General News of Saturday, 21 September 2013

Source: Joy Online

Ghanaian MPs are behaving like school children - Atubiga

A member of the government communications team, Stephen Atubiga, who recently served a three-day prison sentence for contemptuous statements, has accused Ghana’s Members of Parliament as behaving like school children crying for food.

Atubiga was reacting to recent threats by MPs to boycott government business on the floor of the House if their share of statutory funds, including health fund, District Assemblies' Common Fund, and the Ghana Education Trust (GETFund), are not transferred into the appropriate accounts.

Stephen Atubiga was speaking Thursday on Adom TV’s “Pampaso show” hosted by Kofi Adomah Nwawani.

Ghana's legislators have expressed displeasure about the decision by government to freeze their HIPC accounts without their notice.

The angry Parliamentarians, particularly the Minority, threatened to boycott government business if their accounts are not released.

Some new MPs on both sides of the divide also threatened to abstain from approving loans in the House if government does not address the situation.

However, Mr Atubiga says the MPs behaviour is reminiscent of school children in his hometown Binduri crying for chocolate and pastries.

He challenged the MPs, given their status in the country, to set a good example for others to emulate.

“The MPs must behave as good leaders using the right way of demanding their share in the rightful manner,” Stephen Atubiga asserted.

While emphasizing that he was not against the MPs’ demand, he urged the legislators to use the appropriate channels to express their displeasure.