Minister apologises to Parliament

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, Thursday apologised to Parliament for his inability to attend to the House to answer questions filed by members.

Appearing before the House to answer an urgent question filed by the Member for Akuapem South, Mr. Osei Bonsu Amoah, on the steps being taken to prevent floods in Accra and other regional capitals in the country, the deputy minister said the failure of the sector minister and any of his deputies to be present in the House last Tuesday was "due to circumstances beyond our control."

"Mr. Speaker, it was not intentional," he said, and added that "It will never happen again."

He added that he travelled and arrived late hence his inability to appear before the House.

Although he apologised, the Speaker, Mr. Edward Doe Adjaho, appeared stern with Mr. Vanderpuye when he answered questions filed by members and demanded that he reacted verbally to inquiries which he had pleaded that he had no ready answers for. Read more

It would be recalled that the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Edward Doe Adjaho warned ministers of state who refuse to honour invitations to the House to answer questions that the House will deal with them if they do not discontinue the practice.

The Speaker and Members of Parliament are livid with the Local Government Minister and his deputies for disrespecting the House.

The anger was in connection with the inability of the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and his two deputies to honour the invitation of the House to answer questions on the steps being taken to prevent floods in Accra and other regional capitals following the June 3, 2015 flood and fire disasters that claimed more than 150 lives.

The minister and his two deputies had, for the third time, failed to present themselves to answer questions by members.