ASSEMBLYMAN SUSPENDED FOR TWO SITTINGS.

The Assembly Man for the Abonsuam electoral area in the Sunyani Municipality Hon. Raphael Cubage was suspended for two (2) sittings of the Assembly at the assembly’s second ordinary meeting which was held on Thursday 26^th of August 2010 for as the presiding member Hon. Otu Essel puts it “Gross disrespect to the presiding member and the assembly as a whole”.

The assemblyman had at the first ordinary meeting of the assembly which was held on the 30^th April this year made some unsubstantiated allegations against the MCE of the assembly Hon. Kwasi Oppong Ababio. His colleagues assembly members pressed that he substantiates his claims this time round because according to them the member had in the past made a lot of such unsubstantiated allegations and had gone scot free.

Hon. Cubagee however refused to substantiate his claims and in the process even walked away from the meeting. This behaviour did not go down well with his colleagues who asked that sanctions preferred against him. In effect therefore the Presiding Member Hon. Otu Essel referred the matter to the public relations and complaints committee of the House of which he (PM) is the chairman to look into it and preferred the appropriate sanctions if found culpable.

At the assembly`s second ordinary meeting on Thursday 26^th of August, the committee read its findings to the general House. According to the report which was read by the Presiding Member, the assemblyman refused to attend upon the committee saying that the committee has no power to investigate him because he (cubagee) had taken the matter to court and any further action by the assembly to sanction him could lead to contempt of the court.

According to the Presiding Member no court has served the committee investigating Hon. Cubagee any summon to appear before it or stop it from investigating him. Rather the member wrote to the MCE warning him to remember the discussions that took place between them at the Samaritan Guest House at Abesim before he (MCE) was endorsed by the assembly and that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. The Presiding member continued that the letter to the MCE could not stop the committee or the assembly from taking action on the matter.

He therefore asked that the whole assembly takes a decision on the matter. He therefore asked Hon. Cubagee to step out for the assembly to deliberate on the matter and take a decision. The Assembly man (Cubagee) in response told the Presiding member categorically that he was not going anywhere because the matter was in court and the assembly had no power to discuss it or take any action on the matter. The argument went back and forth till the presiding member ruled that whether the member was moving out or not the house will take the decision but he (Cubagee) can not contribute to the discussion.

The Assembly members were unanimous that, the member should be punished except Hon. Owusu Boye assembly man for Akuako electoral area who was of the opinion that Hon. Cubagee should not be punished. According to him, Hon. Cubagee had made similar allegations against the former MCE Hon. Kwasi Twumasi Awuah and if he was not punished then, he does not see why now he should be sanctioned. This brought a heated and uncontrollable argument on the floor.

When the Presiding member managed to calm down tempers, he ruled that the Assembly man should dully be punished and asked members to propose the sanctions.

Different sanctions were suggested including indefinite suspension, two sittings suspension and no suspension by Hon. Owusu Boye. When the vote was put the two sittings suspension had it. Because of the back and forth arguments on this matter the House was not able to complete its business for the day and therefore adjourned sitting to the 9^th of September. However, the House was able to discuss the MCE`s address and minutes from the Executive Committee meeting.