The Republic of Ghana must confront the issue in which certain parliamentarians resort to violence to vent their views in the House, according to Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi.
According to the Information Minister, violence is never an acceptable instrument to be utilized when there is a dispute.
On Monday, December 20, 20 members of Ghana’s Parliament couldn’t keep their emotions in check as they brawled in the House shortly before the final vote on the contentious Electronic Transfer Levy Bill, better known as e-levy.
The sit-in Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, had declared that a division would be held to adopt the Bill, which had been tabled under a certificate of urgency, and that he would vote in his position as a Member of Parliament as well.
Members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) seemed to be irritated by his choice to vote after presiding over the night’s events.
They made their way to the front of the dais, hurling threats at the Bekwai MP.
This prompted the Majority of MPs to launch their own protests, and the fight erupted as soon as Mr. Osei-Owusu turned over the presiding function to the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah.
Speaking on the midday news on TV3 Tuesday, December 21, the Ofoase Ayirebi lawmaker said “The first thing we need to is that, we need to deal with the growing conduct of some Members of Parliament that whenever they do not agree with something, whether it is the Speaker’s rule or a position of the executive or a position of Member of parliament, they resort to violence and physical attacks in the chamber.
“That is the reason for which we have had to adjourn today because today, Mr. Speaker is still not in the House, we are not able to proceed with business without rancor because what it would mean is that the First Deputy Speaker or the Second Deputy Speaker would have to take the Chair. Under the circumstances, if a matter comes up to a vote and he chooses to exercise his casting votes which he is entitled to, our colleagues on the other side will resort to violence.
“Everybody now sees it clearly, so what next is that the Republic of Ghana needs to address this situation where some Members of Parliament resort to violence as a way of expressing their displeasure. It is totally unacceptable, totally uncalled for. The Marshals department under the leadership the Speaker has to have a handle of this because it doesn’t matter that today, it is e-levy, tomorrow it could be anything and when some particular member of Parliament is not happy with it then there will be a resort to violence and fisticuffs, that is what next to be dealt with.”
In terms of the tax, he indicated that certain revisions were made to the idea as a result of discussions.
“If you read paragraph 361 of the budget statements the executive initially proposed inward remittances, bank transfers, merchant payments, Mobile money to be charged at 1.75 percent in addition to the 2 percent that already the telcos are charging. After all the consultations and memos and engagements, remittances had been taken out, bank transfer of business had been taken out, merchant payment had been taken out, .025 of the money moneys operators charges had been taken out, so now it is no longer going to be a cumulative, about 3.75, it has now come to 3.5.
“That is evident that there has been engagement, there has been a listening. If all of that has taken place at the committee and you still think you are opposed to it and the vote has taken place and you have lost that vote you don’t come onto the floor and resort to physical violence to prevent the business of the Houses from going on and I think we must be clear on that. Let us not mixed that with consult more, violence has never been a legitimate tool,” he said.
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SOURCE:3NEWS
