The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has explained the procedural basis for the First Deputy Speaker’s refusal to admit the Minority's statement on the ongoing nationwide strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), which triggered chaos in Parliament on Tuesday, June 10.

Addressing Members of Parliament on Wednesday, June 11, the Speaker said that the statement in question was not properly admitted according to the Standing Orders of the House.

He cited Orders 94 and 95, explaining that statements must be submitted in advance, vetted through the leadership of both caucuses, and approved by the Speaker before being formally listed on the order paper.

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“In this instance, no prior notice was given, no text was submitted prior to the sitting,” Speaker Bagbin clarified.

“The statement got to the First Deputy Speaker whilst he was seated at his seat in the chamber. While he was trying to read it, I called upon him to take over the chair, so he did not actually go through it. He did not admit it. So the statement was not admitted. Accordingly, no such statement could lawfully be made on the floor.”

Speaker Bagbin stated that this process is designed to ensure decorum and prevent what he described as “ambushes” during proceedings.

He noted that while in other jurisdictions MPs are strictly timed, often just two minutes per statement, Ghana’s Parliament often shows leniency, allowing members more time to speak.

However, he urged MPs to respect the rules and submit statements through the proper channels.

"That is why we say pass your statements through your leaders, who, after going through it, will recommend it to the Speaker. And there is good reason for that, because the information available to leaders is not available to all members.

"The Speaker reviews it because the Speaker is going to preside, and the Speaker is to ensure that your comments and the statement itself are in accord with the law and the rules of the house. Then the statement is listed on the notice of the other paper under statement.

"Copies of the admitted statement are circulated to all members through the clerk. We need members to have advanced notice in order to make meaningful comments. These are the new rules that we adopted as a house."

His comments come after tensions flared in Parliament on Tuesday, June 10, when the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, ruled the Minority out of order for attempting to present a statement on the health sector strike without prior approval.

The decision led to a heated standoff and nearly resulted in the forced removal of Ranking Member on the Health Committee, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, from the chamber.

Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, had pleaded for discretion from the chair, citing the urgency and moral weight of the ongoing nurses’ strike, which has disrupted healthcare services nationwide since June 4.

However, Mr Ahiafor remained firm, saying he would not bend rules and set a bad precedent.