General News of Friday, 28 July 2017
Source: peacefmonline.com
2017-07-28
Haruna Iddrisu, The Minority Leader
Reports reaching Peacefmonline.com indicate that the Minority in Parliament is threatening to file for the impeachment of the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye.
The Minority has accused the Speaker of undermining the neutrality of the country’s Legislative House.
According to them, the Speaker has been showing gross levels of bias towards the Minority.
A complaint by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu was filed against the Speaker on Thursday, July 27.
Hon. Haruna Iddrisu noted that the Speaker had restrained him from posing more than one question to the Minster of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Dr. Owusu Afriyie Afoko, who was on the floor to answer questions pertaining to the government’s “Planting For Food and Jobs” programme.
Hon. Iddrisu is said to have been angered by the decision of the Speaker.
“You know the essence of parliamentary questions is significant and integral to the exercise of oversight. Your refusal to allow me even as Minority Leader to proceed can only be an effort to cripple us. We respect you as chair of this house; we have a responsibility as leadership to support you in maintaining order in this house,” he exclaimed.
Hon. Iddrisu’s remarks received some responses from the Speaker who also said; “I have consistently made it clear to both sides of the House – Majority and Minority – that no one will be allowed a double bite as I said on many occasions to both the Minority and the Majority. In all honesty you all know that.
“Let me make it clear that this argument was most unnecessary and that in future what is going to happen is no leader shall have double bite at the chamber.”
Hon A.B. Fuseini, a ranking member of the Communications Committee of Parliament has disclosed that Prof. Mike Oquaye’s behaviour may force the House to take an “unprecedented action” against him if his attitude persists.
“For want of a better term, the Speaker has exhibited gross levels of bias that is unbelievable. In the annals of the history of parliament, I have never seen this kind of behaviour. There is always reverence and respect for the leadership and when it comes to the leadership there is a special dispensation Speakers give to the leadership and this is not the first time the Speaker has treated our side with this level of disrespect and I think that we are reaching the end of the rope with that kind of behaviour.
“We are going to be forced to take maybe an unprecedented action that has never happened in the annals of our fourth republic . . . We are very close and there are a number of options available to us as Minority to exploit including the impeachment of the Speaker . . . [Impeachment] is an option available to us to exercise and when we deem it fit, we are going to exercise it if things don’t change,” he said.
