Asuogyaman MP defends call for Parliament to reduce sitting days over fuel price hikes

The Member of Parliament for the Asuogyaman constituency, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, says he was surprised when his proposal for Parliament to reduce its sitting days because of the recent economic crisis was rejected by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.

The legislator, in the wake of fuel price hikes on Friday, November 4, 2022, proposed parliamentary sitting days be reduced to two days a week, instead of four days sittings a week.

But the Majority Leader described his proposal as an “apocalyptic declaration”.

Responding to the Majority Leader’s comment on Eyewitness News, the legislator wondered the leader of parliamentary business would kick against such a move when it was glaring that MPs have also been hit hard by recent fuel price hikes.

“In fact, I was surprised about the Majority Leader’s response that we needed to be productive in such a difficult time, and I wondered what his understanding of productivity is. Is his understanding of productivity the fact that we come and sit idle? No, I don’t think so,” he added.

He suggested to the leadership of the House to consolidate their work by sitting for longer hours instead of a few hours sitting, in order to help them save some money.

“Since we came back from recess, l have observed that there’s not much for us to be doing, and over the days when we go to Parliament, we sit from let’s say 10:30 am, 11:00 am, by 1:0pm, we have adjourned to the next day. I think three days ago, we sat for barely an hour. So my argument when the Leader presented the business statement for next week, scheduled from Tuesday to Friday, I don’t think it’s much for us to be burning fuel and come to Parliament just to sit for a few hours and go back. So if it’s possible for them to consolidate the work, so that we sit for longer hours. And exhaust two days work so that we don’t come the next day, because of the current fuel prices… We need to save on the amount of money spent on fuel,” he explained.

The MP observed that majority of Ghanaians are hugely affected by the fuel hikes, complaining that he was compelled to purchase about GH¢3,000 fuel to fill his car tank.

“I was shocked when l was given a bill of GH¢3,000, I was almost embarrassed because I didn’t have much money on me. If a Member of Parliament is complaining, how much more the teacher, nurse, or civil servant? This shows that the ordinary Ghanaian is even suffering more,” he bemoaned.