"Petition Against Akomea Is Only Useful For Its Nuisance Value"

A former Deputy Speaker of Parliament believes a petition by an NDC group for Parliament to sanction one of its own is dead on arrival. Freddie Blay told Joy News the action by the Research and Advocacy Platform against the MP for Okaikoi South, Nana Akomea is useful only for its nuisance value and will be thrown out by the Speaker. The group claims the insulting comments passed by the MP on Newsfile on Joy FM and MultiTV over the weekend was at best unsavory and at worst a dent on Parliament�s own reputation. Spokesperson of the group Felix Ofosu Kwakye told Joy News the Speaker must initiate sanctions against Nana Akomea for "denigrating" Parliament. Kwakye said Akomea's reaction on the show is unbecoming of an MP and debased the sanctity of Parliament as an honourable institution. If the comment was distasteful, the spokesperson of the Platform said failure by Nana Akomea to offer an apology, days after the event, was even more regrettable. He was convinced the comments by James Agyenim Boateng which led to the reaction by Akomea were legitimate and cannot by any stretch of the imagination be said to be an insult. Felix Ofosu Kwakye said if Parliament is serious and desirous of retaining their reputation then they must take remedial action against the MP. The petition according to the group's spokesperson also included Kennedy Adjapong, MP for Assin North who he claimed had been on an insulting spree subjecting members of the NDC to some unprintable insults. But Freddie Blay thinks the action by the group is unnecessary. He does not believe the action taken by the platform is the sure way to resolve the politics of insults, at least among Members of Parliament. He said the petition runs counter to the Standing Orders of Parliament. �One will refer to the publicity stunt. In the sense that it doesn�t go by the rules or the Standing Orders that somebody outside can bring a petition on the conduct of an individual outside Parliament who is not doing Parliamentary duty�� �� I don�t think one will gain much by sending the matter by way of petition to Parliament. Asked if the Speaker can throw out this petition, Freddie Blay said: �Absolutely. I don�t see it seeing the light of the day. It is only for its nuisance value.� He said there are so many ways of checking insulting Parliamentarians other than sending a petition to Parliament. Deputy Majority Leader Rashid Pelpuo told Joy News the petition will only be considered by the Privileges Committee of Parliament if it passes through an MP. He said it will be flawed if the group fails to follow that procedure.