Dr. John Osae-Kwapong, a Fellow at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), has called for individuals responsible for Thursday’s disturbances during the ministerial vetting to be held personally accountable for the damages, rather than shifting the financial burden onto the state.
His comments come in the wake of chaos at Parliament’s Appointments Committee sitting, where furniture and equipment were thrown during a heated standoff between the Majority and Minority caucuses. The dispute arose when the Majority pushed to extend the vetting beyond 10 p.m., a move the Minority opposed, insisting the session had already concluded for the day. The disorder ultimately led to an abrupt suspension of proceedings.
Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show, Dr. Osae-Kwapong underscored the need for accountability, stressing that those involved in the disruptions should take responsibility for their actions.
“Those responsible for the chaos must pay for the damage, not the state. This will send a strong message and serve as a deterrent to prevent such misconduct in the future,” he stated.
He further urged Speaker Alban Bagbin to take a firm stance on the matter by summoning those involved for a discussion.
“It’s not that they don’t know this is improper conduct, but the Speaker must have a strong conversation with them to ensure such incidents do not happen again,” he emphasized.
Dr. Osae-Kwapong reiterated the need for consequences, asserting that the state should not bear the cost of actions that were “clearly out of line.”
In response to the chaos, Speaker Bagbin has since suspended four MPs: the Chief Whips of both the Majority and Minority caucuses, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor and Frank Annoh-Dompreh, along with Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli and Jerry Ahmed Shaib.
SOURCE: Kareen Tei
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