Joseph Osei-Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker, has stated that he will not be compelled by any Member of Parliament (MP) to make choices that suit their personal agenda.
Mr Osei-warning Owusu’s came following a fight with Alhassan Suhuyini, the Tamale North MP, over quorum in the House on Friday.
Because the House lacked the required numbers to conduct business in accordance with the Constitution and Standing Orders of the House, the National Democratic Congress MP requested that the House be adjourned.
Mr Suhuyini, relying on Article 102 of the Constitution, raised the Deputy Speaker’s attention to what he believed was a constitutional infraction with fewer than one-third of the 275 members in the House and around 30 minutes into the meeting.
The First Deputy Speaker and MP for Bekwaihad had previously commanded that the bell be rung at 1:11 p.m. for a quorum to be formed within 10 minutes or the House would be adjourned if the appropriate numbers were not present within that time.
With quorum still not created at 1:50 p.m., Mr Suhuyini halted proceedings and asked the Deputy Speaker to obey the House’s procedures after his two reminders went unanswered.
“Mr Speaker, you do not have unrestricted power to dismiss my objection,” an angry Suhuyini exclaimed during a question from the Road Minister, leading the Deputy Speaker to mute his microphone.
Mr Osei-Owusu, who described the broadcaster-turned-actions politician’s as disrespectful to the chair, claimed that the Standing Orders gave him unambiguous authority to suspend the Orders and enable the proceedings to continue.
“I will refuse to recognize you if you break the rules; it is the privilege I have.” Honourable members, these Standing Orders provide the Speaker the authority to suspend them if he deems it essential.
“I would not be bamboozled by a member standing and hijacking the order and talking into the microphone,” the First Deputy Speaker remarked, adding that once Mr Suhuyini raised an objection, “the item is in my chest and do not worry; I would attend to it.”
The matters being discussed, according to Mr Osei-Owusu, were private member’s business and did not require quorum, saying that this allowed members to bring unique constituency problems to the House.
“So, if you raise [questions about] quorum at that time, yeah, we can adjourn the sessions, but it is the members who would be affected.” When it comes to government business, it’s one thing, but when it comes to private business, such as members’ comments and question time, we don’t often raise difficulties.
“It is members who have brought the minister here to have their concerns about their constituencies aired, but if you insist on continuing, I will end the proceedings,” Mr Osei-Wusu warned.
Intervening, the Speaker’s First Deputy Minority Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, backed up the Speaker’s assertion that private firms did not require quorum, revealing that he had to walk around making sure that members who were scheduled to ask questions showed up.
