Former Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors, Senyo Hosi, has called for restraint, cooperation, and institutional maturity following Tuesday’s parliamentary disorder over the declaration of the Kpandai seat as vacant.
Speaking on Joy News’ Newsfile on Saturday, December 13, Mr Hosi warned that Ghana risks sliding into an avoidable constitutional crisis.
On Tuesday, members of the Minority Caucus abandoned their seats and converged at the centre of the chamber, triggering a brief scuffle that brought proceedings to a halt.
The disturbance followed heated exchanges over the declaration of the Kpandai parliamentary seat as vacant a move the Minority has rejected as unlawful and procedurally flawed.
Tensions had been heightened earlier after Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga dismissed the Minority’s persistent protests on the matter.
Mr Hosi argued that the situation demanded sobriety rather than confrontation, insisting that there remains room for dialogue between the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“There is a window to harmonise the worries of the NPP and the activism of the NDC, which I am also alarmed by,” he said.
“The NDC does not need that seat to exercise its political dominance. It already has a two-thirds majority.”
He expressed disappointment at what he described as a failure of leadership, noting that the country had an opportunity to demonstrate democratic maturity but instead witnessed disorder.
- READ ALSO: Chaos erupts in Parliament as Minority storms centre of floor over Kpandai seat controversy
“I was hoping to see a calmer and focused structure or response,” Mr Hosi said. “But the bickering and childishness going on in Parliament, where people are fighting over everything right from the start, is worrying.”
Criticising what he described as a politics of dominance, Mr Hosi warned against the tendency of both sides to flex numerical strength rather than seek consensus.
“Everybody wants to show how he can dominate the other,” he observed. “Someone says, ‘I’m a mighty Minority.’ You are a Minority. Somebody is a Majority and wants to show they are a super-majority. You are just a Majority.”
According to Mr Hosi, the current parliamentary configuration presents a rare opportunity to strengthen Ghana’s democratic credentials, rather than weaken them.
“Let us work in harmony. We have a perfect opportunity to showcase the brilliance and beauty of our democracy,” he said.
He further urged the NPP to pursue legal redress rather than parliamentary confrontation, stressing the need to protect constitutional order.
“What I want to see from the NPP is actually making a case to the judiciary, to ensure we do not create this unnecessary constitutional crisis,” Mr Hosi added.
About the Author
