The Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, has voiced serious concerns regarding the financial strain that emergency parliamentary sittings place on the state.
According to Murtala Mohammed, each day of such sittings costs Ghana at least GH¢1 million, a substantial expense for a single day’s gathering. He highlighted this issue following Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision to indefinitely adjourn Parliament on Thursday, November 7.
The adjournment came after the session was initially convened at the request of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus, which filed a petition urging Parliament’s recall. Despite the urgency of the request, members of the NPP caucus failed to attend the sitting, leaving only members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) present.
Murtala Mohammed criticized this absence, stating that it “signifies a blatant disregard for the serious nature of convening Parliament” and represents a considerable waste of both time and taxpayer money. He emphasized that such actions demonstrate a clear mismanagement of state resources.
Speaking to the media, Murtala Mohammed expressed his disappointment, highlighting the substantial costs involved—not only the GH¢1 million daily expense but also the disruption caused to MPs’ schedules. He urged all parties to consider the financial implications of unnecessary parliamentary sessions and to prioritize responsible governance.
“Why did they waste all of our time? It comes with a huge financial burden to the state. Because if I tell you, one day sitting, particularly in circumstances like this, Parliament would spend close to a million or more than one million Cedis. For all members of parliament, our TNT would have to be provided. Imagine the number.
“I was in my constituency as a matter of fact and I went to my farm and started harvesting my rice. I had just two days to go to the farm and come and continue with my campaign but had to cut short my activities and there were several MPs who were engaged in equally very important assignments. All those Members of Parliament abandoned the scene and came to the Chamber.”
