Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, has strongly criticised Effiduase-Asokore MP, Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie, for defying an order from the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, during proceedings on Tuesday.
Citing the Parliament Act of 1965 and the Standing Orders during Wednesday’s sitting, Speaker Bagbin underscored the authority vested in the Speaker and his deputies. He warned that flouting such authority could have grave implications for the career progression of Members of Parliament.
While ultimately choosing to pardon Dr Afriyie, the Speaker used pointed language to express his displeasure and to caution the House against disrespect.
“But I’ll just say this: [William] Shakespeare taught all of us that even a dog is obeyed in office. When we sit here, we are not saints; we are not infallible. But there is good reason why we are called ‘Right Honourable’ and you are called only ‘Honourable’,” he stated.
“The Speaker, however the situation, is always right on the floor. When he is wrong, the law has given you the opportunity to come back to the same floor to prove that he was wrong. So please, I repeat, even a dog is obeyed in office,” he added.
The dramatic episode began on Tuesday when Dr Afriyie attempted to read a statement on the ongoing strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), despite the statement not being approved for the day’s agenda.
First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor ordered him to stop and subsequently directed the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove him from the chamber. However, Minority MPs rallied around Dr Afriyie, preventing his removal by the Marshal.
Speaker Bagbin’s stern rebuke and ultimate pardon were seen as efforts to uphold parliamentary order while calming rising tensions within the chamber.
