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The NPP Member of Parliament(MP) for Abuakwa South constituency, Samuel Atta Akyea, has added his voice to the ongoing impasse between the Legislature and the Executive, arguing that the recent letter from the Presidency, signed by the Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo, to Parliament on the anti-gay bill does not constitute a violation of the Constitution.

The former Works and Housing Minister noted that the Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Bagbin went a bit too far while sharing his views on the letter sent to the clerk of Parliament on behalf of the Presidency.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, during a Parliamentary session, suspended the approval of ministers and deputy ministers of state nominated by President Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, March 20.

The decision by the Speaker of Parliament to suspend the ministerial vetting was, as a result of a letter sent to the speaker by the secretary to the President instructing parliament to cease and desist from transmitting the Anti-Gay bill to the presidency to assent.

The actions from the Presidency and the Speaker has generated conversations with some key persons sharing their views on the subject matter. While others embrace the decision of the Speaker, others also condemn his actions describing it as needless.

Amongst the persons who disagree with the Speaker is the Abuakwa South Lawmaker, Lawyer Samuel Atta Akyea.

Speaking on Citinews, Hon. Samuel Atta Akyea said the tit-for-tat attitude by the Minority must stop.

“I will not say that there is a pattern from the president’s end to, sort of, frustrate the processes of assenting to bills. Even if he does that, you can bring it to his attention. We should not say, and I am not saying, that is the state of affairs.”

“If the president is doing something which is unconstitutional, there are processes to bring the president to order. But to lower the standards of governance to say, oh, let’s do a tit-for-tat, let’s ensure that we frustrate his work because we sent some bills to him, and he doesn’t want to assent to those bills, I don’t believe that is the way to go,” he said.

The Speaker of Parliament explained that, his action stems from an interlocutory injunction filed at the Supreme Court by MP for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Etse K. Dafeamekpor, rendering Parliament unable to sanction new ministers nominated by President Akufo-Addo.