Confusion in Parliament

Parliament was plunged into a state of confusion as Members of Parliament hurried insults at one another in protest against views expressed by either side of the House over a private Member’s Motion on the reduction of petroleum products tabled on the floor of the House.

The situation forced out a section of the minority led by Chief Whip, Doe Adjaho, spokesman on Energy Kofi Asante, and Hon. Mrs. Ama Benyiwa-Doe. Second deputy Speaker, Kenneth Dzirasah’s intervention prevented a total walk-out of the minority.

The fate of a private member's motion calling on government to reduce the price of petroleum products would be decided today Thursday as a ruling on a preliminary objection raised on its legitimacy was deferred.

Mr. Asante, who had sponsored the motion, barely spoke five words when Mr. Nkrabea Effah-Dartey challenged the legitimacy of the motion on point of order. Mr. Freddy Blay, First Deputy Speaker, who was in the chair declined to rule on it saying he had a personal opinion on the matter and therefore deferred it to Thursday when Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, Speaker, who admitted the motion, would preside.

Mr. Effah-Dartey said the member brought the motion to the house through a wrong procedure and asked that it should not be allowed to stand. Quoting Order 93 of the House, he said the member should have come by way of a motion of rescission before stating his case.

He said the House had dealt with the issue of petroleum product pricing when it approved the Mid-year review of the 2001 budget and, therefore, the House would have to rescind its decision on the issue before it could be re-opened.

The Minority Chief Whip, Mr. Doe Adjaho, called the objection diversionary and misconceived. He said the House approved of taxes on petroleum products and their prices as it was not its duty to fix them.

The Whip said the motion was only seeking to urge the government to reduce the ex-pump price of petroleum products. Papa Owusu Ankoma, the Majority Leader, had implored Mr. Blay to defer the ruling on the matter since whatever ruling he gave on the matter would be misconstrued. He said since he did not admit the motion in question and that he had a personal opinion on the issue, it would be fair if Mr. Adjetey ruled on it.

Second Deputy Speaker, Mr. Ken Dzirasah, said the Leader's remark was an affront to the chair. "You are in charge and everything is under your control," he told Mr. Blay. Papa Owusu Ankoma said:" I do not seek to question the integrity of the Speaker.