Nana Soglo Alloh IV, Otekple of Likpe and President of the Likpe Traditional Council, has called on the government to amend the 1992 Constitution ahead of the 2024 general election.
He said Article 95 clause 1 and Article 100 clause 1, contradicted each other.
Nana Alloh, speaking at Ve-Golokuati during the silver jubilee of the Ve Lukusi Dodoleglimeza of the people of the Ve Traditional Area, said the amendment should allow the Chief Justice to be given the responsibility of swearing in the Members of Parliament (MPs) before they elected the speaker.
He said, “Article 95 clause 1 says there shall be a Speaker of Parliament, who shall be elected by the members of Parliament from among persons, who are members of Parliament or who are qualified to be elected as members of Parliament.”
Nana Alloh said Article 100 clause 1 of the same Constitution stated that before a Member of Parliament takes his seat in Parliament he must be sworn in by the Speaker of the same Parliament.
“Article 100 means that after the Speaker has been elected by the MPs he then swears in the MPs. Under the Constitution, the first duty of an MP in a new Parliament is to elect the Speaker.”
“How can he perform that duty if he himself has not been sworn in?” Nana Alloh quizzed.
He also said much had been written about the roles that Churches and governments played in the development of society, particularly in the field of education and medical support but very little credit had been given to the traditional rulers and authorities.
Nana Alloh said what had not been documented and which had been largely ignored was the role that traditional rulers played in all stages of social and educational development.
He said the chieftaincy institution had undergone tremendous transformation over the years and had been able to maintain its core values and at the same time cope with modernity.
Nana Alloh said the chieftaincy institution had faced competition from the Churches and the politicians to win the soul of the people and continued to face challenges.
He said the institution had become more responsive to the development aspirations of their people and also provided the glue that guaranteed the cohesion of their people. — GNA
