Nana Kobina Nketsia V
The Omanhene of Essikado Traditional Area in the Western Region, Nana Kobina Nketsia V, has expressed his disappointment at the attitude of some current Members of Parliament (MPs) in the august House.
According to the chief, it is not appropriate that sometimes when serious business is ongoing in the House or some vital issues are being discussed, some of the MPs would be seen laughing unnecessarily.
“I don’t know whether it is because of the English language spoken in the House. In fact, we need some kind of seriousness in Parliament,” he pointed out.
The revered chief stated this when the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin paid a courtesy call on him at his palace.
The Speaker, who is in the Western Region to address a forum to mark the 30 years of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy, earlier interacted with the media at a press soiree.
The chief cited an instance in a video recording on social media where after the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta had finished reading the 2023 mid-year budget review in Parliament and Mr. Jinapor of the NDC was commenting on it, some MPs were seen laughing unnecessarily.
“Was it because he was speaking English? I don’t know what they will be doing if he was speaking Dagbani.
“There was another time a discussion was in session and you could hear some MPs shouting Eii! Ato, Eii! Ato. Were they in the market? So why were they shouting like that,” the chief wondered.
He said “we don’t need these in Parliament because everything that goes on in the House are being recorded in the Parliamentary Hansard.”
“This shows that we need some kind of seriousness,” he stressed.
“What some of the MPs are doing is wrong, and because you are here I want you to take note and act accordingly,” he told the Speaker.
He said, “I see Parliament as the House of my sovereignty. For instance, the President cannot declare war on another country without the approval of Parliament.”
He added, “If Ghana is corrupt, then Parliament is not doing its duties.”
Nana Nketsia V commended the Speaker for choosing the Western Region as the area for Parliament to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
Awulae Angamatu-Gyan, Omanhene of Gwira Traditional Area in the region, urged Parliament to consider allowing the use of local languages on the floor of the House.
Nana Kwasi Agyeman, Omanhene of Lower Dixcove, also stressed the need for MPs to engage the people from time to time to explain to them some happenings in the House.
For his part, the Speaker praised traditional leaders in the country for their respective contributions to sustain the country’s democracy even though they are not to partake in active politics.
He said, “Another group of people who are also endowed with much wisdom are women. However, it’s unfortunate that out of the 275 members of Parliament, only 40 are women.”
“If we claim to be a model of democracy in Africa, then we should create the avenue for more women to be in Parliament,” he emphasised.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Essikado