Even if E-levy cake was a gift, must you use it? – Murtala Mohammed asks Majority leader

The MP for Tamale Central, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed has queried the Majority leader’s acceptance and use of an e-Levy crafted cake gifted to him during his 65th birthday party.

According to Mr. Mohammed, Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu should have had an inkling into the rage his action would stir up in members of the public who have consistently expressed opposition to the introduction of the Electronic Transaction Levy (e-Levy) Bill.

He therefore opined that the Parliamentary Affairs Minister should have put the cake aside.

“If someone brought that cake to you as the Majority Leader, who is trying to negotiate not just with NDC members but the entire country, he ought to have been sensitive enough to know this would anger people. So this excuse that this wasn’t the cake we wanted to use, this cake was brought to me, now if they bring such cake to you, must you use it?

If I have my birthday to celebrate and in my constituency, people don’t have water to drink and someone brought Voltic water or any other water and started sprinkling them. And I say someone brought it that is why I accepted that to happen?”

On Wednesday, social media users criticised the Majority leader for celebrating his birthday with an e-levy cake, but Ranking Member on Roads, Kennedy Nyarko Osei stated that the cake was the handiwork of the Minority group.

MP for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George dismissed the claims and challenged the Majority leader to name the said NDC MP.

Reports reaching JoyNews reveal that the e-levy cake was brought in later after the celebrant, Vice President Dr. Bawumia and his wife cut a blue cake to celebrate the Majority leader.

Despite the revelation, the Tamale Central MP while speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Thursday, maintained that since government is still engaging Ghanaians, the e-levy cake should not have been used.

He asserted that the use of the cake amidst the impasse on the levy, amounts to mocking Ghanaians and smacks of the insensitiveness on the part of the incumbent government.

“You are building consensus. You are still trying to appeal to our consciences to understand why you think we should approve and pass the e-levy. I have had several members of NPP, and God is my witness, who have told me the e-levy, you guys should not allow it go on. It is a senior member.”

“So there are Members of Parliament who are against this because it is affecting their constituents. It exerts more pressure on the poor than the rich. You want us to agree with you and for that reason, you are holding town hall meetings to convince the people of this country to buy the idea, yet the same person who is advocating for consensus building and you go and celebrate your birthday and mock the people of this country.

“That was a mockery of the people of this country..it tells you the level of insensitivity of this government,” Mr Mohammed told host, Benjamin Akakpo.

According to him, the presence of the Vice President when the e-levy cake was cut, aggravates the matter.

“He (Dr. Bawumia) ought to have told him (Majority leader). I don’t need to accuse him. He is the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, for God sake, and he is one of the leaders of the NPP as a party,” he added.