Are Our MPs Fit To Use The Title 'Honourable'?

It is not only in Ghana that the institution of Parliament is succeeding in irking right-thinking members of society and throwing up very serious and legitimate questions as to whether Parliament and Parliamentarians should continue to be given any form of respect.


In Britain, the institution of Parliament and Parliamentarians are under serious attack from the press and from ordinary citizens.


From, bribery scandals, to false monetary claims, to payment of needless bonuses, to virtually using state funds to own private property, the British Parliament is under serious attack.


One of the British papers, last week, captured the British Parliament building on its front page and asked whether it was not about time that the British people called for the abolition of the institution.


Certainly, it may be farfetched to imagine that the institution of parliament can be abolished.


But the main import of the story is the fact that Brits are getting sick and tired with the manner in which Parliament is misconducting itself and how the MPs are feeding fat off the suffering taxpayer.


Here in Ghana, there is no denying the fact that in recent times, Ghanaians have had justifiable cause to question the manner in which Parliament operates and the offensive manner in which our Parliamentarians seem to think that they are more Ghanaian that non-MPs.


It is common knowledge that the Institution of Parliament started rubbing off Ghanaians wrongly when Kufuor and his nation-wrecking Team were in-charge of mismanaging the affairs of State.


It was during the tenure of Kufuor that Eric Amoateng, a sitting NPP MP, was busted in New York with $6 million worth of heroin.


As we write this piece, Eric Amoateng is in jail in New York.


It was also under the watch of Kufuor that another NPP MP attempted to defraud an insurance company.


The said NPP MP, hid his comprehensively insured brand new vehicle in his village, bought an old version of his new car, crushed the car, and attempted to get the insurance company to compensate him for his supposedly crushed comprehensively insured car. A case of thievery!!!


Another NPP MP, under the watch of Kufuor, went to Cote d’Ivoire and tried to secure a visa for a woman and a kid he claimed were his wife and child.


Of course, the NPP MP was in the business of visa contracting.


It was during the tenure of Kufuor that our Parliament approved for the ghost CNTCI loan to be secured from a hairdressing salon.


Our MPs have made it clear to us that when it comes to fighting for their comfort, nothing will stop them.


When it comes to their comfort, MPs across the political divide are the best of friends and will do anything to hold the Executive to ransom.


While the rest of us are being asked to make sacrifices, our MPs want to live like Arabian kings.


How many times have we not heard our MPs talk about their ex-gratia payment?


Indeed, they have recently been paid their ex-gratia.


When an NDC MP like Abayateye (Sege MP), decides to keep quiet when NPP MPs are maligning President Atta Mills, but speaks about DCEs having vehicles that are maintained by the state hence the need for MPs to also have their vehicles maintained by the state, it tells you the mindset of such an MP.


The issue that is actually getting Nana Biakoye to ponder over whether or not to continue to respect Parliament and our Parliamentarians, is the recent vexed issue of NPP MPs making irresponsible and reckless statements on the floor of the House.


NPP MP, Isaac Essiamah, on the floor of the House, said that should the Black Stars lose the match against Nigeria, President Atta Mills should be blamed for reshuffling his Ministers and replacing Rashid Pelpuo with Akua Dansua. Absolute nonsense!!!


Next is NPP MP, Ballado Manu, who said that he had information that President Atta Mills had sold the match against Nigeria to Nigeria in exchange for crude oil.


This is the extremely irresponsible, reckless and foolish statement which dropped from the lips of somebody who is supposed to be an honourable member of parliament.


This kind of talk is what you hear in an akpteshie bar from a drunk and not in Parliament from an MP.


Then comes another NPP MP, Catherine Afeku, who decides that if her male colleagues can be foolish, she can be more foolish and stupid and that when it comes to rubbish talk, she is better than Essiamah and Ballado Manu.


In her extreme foolishness, Catherine Afeku said on the floor of the House that the women who were part of the government sponsored team to Angola to support the Black Stars in the final match, were prostitutes and not football fans.


It is not a secret that Catherine Afeku has received serious bashing from Ghanaian women in particular and Ghanaians in general for her stupid talk.


What continues to shock me, is the manner in which NDC MPs are allowing the NPP MPs to get away with their irresponsible conduct.


Of what use are the NDC MPs to the NDC Party if they are not prepared to call the bluff of the reckless and irresponsible NPP MPs?


The NDC MPs have allowed Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu to turn himself into a god in Parliament.


Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu is behaving as if he is the Majority Leader and the NDC MPs just sit and watch him.


Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu can insult His Excellency President Atta Mills, and the NDC MPs allow him to go scot-free.


Of course, if the Majority Leader, Bagbin, and the likes of Nyaunu are prepared to be insulting the President, why will Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, Isaac Essiamah, Ballado Manu and Catherine Afeku not open their mouths and spew garbage?


Or is it true what we are hearing to the effect that the NDC MPs are saying that they were making more money during the period of Kufuor because Kufuor was bribing them and that because President Atta Mills is not bribing them, they will not defend the President and the NDC party? Is it true?


So, it is all about money and nothing else huh?


So, because President Atta Mills is not prepared to bribe MPs, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu and co can insult the President and get away with it isn’t it? Yoo!!!


2012 is around the corner and the NDC MPs will go back to their constituents and they will have to explain to us why they sat idly by and allowed the NPP MPs to get away with their irresponsible and reckless conduct.


Without any sensible answers, they can be sure that most of them will not return to Parliament in 2013.


O yes, at this rate, some of us are going to wage a war against our NDC Parliamentarians because they have sold themselves to the NPP.


Honestly, we are getting sick and tired with the unacceptable manner in which our Parliamentarians are misconducting themselves and misbehaving.


If the NDC MPs are going to be sitting down like dummies and allow the NPP MPs to get away with their reckless and irresponsible behaviour, we will soon start a crusade to stop referring to our MPs as Honourables.


O yes, if this thing continues, Ghanaians will have to stop respecting the institution of Parliament and the Parliamentarians.


Our MPs are not above any law and they cannot hide behind their parliamentary immunity and insult the rest of us and get away with it.


If our MPs continue to misbehave the way they are now, they can rest assured that we will throw all caution to the wind and also insult and call them names.


Indeed, if the discourse on the airwaves as regards the irresponsible statements from our MPs are anything to go by, then the MPs should be in the know that Ghanaians are no longer prepared to countenance the idiocy of a group of people who are feeding fat off the taxpayer.


Our MPs better get their act together and start behaving responsibly or else …


Nana Biakoye