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NO BRIGHT FUTURE WITH DIM MPS!
Kofi Opare Hagan
November 21, 2014
I am not shocked by the froth In Parliament when budgets are
being read. The shouting, name-calling and finger pointing
are to be expected. Parliament has made a reputation under
this administration for transforming into a circus when
budgets are being read. Members on the Government Benches
with excitement and great enthusiasm fall over themselves to
praise and glorify the budget no matter how lame and callous
the policies just read to them are.
And why wouldn’t they do that?
In all fairness to their intelligence, it is the politically
smart thing to do. The loudest and most indecent sycophant
often gets promoted from the backbenches to the front bench,
and some, even luckier, get appointed as Ministers of State
or Deputy Ministers. Much, in the political trajectory of
Members of Parliament on the Government Benches under the
NDC, depends on how they ya-boo and finger point and roll
over in Parliament during the reading of the Budget. And
even though it is a complete turn off most times, it is a
sad fact that I have learned to live with.
It was therefore for me another day in paradise when it
happened on Wednesday as the Minister for Finance rolled out
the ‘deal’ that was going to plunge the economy of Ghana
further down the abyss of doom than his previous plans did.
I was not surprised when Government MPs 'hear- hear(ed)' to
every tax increment nor was the excitement with which they
welcomed the announcement that the Government was going to
continued the net freeze on employment shocking at all.
I was worried however when the Majority with much indecent
haste approved the 17.5% Petroleum Tax, the circus had
clearly stayed too long in town. Usually when the Minister
for Finance gets done with his economic- nothings, some
attempt or rather pretense is made by Government MPs to
analyze what he has presented, to show they understand it
and to rise in support of it. But this time even that was
dispensed with.
The Bill the Minister presented on the Petroleum Tax was so
ludicrous that the only appropriate response should have
been congratulating the Minister for some attempt at standup
comedy, reminding him that he was not at a Night of a 1000
laughs and throwing it into the parliamentary trash can. It
wasn't just ludicrous that the Minister was asking for more
money even though he hadn't properly accounted for the ones
already entrusted into his care, it was contemptuous because
he was asking for more taxes under a certificate of urgency
without telling MPs why or giving them the chance to assess
if indeed there was the need to levy those taxes. That Bill
should have been met with utter derision. The admission of
Government’s failure in meeting key targets should have
dissuaded anyone tempted to grant them more money through
taxation- without proper diligence-. To all honest
observers, the term urgency should have been used on
Wednesday only in reference to moves to impeach the Finance
Minister!
But yet again, the members of the majority showed the entire
world the stuff they were made of. They showed that they are
extraordinarily petty, partisan, cold and without a shroud
of sensitivity or care about the ordinary Ghanaian. That was
what they further confirmed when they scorned Ghanaians with
their sarcasm by displaying an A4 sheet which read 'Bright
Future'. A bright future with dim MPs? NO! NO! NO!
Upon some sober reflection, the more rational ones would
realize that their callous display of those sheets was an
affront to the dignity of Parliament. But if there is any
among them who think they were right, I should think their
confusion would be resolved answering these questions:
What is bright about the future of a country that is
projecting to spend more paying off interests on debts than
on capital expenditure? What is bright about the future of a
country where Government policy continues to cause massive
unemployment?
I just hope when it comes to debating other key aspects of
the budget the members on the Government Benches would do
more than ‘hear hear’ everything they heard read and would
sacrifice their personal ambitions, put away their selfish
follies and at least consider the interest of Ghana.
And for the records, Ghana can have no bright future with
dim Government MPs.
Kofi Opare Hagan
November 21, 2014
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