You need us to drive govt business so be circumspect in your utterances - Muntaka to Kyei-Mensah

"Be circumspect and guarded in some of your utterances." That is the position of the Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Mubarak-Muntaka to Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Leader of the Majority caucus in Parliament.

The Member of Parliament for Asawase indicated that it is important the Majority Leader treads cautiously especially in some of the comments he makes that directly relate to the actions of his colleagues on the Minority side.

This he explained, will be in his best interest as he needs the cooperation of the Minority in Parliament to ensure a smooth operation of the Executive and as such, he should not be heard saying certain things that undermine the intelligence of the Parliamentarians on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) side.

According to a report by JoyNews, Mohammed Mubarak-Muntaka said, “When you are the leader of the House, there are certain things you are better off not saying because what you say and do will force people to make up their minds and when you now need them to push government business, it becomes difficult.”

He continued that, “You may have your view, but if it were me, I wouldn’t say that in the public. I may have it as a view sitting in Parliament but because I am Majority Leader who wants government business to run in the House, I will not be the one saying this.”

The MP’s comments are coming on the back of an interview granted to JoyNews by Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu last Sunday where the latter said some recent conducts by the Minority in the 8th Parliament indicate that some NDC legislators have been brainwashed.

Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also indicated that it seems some of the MPs on the Minority side of the House were not informed on some Parliamentary practices, hence their behaviors sometimes.

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs had also indicated that although he seeks to work with the Minority due to the split numbers they both share in the House, he would not hold back his assertions that their actions appear to be that of an “obstructionist opposition party.”

Mohammed Mubarak-Mohammed however described his senior colleague’s comments as unfortunate, adding that the comments smack of lack of leadership for somebody whose side needs to build consensus to drive the business of government.

“Parliament is not for professors it not for the one-side-fit view. Mr Kyei-Mensah is one of the experienced MPs that we have but I do not think like him. And you have seen us on the floor many times based on the standing orders and having banter. I disagree with him and vice-versa.

“But me disagreeing with him doesn’t give him the right to say that I have been brainwashed because that is my understanding and I am pursuing it and I am also using the same rules,” he stated.

He added that, “For him to say that some Minority MPs have been brainwashed, it is unfortunate. It doesn’t also help in the consensus-building.”