It is now clear that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) instructed its Members of Parliament (MPs) not to move away from Accra as a result of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) and other matters currently before the Legislature.
The party, which is vehemently against the e-levy, wants all its 137 MPs to be present in Parliament at all times to oppose the government’s revenue generation measure.
Some lawmakers from the minority side recently pleaded with the majority side to move the motion on the bill for consideration as some of them could not travel to their constituencies and even for medical attention because of the e-levy.
NDC General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia in a strongly-worded statement defended the party’s MPs for not visiting their constituencies for months.
His statement followed reports that some members of the main opposition party have commenced active campaign ahead of the opening of the period of such activities for the party’s internal elections towards the 2024 general election.
According to him, these individuals among other things, have been alleging that some of the MPs have abandoned the constituencies and prefer to stay in Accra.
“The party wishes to take this opportunity to state in clear and unambiguous terms that the work of a Member of Parliament involves the passage of legislation, oversight responsibilities over the executive and representing the constituency in Parliament.
“The party wishes to inform its numerous members and sympathizers across the country that it has become necessary for all our 137 members of Parliament to be present in Parliament at all times to perform duties that are extremely of importance to the nation and their constituencies, hence their unavailability to be in the constituencies at regular times as used to be the case”, Mr Asiedu Nketiah disclosed.
He warned that any member who jumps the gun, “could face sanctions, including the possibility of being disqualified from contesting when the time comes”.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah urged all members of the party to desist from any activity that will bring the name of the party into disrepute.
