The Minority in Parliament has lamented the use of brawns instead of brains by their colleagues in the Majority in many affairs of the House, saying that is affecting the work of the legislative arm of government.
According to Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, many motions have been passed without due diligence by members of the House due to the Majority’s abuse of its numerical advantage.
Addressing the press in Accra on Monday, January 26, Mr Afenyo-Markin stressed that members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Parliament are ready to read all motions and scrutinise documents before being passed if their colleagues are tired to do so.
He said their readiness to scrutinise motions has often led to near fisticuffs on the floor of the House.
“They should be ready to beat us in Parliament,” the Effutu Member of Parliament (MP) stressed, adding: “We will resist with all the energy left in us.”
He said the era of filing motions under certificate of urgency is past, blaming the Speaker for allowing most of those to happen.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said though it is well known that Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin is of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) stock, he bears it a duty for Ghana to protect both Minority and Majority MPs.
“We have been frustrated by the numerous dismissal of our motions,” he bemoaned, urging the Speaker to prioritise “substance over form” and allow “debates to flow”.