Ashaiman MP justifies ‘snatching’ of Speaker’s seat

Member of Parliament for Ashaiman Constituency Ernest Henry Norgbey has said it is normal for anybody to “touch” the seat of the Speaker of Parliament.

On Wednesday, December 1, during a scuffle between the Majority and the Minority in Parliament, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP hauled the seat of sit-in Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu, who is also the First Deputy Speaker and MP for Bekwai, after he suspended sitting for an hour.

Mr Norgbey’s action attracted Parliament’s marshals, who returned the seat to the dais.

Speaking in an interview with Media General’s Parliamentary Correspondent Komla Klutse after the incident, the NDC MP says there was nothing wrong with his action and he was rather preserving it for Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament.

“I didn’t snatch the seat of the Speaker,” he clarified.

“Well, I was preserving the seat of Speaker [Alban Bagbin] to come.”

Apparently, Mr Osei-Owusu had indicated that he was counted as part of the Members present on Tuesday for the approval of the 2022 budget statement and government’s economic policy because he also wore the cap of an MP.

“When a [Deputy] Speaker rules that he is not the Speaker, then the Speaker would have to come and sit on his seat and take decision on that,” Mr Norgbey said.

He shied away from saying whether he regrets his action but said so far as the Speaker was not on the seat before he pulled it, there was nothing wrong with it.

“So many touch the Speaker’s seat. I can touch it. After touching Speaker’s seat what happens?” he asked.

“The clerk, everybody touches the Speaker’s seat. It is just a normal thing.”

source: 3news