A Fellow at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr. John Osae-Kwapong, has called for those responsible for Thursday’s disruptions during the ministerial vetting to be held personally accountable for the damages.
The State must not be made to bear the cost, he said.
Dr. Osae-Kwapong made the call following the chaos during Parliament’s Appointments Committee sitting during which furniture and equipment were tossed between the Majority and Minority groups.
The Majority insisted on continuing the vetting process beyond 10pm, while the Minority opposed it claiming that was not the plan for the day and that their job was done for the day.
The chaos that ensued forced the session to an abrupt end.
Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show, Dr. Osae-Kwapong emphasised the need for personal accountability, saying “Those responsible for the chaos must pay for the damage, not the state.” “This will send a strong message and act as a deterrent to prevent such behaviour in the future.”
He added that it is critical for those involved to face consequences for their actions.
“The state should not bear the cost of actions that were clearly out of line, the individuals responsible must be held accountable,” Dr. Osae-Kwapong stressed.
Dr. Osae-Kwapong also expressed hope that the Speaker of Parliament would intervene in the matter.
“I’m hoping that the Speaker will summon those involved and have a word with them,” he said. “It’s not that they don’t know this is improper conduct, but there’s a need for the Speaker to have a strong conversation with them moving forward. This should be done to ensure that such incidents do not occur again.”
Dr. Osae-Kwapong reiterated the importance of accountability, urging that those responsible for the disruptions should face the consequences, not the state.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin, has since suspended four members of the house – the two Chief Whips for the Majority and Minority caucuses, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor and Frank Annoh-Dompreh, as well as Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli and Jerry Ahmed Shaib.
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