Sydney Casely-Hayford
National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak, has called on parliament to drag a social commentator and member of OccupyGhana, Sydney Casely-Hayford, before the Privileges Committee of the house for saying at a function that “Ghanaian MPs only make stupid decisions and pass stupid laws.”
Ghanaweb.com on Sunday, July 9, 2017, was said to have reported on its news portal that the social commentator – who was speaking at a seminar organised by the Governance and Security Group of Africa in Accra on Saturday, July 8 under the theme, “The Economic and Political Rise of Africa” – lambasted Ghanaian MPs for making stupid laws and spending taxpayers’ money lavishly on unnecessary workshops in plush hotels outside Accra.
“These people are sitting there, spending money like crazy, making stupid decisions and passing stupid laws,” he was alleged to have said.
He reportedly said, “All they think of is, ‘let’s pass this thing quickly; let’s go to Senchi Royal; let’s go and sit there and chill and come back’ and that is the pattern. They don’t read the papers that they are given; they don’t think through what the challenges are. The first thing I will do if I had the opportunity is to break down parliament. We don’t need it.”
But the MP for Kumbungu who seemed obviously angry with those comments, said the vituperations by the social commentator were not only direct attack on the integrity of MPs and by extension, on the institution of parliament, but also an invitation to incite public hatred and vandalism on the institution of parliament which is at the centre of the country’s democracy.
According to Mr Ras Mubarak, many distinguished MPs – both past and present of the Fourth Republican parliament, including two presidents – had made very important decisions that had significantly and positively impacted on the lives of Ghanaians. He added that those words used on MPs by Mr Casely-Hayford are serious indictment on all MPs who have represented various constituencies in the Fourth Republican Parliament..
“Mr Speaker, we have a duty to defend the honour and integrity of this house. The current president, Nana Akufo-Addo; former president, John Mahama; Speaker Doe Adjaho; Hon A.S.K. Bagbin; Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni; the current Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and many other current and past MPs have spent their lives and energies in this house to work assiduously and passed laws for the smooth governance of this country as well as passed good laws which have stood the test of time just for someone to make such blanket statement that MPs pass stupid laws is unfortunate.”
The majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, responding to the request, said the comments made by the OccupyGhana man on MPs had inflicted mortal wounds on the image of parliament and therefore, there was the need for him to answer for his disparaging remarks.
The first deputy speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, who was presiding at the time when the issue was raised, referred the matter to the leadership of parliament for its recommendation before any action could be taken.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr