Daboya MP In More Trouble �

Parliament has distanced itself from the statement made by Member of Parliament (MP) for Daboya/Mankarigu, Nelson Abudu Baani about stoning or hanging adulterous women and noted that the comments were unparliamentary. The MP last week reportedly recommended that women who cheat on their spouses should be stoned or hanged to serve as deterrent to women and force them to be faithful to their husbands. But Mr. Baani's comments did not go down well with some women activists and some members of the public who further asked that the MP be punished for such recommendations. Some media houses reported that Mr. Baani made those comments in Parliament during a deliberation on the Intestate Succession Bill. But on the floor of Parliament yesterday, Deputy Minority Leader Dominic Nitiwul raised the issue and noted that the MP's comments on stoning or hanging women was not made on the floor of the House as it was reported by some media outlets. Mr. Nitiwul explained that the �alleged statement was not made on the floor of Parliament� hence those who chastised them for not calling their colleague to order owe them an apology. �Those who took the House on must apologize. They owe us an apology� because the comments were outside parliamentary jurisdiction, the Deputy Minority Leader said. According to him, the comments �are unparliamentary� and he will not support him on that statement adding that journalists knew the statement was not made on the floor of the House but reported that it was made on the floor. He further read the comments of the MP from the official records of the House which did not contain what the House was being accused of condoning. Majority Chief Whip, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, on his part also noted that although the comments were not made on the floor of Parliament, they made him apologized through the same medium he used. Deputy Majority Leader Alfred Agbesi also noted that the majority caucus has also taken note of the comments and �are going to take him on as majority caucus.� But despite all these, some female MPs noted that it was not right for their colleague to describe women as �Alomo Gyatas� and called on the Speaker to expunge the comments from the official records. Irene Naa Torshie Addo, MP for Tema West asked if they were also asking for punishment for men who also cheat and stressed that such punishments were not supported by our democracy. The Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho on his part said the statement by the MP was his own problem because it was made outside parliamentary jurisdiction hence there were no immunities for the MP. Mr. Adjaho said the words used by Mr. Baani were un-parliamentary hence the leadership of the House should take the issue up and make recommendations for the necessary actions to be taken. The Speaker further noted that MPs must pay attention during deliberations and raise objections to unparliamentary languages rather than wait for it to go into the records before raising concerns. The MP at the center of controversy said during the deliberations that the Intestate Succession Bill if passed in its current form will not favour him. He said �the punishment which is accompanying the clause will not favour men especially me; it will not favour me.� According to him, some wives are �Alomo Gyatas� (troublesome and wicked) in their homes so if maybe, �a woman that I am married to brings me a bastard, what is the offence for those types of women?� �What type of punishment do you give to them? That is why I would like to say that unless this clause is added; punishment for women who are not faithful, we should not adopt this bill.�