A decision by the Minority in Parliament not to acknowledge the newly elected Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, has been rubbished by the Majority.

Deputy Majority Whip, Mathew Nyindam in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story said, no decision taken by the Minority will have any effect on the new MP’s performance or cause her to lose what she is rightfully entitled to.

He added that “they have no choice. What is the meaning of they won’t recognise her? Which aspect of the Constitution or our Standing Orders are they going to use?

“They can sit in their comfort and say they don’t recognise her but that is their issue, but on the floor, they can never,” he added.

The NDC MPs are enraged about government’s failure to identify and punish some so-called National Security officers who assaulted Ningo Prampram MP, Samuel George during last Thursday’s by-election in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency which saw the NPP’s Lydia Alhassan win by a landslide.

Dressed in black t-shirts and khaki trousers with black face masks, one of the men in the video captured by Joy News is seen throwing a punch in the direction of Mr George during an argument at the home of the party’s Parliamentary candidate close to the La Bawaleshie Presby School polling centre.

Until now, Joy News has yet to understand what triggered the argument but it seemed as though whatever Mr George said to the so-called national security operatives got on their nerves.

But a failure on the part of the government to identify and punish the men who the NDC say intimidated voters at the polling centre, has left members of the party and the Minority in a state of annoyance.

They had hoped that the Majority would back them up and push for sanctions on the perpetrators when the House sat on Tuesday. That did not happen.

They stormed out of the House while Madam Alhassan was being sworn in as the new member and embarked on a 2.23 km march to the Police Headquarters to push for answers.

The MPs say until that is done, they will not recognise the new MP and if push comes to shove, they will call for the scrapping on the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election results for new polls to be held.

Related: Minority announces series of actions they will take following walkout

Mr Nyindam is astonished. In his view, the Minority is simply blowing off steam.

“Are they saying they are going to waive off all the privileges she is entitled to? Or when she rises on the floor of Parliament to talk, they are going to insult her just like they did today [Tuesday],” he queried.

Sam George assault

Mr Nyindam who is also MP for Kpandai was stern in his criticisms of the assault on Mr George.

He said rather than walking out of Parliament, the Minority should partner the Majority to bring an end to what seems to be a constant problematic by-election anytime it is held in the country.

“Every well-meaning Ghanaian will be concerned about our by-elections and we have to condemn it and call on the state security to move and see how people who have decided to get themselves in committing such crimes are dealt with by the law.”

He said the Minority’s claim that the Majority and government are uninterested in pursuing the issue and finding the culprits, are wrong.

The issue, for him, is one that calls for concern but “if there are issues that we all must look at from a Ghanaian point of view and you decide to do politics with it, you lose out.

“The Minority is getting it wrong. No MP will glorify what happened to Sam George and we must all look at it from a non-partisan level.”

He added the Minority MPs boycott of proceedings today was unfortunate and not the right way to handle issues.