Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has insisted that he will not be intimidated by any caucus in the House, maintaining that his decisions will always be guided by what is right and in the national interest.
Reacting to Tuesday’s walkout by the Minority, Bagbin said there was no justification for the caucus to defy his directive ordering Damongo MP Samuel Abu Jinapor to leave the chamber.
He described the Minority’s decision to challenge his ruling as “completely wrong”, insisting that parliamentary authority and directives must be respected.
“What happened yesterday was no truly indicated walk out but it will be captured in the official report as something that occurred. There was actually, from my perspective as the Speaker, no need for the Minority to decide to flout my directive collectively because a member of them has been ordered to be sent out of the House.
“That was completely wrong and because they left without notice, without a word, I couldn’t even follow up to call on the office of the Clerk to expunge all what he said.
“There is no way Mr. Speaker seated here can be intimidated by any caucus. It will not happen. I will do what I believe is right and in the national interest, simple and short,” Bagbin stated.
Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus in Parliament has vowed to continue holding the government and its officials accountable despite what it describes as attempts to silence its members.
The caucus said it would not be intimidated or deterred from performing its oversight responsibilities following the Speaker’s decision on Tuesday, November 3 to walk out on Damongo MP Samuel Abu Jinapor for making unsubstantiated claims without evidence.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, November 4, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin said neither Jinapor nor the caucus would be silenced in the discharge of their parliamentary duties.
“Honourable Jinapor shall not be silenced. The caucus shall not be silenced. We shall hold the government and its functionaries accountable, as Ghanaians have entrusted us to do,” Afenyo-Markin said.
