PPP Communicator, Charles Owusu has called on the legislature to use local language when discussing issues on the floor of the House.
According to Charles Owusu, the over-reliance on English poses a challenge to some Members of Parliament who are not fluent in the language.
He was responding to the recent gaffe by MP for Wa East, Hon. Aminu Salifu.
Hon. Aminu Salifu, contributing to discussions on the State of the Nation Address which was delivered by President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, February 25, 2014, gave his colleagues a very good laugh when he committed some serious blunders in Parliament quite recently.
Addressing the House, he welcomed his colleagues, saying; “Thank you, Mr. Speaker for giving me this opportunity to support the motion ably made by my senior, Member of Tamale Central; Member of Tamale Central, of Tamale South…I’m very sorry about that. In doing so, I will like to thank the President, His Excellency, for the wonderful Speech of the Nation; of the State of the Nation Address on the twenty-fifth of the second, 20…” and added that under the leadership of President John Mahama, every “under school of trees” has been eliminated.
Another Member of Parliament of Adenta constituency, Hon. Ashie Moore is also reported to have committed a faux pas, thus raising the question whether the time has come for Ghanaians to vote for representatives who are fluent in English only.
Speaking to Peacefmonline.com, he insisted that it is about time the legislative body consider the local language and allow the members to express themselves in the local dialect they know best.
To him, should the House find a neutral local language, particularly Twi which appears to be the most commonly spoken language in the country, perhaps the MPs who are not eloquent in English will not find it cumbersome to speak to issues in the House.