ember of Parliament for Tema West, Carlos Ahenkorah snatched ballot papers on January 7,2021
Alban Bagbin elected as Speaker of Parliament
Fomena MP appointed 2nd Deputy Speaker of Parliament
Chaos in Ghana’s eight parliament
Friday, January 7, 2022, marks exactly one year, Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin, was elected Speaker of Ghana’s 8th Parliament under the Fourth Republic.
The election was characterized by several moments of chaos as a result of misunderstandings between the New Patriotic Party MPs-elect and their National Democratic Congress (NDC) counterparts.
Though the entire house received several backlash for the chaos, the names of some members readily come to mind as soon as event is mentioned and this is because of the roles they played in the chamber on the very day.
Let’s take a look at what these individuals did to earn the place in what we term ‘The January 7 Parliament Chaos Hall of Fame’
Carlos Ahenkorah
The Member of Parliament for Tema West, Carlos Ahenkorah, was one of the MPs who become popular in the 8th parliament.
While the ballots casted for the Speaker’s election were being counted, the former deputy Trade and Industry Minister, ran to the table and snatched some of the ballot papers.
He was quickly chased, accosted at the entrance of the parliamentary chamber and physically challenged by some NDC MPs which included the MP for Asawase, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka.
The NDC later accused the MP of chewing some of the ballot papers he snatched.
His action gave him some popularity as his name was all over social media platforms across the country.
He, however, apologized for his action few days after the incident.
Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
MP for Juaboso Constituency, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, also trended on social media during the inauguration of the eighth parliament after the Member for Parliament for Abelekuma Ablekuma West Constituency ended up on his laps.
This was amid the chaotic scene of the inauguration of the 8th parliament.
The video of the Ablekuma West MP, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful comfortably sitting on the laps on Kwabena Mintah Akandoh caused a lot of stir on social media as Ghanaians wondered what actually went on.
However, after the sitting, the MP explained how it all happened to the media.
“When the NPP MPs came in, they saw that we were on the right side so they went to the left but Ursula refused. Cletus Avoka was sitting down and decided to go to the washroom, by the time he came back Ursula had taken his seat. We tried to persuade her but she declined. She also left the seat and I sat on it. When she came she just sat on my lap. She didn’t say anything to me, she just sat and I didn’t say anything,” he said.
Ernest Norgbey
The Member of Parliament for Ashiaman also became popular after he pushed Ursula Owusu out of the chair she was seated one leading to her falling on her knees in the chamber on Janury 7, 2021.
Ernest Norgbey’s action was after Ursula Owusu sat at the majority side of parliament which had been occupied by the NDC MPs before they were sworn-in on January 7, 2021.
While the NDC members praised him for his actions, some Ghanaians slammed him for his action.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful
The Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, was captured comfortably sitting on the laps on Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the MP for Juaboso, on the midnight of January 6, 2021.
Aside that, videos of her shoving Collin Dauda onto the floor also raised tempers in an already charged chamber.
While others slammed her for her actions, others wondered why she did what she did in the chamber.
She later explained that she pushed Mr Dauda because she assumed he was the one who instructed the MP for Ashaiman, Ernest Norgbey, to pull out her chair which led to her falling on her knees in the chamber.
She added that she did so because Collins Dauda had earlier told her to leave the seat before the incident.
She, however, claimed she had apologized to Collins Dauda for her actions.
Andrews Amoako Asiamah
The Member of Parliament for Fomena Constituency, Andrews Amoako Asiamah, cannot be left out of this list.
After being sacked by the New Patriotic Party before the 2020 elections, he contested as an independent candidate for the Fomena constituency.
He won the seat as an independent candidate, and was subsequently elected as the second deputy speaker for the 8th parliament of the fourth republic of Ghana on January 7, 2021.