NDC MP Seizes Speaker's seat as Fight Breaks out in Parliament over Ruling

• The Second Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu ruled to reject a motion tabled by the minority side
• Minority and majority members were spotted shoving and pushing each other over the rule by the acting speaker of parliament
• NDC MPs however seized the speaker's seat to register their displeasure

There was chaos on the floor of the Parliament of Ghana with minority and majority members shoving and pushing each other over a rule by the speaker's replacement.

The confrontation between the two sides erupted after the Second Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu ruled to reject a motion tabled by the minority side.

The minority had moved for a vote to overturn the approval of the 2022 budget as passed by the all-majority side of the house on Tuesday, November 30, 2021 but was rejected.

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The house, having reconvened on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, engaged in a heated banter over the decision by the second deputy speaker, to count himself as part of MPs present to form a quorum on Tuesday.

However, ruling on the motion, Osei Owusu upheld the approval saying he is an MP and that taking up speakership duties in the absence of the speaker does not take away his position as an MP.

Osei-Owusu further stated that a member stepping in as speaker does not take away his rights as an MP and thus, he had every right to be counted as part of the quorum.

He thus went ahead to rule against the motion by the minority and adjourned sitting for 30 minutes.

Angered by the acting speaker's ruling, the minority MPs flooded the floor of the house and were joined by some majority members leading to a chaotic scene with some of the MPs pushing and shoving each other.

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In the heat of the moment, Ashiaman MP, Ernest Norgbey, grabbed the speaker’s chair ostensibly to register his displeasure with the second deputy speaker saying he is not a speaker.

“He said he is not a speaker, we will treat him as such,” a minority MP was heard shouting over the microphone.

2022 Budget statement approved without the presence of minority

Previously, the House approved the 2020 Agyenkwa Budget Statement without the Minority.

This happened on Tuesday, November 30, 2022.

The approval of the budget statement also happened in the absence of the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Alban Bagbin, who was out of the country for a routine medical checkup in Dubai.

Source: YEN.com.gh