Tamale Central lawmaker Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed has taken a swipe at the Majority Leader in Parliament Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu for indicating that Speaker Alban Bagbin’s understanding of the law in handling absentee lawmakers, is wrong.
Murtala indicated that the Leader of Government Business in the House has gained notoriety for verbally attacking the Speaker at the least opportunity.
“You Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu when the Speaker was practicing law you were selling spare parts at Suame Magazine,” Murtala told TV3’s Roland Walker in Parliament on Wednesday October 26.
It is recalled that while addressing the press after the Speaker’s ruling on Dome Kwabenya Member of Parliament Sarah Adwoa Safo, on Wednesday October 26, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu who is lawmaker for Suame said “The speaker is totally wrong in his understanding of the law, that is why I repeated that he has sent us on a very obsequious path, it doesn’t help Parliament
Mr Bagbin ruled that Parliament will debate on the removal or otherwise of Dome Kwabenya Member of Parliament Sarah Adowa Safo.
Delivering his ruling in Parliament on Wednesday October 26, Speaker Bagbin said “The house is well within its right to receive and consider the report from the committee and make a determination.
“It is my ruling that motion be was rightfully admitted.”
Sarah Adwoa Safo absented herself for more than the stipulated 15 days.
The Majority caucus wanted her seat to be declared vacant but this was opposed by the Minority, who felt she should be heard first.
The Speaker also questioned the authority of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs to declare her seat vacant.
In March, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu disclosed that Sarah Adwoa Safo had requested a month-long leave from the House.
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Subsequently, the Speaker referred her case and that of two other MPs, namely Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central and Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central, to the Privileges Committee for hearing.
Speaker Bagbin, who deferred ruling on the matter before parliament went on recess, promised to do so when sitting resumes.
In a formal communication to the House on Tuesday, the Speaker noted that because there were few things to transact just after the assumption, he deferred the ruling to Wednesday.