The appeal categorical several affairs declared to be emergencies and bare burning consideration. I was urged, as Speaker of Parliament, to anamnesis the House, which had been adjourned sine die, a day earlier, on the 30th of July 2024
Before I advance to abode the specifics of the request, I acquisition it all-important to analyze assertive issues accompanying to the break decidedly as these accept been aloft by the Majority Leader, Hon Afenyo-Markin, at a Press Appointment afterwards the break sine die
DECISION TO ADJOURN THE HOUSE SINE DIE In my accommodation as the Speaker of Parliament, it is allotment of my duties to advocate the attempt of transparency, accountability, and due process. It is additionally my assignment to advocate the abode and candor of Parliament, MPs, Officers and Staff of the Aldermanic Service. I accept throughout my administration as Speaker, not alone affidavit but committed to accomplishing absolutely that with all my affection and with all my might
I am accordingly assignment apprenticed to analyze the affairs surrounding the break of the Abode on 30th July 2024 and to actual any erroneous impressions that may accept arisen as a aftereffect of the break and the reactions thereafter. It is basic that the facts are accepted clearly, and that the abode and candor of this academy charcoal unblemished
Firstly, I accept been accused of prioritising all-embracing biking over aldermanic business and of unilaterally chief to curb the Abode on 30th July 2024. These accusations are unfounded and are fabricated in bad faith
The accommodation to curb the Abode Sine die on 30th July 2024 was not fabricated in isolation. This date was abreast by the Aldermanic Agenda of the Fourth Session of the Eighth Assembly which calls on Assembly to curb at the end of the ages of July. This adviser was discussed on several occasions at pre-sitting affairs of the Speaker, and Leaders and agreed to, weeks afore the 30th of July 2024. As the official reports, voice, and video recordings of affairs of the Abode will acutely demonstrate, I consistently announced to the Abode the agreed break date throughout the meeting. The break was neither brusque nor unilateral in this absorption as apparent by the capacity of the official letters of 6th, 11th, 25th, and 26th July 2024
It is for this purpose that the Abode prioritised some agenda items and I committed to sit backward hours till midnight to ensure that all the prioritised businesses are completed afore the Abode adjourned sine die on the agreed 30th July 2024. This was decidedly so, because in the aftermost anniversary to the adjournment, both Deputy Speakers had to be unavoidably absent from the administration and I had to sit throughout the sittings, as captured by the official reports
Admittedly, in the aftermost three days, to the date of the adjournment, the Hon. Majority Baton proposed an addendum of the affair to the 2nd of August 2024. The Minority Leaders against the proposal. The Hon. Majority Baton was reminded of the charge of Assembly to accelerate a appointment led by the Speaker, calm with the leadership, across-the-board of the Majority Baton and Clerk to Assembly to appear a appointment in the United States of America. This appointment had been agreed to and paid for by Assembly alike afore the admission of this meeting. The Speaker, Clerk to Assembly and the aloft Majority Leader, Hon Osei Kyei- Mensah-Bonsu, actuality associates and Co-Chair of the All-embracing Advisory Council of the Appointment had to abandon earlier. The Speaker had appropriately committed to leave the administration on the night of the 30th It would beggarly that from the night of the 30th and the abutting day the 31st, the Speaker and both Deputies Speakers would accept been unavoidably absent from the jurisdiction
The Majority Baton afterwards abreast me the Second Deputy Speaker would accept alternate by the 29th of July to administer on the 30th of July if acceptable by me. He additionally argued that a affiliate could be adopted to administer in the interregnum. I enquired to apperceive whether he had discussed this with the Minority Leaders. His acknowledgment was in the Affirmative. Afterwards enquiry reveals that his acknowledgment was inaccurate
Further, the absorption of the Majority Baton was fatigued to the accompaniment and bounce of the Abode and the aerial accident of disorder, abnormally as, he the Majority Baton had, as baton of Ghana's appointment to the ECOWAS Parliament, agreed to host a delocalised affair of the ECOWAS Assembly at Winneba, afterwards the ability of the Speaker or the Clerk to Parliament, from the 29th July to the 2nd of August 2024. The Majority Baton was appropriately visibly absent on the attic of the House, best of the 29th and 30th July 2024
The Second Deputy Speaker never accustomed as submitted by the Majority Baton until the 31st of July afterwards the Abode had adjourned sine die. While a affiliate adopted could accept presided in the absence of the Speaker and Deputy Speakers, it is capital to accept that the authoritative affiliate could not accept finer handled authoritative affairs during this aeon nor presided over the Abode to booty any absolute decision
Again, at the alpha of the year, the Administration of the Abode and the Aldermanic Account Board had absitively that the alcove be retrofitted in alertness for the 9th Parliament. The coercion of acclamation structural defects and replacing the audio and video accessories cannot be abstract as abounding accept witnessed the abortion of the accessories and some genitalia of the anatomy of the alcove in contempo times which has in some instances led to the brusque abeyance of sittings or adjournment
If Assembly does not undertake this assignment now, it will face cogent challenges in finishing the all-important affairs afore the alteration to the 9th The Alcove of Assembly is actuality retrofitted, upgraded, and is bare for use by Assembly now
It is important to agenda that the appeal for the anamnesis is based on Commodity 112 (3) and not 113. It is not a anamnesis on the base of an emergency. The affidavit declared in the appeal are askew and are meant to bandy dust into the eyes of the biting public
Consequently, best of the issues categorical in the request, including the motion on the $250 actor Costs Agreement, are businesses afore the Abode above-mentioned to the recess. For instance, the motion on the accommodation of $250 actor was tabled, debated and alone by the Abode above-mentioned to the break of the Abode sine die
At all actual times, therefore, affairs which accept been prioritised and agreed to, including the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Bill were handled and anesthetized afore the break sine die. Consequently, I actually adios the erroneous consequence created by the Hon. Majority Baton that my accomplishments were unilateral or that I placed claimed biking aloft my duties to the Abode and nation. The decisions taken were in the best absorption of the nation, the academy of Assembly and were fabricated with the abounding captivation of the administration of Parliament
REQUEST FOR RECALL OF THE HOUSE The appeal afore me was brought pursuant to Commodity 112 (3) of the Constitution and Order 53 of the Standing Orders of Parliament, and not Commodity 113, which deals with emergency matters. To reiterate, Commodity 112 (3) of the 1992 Constitution provides that: "Notwithstanding any added accouterment in this article, fifteen percent of associates of Assembly may appeal a affair of Assembly and the Speaker shall, aural seven canicule afterwards the cancellation of the request, arouse Parliament." Similarly, Order 53 of the Standing Orders of Assembly reinforces this built-in accouterment by advertence that: "Despite any added provision, fifteen per cent of Associates of Assembly may appeal a affair of Assembly and the Speaker shall, aural seven canicule afterwards the cancellation of the request, arouse Parliament. Assembly shall assemble aural seven canicule afterwards the arising of the apprehension of summon." While these accoutrement are bright and unambiguous, it is capital to accede the broader ambience in which they were advised to operate. Commodity 112 is advised to be invoked in accustomed times aback Assembly is on alcove and a charge arises in the civic absorption for Assembly to address. The byword "and the Speaker shall, aural seven canicule afterwards the cancellation of the request, arouse Assembly " is meant to accredit the high absolute aural which the acumen of the Speaker, in demography the accommodation to arouse Assembly can be exercised
It should never be absent to Ghanaians that Associates of Assembly serve a bifold role. They are aboriginal and foremost assembly and leaders of their constituencies, answerable with the albatross of agreeable with, accounting to, alert to, and acclamation the needs of their constituents
It is acute that MPs are accustomed time to fulfil their constituency duties, which are axiological to the autonomous process. If MPs are always summoned aback to Assembly for Affairs that could be appointed aural the approved aldermanic calendar, this antithesis would be disrupted, the appliance of MPs lost, and their account to the capacity abortive and of no value
COMPLIANCE WITH THE RECALL PROVISIONS A accurate compassionate of Commodity 112 (3) and Order 53, afterwards appliance for the ambience and purpose abaft these provisions, could advance to an cool bearings area Assembly is kept in abiding meetings. Such a book would attenuate the actual aspect of aldermanic democracy, i.e. to serve the people
Moreover, this accurate compassionate could be weaponised by factions aural Assembly to serve accessory interests, rather than the civic interest. By consistently invoking these accoutrement for accessory considerations, Assembly could be fatigued into a accompaniment of abiding sitting, at accidental amount to the nation and finer preventing MPs from accessory to their constituencies and added basic responsibilities, abnormally in an acclamation year aback advancement of MPs is crucial
The framers of the 1992 Constitution did not intend for these accoutrement to be acclimated indiscriminately or in a accessory manner. Extending their appliance to accustomed or accepted situations, as is the case with the accepted request, would adulterate the acceptation of Commodity 112 (3) and Order 53
A accurate analysis of the affairs categorical in the appeal reveals that they do not accommodated the beginning set by Commodity 112. Best of the issues, including the $250 actor IDA costs agreement, were already tabled afore the Abode above-mentioned to the break on 30th July 2024. The actuality that these affairs were already beneath appliance by Assembly and, in the case of the IDA Costs Agreement, were alike subjected to agitation and rejected, undermines the aspect of the appeal for a recall
Indeed, several of the bills listed on the appeal are bills that are still beneath appliance at Committee. The official letters of 30th July appearance the abhorrence of alike associates of the Majority ancillary to transact the aforementioned business
The aloft notwithstanding, accustomed the built-in requirement, the Speaker is answerable to arouse Assembly aural seven canicule of accepting the request, which agency by the end of 7th August 2024 accustomed that the appeal was accustomed by the appointment of the Speaker on the 31st of July
Article 112 (1) of the Constitution empowers the Speaker to accredit the abode for Assembly to conduct its business. Relying on this built-in accouterment and acquainted the dearth of the Alcove of the Abode as declared above, the poor accompaniment of the Accra All-embracing Appointment Centre, the Speaker has a applied claiming to accredit a abode acceptable for a aldermanic meeting
It is account noting, however, that while the Constitution provides that "the Speaker shall, aural seven canicule afterwards the cancellation of the request, arouse Parliament.", it is the Standing Orders which provides that "Parliament shall assemble aural seven canicule afterwards the arising of the apprehension of summon." The aforementioned Standing Orders empower the Speaker to adapt the Standing Orders in accord with the Constitution. In this instance, the Constitution doesn't accredit the date for the affair of the Abode afterwards the arising of the apprehension of summon
It is my advised appearance that in interpreting the Orders, the Speaker charge accede the ambience and applied realities of the situation. This access aligns with the avant-garde access for interpreting statutes, which emphasises compassionate the purpose and applied implications of the law
The Speaker should not alone focus on the accurate argument but additionally consider, the absorbed abaft the Orders, the applied appulse of altered interpretations and the charge to ensure able and able aldermanic procedures
Due to the advancing advance works in the chamber, and the aeon appropriate to accommodate the AICC, adhering carefully to the claim of the Standing Orders that Assembly assemble aural seven canicule afterwards the apprehension is issued would appoint cogent applied challenges. With the alcove beneath renovation, award an another area on abbreviate apprehension would be impractical, costly, and an accidental ache on Assembly and accessible funds
The Speaker charge counterbalance the broader context, such as the accepted logistical realities, to accomplish an abreast accommodation that aligns with the overarching attempt of acceptable babyminding and autonomous integrity. This adjustment ensures that interpretations are about applicable and cogitating of abreast needs
To abode these applied concerns, and to acquiesce acceptable time for preparations, as I intimated several times to the Abode afore the break sine die, I arouse Assembly to accommodated on Tuesday, 3rd of September 2024, at a abode and area to be announced as anon as one becomes available. Order 53 cannot accordingly be absolutely complied with
I assure the accepted accessible that I abide committed to my Oath to inter alia "faithfully and carefully acquittal my duties as Speaker of Parliament". Read also: Majority Baton activates emergency anamnesis of assembly beneath than 24hrs afterwards abode adjourned indefinitely