Accra, May 26, GNA - The Speaker, Justice Joyce Bamford-Addo, on Tuesday urged members of parliament to put the national cause at the centre of all their deliberations and work in the House. She urged members to do some self introspection and make the necessary changes and corrections where needed as they reconvened for another session.

The Speaker was welcoming members just before the commencement of Public Business.

Later, when Public Business began, Papa Owusu Ankomah, the NPP member for Sekondi, quoted some portions of the Standing Orders of Parliament and challenged the Majority Leader's authority to lay a paper containing the annual report of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The Order Paper for Tuesday had listed two papers, the EPA 2003 Annual Report and the Export Development Investment Fund 2005 Annual Report as papers to be laid by Mr Alban Bagbin, who had sought to lay the first one, that of the EPA.

Papa Owusu Ankomah drew the Speaker's attention and raised an objection saying that by the rules of the House, the Majority Leader could not lay the paper because he had no responsibility over the EPA. The Majority Leader later conceded and said the Minister with oversight responsibility over the EPA was the right person to lay the paper before the House. The Speaker, therefore, deferred the laying of the two papers and adjourned the meeting for committee meetings.