The Minority Caucus in Parliament has taken a firm stand against the planned orientation for Members of Parliament (MPs) at the Volta Serene Hotel, citing concerns over cost and the inconsistency in parliamentary decisions regarding such expenditures.
According to Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah, MP for Old Tafo, the decision contradicts earlier arguments made by the Speaker of Parliament and the then-Minority, now Majority, against costly retreats. He said;
“Consistency is key in our body politic. What was wrong yesterday should be wrong today, and what was right yesterday should also be right today. It cannot be that a certain principle or reasons are advanced in a course today, and tomorrow when nothing has changed, different reasons will be advanced.’’
Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah MP for Old Tafo
He referenced a similar situation in February 2022 when Parliament decided to hold a post-budget workshop at Rock City. At that time, the Speaker of Parliament, backed by civil society organizations and key stakeholders, objected to the location on the grounds that it was fiscally irresponsible given the country’s economic challenges.
“In 2022, when Parliament decided to go to Rock City for a post-budget workshop, the Speaker of Parliament was very clear in a statement when he mentioned that, because of the economic situation in the country, it was not right for us to go and spend that amount of money. The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference supported this and [several] CSOs also supported this, so that we could save the taxpayers some money.’’
Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah MP for Old Tafo
The Old Tafo MP further questioned the necessity of traveling to the Volta Region for an orientation, especially for MPs who have already undergone similar training. He emphasized that as a second-term MP, he sees little value in traveling for another orientation session when a cost-effective alternative could be implemented at Parliament House.
“The truth is that there has already been a workshop where members of Parliament were trained on the new Standing Orders, except for first-timers who were not part of it at the time. So, there has already been a training session for us MPs who were part of the Eighth Parliament on the Standing Orders.’’
“The new Standing Orders are not too different from the old ones. Just some additions and subtractions were made to it. So, if anybody says that we have to travel all the way to Volta for a second, third, or even fourth time for this, I don’t see the need.’’
Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah MP for Old Tafo
The Economic Burden: ‘Do We Have the Resources?‘
The MP also questioned whether the financial circumstances that justified rejecting the Rock City retreat in 2022 had changed, stressing that Ghana’s economic struggles remain dire.
“If the resources were available, considering the circumstances in the country, and we had enough resources to do so, then of course, I don’t think it would be so much of a problem. But where we can replace it with a training session at Parliament House, like we did some years ago, I don’t see why we should travel all the way to Volta to do this.’’
Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah MP for Old Tafo
Addressing claims that this is not the first time Parliament has used the Volta Serene Hotel for such an event, Hon. Assafuah acknowledged previous instances but insisted that the financial justifications provided in 2022 must still apply today.
“I just want to know from the Speaker of Parliament—what has changed? Do we now have enough resources to do these things? Within about six to eight weeks, the government has internally borrowed about GHS 67 billion. Do we have money, or we do not have money? If we do, they should let us know, because the argument at the time was that we do not have money. I don’t think that today we suddenly have money.’’
Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah MP for Old Tafo
Call for Fiscal Prudence
Hon. Assafuah concluded his remarks by calling for fiscal prudence in parliamentary spending, urging Parliament to adopt cost-saving measures that align with the country’s economic realities. He maintained that orientations could be effectively conducted at Parliament House without incurring unnecessary expenses.
The Minority’s opposition to the Volta Serene orientation remains firm, rooted in their commitment to ensuring responsible use of public funds, particularly in the face of Ghana’s ongoing economic challenges.
