Speaker adjourns Parliament indefinitely for 2nd time

Speaker of Parliament of Ghana Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has adjourned the House indefinitely for the second time due to the failure of the Leader of Government Business to meet with the Business Committee and reach an agreement on the agenda for the day. As a result, no Order Paper was prepared for the transaction of business.

The recall session, called by the NPP Caucus of Parliament was expected to address several key issues. However, their absence left the Speaker frustrated, as it stalled the legislative process. In his address to the House, Speaker Bagbin emphasized that without the input of the relevant committees and an agenda to guide proceedings, the session could not proceed.

“Matters that were supposed to be considered, which were submitted by the Business Committee, are not on the Order Paper,” Bagbin said. “In fact, there is no Order Paper today because the Business Committee could not meet due to the absence of those who requested the recall. As you can see, one side of the House is completely empty. While we technically have a quorum, we have no business to transact.”

He further noted that without an adopted agenda, there is no authority to proceed with parliamentary business, adding, “Given the failure of the Business Committee to sit, due to the absence of those who requested the recall, I am compelled to adjourn the sitting once again—indefinitely. While I recognize the challenges we are facing, it is not advisable to adjourn day-by-day.”

This latest adjournment marks a continuation of tensions between the Majority and Minority caucuses, which have disrupted parliamentary activities in recent weeks. With the indefinite adjournment, it remains unclear when Parliament will reconvene to address the outstanding issues, leaving the legislative agenda in a state of uncertainty.