Kennedy Agyapong Urges MPs To Be Bold And Fight For Their Privileges Following Exemption From New LI
- The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, has urged parliamentarians to resist the 'tyranny' of Ghanaians
- He said Ghanaians have bullied parliamentarians to the extent that they are unable to demand certain privileges they should earn
- His comment followed the exemption of the Speaker and MPs from a new LI, allowing them to use sirens and exceed speed limits
Kennedy Agyapong, the parliamentary member for Assin Central, has urged his colleagues to be bold and fight for their privileges.
According to him, Ghanaians have bullied parliamentarians for far too long, denying them the basic privileges they should be entitled to.
Source: UGC
He was referring to the amendments to the Roads Regulations Act LI 2180, which the Transport Ministry was attempting to lay before parliament for approval.
An earlier version of the LI faced strong criticism from Ghanaians after it was disclosed that judges, ministers, the Speaker of Parliament, and parliamentarians were permitted to use sirens in traffic.
The new LI, LI 2180, now prohibits the Speaker of Parliament and parliamentarians from using the sirens.
The amendment has attracted the ire of parliamentarians who say their exclusion from the LI is unfair and must be rectified.
One such MP, Kennedy Agyapong, told his colleagues to be bold and resist the tyranny of the masses.
He said parliamentarians have often resisted pursuing projects that would benefit them to avoid the wrath of Ghanaians.
He said the status quo must change to deliver to parliamentarians the benefits they rightfully deserve.
He said that despite the work parliamentarians perform to ensure that the government of the day can deliver on its mandate, Ghanaians have suffocated the house to the extent that they are denied something as basic as a motorcade.
Ken Agyapong has called on his colleagues to speak out and demand the respect that they ought to be accorded.
He explained that sirens would allow members to rush to parliament for urgent meetings and would thus require some privileges, including using sirens and motorcades.
“Every money this country needs, it has to go through parliament but the society belittles us as if we are servants to them. Although we are servants to them, we also have to enjoy rights,” he said.
Kennedy Agyapong said if the Speaker and MPs were not permitted to use sirens and motorcades in the bill, parliament would reject it.
Government withdraws LI
The government withdrew an earlier attempt to pass the Road Traffic Regulations to allow ministers and legislators to use sirens on their cars and be exempted from speed limits following a public uproar.
The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah, withdrew the Legislative Instrument on behalf of the Minister for Transport.
The Transport Ministry laid the instrument to amend the Road Regulations Act LI 2180 on June 14.
Speaking in Parliament, Korsah said the U-turn followed extensive engagement with the Parliamentary leadership.
Speaker says he’s unaware of LI
YEN.com.gh also reported that the Speaker of Parliament said he is unaware of the LI allowing ministers to use sirens and exceed speed limits.
Alban Bagbin explained his side of the controversial matter during a past public lecture on private member bills at the University of Ghana.
The government was criticised over the alleged proposal that would allow ministers and MPs to use sirens and be exempted from speed limits.
Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
