Permit me to begin this article by explaining briefly, what “gutter to gutter” means. Growing up as a boy at Kaneshie, Abossey Okai and Tudu, we had a popular informal football game known as “gutter to gutter.”
The concept of this game is quite interesting because the stadium requirement is just a corner street with two gutters; one on each side. The goal posts were characterised by stones picked from around, and the width of the goal post was measured with our bare foot.
The team can be constituted at the ‘stadium’ just a few minutes to kick off; depending on the people available. There were no coaches and it didn’t matter whether we knew each other before or not.
We didn’t need any boots or referees because we were the masters of our own rules. We made our own footballs from different types of winter socks, which we called ‘sox ball’.
Often times, we glossed over known FIFA football rules and had our soccer entertainment without formular. If ever the ‘sox ball’ fell into the gutter and soaked the contents of the drainage, we just picked it up and continued playing as if nothing ever happened and the germs didn’t matter.
Well, we appeared serious at first glance, but deep within us, we knew it was nothing serious. It was just a fine mess to represent something. Anybody who stood by and watched for some time realised this and moved on!
Now, with the explanation above and with all apology, wouldn’t you be tempted to agree with me that some Members of Parliament (MPs) are literally seeking to create an exalted replica of the fine mess called “gutter to gutter” in the august house of Parliament?
As a young Ghanaian, I have been deeply worried about Ghana’s 8th and 9th Parliament under the leadership of the quintessentially experienced Speaker Bagbin. I am worried because, per his wealth of knowledge and experience as leader of the both the Majority and Minority sides at different times since this fourth republican dispensation begun, I am of the firm view that some of the happenings that we have witnessed, should ordinarily not be seeing the light of day under his watch.
It is even more concerning when it appears that his approach of liberal leadership is often misconstrued either as a weakness or that kind of familiarity that breeds contempt. The records will show, that Mr. Speaker has tried to play father and the proverbial Abusuapanyin or family head (not the Tupac type), which has jokingly earned him nicknames such as ‘Headmaster’, ‘ College Principal’ or even ‘Big Uncle’.
However, it appears, that style is not working well for him and he may have to reconsider his strategy going forward. Is it time for the Speaker to crack the whip? I don’t know!
Indeed, my colleague Senior Journalists and Editors who were at Speaker Bagbin’s Editors’ Forum not so long ago, know that I put a question to the Speaker and respectfully gave him a proverbial reminder that: if he does nothing about these incidents of indiscipline, it will forever hang around his neck as his garland of shame. I reminded him also that, if he continues to travel that path, it will ruin an impressive parliamentary career which is older than many young people speaking in fruity language against him these days!
For the uninitiated, here are a few examples of what has necessitated my worry about the prestigious second arm of government that has all the fine people therein to play a very serious role.
First, on the night that Parliament had to make a choice between now Speaker Bagbin and then immediate past Speaker Prof. Oquaye, a sitting MP found it ‘honourable’ to grab ballot papers and sprinted with it like an Olympic champion while chewing some as if he hadn’t eaten for two days.
His colleagues gave him a hot chase and beat him like a low-life Kaneshie market pick pocket who had just heard people shout “hey, julor”. Nothing happened to him. He walked free thereafter and even joined in deliberations in Parliament to make laws that we all must obey.
On that same night, while the whole world was watching Ghana on TV and on the internet, some soldiers wearing different colours of berets stormed the chamber of Parliament – a hallowed place reserved for the elected MPs and other parliamentary officials.
This was at a sensitive national moment when there was no President nor a Speaker of Parliament (a coup could have occurred, given our tumultuous military past). The soldiers were under the Command of a Colonel. Till date, none, and I mean none of those soldiers have been punished. Rather, they have since been promoted.
As if that was not enough, as a sequel, to the prequel of soldiers storming Parliament ‘uninvited’, all the ministers of the security sectors i.e National Security, Defence and Interior denied knowledge of who gave the order at their vetting.
This vetting was conducted by a supposed hung Parliament of 137 Majority members and 137 Minority members with 1 independent candidate who chose to do business with the Majority, hence the hung Parliament. They subsequently passed their vetting without sweat to serve in those same roles.
And then a Minister committed what could be considered by the common man as perjury in the Sputnik V procurement issue. How did he do that? He lied that no payments had been made and then came to do damage control the next day when he was exposed, that he wasn’t thinking straight. Well, he also walked away unpunished amidst praises from his appointor the President.
Then came the Konkonsah police bi-partisan probe that interrogated and caused to be televised, a scheme to oust then Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dampare from office.
Three of his serving subordinates and a known politically exposed person were involved. The IGP was eventually shown the exit. One of the three officers retired while the two continue to serve. In that same issue, one of the witnesses, COP Mensah told Parliament under oath that he is not a partisan man and has never held a party card. Yet, he contested in the party primaries as a full longstanding card bearing member in good standing. Is that perjury too? What did Parliament say?
There was also an instance where former Assin Central MP and NPP Presidential candidate hopeful, Kennedy Agyapong is seen trading unprintable insults with now Interior Minister and then Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak in the chamber. It was so heated that it almost got to fisticuffs. That also passed nicely.
Subsequently, some parliamentarians on the leadership bench on both sides dressed as gentlemen in suits and ties, along with their colleagues, disrupted vetting and destroyed state property on live TV and still remained at post after a brief suspension by the Speaker. They continue to make laws that all Ghanaians must obey, failing which fines or jail terms shall apply.
These are just, but a few.
My confusion is: how can those who expect us to be lawful at all times display lawlessness when it matters the most especially before the Mace? Where is the discipline? Where is the deterrence? Where is the respect for authority? Where is the quality we witnessed at the inception of the fourth republic?
If you are as confused as I am, then you shouldn’t be angry and surprised at once at this latest brawl in Bukom, because it’s most likely that nobody will be punished for anything. After all, it is just a fine mess of a “gutter to gutter” game at half time!
