Minority in Parliament today March 2, 2018, registered their displeasure with the conduct of the Speaker of Parliament, by hooting at him on the floor of the house.
The irritated Minority MPs accused the Speaker of pursuing to frustrate them from articulating their views, especially on controversial issues.
The NDC MPs hooted at the Speaker after Parliament approved the controversial Legal Profession Regulations 2017 L.I. through a voice vote.
According to the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, they recommended that the Ghana Legal Council should not be allowed to conduct interviews for entrants into the Ghana School of Law but entrance examinations for admission into the school should continue.
Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, had earlier insisted that the House should have done division voting where every Member of Parliament is given the opportunity to vote the way they wanted but claims that he was completely ignored by the Speaker.
The Minority MPs hooted at the Speaker and chanted songs loudly in the chamber.
Speaking to Journalists in Parliament, Muntaka Mubarak said Professor Oquaye was a threat to Ghana’s democracy saying neither “Mobutu Sese Seko nor “Idi Amin will behave the way he is doing.â€
He, therefore, called on Civil Society groups to speak against Professor Oquaye’s actions.
“Civil society should be concerned about how the Speaker is conducting himself, it is so terrible. As for listening to us, you have to listen to us and make your ruling. If we want to challenge your ruling we know what to do, but to deliberately, continuously do what he is doing, I think he is the biggest threat to our democracy.â€
Don’t push me to disrespect you – Haruna ‘warns’ Speaker
Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, in February threatened to disrespect the authority of the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye if his behaviour towards the Minority leadership does not change.
A verbal altercation began during the passage of the Special Petroleum Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2018 where Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak described the quantum of the decrease in fuel prices as fraudulent.
This brought in the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu who had strong words for the Speaker after being made to stand on his feet for a while without recognition.
What further infuriated Haruna Iddrisu was the fact that the Speaker rather called the Majority Leader for his contribution, even though he, Haruna Iddrisu, had been on his feet for several minutes.