Two female Members of Parliament from Ghana’s Minority side have expressed concerns that the recent violent invasion of Kenya’s Parliament by protesting youth could happen in Ghana.
President of Kenya, William Ruto was forced to withdraw a controversial finance bill imposing new levies after mass protests resulted in at least 17 deaths. In a national address, President Ruto acknowledged the strong opposition to the bill, stating, “I concede,” and confirming he would not sign it into law.
Five Ghanaian MPs, who were on a study tour in Kenya, were caught up in the unrest. Salaga South MP Hajia Zuwera Ibrahimah, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told Accra-based Starr News that the riots were not surprising, citing her discussions with young Kenyans before Ruto’s election.
Zuwera Ibrahimah warned that Ghana’s Parliament, plagued by excessive partisanship, has failed to address citizens’ needs, making it vulnerable to similar attacks, especially following the military’s previous invasion of the chamber.
Ketu South MP Abla Dzifa Gomashie urged President Nana Addo’s administration to listen to citizens’ concerns and avoid what she termed as “pomposity and arrogance of power.” Abla Gomashie, a former deputy minister for Creative Arts, expressed her ongoing fear due to the unresolved issue of the military’s intrusion into Parliament, highlighting the potential for unrest in Ghana’s legislative body.
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