Speaker cautions Majority Leader against undermining his authority

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, is unhappy with the contradictory messages in the public by the Majority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mesah-Bonsu, regarding the release of funds to Parliament to run its business.

The Speaker said he would not take kindly to the Majority Leader always going on air to counter what he said, which he (Speaker) saw as undermining of his authority.

“I will not take that; I am in control here and I will continue to be in control until my term of office ends or the House decides otherwise to remove me as the Speaker.”

Speaker Bagbin raised the concern on the floor of Parliament on Friday when the Legislature resumed sitting to conduct business.

It would be recalled that the Speaker announced that Parliament did not have money, with no funds to run its business, attributing the development to the delays by the Finance Ministry to release funds to the House.

However, the Majority Leader was said to have gone on air to contradict what the Speaker said.

“In response to what I said yesterday that Parliament is broke, the Ministry of Finance proceeded to release funds quickly for the House to function, and that is on record. So, when I heard that the leader of the House has gone on air to say that what I said is not true it saddened my heart,” he said.

Speaker Bagbin cautioned the Majority Leader to desist from the act saying: “It is important that when the Speaker speaks from the Chair the Leader of the House should not be the one countering it. If you want us to give documentary evidence about the non-funding of the House for this year we will provide them.”

Source: GNA