Member of Parliament for Sefwi Wiawso, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, feels he was misunderstood by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on Monday, July 22, 2024.
According to him, the Speaker went too far in asking him to walk out of the Chamber during the proceedings.
“If I say it does not lie in your mouth, tell me what is wrong with it,” he said on Joy FM‘s Top Story.
This development earlier today occurred after the legislator, representing the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) was held in contempt of the chair for making comments that the Speaker deemed rude.
During proceedings on Monday, the Speaker announced that the House had been notified about the nomination of new judges to the Supreme Court.
He added that “In giving you the information, I have given you an idea of the expectations of the people of Ghana. That is for you to consider as part of the report and the House to decide as to whether we will approve or disapprove those nominations.”
“His Excellency clearly stated that he is constitutionally injuncted to do what he has done, and so it is now for you to also look at.”
Following the Speaker’s reading, the MP was not impressed by how Mr Bagbin made his preliminary submission.
He described the Speaker’s remarks as prejudicial. “And I believe that as one representing the good people of Sefwi Wiawso, it doesn’t lie in your mouth to remind us of the things that you have said.”
But the Speaker would have none of that.
The legislator appears to have made further comments off the record.
However, the Speaker seems to have heard it and ordered that the Sefwi Wiawso MP vacate the chamber.
But speaking on Joy FM, the MP demonstrated that his actions were not disrespectful in any way as he only sought to put forth his opinion on the matter.
“What shocked me is that I was speaking what I was thinking and there was no disrespect. No misconduct on my part, In fact, he gave me permission to speak.”
He explained that his act of further bowing to the Speaker while the marshal ushered him out showed that no malice was intended.
“I did, I have seen the clip. I bowed to the speaker and the chair especially the chair that he sits in. It was so important that I did that because you see, where I was raised in the Omanhene’s palace, when there is a controversy like that you have to show humility so that you don’t leave anything to misinterpretation,” he said.
Despite admitting that he was humiliated by the action, Dr Afriyie has no plans to push it any further and will “let it go.”
Source | Myjoyonline
