The seed sown by Mike Oquaye is overgrowing

Following the controversy surrounding their that 4 seats have become vacant, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin decided to adjourn the house sine die. The decision to declare the seats vacant was in accordance with article 97(1) g and h of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

Article 97(1) g and h provides that "A member of Parliament shall vacate his seat in Parliament (g) if he leaves the party of which he was a member at the time of his election to Parliament to join another party or seeks to remain in Parliament as an independent member; or (h) if he was elected a member of Parliament as an independent candidate and joins a political party."

The 4 Members of Parliament have fulfilled these provisions because they have changed the parties that brought them to parliament and now contesting as either independent candidates or on the ticket of different political parties and can no longer remain in Parliament.

The Speaker's announcement have angered the NPP caucus because they have lost their status as the majority in the house and so they will not let go. Their leader went to court to stop the Speaker from enforcing the announcement so made. Offensive words were thrown at him and the whole country was concerned with the happenings in Parliament. The Speaker in his wisdom decided to adjourn the house indefinitely.

The new minority (NPP caucus) were not enthused with the Speaker's decision to adjourn the house indefinitely so they compiled signatures to compel the Speaker to recall the house in accordance with article 112(3) of the Constitution which states "Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, fifteen percent of members of Parliament may request a meeting of Parliament; and the Speaker shall, within seven days after the receipt of the request, summon Parliament."

A day before the recall, the Speaker held a press conference explaining that the question of who becomes the majority or minority is not the duty of the Speaker to determine but the numbers in each caucus. He further explained that the question of which caucus should sit on the right or left side of the Speaker is not for the Speaker to determine. Either sides can occupy the left or the right. No one from the new minority or else where have been able to challenge the speaker on these cogent explanations.

It is therefore surprising that the new Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin and his side boycotted the chamber just because they feel the new majority is occupying their side and the Speaker must intervene. He decided to insult the Speaker saying the "Speaker is hurting democracy."

He proceeded to add; "The Speaker is setting the country on fire. We were disappointed with his non-reconciliatory stance during his press conference. We call on him to demonstrate statesmanship. We want him to know that although we were not happy the day he was elected, it wasn’t the NDC that put him in office but members of our side."

The unprintable words of Afenyo-Markin will not end; “The Speaker supervised chaos. Clearly, the NDC is on a warpath; they want confusion, and they want lawlessness in this country, and all these are being supervised by Mr. Speaker.”

This kind of disrespect with the aim of satisfying one selfish interest of being named as Majority Leader at all cost must not be given a seat in our democracy. But why will one opt to stay out of Parliament just because he/she want to sit on the right hand side of the Speaker? If this sitting does not bless the new minority, it will certainly not bless the new majority either.

In any case, who sowed the seed of Members of Parliament vacating their seats in accordance with article 97(1) g and h? Was the Supreme Court dead then when Speaker Mike Oquaye declared Fomena Seat vacant and Hon. Andrew Asiamah Amoako was sent packing? How did the circumstances differ from the Fomena case such that the 4 Members of Parliament must remain in the house?

If wisdom had not escaped Afenyo-Markin, he would have concentrated on getting Parliament address the business that made it necessary for them to force the Speaker to summon Parliament and not to fight for sitting position or restoration of Majority Leader status. By adjoining the house indefinitely for the second time, government business has failed and who suffers?

The actions of the NPP side of the house is not a disrespect to Speaker Bagbin but to Speaker Aoron Mike Oquye who set the precedent in the Fomena case. It is also a disrespect to President Nana Addo who declared in 2020 that he can never work with any independent member of parliament. The disrespect is also to the NPP leadership who called for the Fomena seat to be declared vacant because Hon. Asiamah has left the NPP to become an independent candidate in 2020.

The NPP is an egoistic baby who enjoys favours and immediately forget. The seed sown by Mike Oquaye has overgrown and we must reap the fruits it is now giving us even if the fruits are torns or poisonous like venon. Speaker Bagbin is on the side of the law and so shall he stand by.