ACCRA, Nov 5 (The African Portal) – Ghanaian lawmaker Kennedy Osei Nyarko has criticised his colleague Kwame Asare Obeng, known as A Plus, for calling for the removal of Abena Osei-Asare as chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
In a Facebook post, the Akim Swedru MP described A Plus’s petition to the Speaker of Parliament as “dead on arrival,” saying the Speaker has no authority to remove any member of parliament from a committee.
“My colleague A Plus should take his time to learn the parliamentary rules and procedures properly. The Speaker has no powers to remove any MP from any committee — not even the leader of government business has such powers,” Osei Nyarko wrote.
He explained that changes to committee membership can only be made through the Committee of Selection, acting on recommendations from the leadership of the caucuses.
“If he thinks the member has done anything unparliamentary, he should invoke the appropriate sections of the Standing Orders,” he added. “But to call on the Speaker to remove her is nothing but political bravado.”
Osei Nyarko urged A Plus to withdraw the petition to “avoid any embarrassment.”
A Plus, a musician-turned-politician and MP for Gomoa Central, recently petitioned Speaker Alban Bagbin to remove Osei-Asare, the MP for Atiwa East, citing alleged conflicts of interest.
The Public Accounts Committee is responsible for examining government expenditure and ensuring accountability in public finances, making disputes over its leadership politically sensitive.
