Minority against approval of Oti Bless

The Minority caucus in Parliament is kicking against the approval of the Nkwanta North MP’s nomination as Deputy Minister for Local Government.

The Minority Spokesperson on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Joe Osei-Owusu who raised the issue in the house said John Oti Bless is allegedly part of the panellists that made contemptuous comments against Justices of the Supreme Court on Accra-based Montie FM.

The other two he appeared on the show with together with the host of the programme have been handed a four-month jail term and a fine of GHc 10,000 each.

Addressing the house on the matter, Osei-Owusu, said he expected the MP to know better especially considering how Parliament dealt with people who acted in contempt of the house.

“He seriously castigated the Chief Justice. I would have wished that he would learn from what had happened to people who had made serious castigation against this House. How this House has dealt with them and would have been very circumspect,” Osei Wusu said.

However, the Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho overruled Osei-Owusu’s concern arguing that he could have raised all these issues when Bless Oti appeared before the Appointment Committee. “Hon Members, this is a very difficult one especially when the Member raising the issue is a member of the committee and had the opportunity of confronting him with what he said somewhere so that that can be verified and form part of the record before us. He did not take advantage. Nowhere has that matter been raised in the committee’s report. I don’t have the transcript of what he said, I don’t have the voice recording before me here and therefore based on the rule of relevance, honourable member I think you are out of order.”

But the Speaker of Parliament deferred the approval of Oti Bless Monday, August 1.