News:
March 6, 2017
Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu says the Majority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu is partly to blame for the embarrassment that was caused the country in Abuja last month.
He said Mr Mensah Bonsu must accept some responsibility that he failed to pay attention to protocols which spelled out who is a member and when that person ceases to be a member.
According to him, a Member of Parliament, Dr Assibey Yeboah brought the issue of respecting the protocol up on the floor of parliament but he was ignored which ended up embarrassing Ghana in Nigeria.
“Morally, he may be right but legally he was wrong and it amounted to disrespect which we conveyed to the ECOWAS Parliament,” he said.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, in February notified the Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament his decision to step down from Ghana’s delegation to the Regional Parliament.
His action was to save Ghana more embarrassment after a disagreement on the number of MPs that should make up the delegation.
Earlier the leader of Ghana’s delegation, Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh wrote to inform the Speaker of Mr Afenyo-Markin’s decision explaining it was to make room for another room the MP for Suhum, Fred Opare Ansah.
This follows the Speaker’s decision Friday not to swear in the reconstituted Ghanaian delegation because Ghana had presented nine members instead of eight when the House reconvened in Abuja, Nigeria.
The situation came about following the refusal of Mr Ansah to withdraw his membership from the ECOWAS Parliament, although he had informed the delegation of his desire to continue to serve increasing Ghana’s delegation by one.
Mr Ansah did not make the reconstituted delegation by the Majority Leadership which included Bawku Central MP, Mahama; MP for Bodi, Sampson Ahi; Effutu MP, Alexander Afenyo-Markin; MP for Akwapim South, O.B Amoah; Akrofuom MP Kwabena Appiah-Pinkrah, MP for Anlo, Clement Kofi Humado and Juaben MP, Ama Pomaah Boateng Andoh.
The Suhum MP is reported not to have been informed about the decision to reconstitute the delegation contribution to the confusion in Abuja.