Alhassan Suhuyini
Director of Elections of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo has counseled Alhassan Suhuyini to pay some respect to the hierarchy in Parliament.
Commenting on the behaviour of the Tamale North MP in the Legislative House, Mr. Ofosu Ampofo called on the legislator to be civil to his colleagues as there are procedures in Parliament.
There was a near-brawl in Parliament on Thursday, March 30, after the Joe Ghartey Committee delivered their report on the bribery scandal.
Hon. Suhuyini was captured on video exchanging words with the Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, whom the NDC MP claimed hurled insults on him during a debate on the floor of the House.
He alleged that the Education Minister described him as “mad” and further used “unprintable words” on him.
Hon. Suhuyini believed some Members of Parliament on the majority side think they’re seniors and is quoted to have said he together with the MPs were all sworn into office the same day, so no one should claim seniority over him.
Speaking on Onua FM, he stressed that “no one is in that house on the basis of mercy.
“Everyone conducted a campaign, got elected by the electorate to represent a constituency so it is not for another person who feels big in his shoes to determine who his colleague in that house is…I am tempted to believe that the fact that some of us are in that house are eating some people up. Well, I can’t help them. I am sorry. I was voted by the good people of the Tamale North and I am grateful for that and they have to learn to accept that fact.”
Mr. Ofosu Ampofo, speaking on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo‘, decided to ‘school’ the NDC MP on the ranking of legislators in the House.
According to him, there are indeed seniors in Parliament which is shown in the arrangement of the members.
He explained that in Parliament, long serving MPs are always seated in front with the ‘babies’ or first-timers like Suhuyini arranged at the back to prove that the House respects ranks.
Though he was silent on whether or not Suhuyini’s behaviour is becoming worrying, Mr. Ofosu Ampofo however issued a word of caution to the Tamale North MP to perhaps comport himself in the House.
“In principle, yes, when there’s a Parliament and they’re all sworn-in; they’re all treated equally. But in practice, when you come to Parliament, there’s a front bench and a back bench. Why do we have front bench? The fact that all of you have been sworn in by January, 2017; you’re all MPs but there are different sizes of the Chief’s crown”, he said.
-Peacefmonline