The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has blasted the majority group leader of the house MP for Suame, Kyei-Mensah Bonsu over challenging his directive on the floor.
This came after the Suame MP accused the Speaker of being lackadaisical on the rules of the house during today Tuesday 23rd March 2021 sitting. Kyei Mensah asked the Speaker to issue a strict directive for all MPs to sit at their respective positions in the House to allow for easy identification of the MPs on the floor.
According to Kyei Mensah Bonsu, Mr. Bagbin before coming into office maintained that stance but since he assumed the role of Speaker, he has relented on that sitting rule.
He said, “when you were the Deputy Speaker, you were insistent that Members speak from their seats so that you’ll be able to identify them but our notice is that you never cease to make that pronouncement and yet as the day rises on, you relax on the rules”.
“I will encourage you to be consistent with us so that everybody will speak from his seat; the rules should not be relaxed” the caretaker Finance Minister stressed.
The Speaker dismissed the claims from the Majority Leader insisting that he has not relented on any of the rules of the House and called on the Kyei Mensah Bonsu to resume his seat.
The Speaker said, Hon. Majority Leader your powers have not reached that. The business of government is led by you in this house, you don’t lead Parliament, you lead the business of the House, you lead the Majority and you lead government business. As to the role of the Speaker, you haven’t reached the yet, when you get there you’ll give rules”.
The reaction of the Speaker came as a surprise and was met with laughter on the floor of the Parliament. It must be noted that both the leader of government business in parliament and the speaker have been gelling well before and ever since Bagbin became the speaker.
Filed By Agaatorne Douglas Asaah / awakenewsroom.com
