Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong has charged his colleague MP to be bold and demand for opportunities for themselves regardless of the reaction of Ghanaians.
According to Kennedy Agyapong who believes that Ghanaians have belittled the important role of MPs for far too long but the country cannot function without their active participation.
The comments of Kennedy Agyapong comes in reaction to amendments made to the Roads Regulations Act LI 2180 which will exclude the Speaker of Parliament and MPs from the list of Ghanaians allowed to use sirens and motorcade.
“I want to caution my colleagues to be bold for once because we’ve been cowards. When it comes to anything concerning Parliament, we are afraid of the reaction of the public, but anything that the government needs, they will first come to Parliament. For a whole Speaker, you say that he cannot even enjoy a motorcade. Who is Kennedy Agyapong? Who went to the Senate and enjoyed a motorcade under President Kufuor’s administration? We must be bold and speak the truth.”
“Every money this country needs, it has to go through Parliament, but society belittles us as if we are servants to them. Although we are servants to them, we also have to enjoy rights. I want you guys to be bold. Members have to be bold.”
“In case there is an emergency and you need Members of Parliament from, say, Adenta to come here. If he enjoys a motorcade, is it a sin? Mr. Speaker, I am speaking for Parliament that it is a very important institution and therefore we should not be afraid to demand opportunities for ourselves,” Kennedy Agyapong said on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, September 4, 2024.
He urged MPs to be bold and fight for their privileges because if the Speaker of Parliament is not treated with dignity, it will trickle down to them as Members of Parliament.
“If they are doing this to the Speaker, then who are you? A member of Parliament sitting here, and we are the same people who are going to approve this (the amended act). Are you saying that ministers are also not important?”