By Tabora Bojang
Lands and local government minister, Hamat Bah, sparked controversy in the National Assembly, Wednesday, after he labelled the opposition as “big mouths”who abused the government for initiating Operation Clear The Roads.
Bah made this characterisation in response to a statement by Serekunda lawmaker, Musa Cham, who argued that area and municipal councils are sabotaging the exercise by collecting fees which encourage the vendors to remain on the streets.
Taking a cue, Minister Bah charged: “When the government embarked on clearing the roads, there were opposition big mouths abusing and insulting, saying that we were destroying people’s livelihoods…”
A handful of lawmakers including Latrikunda’s Yaya Sanyang, Central Baddibu’s Sulayman Saho and Janjangbureh’s Omar Jammeh curtly intervened.
“Speaker, the minister is calling us big mouths. You need to put him to order and he should immediately withdraw and apologise,” Sanyang demanded.
Asked by the presiding Deputy Speaker Seedy Njie to clarify his statement, Minister Bah explained:“I am referring to the opposition out there who are abusing the government for clearing the roads.” The response further incensed the protesting lawmakers.
Deputy Speaker Njie cautioned the minister against making statements that may be termed as “unparliamentary language”. However, he neither requested the minister to apologise nor to withdraw his statement.
Jammeh, Saho and Kiang West representative Lamin Ceesay raised standing orders to contest the speaker’s ruling while demanding actions to be taken against the minister.
“It is wrong for the minister to call the opposition bigmouths. That is impolite of him to address us so,” Saho charged
Responding, the deputy speaker declared: “The minister has clarified that he is not referring to members of the parliament… If you don’t allow decorum we cannot move. We will not allow ministers to misrepresent or insult members. We will also not allow members to insult ministers. Some of the words you [NAMs] use against members and the speaker are unparliamentary. Both members and ministers must behave. They must use parliamentary language.”
Still dissatisfied, Sanyang contended: “Speaker, what kind of ruling is this? The minister was referring to the opposition and some of the members in this parliament are in the opposition. So what kind of ruling is this? The minister should apologise and withdraw his statement. My parents are in the opposition so if he said he is referring to ‘those opposition outside of parliament’, then he is referring to my parents as well. Is that what the minister is telling us? Honourable Minister, you are a big mouth!”
Deputy Speaker Njie then ruled: “Now there is a tie. The match is over. It is one-one.”
