‘You Have To Deal With Me, Whether You Like Me Or Not’ – Suhuyini to Ursula

Tamale North Member of Parliament, Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini, had cause to tell a fellow lawmaker that she (Ursula Owusu-Ekuful) had to deal with him, whether she liked him or not.

He passed the remark today at Parliament’s Appointments Committee sitting during the vetting of Employment and Labour relations Minister-designate Ignatius Baffuor Awuah.

Suhuyini was asking a series of questions on statistics of job losses generally. When the nominee made it clear he did not have the figures offhand, Suhuyini craved the chairman’s indulgence to continue his series of questions.

An uncaptured remark by Ursula, however, caused him to retort: “You have to deal with me whether you like me or not, Ursula. You have to deal with me. I can’t help you.”

Ursula unsuccessfully tried to respond and was later captured on TV expressing her reservation.

Baffuor Awuah was the first nominee to take the seat today. The committee has been sitting since last week scrutinizing appointees presented to the parliament by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The committee is headed by Joseph Osei Owusu, the first deputy speaker. It has an interesting composition with both minority and majority caucuses having 13 representatives each.

Their recommendations will be presented to the plenary on the fate of each nominee vetted.