Parliament swerves decision on Assin Central MP
Parliament Wednesday failed to take the report of the Committee of Privileges on the alleged contemptuous remarks and breach of privileges by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) member for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Agyapong.
The presentation of the report, which was agreed upon at last Tuesday’s sitting and advertised for Wednesday, was to allow MPs to take a decision on whether to reprimand or suspend Mr Agyapong for allegedly making contemptuous remarks of Parliament.
The motion for the adoption of the Committee of Privileges on the breach of privileges and contemptuous remarks was advertised in Wednesday’s Order Paper (the list of the business of Parliament for the day’s sitting).
Consequently, a number of journalists including members of the parliamentary press corps and others hunting for news, had stormed the house ready with their cameras, audio recorders and notepads to cover the expected decision to either reprimand or suspend Mr Agyapong as recommended by the Committee of Privileges.
But that expectation fizzled out as, after conducting other businesses in the House, the Speaker Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye, asked the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Chairman of the Committee of Privileges, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, to take up his seat to chair proceedings in the House.
The Committee has reportedly found Mr. Agyapong guilty of contempt and consequently recommended that he is reprimanded or suspended for the rest of the session for his comments that Parliament is cheap and useless.
He has since making those comments, apologized to the house.
Source: Graphic online