Officials of Parliament are finding it difficult identifying Members of Parliament who held up the Bloody Widow placards in the chamber during the swearing in of the Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Lydia Seyram Alhassan.
This is according to Deputy Majority Leader, Adwoa Safo.
In protest of the violence that characterized the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election, the Minority staged a walkout bearing placards during the swearing-in of Lydia Alhassan; a situation that caused First Deputy Speaker, Joe Osei Owusu to issue a directive for the culprits to be identified for possible sanctions.
Speaking on the Floor of Parliament today [Friday], Adwoa Safo said the matter is still being pursued as the video tapes in question have been submitted to the First Deputy Speaker.
“Mr. Speaker, the information I am picking up from the clerk’s office is that indeed they have a tape but the identification of the specific members has been the challenge and the tapes have been presented to the first Deputy Speaker. Parliament tapes are not as visible as we were being told from the Public Affairs Directorate.”
“I believe that, that day there were other media men in the Chamber who recorded what happened. So Mr. Speaker, we will not rest on that . We will make sure to heed to the directive by the First Deputy Speaker to get the tapes to identify the specific members for purposes of contempt that has been cited. Mr. Speaker, we will duly ensure that those tapes reach the First Deputy Speaker and the Privileges Committee.”
The Minority boycotted Madam Lydia Alhassan’s swearing-in in protest of the violence that rocked the by-election held a few weeks ago.
Prior to walking out of the swearing-in ceremony, the minority waved papers which read “bloody widow,” an action NDC’s Kumbungu MP, Ras Mubarak defended.
The NDC MP insisted that their actions were not offensive saying “I am not sure the sensibility of the person is in any way offended simply because we expressed in English using many adjectives.”
The Minority also indicated that they will not apologize for calling Lydia Alhassan a bloody widow.
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By: Marian Ansah| citinewsroom.com| Ghana
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