The President of the Full Gospel Church international, Bishop Samuel Noi Mensah has entreated Ghanaian parliamentarians to let their titles reflect their behaviour in the country’s parliament.
He sounded the caution following a recent political standoff that rocked the Ghanaian parliament over the passage of the electronic levy of the 2022 budget statement.
The Pentecostal and charismatic church leader noted that, Ghanaian citizens deserve the highest respect from their lawmakers in discharge of their legislative duties. ‘’ Last Monday, December 20th, 2021, the nation witnessed an unfortunate scene among our politicians fighting on the floor of parliament, he added.’
Bishop Samuel Noi Mensah queried why politicians who are supposed to be honourable members, could not exhibit some decent lifestyle on the floor of parliament, stressing that ‘’ this is unfortunate that this kind of behaviour must continue to be exhibited within our country. This is not what we voted for, we voted for men and women who will be patriotic and committed to Ghana and not become partisan in their way of doing things.’’
According to the outspoken Bishop, Ghana has a generation of politicians who are ‘’entrenched in their way of thinking’’, adding that those politicians ‘’ have become so much partisan in the way they look at national issues, and that at the end of the day, it is not about the country, but it is about themselves’’ .
Bishop Noi Mensah encouraged national leaders, opinion leaders and patriotic citizens to speak about national issues irrespective of political attacks that may come on them.
‘’There are times leaders would like to address national issues , and sometimes ,some politicians would like to tag them .And because of that, people find it difficult to address national issues because of the fear they will be tagged. However, I believe the time has come that national leaders, opinion leaders, patriotic citizens will begin to address national issues regardless of the way some politicians would love to tag them, whether they belong to party A or party B. it is important as patriotic citizens, we speak truth to power and seek the interest of Ghana and the development of our nation.
He urged the parliamentarians to make compromises on issues of national interest, than turning parliament house into a boxing arena. ‘’We suggest our parliamentarians should be able to jaw jaw and be patriotic and build consensus on the subject of the E-levy, that is the only way we can move our country forward. I strongly believe that our parliamentarians should not also take entrenched partisan approach at the expense of the development of our country. As a matter of fact, we are tired of these entrenched partisan approach to governance, this can’t continue,’’ Bishop Samuel Noi Mensah added
Recall that, Ghana’s finance minister, Mr. Ken Ofori Atta in November this year, submitted a budget statement to parliament which among other things contained an Electronic Levy to be imposed on Ghanaian citizens. This electronic levy received a backlash from the country’s populace including the main opposition party, the National democratic congress which said the tax will worsen the plights of the Ghanaian people.
Mid night Monday,20th December, members of Ghana’s parliament in their quest to vote to either pass or reject the electronic levy (E-levy) appropriation bill failed to reach a compromise, therefore turning the situation into chaotic scenes leading exchange of blows on the country’s floor of parliament.
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