Member of Parliament for Builsa South Dr. Clement Apaak has questioned why the announced date of January 25, 2023, for the delivery of a judgment on the constitutionality of the payment of salaries and allowances to spouses of the President and the Vice President has not been done.
The MP is worried that although the apex court had announced that it will deliver the judgment in January, we are in June and there was no show.
The Supreme Court had announced that on January 25, 2023, it will deliver a judgment on the constitutionality of the payment of salaries and allowances to spouses of the President and the Vice-President.
A seven-member panel of the court was expected to deliver its decision in November 2022 but the Registrar of the Court announced in the courtroom that the judgment had been adjourned to January 2023.
The matter in question is a consolidation of two different suits filed by two National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs) — Mr Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, South Dayi, and Dr Clement Apaak, Builsa South, and the Bono Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Kwame Baffoe alias Abronye DC.
The plaintiffs had argued that it was unconstitutional for the committee created to determine salaries, allowances and emoluments of Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution office holders to have recommended payments of salaries to spouses of the President and Vice-President.
They also opined that spouses of the President and Vice-President were not part of the Article 71 office holders and were also not even recognised under the 1992 Constitution for them to be paid salaries.
They prayed the court to declare that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee appointed by the President under Article 71(1) only had jurisdiction to make recommendations in respect of the salaries, allowances payable, facilities and privileges of Article 71 office holders under the 1992 Constitution.
They are also seeking a declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71(1) of the Constitution, the Prof. Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee had no jurisdiction, mandate or authority to make any recommendations in respect of salaries, allowances payable, facilities and privileges of persons other than persons specified under Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution.
Furthermore, the plaintiffs want a declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71(1) of the Constitution, the Prof. Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee exceeded its jurisdiction, mandate and authority when it purported to make recommendations in respect of privileges, facilities, salaries and allowances payable to the First Lady and the wife of the Vice-President.
However, the judgment is yet to be delivered as announced by the apex court.
In his reaction, Dr Apaak says the court must not give room for speculations on matters like this.
He posited that the case is one of national interest and the court must not allow people to speculate.
He, therefore wants the court to deliver the judgment so Ghanaians would know the outcome of the case.
“Our SC must strive not to give room for speculations regarding cases of enormous public interest. The SC was to deliver judgment on our challenge of payment of salaries to 1st and 2nd ladies on Jan 25, 2023. We are in June, but still no judgement, why?”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
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