Following developments in Parliament, we reiterate that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is the cancer cell inhibiting the progress and growth of our democratic process.
As is normal with lawless characters, the NDC Minority stormed the House yesterday holding aloft miniature Ghana flags to resume the seats of their colleagues on the Majority side.
Some of us were highly disappointed in the “weak” posturing of the Afenyo-Markin-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) Majority to easily concede their role in the House to their counterparts from the NDC, citing respect for law, order and peaceful co-existence.
We vehemently disagree, as we had expected the Majority to meet the hooligans from the NDC caucus boot-for-boot.
For after all, every human being has the strength to defend his or her right. Perhaps, as doyens of democratic governance and the rule of law, posterity may judge the Afenyo-Markin-led Majority to be more civilised and disciplined who want to safeguard our democracy, peace, stability and unity.
Faced with a looming disgrace, Speaker Alban Bagbin used semantics and some inconsequential provisions in the Standing Orders to adjourn the House sine die.
Initially, he said the House needed a third of its membership to form a quorum, but they needed half of its membership to take a decision. So then why did he not proceed with the business of the day with the so-called NDC Minority dictating the dictates in the Order Paper as the Leader of the House?
Speaker Alban Bagbin, we know you to be a devout Catholic who understands the essence of penance in the Holy Catholic Church. Please you have forgotten your early days of catechism; we crave your indulgence for a reminder. Last night, you only needed to have knelt down at home, if you could not go to church, to ask God for forgiveness for the “mischief” your intended declaration of the seats of the four Members of Parliament (MPs) vacant would have negatively impacted the peace, unity and stability of the country. Right Honourable Speaker, you erred, and since to err is human, your Parish Priest would certainly atone for your grievous lack of good judgment in this regard.
Listen to your ruling yesterday; that for the sake of public interest and the fact that less than half of the MPs were in the House, you were compelled by the powers vested in you to adjourn sine die.
We are sad that you failed to be the man that you have always proclaimed to be, and at one time reminded us that you were Number Three, to stand by your order, and by that ask the NDC Minority to resume the position and the Majority side to proceed with the business of the day. You cleverly dodged the sword of Damocles and by extension becoming a candidate for contempt if you had asked Ato Forson to resume the position as Majority Leader.
It was our desire to see you as a very bold and courageous Speaker to have declared yesterday to the whole world, that in view of the Supreme Court order, the status quo ante remains until the final determination of the case filed at the Supreme Court.
Again, as a Catholic you are very familiar with the Bible and the antics of Pontius Pilate when it became very crucial and critical for him to pronounce on the charges levelled against our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Yesterday, like Pontius Pilate, Speaker Bagbin washed his hands off, a matter he himself said was of public interest. We are not lawyers, but we understand the rudiments of the rule of law. Knowing our limitations, we shall not dwell on the nuances of the law, but the basic tenets of the rule of law.
There cannot be any ambiguity about an order by the Supreme Court. We know it is cast in stone, and that is why the Supreme Court can review its order. However, until it is done, the order has to be respected. Prior to yesterday’s sitting, some NDC MPs including those who are lawyers started denigrating the Supreme Court, especially the Chief Justice, claiming the court’s order has no leg to stand on.