The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has suspended the approval of Ministers and Deputy Ministers of State following an injunction filed at the Supreme Court by the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Etse K. Dafeamekpor.
This decision follows a letter from the Presidency directing Parliament not to transmit the Bill on Human Sexual Rights and Family Values for President Akufo-Addo’s assent.
According to a 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.
“It is the understanding of this Office that both applications have also been duly served on Parliament. Therefore, it would be improper for you to transmit the Bill to the President and equally improper for this Office to receive the Bill until the Supreme Court determines the matters raised in the suits,”
“In the circumstances, you are kindly requested to cease from transmitting the Bill to the President until the matters before the Supreme Court are resolved,” it added.
In response, Alban Bagbin during proceedings on Wednesday, said he's also unable to proceed with the approval of President Akufo-Addo's Ministers because of the case at the Supreme Court.
The “ongoing scenario poses a grave threat to our legislative authority and, by extension, the democratic principles we strive to uphold. The implications of such executive actions extend far beyond the immediate legislative items at hand. They erode the foundational checks and balances that our forebearers painstakingly established to ensure a vibrant and functioning democracy...
"The Parliament of Ghana will comply with the existing legal framework and reject the attempts by the Executive Secretary of the President, through his contemptuous letter, to instruct the Clerk to Parliament, an Officer of Parliament whose position is recognizably under the Constitution. We shall not cease and desist!
“Be that as it may, 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.
"Hon. Members 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 added.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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Who does the Prez thinks he is. Usseless dwarfish man. He is not bigger than Ghana. We the people of Ghana are powerful than him. Our MPs represent us in decision making. We the people of Ghana don’t like it and there nothing he can do. Akufo Addo is a slavemasters puppet.
@ Reed why are you soo mad, he is just doing same thing like president dd, Well play speaker, anyway that bill was totally unnecessary even tho I am against LGBT, there are more serious issues to deal with, These gays r walking around freely we have given them too much attention the bill wld make it seem wethey feel unsafe here meanwhile they live freely
Alban Bagbin is yet another example of why experience doesn't always translate to performance. How ironic! that the once longest serving member of parliament, will go down as the worst speaker of parliament presiding over the worst parliament in the current republic. God had very good reasons for ensuring Bagbin never had a real shot at the presidency, cause he is an absolute dictator, very petty, very arrogant, very selfish and an excuse of a leader
simply comedy of errors from all the sides and they must be ashamed of themselves. none and truly none is good, all self centres people have have voted for. all of them too are educated too, why write that letter, very bad and just below belt but strangely the speaker who should better reacts to it. just send the bill to the president and lets see if he will return it back or keep it till the case is over. even the cases are learnt were thrown out long ago. so you stop the approval but you go against workers who go on strike eh. shame shame shame
I think Akufo Addo support LGBTQ+ that’s why he Akufo Addo don’t want to sign the bill to law. Akufo Addo support LGBTQ+ because of that he will it sign the bill to law.
I think Akufo Addo will not sign the bill to law. He Akufo Addo support ***barred word*** tumu people in Ghana.
I can't admire Hon Alban Bagbin less, he's proven to firm and smart. Because our country has unfortunately gloried itself in mediocrity, we had habitually revered some undeserving group of people as intellectuals with several "smart" lawyers. God forbid that any intelligent person in this dispensation will continue to hold that view. Haven't we seen all of what they have? Just empty rhetorics, full of pride but a dangling cymbal. What will Nana lose if this bill came to his office? If his personal values do not permit him to sign it, why not declare so and return it? He thinks he's so smart and have some strategies on how to frustrate the bill technically. Thank God we have a fearless, strong willed and smarter Speaker of Parliament,vwe will soon see who will be outwitted.
As for this one, I side with the Speaker and the minority MPs. Nana Addo is trying to be smart but they have proved to be smarter. Why not sign the law and dare any consequencies if that is what the people want? They have to force him to sign the bill into law. It's even NPP's interest that he sign the law, otherwise it is going to be tough for Bawumia to win sympathy of the people to break-the-eight.
such a ***barred word*** bunch of speaker and a minority who disgracefully disrespect the Constitution.
What a country! The president thinks he is smart. With the speed of light, he signed the e-levy, knowing very well that there was an injunction on it in the court. So why is he not signing the anti LGBTQ+ Bill, also with an injunction on it. This is the highest level of hypocrisy. Going by the President's reasoning and excuses, and drawing from the same analogy, I am extremely happy parliament has also suspended the vetting and approval of nominated ministers and deputies until the supreme court has rules on the injunction on that too. Tit-for-tat. What goes around, comes around.