'In All My Years As A Parliamentarian, I've Never Been This Sad'

Chairman of the Subsidiary Legislative Committee (SLC), Hon Osei Kwame Prempeh says he is hugely disappointed with the decision by the Majority caucus to reject the committee’s report on Constitutional Instrument (CI) 78. Osei Kwame Prempeh believes the Majority Caucus only cared about their partisan interest instead of the general good of the whole nation, describing their decision as shameful. On Monday, Parliament, by a Majority vote of 81 to 56, rejected the recommendation of the Committee for the annulment of the proposed CI 78, which is to give legal backing to the creation of some 45 new constituencies because it was fraught with mistakes. The legislature is made up of 228 members. The report, which was laid before the House last Friday indicated that 26 electoral areas created under LI 1983 had been omitted whiles 22 non-existing electoral areas have been introduced. The Majority’s decision means, the Representation of the People (Parliamentary Constituencies) Instrument 2012 (C.I 78) would mature latest by Wednesday. Speaking on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning show on Tuesday October 2, 2012, the Nsuta-Kwamang-Beposo MP, who was also a former Deputy Attorney General during the erstwhile Kufuor administration said as he was reading the report which was drafted not only by the Minority but by both sides, “they were only making noise and for the first time in my life and my long years of serving in parliament, I felt sad”.   Hon Osei Kwame Prempeh To him, what was more surprising was the behavior of members of the SLC from the majority side who played a key part in the preparation and adoption of the report by the committee. “In all my years of serving in parliament, I have never been this sad like yesterday (Monday). Seeing accomplished MPs who are astute lawyers, turn the whole report upside down because of their selfish political interest was very sad. What was heartbreaking was the attitude of the MPs from the Majority side of the House who are part of the committee…after discovering the errors in CI 78 and agreeing that the committee should call for the annulment of the CI, these colleagues, after the report was laid before the House lied just for political expediency,” he noted. He added that it was embarrassing for people described as honorables to stand on the floor of the House, look truth in the face and lie against their conscience. He pointed out that the NPP is not against the creation of new constituencies, but simply wants the right thing to be done at the right time. “…the NDC is creating the impression that the creation of new constituencies automatically means development which is erroneous because, it is rather additional cost at this time...it is clearly obvious that when you are an MP in the Minority, you can have your say but the Majority will always have their way,” Hon Osei Kwame Prempeh glumly said.

Source: Beatrice Adepa Frempong/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana