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“If we are not careful, we will reduce statecraft to, if you like, the kindergarten level of tit for tat," says the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea.

Atta Akyea was speaking to the turf war between the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin and President Akufo Addo.

It may be recalled that On February 28, 2024, lawmakers passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2021 known as the anti-gay bill which seeks to criminalise all activities related to the LGBTQ community.

However, a letter from the Presidency directed Parliament not to transmit the Bill for President Akufo-Addo’s assent.

According to the letter addressed to Parliament on Monday, March 18, and signed by the Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo, the request follows two pending applications for an order of interlocutory injunction currently before the Supreme Court.

A few days after, the Speaker in what may be considered retaliation, also suspended the approval of new ministerial nominees in retribution, citing an injunction filed at the Supreme Court by the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Etse K. Dafeamekpor; a case which has currently been dismissed.

Preserve Statecraft

According to Atta Akyea even if the letter from the President's office was terrible, retaliation was not the answer.

Speaking on Joy News programme, Saturday, he said "the mature way of handling something that’s very bad is not to say is that what you’ve done, I’ll do the same to you"

“I’m very sad about this tit-for-tat, it’s not good for statecraft. There’s a way that we could have looked at it and would have avoided all that,” he averred.