…Buses supporters into volatile parliamentary situation
Majority Chief Whip and Nsawam-Adoagyiri Member of Parliament (MP), Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has once again grabbed the headlines for the wrong reason, following his recent comment on “galamsey” or illegal mining which got him lots of political flogging.
Yesterday, amid the tense political situation in Parliament over the dismissal of the four MPs by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, with many citizens afraid it could spark a civil unrest in the country, Mr Annoh-Dompreh, did the unthinkable by busing hundreds of his supporters into what could be described as a dangerous situation.
Had the NDC supporters stormed the area, there would have been a bloody development.
Interestingly, Mr Annoh-Dompreh, kept blaming the Speaker of Parliament, for creating a tense atmosphere in the country and asking him to accept responsibility for any security breach. He said this on several radio and TV stations in the country.
It had to take a combined team of police cum military personnel, who were on the ground to tactically move the NPP supporters who wore his t-shirts and other paraphernalia, from the prescient of the makeshift parliament at the Accra International Conference Centre to the grounds of the State House grounds to control what would have been a rowdy situation.
This was after the Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza, drew the country’s attention to the dangerous situation and raised concerns about the tendency of Mr Annoh-Dompreh’s act to cause chaos.
The Adaklu MP, had also disclosed how Parliament’s security granted an unauthorised entry to his colleague, when access was officially to start at 8 am. However, the Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP, has fought off the claims, insisting his entry was through regular means.
According to him, he is one of the MPs who always arrive early for proceedings and his arrival yesterday was not out of the ordinary.
“I come to Parliament early, and I went to the Chamber. I was sitting there when they told me that they wanted to sweep the place, so I came out to stand here,” he explained to Accra-based Citi News.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh, cautioned his colleague against making such allegations.
“There are lessons I need to teach him, he has to learn. He should be careful when making allegations. It is my duty to be sure everything is well. There are so many ways to kill the cat. We will do anything and everything to make sure that they do not walk over us,” he stated.
Recently a debate on the issue of ‘galamsey’ in Parliament led to heated exchanges between members of the ruling NPP and the opposition NDC, Annoh Dompreh, asserted that the NDC, had caused more environmental damage through galamsey activities, than the NPP.
“If we are to look and investigate both sides of the House (NPP and NDC), I can tell you that the NDC polluted the water more than us. So let’s get matters straight,” he said drawing sharp criticism from the public.
Interestingly, his constituency gets its potable water from the Densu, which is heavily polluted by the activities of illegal miners.
Meanwhile, Speaker of Parliament, yesterday announced the indefinite adjournment of parliamentary proceedings.
Mr Bagbin’s move comes after a tumultuous day in the Chamber, characterized by heated disputes between MPs from the NPP and the NDC over the question of which caucus holds the Majority.
During the adjournment announcement, Speaker Bagbin briefly noted that he had received a communication from the Supreme Court, which directed him to stay his earlier ruling that declared four parliamentary seats vacant.
However, he did not elaborate on the details of the communication, leaving MPs and observers in the dark regarding the implications of the Court’s directive.
The Speaker, informed the House that, although they had the numbers to transact business, the House did not have the numbers to make decisions.
“Hon. members, we don’t have at least half of all the Members of Parliament present. Consequently, in view of the current circumstances, the fact that there’s a question on the composition and constitution of Parliament, and having regard to the public interest, and the exigencies of the affairs in Parliament. I will proceed to in accordance with standing order 59 adjourn the house indefinitely, that is sine die.
“Hon. members, I have consulted leadership and I’m exercising my discretion to decide to suspend the meeting of the house indefinitely, the house is accordingly adjourned sine die.”
This communication is crucial as it pertains to the ongoing legal battle surrounding the four parliamentary seats—two from the NPP, one from the NDC, and one independent—that were declared vacant by Bagbin on October 17.
The Supreme Court’s intervention has put a hold on the situation that affected seats are, Agona West (Cynthia Morrison), Fomena, (Andrew Asiamah), Suhum (Kwadjo Asante) and Amenfi Central (Peter Kwakye Ackah).
Earlier in the session, NPP MPs decided to vacate the Chamber, effectively leaving the NDC to occupy both sides of the House. This dramatic exit was in response to the escalating tensions and disagreements over the Majority designation, which has been a focal point of contention since Thursday, October 17.
The absence of NPP MPs, resulted in a lack of quorum—the minimum number of members required to conduct official business—prompting Bagbin to cite this as the reason for the adjournment.
Bagbin’s choice not to fully disclose the contents of the Supreme Court’s communication, leaves significant questions unanswered, regarding the status of the vacant seats and the overall legitimacy of the parliamentary composition. This ambiguity adds to the uncertainty that currently envelops parliamentary proceedings.
With Parliament adjourned indefinitely, the immediate future remains uncertain, as both the NPP and NDC, await further clarity on the substantive case before the Supreme Court.
But the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has announced plans to trigger a recall of Parliament today, Wednesday, October 23.
Speaking after the speaker’s decision that adjourn sitting, the Effutu MP, expressed concerns over the decision by Speaker of Parliament, to indefinitely adjourn the House.
Afenyo-Markin, suggested that the Speaker’s move is part of a broader strategy by NDC MPs to obstruct parliamentary business, accusing them of attempting to derail Ghana’s economy.
The Majority Leader, emphasized that the NPP is determined to counter these efforts and ensure that government business continues unhindered despite the opposition’s alleged tactics.
“God willing, tomorrow [today, Wednesday, October 23, 2024], the Majority will trigger the recall of Parliament, because the actions of the Speaker are undermining Parliamentary work, so that the economy will suffer and so we will trigger the recall of Parliament and we will see what he [Bagbin] will do.
“A court has ordered you to take action and you are going around the issue, meanwhile he is not Parliament, so we will trigger a recall.”
Speaker Bagbin, announced the indefinite adjournment of parliamentary proceedings on Tuesday, October 22, after a tussle over which caucus was to sit on the Majority side of the House. The Speaker announced that his decision to adjourn the House was reached after consultation with leadership which Afenyo-Markin disagreed.
“He [Bagbin] respectfully invited us to his office for a meeting and said he had received the court ruling and was going to inform the House and that many people had visited him and asked for more time for consultation and that he was going to adjourn the House and I asked him what about the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“I drew his attention that his colleagues had taken our seats and he said he is not responsible for the seating in Parliament but the Clerk and I asked the Clerk if he changed the name tags and he said no. It is like when the Minority speaks, he is taken aback and behaves as if he is afraid of somebody.”
