Ghanaians are beginning to be worried with the lack of synergy among the minority Members of Parliament that borders on national issues and how they can better be handled to ensure a healthy polity.
The minority Members of Parliament, have developed the habit of not been on the same page when it comes to issues in the August House.
The needles unease became more pronouncement on Tuesday, when the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumani Bagbin referred a petition brought before the House by the former MP of Parliament for Kunbumgu, Ras Mubarak.
In his petition, he said “It has come to my notice through parliament’s Hansard, and newspaper and radio reports that some four Members of Parliament, namely Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, MP for Dome-Kwabenya; Hon. Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central; Hon. Ebenezer Kojo Kum, MP for Ahanta West; and Hon. Ken Ohene Agyapong, MP for Assin Central have all absented themselves from Parliament for more than fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament without the permission of Mr. Speaker in writing.
“In view of this reported breach of the constitutional provision, I respectfully petition your high office to direct for their conduct to be referred to the Privileges Committee for consideration and necessary action.”
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Rising to challenge the decision of the Speaker to refer the three MPs to the privilege’s committee, surprisingly is not a member of the majority New Patriotic Party, but rather the minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak.
He contested the Speaker’s ruling and said if the decision is allowed to stand, it will set a dangerous precedent which can be used by a “dictator speaker” in future to hurt lawmakers.
“If we allow this to stand it will become a precedent, tomorrow it may hurt all of us,” he said.
As a newspaper, we are constrained to say that the country cannot make much progress with the present level of mistrust among members of the minority.
It hinders their resolve to hold the government accountable. This government has shown that it cannot be trusted, so must be fought frontally as a step to restoring the confidence of Ghanaians in the politicians.
