Private Legal Practitioner, Nana Obiri Boahene, has described Parliament as a place of civility and maturity, where political affiliations are put aside in the interest of constituents.
He opined that political party executives have no control over Members of Parliament (MP) and he sees no reason for them to be in Parliament during a vote on a budget proposal or any other such activity.
“We cannot reduce politics to a certain level. We need maturity and civility in our politics and parliament because when MPs enter parliament, they are in a different institution and party executives must understand they have no control over them. In Parliament they represent their constituents and not the party,” he stated in an interview with Happy98.9FM’s Don Kwabena Prah on the Epa Hoa Daben political talk show.
Reacting to questions on why the Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, John Boadu was not present during the voting on the proposed 2022 budget on Friday, November 26, 2021, when Asiedu Nketia was seen in the chamber, he emphatically stated, “We as executives of the NPP cannot cheapen ourselves and be present in Parliament when a discussion is going on. We don’t need to follow the NDC if they are doing that because we will not cheapen ourselves to that level.”
According to him, the General Secretary of the NPP could have decided to be present at Parliament but his person, Nana Obiri Boahene would not have done that. To him, MPs and the institution of Parliament must be revered. “Don’t reduce parliamentary activities to a cantata show. MPs are mature enough and we don’t need to go support them in making decisions because it is not a sports event.”
The Majority of MPs walked out of Parliament over the presence of the NDC General Secretary after the Speaker called for division in the house.
The Speaker asked Ministers who were not Members of Parliament to leave the lobby so Members of Parliament could vote for or against Ken Ofori-Atta’s request to meet both leadership of the house before they commence voting on the 2022 budget.
After the directive, Ken Ofori-Atta and others Ministers of State walked out of the lobby, however, Aseidu Nketia’s presence at the public gallery triggered the majority.
The calls for Asiedu Nketia to also leave Parliament went unheard, causing leaders of the Majority to pick up their bags and leave the chamber followed by their members.
Reacting to this, however, the NDC scribe noted that he was at the public gallery and not on the floor of parliament, so the Majority’s demand for him to leave was unfounded.