Audio By Carbonatix
The Chief Technical Advisor of the University of Ghana School of Law’s Democratic Vigilance Project has called for the immediate integration of Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah into another Standing Committee prior to his resignation taking effect.
According to Oliver Barker-Vormawor, this is in fulfilment of the Constitution which demands that a Member of the House is bound to maintain membership of at least one Standing Committee.
He said, “This is because while a Member can presumably resign their membership from every select Committee; he or she cannot resign from every Standing Committee. A Member is bound to maintain membership of at least one Standing Committee.
“The constitution is clear in this respect. Article 103(4) provides that “Every member of Parliament shall be a member of at least one of the standing committees”.
“This provision, in my estimation imposes a dual responsibility on the House to ensure such membership, and on the member to maintain such membership. Personal autonomy while guaranteed by the constitution is also limited by the demands of this constitutional duty.”
His comments come on the back of the sudden resignation of Sam Okudzeto Ablakwah from Parliament’s Appointment Committee citing “personal” reasons.
“I shall like to state that the reasons for this difficult decision are both personal and on principle,” was all Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa alluded in his letter dated March 30.
Following this, the MP for North Tongu in a Facebook post expressed his gratitude to Speaker Alban Bagbin for a “fruitful” meeting and for accepting his resignation.
In this regard, Mr. Barker-Vormawor said the MP should not be left destitute in parliament and thus should be immediately integrated into another committee.
“Currently, Parliament as constituted, is divided into 11 standing committee, one of which is the Appointments Committee. Having indicated his intention to resign from the only Standing Committee of which he is a member, Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa must immediately be integrated into another Standing Committee, before that resignation becomes effective.
“He cannot exist on the brinks. It is constitutionally impossible to be destitute, in this regard,” he said.
Latest Stories
-
Recurring floods expose growing humanitarian crisis in Agbozume as hundreds receive emergency relief
59 seconds -
Margins delivers first GAM ID – President Barrow is inaugural recipient
10 minutes -
Drug Abuse and Ghana’s Human Security Crisis: The silent destruction of a generation’s potential
37 minutes -
Floods ravaged Ghana could generate GH¢556 in economic benefits for every GH¢1 invested in sanitation
55 minutes -
Gov’t pays $700m Eurobond bill ahead of schedule, total hits $2.1bn
1 hour -
‘Suspend it now’ – FABAG appeals directly to Mahama to halt new import verification programme
1 hour -
Gov’t cannot talk ease of doing business while adding more costs – FABAG rejects Ghana Easy Pass
1 hour -
You cannot threaten people into silence about their own history
1 hour -
‘This is another tax by another name’ – FABAG warns new import rules will push up prices
2 hours -
BoG injects $2.01bn into forex market as cedi records first monthly gain of 2026
2 hours -
Ghana congratulates U.S. on 250th Independence Anniversary
2 hours -
Science-driven conservation critical to Africa’s sustainable future – Prof Debrah
2 hours -
University of Ghana bemoans delay in AI curricula approval
2 hours -
Godfred Dame questions legality of former NAFCO CEO’s arrest, says access to client was denied
2 hours -
Haruna Iddrisu orders GTEC to withdraw retirement directive affecting university lecturers
2 hours