Following the vitriolic comments by the controversial and outspoken Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Mr. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Parliament has summoned the MP to appear before the Privileges Committee for insulting comments purported to have been made by him denigrating the image of the House.
On the floor of the House, the Honourable Member of Parliament for Asawase, Mr. Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka lamented that the Assin Central MP has stated on several media platforms that Parliament is cheap and a useless house with foolish people.
He again indicated that the MP further stated that the cheap nature of Parliament led to the appointment of Mr. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu as Majority leader.
Mr. Muntaka again stated that the MP has gone contrary to Order 28 and 30 of the Parliamentary Standing Orders and his actions are tantamount to contempt of Parliament.
He again added that Mr. Kennedy Agyapong’s libellous and contemptuous statement of misconduct grounded in Order 72 should be referred to the Privileges Committee.
In a submission by the Honourable Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Mr. Inusah Fuseini, the pronouncements of the Assin Central MP are becoming worrying.
He continued that the Honourable Majority Leader is the leader of government business in the Parliament and that if Ghana was running a parliamentary democracy, the majority leader would have been a Prime Minister.
He further concluded that the MP should be hauled before the Privileges Committee to explain himself and when he fails to provide evidence of Parliament being foolish, he should be dealt with severely under the law.
Honourable Member of Parliament for Wa East, Mr. Joseph Yile Chireh also added that the utterances purported to have been made by Mr. Agyapong is very serious and has implications on Parliament.
He noted that if Parliament wants to be seen as a serious organ of government, then it is important for the House to call its own members to order.
Mr. Samuel Attah Kyea reiterated that of a member in the heat of his anger denigrates Parliament without controlling his temper, such a member should be held responsible. The Honourable member grounded his argument on Article 122 of the 1992 Constitution and stated that the Assin Central MP should be brought before the Privileges Committee.
Source: GhanaJustice/S.Ayisi