By Andrew Edwin Arthur

LAST WEEK Wednesday parliamentarians who were in the House witnessed a very humorous and funny scene, the most hilarious in the history of the House when Hon. Fuzzy Torbay and Hon. Theresa Tagoe, MPs for Okere and Ablekuma South respectively battled fiercely to prove who between them is a witch or a wizard.

The MPs present, Journalists and members of the public could not help but laugh their hearts out as the two MPs traded accusations on each other. At a point the Speaker, Justice D.F. Annan who is believed to have also enjoyed the scene, had to scream to bring the two MPs to order and to also call for a cease-fire.

But for the timely intervention of the Speaker, the scene could have degenerated into something else as the Hon. Theresa Tagoe, affectionately called "T.T" stood up on a point of order and intoned, "Mr. Speaker, is the Hon. Fuzzy Torbay saying that those of us here are witches and wizards"? The House, including everybody present could not but laugh at the mention of witches and wizards but the NPP strong woman stood her ground to demand an answer from Hon. Torbay.

This was when Hon. Torbay in his contribution to the debate on the motion to approve the 2000 budget recounted the numerous achievements of the NDC but along the line described those who fail to recognise these achievements as perhaps walking with their heads downwards and feet up. Hon Tagoe in her point of order explained that, "Mr. Speaker it is only witches and wizards that walk with heads downwards, the Hon. Member should explain".

When allowed to continue his contribution, Hon. Torbay said, "I have not said anybody is a witch or a wizard but if you know you are one, it is up to you". Unyielding, Hon. Theresa Tagoe again stood and not waiting to be called screamed into the microphone that, "Fuzzy, you are rather a wizard because witches and wizards are fair", This drew laughter from all present. Hon. Torbay in his reply told Hon. Tagoe that "you are rather a witch because you know how witches and wizards look like". This resulted in a give and take and as everybody was enjoying the scene, MPs and the Speaker looked. The give and take went on till the Speaker called for a ceasefire.

Though the two observed the cease-fire alright, T.T kept murmuring that the colour of Fuzzy resembled that of a wizard but in the course of his delivery Hon. Torbay was cautioned by the Speaker about using unparliamentary expressions.