Deputy Minority Chief Whip and a member of parliament for Banda constituency Ibrahim Ahmed, has condemned the press statement released by the majority caucus concerning the Speaker’s refusal to release the Member of Parliament for Madina Constituency to the Police.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament today, Thursday, November 4, 2021, Mr. Ibrahim revealed that, the leadership of both sides of the house met this morning to discuss the issue.
He said they concluded that they were waiting for Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, to return from his trip so that the National House of chiefs, Attorney General, Minister for Interior and National Security will meet and look at the way forward.
Hence it is unfortunate for the Majority side to issue the statement.
He stated that the Minority side was ready to support and work together to hold peace and democracy in the country.
He said the Speaker, the First Deputy and leaders from both sides were on official duty outside, and the two sides agreed to address the matter upon their arrival, thus it is not proper for the Majority to have issued the statement.
He was disappointed at the attempt by the Police to arrest the Madina MP last Sunday when he was at church worshipping.
He posited that there was no need for a picture to be painted as if parliament was at loggerheads with the Police administration.
To him, both sides cannot hold the peace together should the matter go out of hand.
He said Ghana has managed to hold the fourth republic for years, and there was the need to hold this democracy by supporting all institutions of states to conduct their constitutional functions per the laws of Ghana.
Position by the Majority
The Majority caucus in parliament has condemned the actions taken by the Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Alban Sumana Bagbin, for not releasing the member of Parliament for Madina, Mr Francis-Xavier Sosu, to the Ghana Police Service to assist with investigations.
In a press statement released by the majority caucus, they noted that Speaker appears to be instituting new rules that seem to undermine the Rule of Law without any prior discussion with the leadership of the house. What exactly has changed, they asked.
The Majority believes firmly that the Constitutionally guaranteed immunity for MPs, in our democracy, must not be protected always but jealously guarded.
They, however, added that never should we, as a parliament, make the mistake of allowing immunity to be construed to mean impunity.
The caucus was of the view that the response by Speaker Bagbin was a troubling departure from how his predecessors handled such requests.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
