not been provided.”

“I don’t want to impugn the wrong motive to say it is deliberate and the minister is avoiding to answer these questions. We have a responsibility as a house to get ministers to be accountable.

“Mr Speaker, this is the third time… Mr Speaker, I hope you give the right directive so that the minster will come and answer these questions necessarily without further delay.”

Speaker Prof Mike Ocquaye revealed that the Communication Minister had sent in a letter on August 3 to be absent from the House.

He was quick to note that, despite the permissions sought, she had not provided answers for questions expected to be posed.

He, however, directed that the minister avails herself on Friday, August 7, without fail.

“To cut a long story short, I direct that the minister must answer all the relevant questions and make herself available on Friday,” he said.