The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has placed on ice the approval or otherwise of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s new set of ministerial nominees.
The Speaker explained that the decision was in respect of an earlier precedent set by the Office of the President.
It would be recalled that the Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo, on March 18, 2024, wrote a letter to the Clerk to Parliament, Cyril Nsiah, to “cease and desist” from transmitting the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill to the President for his assent.
This is because there were two injunction suits against the Bill and receiving same would be an affront to the Supreme Court, Mr Bediatuo explained.
Addressing Members ahead of adjournment on Wednesday, the Speaker announced that another interlocutory injunction had been filed seeking to restrain the Speaker and Parliament from approving or otherwise the President’s new set of ministerial nominees.
“Hon. Members, I also bring to your attention, the receipt of a process from the Courts titled Rockson-Nelson Etse K. Dafeamekpor vrs. The Speaker of Parliament and the Attorney -General (Suit no. J1/12/2024) which process was served on the 19th of March 2024 and an injunction motion on notice seeking to restrain the Speaker from proceeding with the vetting and approval of the names of the persons submitted by His Excellency the President until the provisions of the constitution are satisfied,” he revealed.
Though the Speaker disagreed with the Office of the President and described the letter as “contemptuous of Parliament,” he said the precedent set would have to be maintained until the apex court brought finality to the matter.
“In the light of this process, the House is unable to continue to consider the nominations of His Excellency the President in the “spirit of upholding the rule of law “until after the determination of the application for interlocutory injunction by the Supreme Court,” he submitted.
The precedent, the Speaker noted risks “transforming the legal system into a tool for political maneuvering rather than a mechanism for justice, effectively crippling Parliament’s ability to function and bringing legislative processes to a standstill,” but as set by the Office of the President, same would be followed.
In total, about 22 nominees are affected by the suspension of their approval process.
They include Health Minister designate, Dr Bernard Oko Boye, Abena Osei Asare, Minister of State designate, Finance, Ophelia Mensah Hayford, Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Lydia Seyram Alhassan, Sanitation and Water Resources, and Andrew Egyapa Mercer, Tourism.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
