Kojo Mensah (middle)
The Western Regional Communications Officer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Issa Fuseini, has narrated to DAILY GUIDE what might have necessitated the action of the 35-year-old man who wanted to kill himself inside Ghana’s Parliament last Thursday afternoon.
Mr Fuseini, who claimed that the man, identified as Kojo Mensah, had been interrogated by some NPP members in the Western Region, told DAILY GUIDE that Kojo Mensah once travelled to Nigeria to seek greener pastures.
He mentioned that when in Nigeria, he was attacked by armed robbers and lost everything he toiled for to the attackers in the English-speaking West African country.
Kojo Mensah later went to the Ghana High Commission in Nigerian for some assistance which proved futile and so had to return to Ghana specifically to Agona Nyakrom, where he was staying in the Central Region before travelling.
According to Mr Fuseini, the man who attempted suicide had sisters at Kwesimintsim who once told him that their Member of Parliament (MP), Joe Mensah, would be able to offer him the needed assistance.
“So last Thursday he decided to go to Parliament to look for Joe Mensah. But because he did not know the MP, he decided to get his T-shirt so he would be able to identify Joe Mensah when he sees the MP in the august House,” Mr Fuseini said.
He continued, “So when the man got to Parliament, the clerk told him Joe Mensah was not around but the man did not believe that and insisted to see the MP and in the process had some confrontations with the clerk.”
Mr Fuseini added that when Parliament went on recess, the man thought he would see the MP, Joe Mensah, but those around told him the MP had travelled. Hence, he became frustrated and started saying he would commit suicide.
“He was quickly arrested by the security in Parliament and later some people from the region went to interview him and he narrated the story,” he added.
Background
It would be recalled that the 35-year-old man caused a stir in Parliament on Thursday when he attempted to commit suicide in the chamber. That was just after Parliament had adjourned proceedings.
The man claiming to be suffering from shoulder dislocation openly displayed a long bandage with a noose in the front row at the public gallery where he was sitting and attempted to jump over the railing in the upper gallery into the inner chamber. He shouted “I want to jump! I want to kill myself! I want to see the President! I want to see my MP! I want to see the Speaker!”
Before he could jump, policemen in mufti stationed at the public gallery quickly grabbed and handcuffed him.
As he was being escorted to the police station near Parliament House, the man continued shouting on top of his voice that he wanted to kill himself amid loud sobbing.
Members of Parliament (MPs) present were completely shocked at the turn of events and wanted to know what was indeed wrong with the man who was wearing party ‘T’ shirt of the NPP MP for Kwesimintsim, Joseph Mensah, with a jacket to match.
He was whisked to the Parliament Police Station and later transferred to the Ministry Police Station.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi