The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has taken strong exception to a stance taken by Speaker Alban Bagbin.

The Bekwai legislator sees it as problematic that Mr Bagbin continuously demonstrates what he believes is resistance to views other than his.

On February 24, the Speaker has expressed dissatisfaction with First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, for dismissing a motion to constitute a bipartisan Committee to probe into the government’s Covid-19 expenditure.

Alban Bagbin described the move as illegal particularly when he had already admitted the motion.

But the first Deputy sees this as demeaning to his role in the House.

In a press statement signed on Saturday, Joe Wise, as he is affectionately called, underscored the need for the Speaker to tolerate other dissenting views that do not necessarily align with his.

“Mr Speaker should have the courage to accept that others may hold a different view from his own even if they are subordinate to him,” the statement said.

He also added that this development will not prevent him from sharing his perspective on issues as is expected in a democracy.

“I have never shied away from showing my disagreement with Mr Speaker if need be, in my view, that is what democracy is about and that is what it ought to be,” he added.

Background

On Tuesday, February Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam MP, Ato Cassiel Forson, moved a motion for the House to constitute a bi-partisan committee to look into government activities concerning Covid-19 expenditure.

The Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, rose to make a preliminary objection to the tabling of the motion.

The Speaker then requested that he suspend his objection, wait for the motion to be tabled, and submit his objection.

Mr Afenyo-Markin sought clarification on the extent of the Speaker’s ruling. The clarification provided was that “it was improper to object to a motion that had not even been tabled in the first place”.

The Bekwai MP, Joseph Osei-Owusu, who assumed the role of the acting Speaker in the absence of Speaker Bagbin, threw out the private members’ motion for a probe into government’s Covid-19 expenditure.

He argued the motion ought not to have been admitted by Bagbin in the first place.

Following his action, the Minority in Parliament accused the First Deputy Speaker of usurping the Speaker’s powers.