Governance Expert Michael Ebo Amoah has expressed disappointment in the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin and Majority leader of Parliament Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu after what happened to be a clash between the two.
The two leaders clashed when the Speaker had directed the Minister of Railway Development, John Peter Amewu, to be at his designated seat before moving a motion for the approval of his ministry’s budget.
The Majority Leader however felt the Speaker was not being consistent with his insistence on members speaking from their seats.
The Speaker did not agree with the accusation of inconsistency and it became a banter between the two.
The two leaders also had a disagreement over the admission of petition by Dr. Kwabena Duffuor and Prince Kofi Amoabeng to investigate the conduct of the Bank of Ghana and the Ghana Stock Exchange following the revocation of the license of their respective financial institutions.
Michael Amoah commenting on the happenings of yesterday told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show: “It is not the best because if at any point in time you see that the speaker and the leader of Government business in parliament openly exchange words, I don’t think it is healthy for those of us outside following because I know that normally whenever there is any meeting or there is going to be a sitting, the leadership of parliament including the speaker, majority leader, minority leader and the whips meet at the business committee level. So even if the business level is not there you can do behind the scenes before you come.
Listening to the majority leader on other platforms, he says what the speaker did was very surprising because earlier on he had asked for the agenda of the day and he didn’t see that discussion there only for him to come to the chamber to realize that someone has put it on the agenda for discussion. When it happens that way, it is not the best”.
Michael added that just observing what happened between the two leaders, he was embarrassed.
He furthered that it is expected that leaders show example by displaying emotional intelligence. “I am not the one to advise the majority leader and speaker on issues of emotional intelligence but what happened yesterday wasn’t the best and we shouldn’t see some of these things going forward”, he added.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah