“As If He Can Do Something…Stop The Empty Noise”; Mpraeso MP Dares Sam George Over SC Ruling On Deputy Speakers
The New Patriotic Party’s Davis Ansah Opoku, Member of Parliament for Mpraeso Constituency has clashed with the National Democratic Congress’ Samuel Nartey George, Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram constituency after the latter stated that the Supreme Court’s ruling on Deputy Speakers won’t be regarded in Parliament.
The Supreme Court of Ghana on March 9, interpreted that Deputy Speakers of Parliament cannot be deprived of their rights of representing their Constituencies while presiding over the business of the House of Parliament and annulled Order 109(3) of the Standing Orders of Parliament, which says a Deputy Speaker or any other member presiding shall not retain his original vote while presiding.
Addressing the press in his office, Sam George noted that his outfit will “employ every legal means within the Parliamentary procedure to ensure that this long time tested practice of parliament which is 30 years old this year, will be upheld until the Lord Justices decide to start expunging part of the constitution like 104(5) for us to see that the application of the law is not skewed and imbalanced. I do not see why anyone who has conflict of interest should be allowed to vote”.
He added that “We have heard them, they have passed their ruling but Parliament we are masters of our own procedure, we will carry out what we believe is right on the floor of the chamber”.
It didn’t end there, Sam George took to his Twitter page and posted, “Abi we all go dey the Chamber inside. Come and give the referee the ball to play some let us see. The sweetness of the pudding is in its eating.”
Then, Ansah Opoku, MP for Mpraeso decided to take him on using the American microblogging and social networking service, Twitter.
“As if he can do something. As lawmakers, we must respect institutions of state and ensure that rule of law is always upheld”, he replied to Sam George in a tweet.
He informed that the Majority caucus of Parliament is ready to defend the 1992 constitution.
“We are prepared to protect the constitution and respect the ruling of the Court. Any Deputy speaker or member presiding will vote! Stop the empty noise”, Davis tweeted.
That wasn’t the end of the social media drama. The Ninigo Prampram lawmaker who is Championing the passage of the “Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values”, threatened that the mode to rubbish the Court’s interpretation won’t be different from what has been used in times past.
“Chief, this is not you leading a revolt against your Caucus leaders oh. This is you pitting yourselves against the might of the NDC in the Chamber. We have stopped you guys EVERY single time. The next won’t be different. Be advised. Cheers NPP backbench jama leader”, he replied.
The NDC and NPP legislators have Physically clashed twice on different occasions on the floor of Parliament due to what many think is being fueled by the hung nature of the 8th Parliament which has 137 members on each side with a lone independent.
The first time the lawmakers clashed was on January 7, 2021, ahead of the swearing-in of elected MPs.
The next time the MPs would clash would be over a controversial levy called the “E-levy” on December 21, 2021, with the NPP seeking to pass it and the NDC bent on hindering the passage.
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
