The Deputy Majority and Minority leaders, Alexander Afenyo-Markin and Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah clashed in Parliament on Wednesday over the absence of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and traded some very unsavoury words.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin had to step in to right the wrongs before the situation could degenerate further.
The incident started during question time when the Speaker informed the House the Minister of Finance, who was billed to respond to some questions, had sent a letter to excuse his absence as a result of pressing engagement with representatives of the Chinese government and proposed the House continue with the questions for the Minister for Works and Housing.
Hon. Kofi Buah agreed to the proposition of the Speaker and indicated the Finance Minister’s absence was for a good reason and therefore his side would allow the Housing Minister.
He, however, condemned the attendance of the Finance Minister and said, “Mr. Speaker, as you know this House is not impressed with the record of the Minister of Finance’s attendance but we will allow that letter to stand.”
The concluding statement did not, however, go down well with Mr. Afenyo-Markin who insisted his colleague was not fair with his choice of words on the Minister.
He argued if Mr. Kofi-Buah is talking about his personal impression of the Minister he should say so for the records and insisted the Hansard, the official records of Parliament, should not be allowed to capture the words ‘This House is not impressed.’
He said, “This is a House of 275 members and I do not know of anything untoward that has been done by the Finance Minister to warrant this statement from you on behalf of the entire House.”
“The Minister, as courtesy demands, has written to Mr. Speaker and he has read it out aloud to us as a House. I don’t think the least you can do is say the House has not been impressed with his conduct. What did he do,” he quizzed.
The Deputy Majority leader proceeded to apply to the Speaker to have that aspect of the statement withdrawn or expunged from the records as it is needless.
Mr. Kofi Buah, however, argued in response that his colleague is not always paying attention and accused him of rising to fame by twisting people’s words.
He insisted his words about the finance Minister is in reference to his attendance for the day and stressed he was speaking for his side of the House that they, the Minority, are not impressed with his attendance.
Hon. Afenyo- Markin challenged his colleague for modifying his statement and question why he did not say in the beginning if he meant the Minority side of the House.
“You not courageous and honourable enough to accept your mistake; then you somebody’s rise to fame is through twisting people’s statement. I didn’t twist your statement and I would not use that to rise to any fame.”
The Minority leader did not take it lying down and stated he has worked in the corporate world for 20 years, and served as a deputy Minister after being properly vetted and as Minister of state and insisted it insulting to his status for his counterpart to tell his not courageous.
“I have served this country honourably. Have you ever been a deputy minister in this country?”
The Speaker, however, stepped in to stop the war of words and indicated the House cannot make progress without cooperation and consensus building and urged members to have that on their minds and respect colleagues.
Members, he said, have immunity to express their views freely on the floor of the House but stressed this should be done in a decorous and respectful language.