Former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, has rejected a seat offered to him following his removal from the front bench by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) leadership.

Parliament resumed this week, while there has been news of many Members of Parliament showing off new clothing, there has been other news that are disturbing and others very pleasing to the ear.

When parliament is in session which requires the presence of MP’s, members of the parliamentary body have designated seats accorded to each member and sometimes due to their respective positions, with divisions made between both the majority caucus and the minority caucus.

Honorable Haruna Iddrisu upon reaching parliament, now that he has been removed and replaced as the New Democratic Party (NDC) parliamentary leader, was offered a seat previously occupied by Asutifi South Member of Parliament, Collins Dauda.

While speaking for the first time since his removal on the floor during debate on ratification of the African Union Convention on Cross-border Cooperation (the Niamey Convention), the Tamale South Member of Parliament, explained he is unable to accept Collins Dauda’s seat offered him, as respect for seniority and home sense.

He made known that he consequently occupied the seat of the first deputy speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu who was presiding at the time from where he spoke.

According to him, any other seat that’s offered to him will be acceptable but certainly not that of Collins Dauda.

“Mr. Speaker I have to assume your claim there, was whether I should take over from Honorable Collins Dauda or yours. And I told them that Honorable Collins Dauda is a senior by age, even to this House. I will not sit in his chair as somebody who is well trained from home. So any other chair will be accepted by me. Mr. Speaker, I am still the elected Member of Parliament for the people of Tamale South, I thank you.”
Haruna Iddrisu

It however turns out the seat later offered Haruna Iddrisu, was rather that of the WA West Member of Parliament and former leader, Rashid Pelpuo. The Tamale South MP first occupied the seat this morning when he entered the chamber but later left it.

Haruna Iddrisu Takes A Comfortable Seat

Haruna Iddrisu finally occupied the seat of the First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu where he was engaged in a conversation with Second Deputy Speaker Andrew Asiamah, until he got up to contribute to the debate on the report of the Foreign Affairs Committee on ratification of the Niamey Convention.

After occupying that seat, no one in parliament raised a note against his decision made. He was accorded the due respect of a man.

Many may think that Honoroble Haruna Iddrisu did this out of spite for his fellow successor, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, but as explained by him, he only did it with the attitude of respect to the older members in parliament. He meant no disrespect or to have any qualms with anyone in the higher echelon of the party, nor the Ministers of Parliament, and neither the members of the NDC party. He wants to proclaim peace through his action and words.