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"I'm sad, ashamed and embarrassed to be called the Leader of the House," says Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, Majority leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.

His comment comes on the back of a brawl that happened in Parliament on Monday night.

Members of the House were engaged in fisticuffs while voting on the controversial E-levy bill. The Minority side did not understand why the First Deputy Speaker, Joe Osei-Owusu wanted to include himself while members were voting on whether the E-levy bill should be considered under a certificate of urgency.

According to them, he doesn't have a casting vote since he's presiding over the House.

Speaking in an interview on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu who seemed lost for words said he is scandalized by the "embarrassing" incident. 

"I’m sad and in a state of shock that this is what Parliament has been reduced to . . . it is sad and I am embarrassed and ashamed that I am the leader of the House; that this is my Parliament . . . that if there’s no understanding, things should end up in fisticuffs. 

"I have no apologies to anybody . . . it was embarrassing; I'm embarrassed, utterly shocked . . . what happened was unacceptable; I'm scandalized," he told Kwami Sefa Kayi.




The deliberate absence of Speaker

Some Majority Members of the House have accused the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin of deliberately leaving the chambers for them not to have the numbers.

Speaking to this, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said he's unable to confirm if the Speaker's action was deliberate but all "we realized was that he had gone home".

" . . whether it was deliberate or not I can't tell. I only heard he told the First Deputy Speaker to take over and that he will be back soon".