<<Print>>

Prof. Smart Sarpong has waded into discussions regarding the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin's instruction for the House not to carry on with the process of vetting and approving the ministerial nominees by the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The Speaker said; “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.”

His statement was in response to a request by President Nana Addo, contained in a letter, in which he told Parliament not to transmit the anti-LGBTQ+ bill for his assent.

The President cited some Supreme Court cases challenging the constitutionality of the bill.

“This office is aware of two pending applications for an order of interlocutory injunction, both filed on 7th March, 2024 in the Supreme Court in Dr. Amanda Odoi v. The Speaker of Parliament and The Attorney-General (J1/13/2023) and Richard Sky v. The Parliament of Ghana and The Attorney-General (J1/9/2024) respectively, to restrain you and Parliament from transmitting the Bill to the President and, also, to restrain the President from signifying his assent to the Bill, pending the final determination of the matter.

“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 and desist from transmitting the Bill to the President until the matters before the Supreme Court are resolved”, parts of the letter signed by the Executive Secretary, Nana Asante Bediatuo, said.

Tackling the issue during Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show on Friday, Prof. Smart Sarpong dreaded this precedent by the President and the Speaker of Parliament may have consequences for Ghana in the offing.

To him, the Speaker is flexing his muscles but he (Smart Sarpong) believes there should be a better way to address these issues.

He expounded that as at the time the Speaker was talking about an interlocutory injunction against Parliament's approval of the appointees, nothing of such sort had actually happened, hence in his view, Hon. Bagbin's act was a retaliation against the President. 

"Speaker was just being sarcastic. Yes, it was not true at the time he said so but I think it's just a way of him getting back at the Executive", the Senior Researcher at the Kumasi Technical University told host Kwami Sefa Kayi and appealed to both parties to tone down on the ongoing power tussle between them as the repercussions of these actions will be unbearable for the next Parliament.