The Minority in Parliament on Thursday walked out of the chamber of the House moments before President John Dramani Mahama delivered his maiden State of the Nation Address, drawing mixed reactions from their colleagues from the majority side.
Just as the Speaker, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho requested the leadership of the house to escort him to the lobby to welcome the President and usher him into the Chamber as is the practice, the Minority leader Osei Kyei Mensah- Bonsu signalled to his side who instantly produced placards bearing the inscription "tealers" as the left Chamber.
That action obviously infuriated the majority caucus who booed and jeered at them as they departed the Chamber, drawing expressions of surprise and amazement from dignitaries sited in the public gallery as some members of the majority proceeded to occupy some of the minority seats.
But that action did not mar the fluidity of the occasion, as the Speaker ushered in the President whose over an hour's addresses proffered medium and long term solutions to address the country's infrastructural deficits and the challenges in the areas of macro-economics, health, education, energy, sports, unemployment and other social interventions.
But the Minority leader insisted his side did not boycott the Houses' sitting but excused themselves from that proceeding as a matter of principle to reinforce an earlier stance that they would not lend credence to "anything or process that would collapse with the President should the Supreme Court's decision favour the Party's electoral Petition".
"In any case, whatever the President gave as the State of the Nation is not a reflection of what is on the ground...We all know what the State of the Nation is".
Mr Mensah-Bonsu said the Minority would on Tuesday February 26, 2013 give its own version of the "true" state of the nation at Parliament.
However, his side would only avail themselves to deliberations of executive decisions that would outlive the sitting president but would not take part in the ensuing debates from the President's address.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in challenging the results of the December 2012 elections in the Supreme Court, have asked members not to participate in any activity that involves the President until the determination of its petition.
The Minority boycotted the swearing-in of President Mahama and have also not participated in the vetting of ministerial nominees and subsequent debates to have them approved.
But some of their colleagues and Ministers on the majority side where not charitable with their views on the Minority's action, describing the walkout as "rude and disrespectful” and that the opposition was "making itself irrelevant".
Richard Quashigah, MP for Keta, said the walkout was "shameful, un-parliamentary and a very dishonourable behaviour," adding "They should have been there to listen to the reassuring address by the President and his resolve to surmount the various challenges that confront the nation to grow the economy and make it resilient".
Rashid Pelpuo, MP for Wa Central, said the Minority's actions in recent times were rendering Ghana a one party state, which was not good for the country's fledgling democracy.
He said because of the NPP's actions, Ghanaians would continue to vote massively for the National Democratic Congress, saying "We want to see a viable alternative"
"There is a leadership failure in the NPP and is not good for our democracy".
Alhaji Amadu Sorogho, MP for Madina, said the conduct of the Minority before the event and the inscriptions on the placards they displayed in the Chamber was rude and showed disrespect to their colleagues and "the very essence of what are as Ghanaians".
He said until the Supreme Court adjudicated on the party's electoral petition the minority could not accuse them (NDC) of being "stealers", and "I wonder if they think they have the moral right to question any Minister in this House".
However, James Klutse Avedzi, MP for Ketu North, who was liberal in his condemnation of that action, said the minority should have been part of the occasion because the President gave the most detailed address that had ever been made in Parliament in recent history.
He said the President was truthful and open and his address provided solutions to the country's myriad of problems, adding that he looked forward to the Minority taking part in the debate on the address next week.
Mr Isaac Adjei Mensah, MP for Wassa East, also thought the Minority should have been part of the process, arguing that that line of action would have a negative impact on them.
Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Minister for Sports, wished the Minority had not absented themselves from the occasion, saying "they are making themselves irrelevant and sure Ghanaians would judge them accordingly".