If you can not purchase a smartphone contact my office, don’t bring any ‘yam’ phone to the Chamber.
That’s the caution from Speaker, Alban Bagbin to the Members of Parliament (MPs) in the country.
According to him, some of the MPs instead of concentrating on their core duty of legislation are always on their phones which is a complete disorder in the house.
In 2020, Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, announced plans of placing a ban on the use of cell phones in the Chamber by Members of Parliament (MPs) to ensure MPs pay attention to proceedings in the House.
“Weeks ago, a popular TV station was discussing how MPs, while proceedings are on-going, use their phones but a time is coming where no member will be allowed to bring cell phones into the Chamber,” he said.
“We need to demonstrate seriousness in this House. When the President of the Republic is talking, MPs are on the phone, when a Minister comes here MPs are on their phones.”
“The Parliament of Ghana is not the only Parliament in the world and there are other established Parliaments in the world who do not allow members to use their cell phones in Parliament so Mr Speaker we should apply this to our Parliament religiously,” he urged.
For Members of Parliament in the eighth Parliament, who want to use their phones while in the Chamber, Mr Bagbin wants them to use smartphones since those phones have silent-mode features rather than disrupting parliamentary sitting with their noisy ‘yam’ phones.
“This is a chamber of order, we cannot have members with phones belling and ringing at any time that is complete disorder. And so if you can’t buy a smartphone don’t bring any ‘yam’ here. This is a national business and a serious business, so we will not allow this kind of interruption. If you need support to buy smartphones contact me,” Bagbin cautioned.
Source: Thenewsroomonline