NPP National Youth Organizer, Henry Nana Boakye, has made a shocking revelation about the embattled Assin North Member of Parliament, James Gyakye Quayson following a Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday that he cannot act as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Assin North constituency in the Central Region.
The Apex Court by a 5:2 majority ruling said Mr Quayson, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP, can no longer perform Parliamentary duties until the determination of the substantive case filed against him at the Supreme Court.
“The application succeeds. The MP is restrained from holding himself as MP for Assin North and restrained from attending Parliament to conduct business on behalf of the people of Assin North.
“The restriction remains until the final determination of the substantive matter. We direct that the case hearing be expedited,“ Justice Jones Dotse said.
This decision was taken in a petition brought before the Supreme Court by Michael Ankomah-Nimfa, a resident of Assin Bereku in the Central Region for the MP's renunciation for holding a dual citizenship.
Holders of dual citizenship cannot hold certain specified offices in Ghana such as a Member of Parliament, hence it is unconstitutional and criminal for a person to hold dual nationality and be elected into such public office.
But some residents at Assin North have threatened to vote for Mr. James Quayson if he vies to be their Parliamentarian again with some also thinking the revocation of James Quayson's MP status is a witch-hunt by the NPP.
In view of this, Nana Boakye, popularly called 'Nana B', has attempted to dismiss the notion that the NPP sought to deliberately harass the beleaguered MP.
He revealed that his own party, the NDC, once rejected his qualification to stand as MP on the ticket of the party for same reasons that he held dual nationality.
"They have disqualified this man two times on the same grounds when he contested to be an MP," he said, referencing the term when Bernard Allotey Jacobs was the party's Central Regional Chairman.
This, he said, to purportedly tell that his own party knew it was unconstitutional for him to hold dual citizenship and be an MP.
He also stressed that, "on the third time, he (James Quayson) came to tell them (NDC) that he has started the process'' of renouncing his dual citizenship and that is when they accepted him to stand as Assin North MP.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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@Nick, the denounciation of citizenship is a process and not an event, the completion of which is the certificate of renounciation. The former MP had indeed started the process but had not completed it at the time of filing his EC forms. It is still perjury and falsification when he signed to declare on the forms the he was a full Ghanaian. It is not different from Adam Sakande's case as far as the law is concerned. NDC needs prudent and smart leadership as this current crop of leadership is a waste if they cannot understand this simple issue.
@Joe, the constitution is a public document so don't misquote it thinking you wont be found out. For the avoidance of doubt I reproduce Art. 92. 2a and b. If you renounce citizenship do you still owe allegiance and 2. A person shall not be qualified to be a member of Parliament if he- • Eligibility for first chamber a. owes allegiance to a country other than Ghana; or b. has been adjudged or otherwise declared i. bankrupt under any law in force in Ghana and has not been discharged; or ii. to be of unsound mind or is detained as a criminal lunatic under any law in force in Ghana; or Once he renounces Canadian citizenship a year before how can he be said to owe allegiance to Canada. It is a political witch-hunt. Comparing with Adamu Sakande who processed his renumciation ony as an afterthought is a misnomer. Quayson initiated his renouciation a year before the elections and got it on the 26th of November 2020 while for Sakande he was still travelling with his British passport while an MP. Remove the log from your eye first. On the issue of citizen once he renounces his Canadian citizenship he no longer is Canadian and defacto is full Ghanaian as was and always. How can I say I am no longer canadian then for you chinchinaa I am Canadian. This is just whack and nonsensical. We can do better. Fix the country and stop trivialities and political retaliations. This one is a long stretch anyway.
@Nick, read the law very well and educate yourself and your friends. The law says at the time of FILING of documents at the EC to be voted for as a Member of Parliament, one SHOULD be only a Ghanaian Citizen. Mr. Quayson had started the process to renounce his Canadian citizenship but his certificate was not ready before he declared and filed. It is unfortunate but this is the technicalities of the laws. By the the way, don't forget Adamu Sakande who was jailed for similar offense.
Nana B has said nothing. He was rejected in time past but this time he did the needful renounced his Canadian citizenship evidenced by his certificate of renunciation on the 26th of November 2020. So does Nana B make any sense at all.
THIS MAN WAS STILL HOLDING ON TO HIS CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP JUST IN CASE HE LOOSE THE ELECTION HE WILL RUN BACK WITHOUT ANY ISSUES OF HIS RETURN BACK TO NORTH AMERICA. AT THE TIME HE REALISED HE IS IN IT. IT WAS TOO LATE THEN HE STARTED THE PROCESS OF DENOUNCING HIS CITIZENSHIP ELSE HE WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO STAND AND THAT TOOK A WJILE TO GET EVERY DOCUMENT OF DENOUNCEMENT APPROVAL BACK IN TIME.WHICH COST HIM.