[ 2017-03-15 ]

Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs

I don’t subscribe to usage of local dialects in parliament - Osei Kyei Mensah
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Osei Kyei
Mensah-Bonsu has objected to the idea that Members
of Parliament (MPs) be allowed to speak local
dialects during Parliamentary proceedings.

The Majority leader said confusion will erupt in
Parliament if MPs are allowed to speak their own
local dialects such as Twi, Nzema, Wassa, Kusaase,
fante, Dagaati, Ga, Bono etc which are alien to
the ears of other MPs.

This he called for a debate as to whether or not
the Ghanaian local dialects should be used by MPs
when making submissions on the floor of
Parliament.

He suggested that the local languages be
communicated in various homes to train children in
order for them to be abreast with Ghana’s
culture and history.

Parliament has come under heavy criticisms as some
MPs who are supposed to make laws for the country
cannot express themselves fluently in the official
language of the country.

According to him, though parliamentary rules allow
MPs who are not fluent in the English language to
make submissions in their local dialects the house
lacks the devices for proper interpretation.

The MP for Suame constituency said until the
Constitution is reviewed, Ghanaians who have
issues with MPs who are not fluent in the English
language would have to deal with the
consequences.

Speaking on Abusua FM’s Abusua Nkommo hosted by
Kwame Adinkra, he said MPs cannot completely
ignore the use of English language in their
discourses saying it has brought a sense of
belongingness among them and Ghanaians as a
whole.

The Majority Leader observed that few MPs
understand and speak more than one local language
saying Ghana does not have the capacity to employ
hundreds of interpreters hence resort to the
English language.

He said some people would agitate that they have
been side-lined if the country attempts to use one
local language in Parliament.

Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated that people will
have no basis to insult Constitution drafters and
mock MPs who cannot speak good English.

‘It will be difficult to translate laws,
conventions, protocols and treaties in our local
dialects when rectifying. Some of the words cannot
be interpreted in our local languages. The
independence Constitution as well as the Republic
Constitution state that one has to be proficient
in English Language before going to Parliament.
But the referendum on the 1992 Constitution
amended it and allowed people to contest for
parliamentary positions even if they can’t
fluently speak the English language. So there is
no point mocking MPs who cannot speak good English
after amending the constitution. I don’t
subscribe to the use of local language in
Parliament, but we can call for a debate,’ he
explained.

He suggested the Constitution be amended to allow
MPs express themselves in their local dialects in
the house with employment of interpreters and
purchasing of machines.

Source - ultimatefmonline.com

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