The Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak has vehemently opposed the Speaker’s decision to refer three Members of Parliament from the Majority side to the Privileges Committee without an application for such an action to be taken by a Member of the House.
He explained that the Standing Orders of the House demand that any application or petition to be considered on the floor of Parliament ought to have been brought forward by a Member of the House or any other person the Orders deem fit.
Unfortunately, he stated, the Speaker does not belong to this category of people.
Reading from Parliament’s Standing Orders on PM Express, he said, “every application to Parliament shall be in the form of a petition and every petition must be presented by a member who shall be responsible for the observance of the rules.”
“So you see if you’re not a member,” he explained, “you’ll not be conversant with these standing orders to apply the rules, and unfortunately Speaker is not a member of parliament. So yes, people can write petitions to him, that is why almost all petitions that have been written to Speakers many of them don’t get to be on the floor.”
He stated that as has been the case in other circumstances where Speakers have found petitions of interest, they have directed the petitioner who is not a Member of the House, to present their petition to their Member of Parliament for the MP to present the petition on their behalf.
“So if Speaker has received petitions, talking about Kennedy Agyapong, Henry Quartey and Adwoa Safo, the Speaker himself, suo moto, I disagree cannot bring the matter on the floor. A member of parliament who feels very convinced about these infractions will raise it,” he said.
The Minority Chief Whip says allowing Speaker, Alban Bagbin’s petition to get to the Privileges Committee would set a dangerous precedent which will haunt Parliament in the future.
He is, therefore, filing a countermotion to challenge the Speaker's decision.
Latest Stories
-
‘After The Floods’: Victims suffer harsh conditions 6 months after Akosombo dam disaster
11 mins -
Akufo-Addo to unveil Otumfuo commemorative stamp
37 mins -
EduSpots distributes over 100 tablets and laptops to 30 community-led education spaces
53 mins -
Taxation is driving away investors – FABAG General Secretary
1 hour -
Effutu MP commissions office for Hepatitis B; absorbs cost of testing, vaccination and management
1 hour -
Bawumia pushes for land digitisation to tackle land guard menace
2 hours -
Faith-based institutions are instrumental in national development – Bawumia
2 hours -
Upholding the Integrity of Presidential Promises: A call to Ghanaian leaders
2 hours -
I don’t start ‘beefs’; I only reply – Strongman refutes claims
2 hours -
Vice President Bawumia promises reforms to turn Ghana’s fortunes around
2 hours -
REGSEC warns encroachers along Tema-Sakumono Ramsar site as it races to prevent flooding
2 hours -
Kumasi International Airport to be commissioned ahead of time – Transport Ministry
2 hours -
Vomit your loot now or hold onto it and face the consequences – Asiedu Nketiah to Akufo-Addo, NPP
2 hours -
Democracy is going to reverse in West Africa if we don’t tackle economic hardships – Atuguba
3 hours -
Bawumia commissions 124 housing units for victims of Appiatse disaster
3 hours