Minority MPs Threaten To Boycott State Of The Nation Address

The Minority MPs in Parliament have warned that they may boycott this year’s State Of the Nation Address (SONA) by President Akufo-Addo, which is scheduled for February 20.

The boycott would be in protest of what they say is the government’s deliberate refusal to disburse their share of the MPs Common Fund to them.

Sampson Ahi, NDC MP for Bodi, confirmed what had initially started as a rumour, after the Minority in Parliament had tabled the issue at a Caucus meeting and resolved to give the government up to Friday to release the funds or vote with their feet at this year’s SONA.

He observes that despite a provision for Parliamentarians to receive some five per cent of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund, the government has failed to release the funds.

Consequently both Majority and Minority MPs have not received their share of the Common Fund but Hon. Ahi observes that the refusal is deliberate collateral damage that the government is orchestrating knowing that it is the Minority MPs who bear the brunt constituents’ anger over lack of development.

“When you are in the Majority and the monies are released to the Assemblies, you are seen to be working because the MPs have some influence over how they are disbursed,” he told journalists this morning.

Sampson Ahi pointed out that Majority MPs do not have to work as hard as the Minority MPs because the achievements that the government of the day tout, naturally rubs on them.

“Close to two months ago, they released the monies to the District Assemblies [but] we don’t know when they are going to release the MPs share.”

The outstanding funds, he said, are for the last quarter of 2019 which ended in September, stressing the time for the monies’ release is overdue.