The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has issued a firm reminder to Members of Parliament (MPs) about the authority of the Speaker’s chair, cautioning them to show due respect to the office, regardless of personal disagreements.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, June 11, in the aftermath of recent tensions in the House, the Speaker invoked both legal authority and literary wisdom to make his point.

“Honourable Members, I don't need to talk to you about the powers of the Speaker. They are clearly stated in the law.

"If you read the Parliament Act 1965 and the Standing Orders of the House, they are actually colossal, and if fully applied, could be of serious danger to the career progression of Members of Parliament,” Bagbin warned.

Speaker Bagbin added: “Even a dog is obeyed in office. When we sit here, we are not saints, we are not infallible, but there is a good reason why we are called Right Honourable and you are called only Honourable.”

He reminded MPs that the Speaker’s ruling on the floor is final, and the law provides appropriate avenues for contesting such rulings within proper procedure, not through confrontation.

“The Speaker, however, the situation is always right on the floor. When he's wrong, the law has given you the opportunity on how to come back to the same floor to prove that he was wrong. So please, I repeat, even a dog is obeyed in office. I want Honourable Members to take this in good faith,” he stressed.

The Speaker's remarks come after recent clashes between the Minority and First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor over the rejection of a statement on the ongoing nurses' strike, which led to heated exchanges and adjournment of proceedings.