Last night, Ghanaians shared their displeasure over the conduct of their lawmakers for the second time in the year inside the Parliament. Bearing the title ‘honourable’, the ordinary citizen expected the leaders and fathers of the nation to engage in discourse conveyed with respect and decorum.
However, the lawmakers proved otherwise. They proved that, with matters concerning the ‘welfare of the citizens,’ they can go wild, weird and uncivilized. If that’s for the mere benefit of the nation, I believe Ghanaians would be proud. Meanwhile, perhaps, there are underlying motivations as to why both sides are bent on defending their stance even if there should be a blood bath.
The first brawls in Parliament this year came live when the ‘honourables’ were voting for the selection process. Carlos Ahenkorah grabbed a ballot box and started what Kwaw Kese calls Temple Race in the Parliament. The National Democratic Party members didn’t go there to play, they were charged for hot pursuit.
The Member of Parliament for Tema West constituency came to apologize. According to him, it was out of love for his party. He will die to defend the course of the party, apparently.
In fact, a section of Ghanaians chanted that the 8th Parliament should render an unqualified apology to Ghanaians for such conduct. That was just a dream, it remained so.
And just yesterday, the debate on the e-levy bill turned the parliament into Bukom Banku Boxing Arena. Unfortunately, the Sports Minister, Isaac Kwame Asiamah has gone viral for the first time for receiving once-in-a-lifetime slaps. Capturing from an aerial view, the slap landed so well. Yes, it was unfortunate – there was a lot of push and pull amid blows from everyone from everywhere.
During all this time, the Speaker, Hon. Alan Bagbin has fled. According to a report, he left earlier for the reason below.
“He came to the chamber to transact one business and that’s E-Levy. But ‘they’ kept piling up other things on him. He demanded the E-Levy be brought but they insisted it wasn’t ready so he suspended the House and left for his home.” This is from a Starr News parliamentary reporter, Ibrahim Alhassan.
Just as it happened live, Ghana is trending on international platforms for an unfortunate reason. A lot of Ghanaians have translated the incident as a peep into what the 2024 elections hold.
All that Ghanaians ask from Parliament is respect.
After all, they are aged as fathers and have acquired enough knowledge, academically. In other words, they are wise and wield enormous knowledge. As a matter of fact, they know the best things to do for the country. Therefore, they should display rational values as footprints for future leaders.
Almost all of them have schooled overseas. They have sat in the same halls leaders doing the necessary in other countries also sat. Therefore, they should do better; the necessary things. Even pupils don’t behave like this anymore. They should reinstall discipline and orderliness in their discourse as leaders of a democratic nation. Ghana is not a village.