Former Majority Leader and Member of Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has questioned the decision to recall MPs from recess for an emergency sitting to vet and approve ministerial and judicial nominees.

Speaking on the Kyzz FM Morning Show with Mr Baah, the former Majority Leader said Parliament’s decision to convene an emergency sitting should be guided by the urgency and nature of the matter at hand.

According to him, during his tenure in Parliament, such sittings were not routinely convened unless an issue demanded immediate parliamentary attention.

He explained that the financial implications of recalling MPs from recess were also an important consideration.

“An emergency sitting is not something you just call because you want to do something. It must be an emergency,” he argued, noting that MPs had to be compensated for being recalled from vacation.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said, in his assessment, the vetting of ministers and judges did not necessarily meet the threshold for an emergency sitting.

He, however, acknowledged that the government considered the matter urgent and proceeded with the recall.

Concerns over communication

The former Majority Leader also raised concerns about the communication process between the Majority and Minority sides before an emergency sitting is announced.

He explained that once an emergency matter arises, the appropriate parliamentary channels must be activated.

According to him, the Majority Leader is expected to engage the Speaker and communicate with the Minority Leader before the matter is formally brought before the Speaker for consideration.

He suggested that this process may not have been adequately followed in the latest instance.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the circumstances surrounding the recent recall raised questions about whether sufficient consultation had taken place with the Minority Leader.

MPs compensated based on distance travelled

On the financial arrangements for emergency sittings, the former Majority Leader disclosed that MPs were previously compensated based on the distance they travelled to attend Parliament.

He explained that mileage was calculated using the distance from an MP’s location and the prevailing fuel price at the time.

This meant that MPs did not necessarily receive identical amounts.

“Your mileage was calculated based on where you were coming from and the prevailing fuel price,” he explained.

Catering arrangements were also made for legislators attending emergency sittings, with the cost determined by the number of MPs being served.

Vetting allowances and committee arrangements

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu further explained that arrangements for committee sittings, including ministerial vetting, could vary depending on the issue under consideration and the location of the sitting.

Allowances, he said, were similarly linked to distance travelled.

He recalled that during his tenure, committee members who travelled to Accra for ministerial vetting could receive about GH¢2,000, depending on the arrangements applicable at the time.

How vetting committees were constituted

Touching on the composition of ministerial vetting committees, the former Majority Leader said the process involved combining the standing membership of the relevant committee with members drawn from the ministerial area under consideration.

The remaining positions, he explained, were then allocated between the Majority and Minority caucuses according to their numerical strength in Parliament.

His comments come amid renewed scrutiny of Parliament’s decision to recall legislators from recess to undertake the vetting and approval of ministers and judges, with questions being raised about the urgency of the exercise, consultation between the two sides of the House and the financial implications of the recall.