The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin says parliament is not ready to approve new Ministers and Deputy Ministers of State nominated by President Akufo-Addo.
His decision comes after MP for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Etse K. Dafeamekpor sought redress from the Apex Court that parliament cannot approve new vetted ministers.
This was in retaliation to the presidency's earlier letter to parliament to stop them from transmitting the Bill on Human Sexual Rights and Family Values (the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill) for President Akufo-Addo’s assent.
The presidency cited an ongoing interlocutory application at the Supreme Court as grounds for their decision.
However, Bagbin also cited the same reason for parliament's inability to approve new ministers.
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.”
Bagbin added that “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.”