Member of Parliament (MP) for Bodi, Sampson Ahi has dressed down the Majority Leader of Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu for proposing a ban on the use of mobile phones in the Chamber by MPs.
The Majority Leader on the floor of Parliament Thursday suggested that the new Standing Orders of the House when adopted will ensure that no member is allowed to take mobile phones to the chamber.
He observed that some MPs were almost always on their phones during serious business of the House, adding that “we need to demonstrate seriousness in the House.”
He made the remarks when he noticed that North Tongu MP, Samuel OKudzeto Ablakwa, instead of paying attention to the business of parliament, was using his phone after he had asked a question to which he (Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu) was responding to.
But reacting to the proposal, Mr Ahi laughed it off suggesting that the Majority leader is as guilty as any other member of the House.
He sent a note of warning to Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu to the effect they (MPs) are not “school children” to be treated in the manner the leader was suggesting.
He was emphatic the proposal was not going to see the light of day because the minority will kick against same.
“It is his suggestion, but it will remain a suggestion because I don’t believe that what he is talking about Members of Parliament will agree with him. He himself on several occasions has been receiving calls and making calls when he is in the chamber.
“I think somebody should remind him that we are not school children, we are not children and so some of these things, he should be very careful making some of these pronouncements. The fact that he is a majority leader does not mean that he is the headmaster somewhere and we are school children who he can dictate to,” he fumed.
Mr Ahi further shot down the claim that mobile phones were a source of distraction during proceedings in Parliament saying, “the noise that comes with heckling cannot be compared to that of making calls in the chamber.”
“Have you ever seen a Member of parliament receiving a call in the chamber and then speaking loudly as against heckling on the floor?
“I am not sure what he talking about is anything to be considered, we will not accept that; we will resist that; he cannot impose his wishes on us. If they incorporate it in the new standing orders, it will be voted down, we are not school children,” he vowed.
