The Majority in Parliament has defended the decision to hold a closed-door briefing with the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, explaining that the move aligns with long-standing parliamentary protocols for independent constitutional bodies.
Addressing the press, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga criticised the Minority for staging a walkout, accusing them of prioritising camera presence over parliamentary substance.
Parliamentary Precedent and Rules
According to the Majority Leader, the Governor appeared before the House as a Committee of the Whole rather than in a plenary session. He explained that such appearances are traditionally held in camera, citing previous sessions with the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund, the National Health Insurance Authority, and the Electoral Commission.
“Many of you have been covering this house for so many years and you all know that apart from ministers, all the other independent constitutional bodies that come, they come and appear before the Committee of the Whole,” Ayariga said.
He noted that under Order 266 of the Standing Orders, committee proceedings are public unless determined otherwise by the members. He stated that the Minority simply failed to convince the rest of the committee to open the session to the press.
“The rules were changed so that the house can invite the governor to appear not before the house in plenary but appear before the house as a Committee of the Whole. That is what the rules say,” he added.
“So the Central Bank governor came to answer questions posed and we said that let’s do what we do for all other independent constitutional bodies which is let us sit without the media because that’s what we do for everybody,” Ayariga stated.
The Majority maintained that the Governor had no reservations about answering questions publicly and had even prepared his responses in a press release to share with the media.
“Before the cameras, we would have asked the governor if you are comfortable with the media, why not?
The governor says he’s comfortable, he even has it as a press release, so he doesn’t have a problem,” Ayariga remarked.
He expressed disappointment that the opposition chose to abandon the meeting rather than engage the Governor directly on state finances.
“Meanwhile they came back. The governor himself knew that there’ll be journalists. So his answers are actually captured in a press release. The answers that the governor was going to provide to parliament, he had already captured it as a press release and was willing to even share it with the journalist,” he said.
“But clearly what the minority has done is to show that they are not interested in the question and the answers to the question. They are interested in the media optics,” the Majority Leader added.
“If indeed your interest is in finding out something about the way that the finances of this country are being managed, the man who is managing is sitting in front of you. You can ask the question and then satisfy yourself that the finances are being properly managed,” he stated.
Ayariga defended the Governor’s accountability record, contrasting his frequent appearances with the conduct of past central bank leadership.
“It is only this governor who actually answers to our invitations. You are here covering this house, can you tell me how many times Addison came to this house? Governor Addison, under the NPP. Tell me how many times Addison actually agreed to come and answer questions in this house. Or even appear before the committee. He never came. This governor at all invitation he comes.”
He concluded by reminding journalists and MPs that the Central Bank already hosts regular public engagements where open questions are encouraged.
“The governor does his monthly media meetings and he briefs the media regarding whatever he’s doing. I’m sure your colleagues who are at financial times and etcetera who represent your media houses are those monthly meetings, you get to ask him all the questions that you want to,” Ayariga stated.
