President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, unperturbed by the Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) walkout of Parliament when he was in the chamber to present his State of the Nation Address (SONA), yesterday asked the Majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament (MPs) to occupy the empty seats left by the NDC.
With the remarks of the President, coupled with the excitement among the Majority members who sang in merriment, the walkout was a failed project.
The Akan song, ‘Nyame b?hy? no abamu awie’, to wit ‘God’s promise has been fulfilled’, was rending the air from the side of the NPP MPs when the NDC MPs started filing out.
It was amazing why the NDC MPs turned up in the first place given that they came in with placards some of which read ‘We Want Credible Elections’, and many thought the placards would be displayed as the address progressed.
The President’s premonition appeared to suggest that, perhaps, the NDC MPs would lose all their seats when the next Parliament is constituted.
Majority To Minority
No sooner had the NDC MPs walked out than their NPP counterparts, some of them ministers of state, started occupying their seats.
The NPP MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, took the seat of the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu; the Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Kofi Dzamesi, occupied the seat of the Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi; the Oti Regional Minister, Kwasi Owusu Yeboa, took the seat of the Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, and the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, sat on that of the first Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim — all on the front bench of the Minority side.
Boycott Signs
As predicted, the NDC MPs were led by the Minority leader in an embarrassing fashion out of the chamber after the President had been ushered in by the Speaker, Prof. Mike Ocquaye, and the national anthem played.
The Minority members, all dressed in black, repeatedly chanted the last stanza of the national anthem “And Help Us To Resist Oppressors’ Rule With Our Will And Might For Ever More” as they filed away from the chamber with members of the diplomatic corps seated in the public gallery watching in awe.
The Majority NPP MPs then shouted noisily, “Away! Away!”
As the NDC MP’s filed out of the House, NPP MPs then started singing E.T. Mensah’s classical highlife song, “All for you!” to signal the President that he has the floor to deliver his SONA.
The NDC MPs left behind strapped to their seats placards some of which read ‘Drop the Loot and Share Voter Register’, ‘Bring Back the Excavators and not New Register’ and ‘We Now Know Why Charlotte Was Sacked’.
Clearing the House
As soon as they left, the first Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Matthew Nyindam, and some angry NPP MPs went to remove all the inscriptions on the seats, paving the way for some members of the Majority to cross the aisle to occupy the vacant seats.
The Minority members quickly retired into their offices in the Job 600 Office Block coming out only after the delivery of the SONA for a press conference to justify their walkout.
Mahama Missing
Conspicuously missing at the SONA yesterday was former President John Dramani Mahama and his wife, Lordina.
DAILY GUIDE checks showed that he was in a town called Ahibenso in the newly created Western North Region on a campaign trial.
He even posted his rally on social media and asked followers to pass comments at the same time that the President was addressing the nation.
Former Leaders
All the other former presidents and many dignitaries including Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, his wife Samira, Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah and the diplomatic corps were there to listen to the President.
NDC founder and former President JJ Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, former President John Kufuor and even the wives of the late President J.E.A. Mills, Naadu Mills, and that of late Vice-President Amissah-Arthur, Matilda, were present.
Press Conference
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, who addressed the media, said bizarrely that the utterances of the President on his wishes to have a one-party Parliament are very unfortunate, stressing that Article 3 of the Constitution makes it practically and democratically impossible for a one-party state.
“President’s utterance gives credence to our fear that Nana Akufo-Addo wants to have a one-party state by weakening the largest opposition party, NDC,” the Minority leader said.
Free Speech
He said the boycott was to register their protest against the ruling NPP elites whom he claimed wanted to suppress freedom of expression and threaten Ghana’s growing democracy.
He said the opposition NDC would not allow itself to be suppressed and bullied and would strongly resist the tyrannical rule of President Akufo-Addo.
He said as long as the President and the Electoral Commission (EC) are adamant in maintaining the current voters’ register, they would use every lawful means to protest against the EC and the government.
Majority Leader
The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, after the President’s delivery, said the House would welcome the participation of the Minority members in the debate on the SONA which would begin on February 24 despite the fact that they did not sit through the delivery of the SONA.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr