The Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, has raised serious concerns about the financial burden placed on the state by emergency parliamentary sittings.
According to Murtala Mohammed, each day of such sittings costs the country at least GH¢1 million, a significant expense for a single day’s gathering.
His comments came after Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision to adjourn Parliament indefinitely on November 7, following the failure of New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs to attend a sitting they had requested.
Murtala Mohammed, speaking on the matter, criticized the NPP caucus for its absence and described it as “a blatant disregard for the serious nature of convening Parliament.”
He added that such behavior not only wastes valuable time but also leads to a significant mismanagement of taxpayer money.
He emphasized the serious financial implications, noting that the cost of one sitting, including transportation and allowances for all MPs, could exceed GH¢1 million.
He expressed disappointment over the disruption to MPs’ schedules, pointing out that many members had to cut short important activities to attend the session.
“I was in my constituency, on my farm harvesting rice, and had to abandon that to attend this sitting,” Murtala Mohammed shared.
He urged all parties to consider the financial impact of unnecessary parliamentary recalls, stressing that such actions should be avoided to ensure responsible governance and efficient use of state resources.