Tolon MP and Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrisu, says the motion rejected by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, was exactly what had triggered the recall of the House.

He said he was “very, very surprised” that the Speaker did not admit the motion, insisting that its contents were not different from the memorandum he had submitted to seek the recall of Parliament.

“Yes, I was very, very surprised that the motion was rejected or was not admitted by the Speaker. Because I was very convinced that the Speaker was going to admit the motion, but he didn’t,” he told Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday.

According to Habib Iddrisu, the motion contained the same substance as the earlier memorandum that led to the recall.

“In the first place, the motion was not different from the reference in the memorandum that actually seeks for parliament to be recalled,” he said.

“Exactly the text that I put in the memo for the parliament to be recalled, so the Speaker have prior knowledge or information for the reason for a recall.”

The Minority had sought the recall of Parliament over concerns about Ghana becoming a transit hub for illicit drugs, amid calls for urgent action to address the issue.

Habib Iddrisu said the Speaker’s prior knowledge of the basis for the recall made him confident that the motion would be admitted.

“So he recalled Parliament anyway. So there was no way I could think that the speaker would not admit the motion because the motion was exactly what I put on the memorandum for the recall,” he said.

He, however, acknowledged that the Speaker has the authority to determine whether a motion should be admitted.

“But he is the Speaker of the House. The right to admit motions or otherwise lies on his bosom,” he said.

He added that Parliament’s Standing Orders also give the Speaker the authority to admit motions, stressing that the Speaker ultimately decided not to admit the Minority’s motion.

“And what our standing order says is that he’s the right person to be able to have admitted the motion, and he decided not to admit the motion. Even though he has given some reasons,” he said.