Near Exchange of Blows in Parliament ... Between Kennedy Agyapong and Alhaji Muntaka

By Julius Yao Petetsi

THERE was a near exchange of blows in Parliament yesterday in Accra between Assin Central Member of Parliament (MP), Kennedy Agyapong and Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, MP for Asawase, a day after the latter dragged the former before the Privileges Committee of the House.

The two lawmakers had to be kept away from each other on the floor of the House to avoid the clash from getting physical.

It is unclear what might have triggered the confrontation which ensued ahead of the official commencement of proceedings.

Amidst the use of 'unprintable' words, the two lawmakers could not be stopped from engaging in the verbal war.

The fracas, the Ghanaian Times gathered, started from the Speaker's lobby where the two legislators exchanged words over Alhaji Muntaka's application to the Speaker for Mr Agyapong to be hauled before the Privileges Committee.

Alhaji Muntaka, the Minority Chief Whip, in that petition, filed on Tuesday, is alleging contempt of Parliament against his Assin Central colleague and wants him "punished" for inciting the public against late investigative journalist, Ahmed Hussein-Suale of Tiger Eye PI.

Unable to settle their differences in the Speaker's lobby, the confusion overflowed into the chamber of the House as Mr Agyapong pursued Alhaji Muntaka who had walked away from the earlier confrontation and took his seat on the Minority Leadership bench.

Mr Agyapong, amidst restraints from colleagues on the Majority side, rained insults on Alhaji Muntaka across the aisle of the House; insults which were replied by the Asawase member.

With threats to face Alhaji Muntaka squarely, Mr Agyapong, who was eventually taken out of the House by his colleagues, said he was not done with the Minority Chief Whip as Alhaji Muntaka expressed his readiness to 'face' him.

This is the second time the Asawase MP had dragged Mr Agyapong before the Privileges Committee for bringing the name of Parliament into "disrepute."

The House is yet to act on the recommendations of the Privileges Committee in the earlier case where Mr Agyapong was found guilty for calling Parliament "cheap."

In that June 2018 report, the committee, chaired by the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, recommended that Mr Agyapong be "reprimanded" or "suspended" for labelling Parliament cheap.

The lawmakers, meanwhile, yesterday called on the police to do all it could to bring the murderers of the late Hussein-Suale to book.

Ahmed Hussein-Suale was killed by unknown gunmen in Madina, a suburb of Accra, a fortnight ago.

In a statement read on the floor, Kumbungu MP, Ras Mubarak, called on the police to conduct thorough investigations to bring the perpetrators to justice.

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