NPP motion a filibuster attempt to make electoral violence probe a stupid case – Sam George

Samuel Nartey George (NDC – Ningo-Prampram MP), has objected strongly to the formation of a joint parliamentary committee to investigate electoral violence that has plagued the country under the fourth republic.

Some six NDC MPs want Parliament to investigate the violence which resulted in eight deaths during the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. At the same time, some four NPP MPs are requesting a probe into electoral violence which should cover electoral violence since 1993 as well as ethnic, gender, regional, and other sectional backgrounds of persons recruited into the security forces since 1993.

Speaking to the media in Parliament on Tuesday, March 30, Sam Geoge stated that the motions presented before the Speaker describes two different events and time allocations, so, it is imperative to have two separate committees to address the requests before the House.

He then described the motion filed by the NPP MPs as a “filibuster” which is to make the whole probe look “stupid”.

“I will be shocked if the Speaker would want to consolidate the motions. They are two independent motions, so we can have two different Committees. We will oppose any attempt by anybody in the House to make it a joint investigation. No, they are two different motions.

“The Speaker can admit any motion…what we will not agree to is a joint investigation. There are two different motions, two different Committees must be set up,” he stated.

He continued: “This is an attempt to filibuster…this is a filibustering attempt by the Majority to just filibuster the process and make it a stupid case. We will give them their 1993 investigations and I’m saying that we can even send it back to 1957 or Sir Guggisberg’s time for them. But that is independent and different from the motion that was filed by Haruna Iddrisu, Muntaka Mubarak, Okudzeto Ablakwa and Suhuyini on the 7th, 8th and 9th of December 2020.”

Sam George said the NDC is seeking answers to “the killing and murder of seven Ghanaian citizens [allegedly] by members of the Ghana Armed Forces during the conduct of the 7, 8 and 9th of December 2020”.

“We need to have these investigations, so like I said, the Majority side – Annoh Dompreh and Afenyo-Markin – can take this back even to Sir Guggisberg’s time. We don’t care,” he added.

“[For] our motion, a Committee should be set up to investigate and their filibustering motion, they want to rewrite history and I am saying when they finally move this motion, I will rise and file an amendment to the motion that this motion [Majority MPs] should be extended not to 1993 but 1957,” he explained.

He disagreed with the suggestion that the Police are presently investigating the electoral violence of the latest elections.

“The police is investigating itself? The military is investigating itself? No!.. The Ghanaians who died, their MPs are sitting in the chamber. Odododiodoo, a young girl died […] in Ablekuma Central, a young man was killed. In Techiman, Ghanaians were killed. Their MPs owe it to families of the deceased to demand and get an investigation by the people, for the people and with the people. That is what democracy is about,” he stressed.