Majority blocks Minority Leader's Statement

Majority in Parliament on Friday blocked Mr Alban Bagbin's statement the Speaker, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey had allowed him to make on the previous day, which saw the Minority walking out from the House.

Hardly had Mr Bagbin read two sentences of his statement when Mr Joseph Darko-Mensah, (NPP Okaikwei North) got up on a point of order and quoted the Standing Orders Number 93 (5) that if the statement being read was an attack on the conduct of the Speaker, then the Minority Leader have to do that on a substantive motion.

While Mr Bagbin said the statement was not an attack on the Speaker, the Speaker thought otherwise, saying he had the statement in front of him and that the contents were attack on his conduct.

The Speaker ruled that all the same he would allow Mr Bagbin to make the statement, adding, "I have allowed the statement to be made because of the peculiar nature of the issue, and in law, objection is sustainable and the decision I have taken is an unusual one.

Mr Ala Adjetey said, "I don't want to be a judge in my own court. If I breach the rule it will be difficult to sustain it."

At that juncture the Majority side protested rowdily shouting, the right thing should be done forcing Papa Owusu-Ankomah to signal Mr Darko-Mensah to end his presentation.

Papa Owusu-Ankomah and Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Majority Chief Whip tried vainly to calm down their members, some of whom were on their feet to walk out.

The Speaker seeing that the House was uncontrollable said, when he stood up for members to accord him respect to be quiet but once that was not done, he was suspending sitting for 30 minutes.

When the Speaker left, both sides clustered at various positions in the Chamber with each trying hysterically to convince one another about their standing on the situation.

At about two hours after when the Speaker returned to the Chamber Papa Owusu-Ankomah said Leadership of the House were still consulting on the issue and pleaded with the Speaker to adjourn sitting for a conclusive decision to be taken that would be in the interest of the House and the nation.

At yesterday's sitting the Minority charged that the Speaker after attacking the integrity of the Minority Leader in a statement failed to accord him the opportunity to react to the accusations on the floor of the House and thus walked out of the Chamber.