Former Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Suame Constituency, Osei Kyei Mensah has voiced his disappointment with the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, for allegedly fostering crises within the legislative body.
Kyei Mensah criticized the Speaker’s handling of parliamentary proceedings, particularly regarding a recent statement about the fate of four MPs whose seats were in question. He believed that members should have been allowed to comment on whether these seats should be declared vacant, but Bagbin denied them that opportunity.
“When the Speaker was concluding the matter, he stated that he would deliver his ruling. At the time, I was abroad, but I followed the proceedings”
“If it was an information Speaker was given to the House, then it was wrong. Any information presented in the form of a statement to the house should be allowed to be commented by Members of Parliament. But, Speaker didn’t allow them to comment on his statement, is it fair”, he quizzes.
In an interview with Kojo Marfo on AbusuaNkommo at ABUSUA965FM, Kyei Mensah empahazied that these ongoing controversies are regrettable and questioned whether they stem from intentional actions or oversight on the Speaker’s part.
He said “Who is trying to create controversy in Parliament? I feel sad that, despite the Speaker’s long experience in parliament, these issues keep happening and always lead to crises”.
He added “I think It’s most unfortunate whether he’s doing this intentionally or not, but I’m not in a position to judge, as humans can make mistakes. In a one-on-one conversation with the Speaker, we can discuss these matters”
Kyei Mensah recounted an incident where the Speaker expressed concerns about 1st Deputy Speaker of Parliament Joe Osei Wusu undermining his authority.
“Remember, when Speaker arrived from Dubai to discuss the Deputy Speaker’s matter? He stated that he feels Osei Wusu is undermining his authority. It sounded like a sermon as he read from his notes”.
The former Majority Leader lamented that no opportunity for comment was provided, leading to a Supreme Court ruling against the Speaker’s position.
“I told him we would comment on it, but he said we didn’t have time, so we should reschedule for another day to comment. To date, he hasn’t allowed us to comment”, he narrated.
He further explained that following this, the Speaker allegedly convened legal experts to critique the ruling, only for them to ultimately support the court’s decision.
“When the matter went to the Supreme Court, they ruled against him. Following the ruling, the Speaker took Parliament’s money and assembled lawyers at the International Conference Center to critique the Supreme Court’s ruling”
“Fortunately for Ghana, the assembled lawyers agreed with the Supreme Court’s decision and disagreed with the Speaker’s actions that effectively ended the matter”
Background:
The petition, brought forth by former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, has stirred significant debate within the chamber.
During Tuesday’s parliamentary session, both the Majority and Minority factions presented their arguments. At the heart of the issue is Haruna Iddrisu’s invocation of Article 97 (1)(g) of the Constitution, which stipulates that an MP must vacate their seat if they abandon the political party under which they were elected, or if they opt to remain in Parliament as an independent candidate.
Iddrisu’s petition challenges the positions of three Majority MPs and one MP from his own National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The Speaker, Alban Bagbin, after a heated exchange of viewpoints, decided to defer his ruling. He emphasized the need for more time to carefully consider the constitutional implications and to ensure that his decision would be both comprehensive and just.
In addressing the House, Speaker Bagbin acknowledged receipt of Haruna Iddrisu’s petition and assured members that the matter would receive a fair, detailed examination before any final judgment is passed.
www.kumasimail.com / Kwadwo Owusu
