Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has dismissed reports about the passage of the controversial E-levy Bill on Tuesday, saying the Bill has not passed.
In a post on Facebook, the legislator explained that based on the provisions of the 1992 Constitution and the Supreme Court’s recent ruling, there was no quorum in Parliament to enable the passage of the Bill into law.
In his post, the NDC lawmaker also stated that the NPP MP for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, was not present during proceedings on Tuesday. Therefore, his colleagues in the Majority did not have the required numbers to push through with the Bill.
“You thought we will give you the pleasure of returning to court for a declaration that the Assin North MP shouldn’t have been present in the Chamber to vote so that you can claim a 137-136 victory for the E-Levy.
With our strategic walkout, you fall short of the required 138 quorum under article 104(1) of the 1992 Constitution and as affirmed by the Supreme Court in the recent Justice Abdulai case.
There can be no contention about Adwoa Safo’s absence from today’s proceedings.
Trust your NDC representatives, we have a conscience, and we know that the real power belongs to you.
Going by the Supreme Court’s decision, the E-Levy has not been passed. What transpired today is a ridiculous nullity”, he wrote.