Haruna Iddrisu ‘exposed’ over sitting position in parliament?

Following the resumption of parliament on February 7, 2023, the new minority leaders were supposed to take their new seat which is the front bench.

The previous leaders were also to be reallocated to their new seats to match their current status.

Haruna Iddrisu, former minority leader, was given a seat on the front bench with Cletus Avoka, who is one of the longest-serving MPs and Former Majority leader.

The seat was previously occupied by Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, Collins Dauda, who is also a longest-serving MP but was not a leader.

Haruna Iddrisu did not occupy that seat even though he showed up in the house on February 7.

He left the chamber before the house commenced sitting for the day, with his name tag attached to what used to be Collins Dauda’s seat.

Haruna gets another seat:

On Thursday, February 9, however, Haruna Iddrisu showed up again in parliament, while the Speaker, Alban Bagbin was leading proceedings.

When he walked in, he sat on a different seat, behind his successor; Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.

This time, his name had been repositioned on this seat behind the new minority leader; Dr. Ato Forson, from the previous one which was Collins Dauda’s.

This seat was also Dr. Ato Forson’s former seat.

What happened

Just when the Speaker left the chamber for the deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu to take over the proceedings, Haruna Iddrisu moved from his original seat to Joseph Osei Owusu’s seat to make his contribution to the statement and added that he had rejected Collins Dauda’s seat.

In his concluding statement to a motion on the floor of the house, the Tamale South MP apologised to Joseph Osei Owusu for contributing to the statement from his (Joe Wise’) seat, and detailed why he rejected Collins Dauda’s seat.

He said the Asutifi South MP is his senior in age and also in terms of his stay in parliament, therefore as a well-trained man, he will not accept the seat.

“Mr Speaker, forgive me that I have to assume your chair, there was [sic] whether I should take over from Collins Dauda or yours and I have told them that honourable Collins Dauda is senior by age and a senior even to this house. So, I will not fit into his chair as somebody who is well-trained from home. So, any other chair Mr speaker, is acceptable to me, I am still the elected member of parliament for Tamale South,” he said in the chamber on February 9 after he made a contribution.

Contradictions in Haruna’s posturing

The twist in events raises questions about Haruna Iddrisu’s position on a befitting seat for him following Haruna’s movement from his new seat (Ato Forson’s previous seat) to that of the Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu, after the latter assumed the Speaker’s seat, makes it more confusing and raises questions about what exactly the concerns of Haruna Iddrisu are with regards to the issue of his sitting position.

Allocation of seats:

Commenting on this development, on February 10, the Minority Chief Leader, Governs Agbodza clarified that the new leaders had allocated seats to the former leaders.