The speaker Mariam Jack Denton told MP Omar Ceesay she will not take any disrespect from any MP as the two officials clashed Monday.
A brief argument erupted between the two after Niamina East lawmaker Omar Ceesay gave the speaker a savage put-down by telling her she was in no power to take decisions at the house.
“Honourable speaker, I don’t know how you’re taking us. Because anything that members are raising as a concern you’re rejecting everything, as if the decision is yours. You don’t have the exclusive right to reject anything that members are saying. You need to listen to us. This is an honourable house and honourable members are the ones to decide in this house what is happening in this house and not you,” the lawmaker blasted the speaker when she overruled his observation for ministers to be present during the adjournment debate.
The speaker firing back, said: “I have heard you Honourable Member but I don’t think I will take any disrespect. Like I will not disrespect any Honourable Member. So I will not take any disrespect by any Honourable Member, any Honourabnle Member pointing a finger at the chair. I think it is utterly wrong. You can make your observations, you made your observations and I responded. Now I’m going to stop it, I am not going to entertain anything.”
The MP told The Fatu Network Tuesday: “Well, what happened was like during the course of any sitting or session of the National Assembly, the last two sessions are what you call adjournment debate of the National Assembly. That is where Honourable Members will be granted 15 minutes to discuss or to raise concern [on issues] regarding their constituencies, regions or even at the national level.
“And it is important for Honourable Ministers to be on the ground to listen to what we have to say so that that can shape their decisions, so that that can help them in understanding what is happening in various constituencies, regions and at the national level.
“So when we were about to start yesterday, I made it as a point of observation to the Honourable Speaker… I put it to her (speaker) that since they are not here, we need explanation from you. That where it started. The Honourable Speaker started by saying he doesn’t owe me an explanation. And the speaker was trying to disallow all motions and I put it to her assembly decisions should be taken by the National Assembly Members and not her.”
