MPs Vote Against Adjournment

The age-old adage that says ‘if a day passes without any new thing happening, then time is no more’ came to life on the floors of parliament as members refused to go home―They wanted to work.

The day saw the House commence business a little past 10 O’clock in the forenoon with its usual formalities.

Various papers were laid before the House including the Annual Report of the Audit Committee of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources for the year 2017; The Annual Report of the Forestry Commission for the year 2015; Report of the Finance Committee on the Annual Public Debt Management Report for the 2017 fiscal year; Report of the Finance Committee on the Annual Report on the Management of the Energy Sector Levies and Accounts for the year 2017 and the Report of the Finance Committee on the Annual Report on the Petroleum Funds for the 2017 fiscal year.

The business of the day had been exhausted and Motion for adjournment moved by the Deputy Majority Leader, Adwoa Sarfo but there was hesitation over its secondment―it was a surprise.

The Deputy Majority Chief Whip finally seconded the Motion for adjournment, amidst silent murmurings especially from the Minority side of the House.

The Second Deputy Speaker Hon. Alban Sumani Bagbin, who was in the Seat as the Speaker was to put the usual question for voting but the demeanor of the House, especially from the Minority side made him hesitate a while with brief observation before finally coiling the question with tact and show of Parliamentary experience.

The surprise became more significant when after putting the question, the sound of the ‘no’ far overshadowed that of the ‘yes’, prompting the Speaker to admit that for the first time the ‘Nos’ have it; meaning that the House had voted against adjournment.

When he probed further to know why, the Minority group and scores of the Majority shouted, “we will not go home, we are ready to work, and we are going to work”.

A show of nationalism and true sense of patriotism, a show of a poise for action for mother Ghana, a show of beautiful political glow; mother Ghana lives on.

By: Frederick E. Aggrey