The Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Justice have been excluded from the list of public officials allowed to use sirens and motorcades in their official vehicles, as outlined in a new road traffic amendment regulation recently laid before Parliament.
Former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu disclosed this development after the regulation, known as the Legislative Instrument (L.I.), was introduced to the House.
The L.I.
had initially been withdrawn due to public backlash over the proposal to grant MPs similar privileges.
However, the new version of the regulation now excludes both the Speaker and the Chief Justice.
Addressing the House on Wednesday, September 4, Haruna Iddrisu expressed his concerns, arguing that it is inappropriate to exclude the Speaker of Parliament, who holds the third-highest position in the government, from such privileges. "Without personalising it, it is not Alban Sumana Bagbin.
It is the Speaker of Ghana's Parliament and he is not entitled to a motorcade or a police siren, in my view Mr Speaker, it is wrong for the number three to be out of this privilege," he stated.
He added "The Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana is also out of the Motor Traffic Regulation and not entitled to it.
Mr Speaker, you can keep a minister and member of parliament but this republic has four important personalities; the president, the vice president, the speaker and the chief justice." Meanwhile, Speaker Alban Bagbin has urged the members of parliament to be assertive leaders. "Today, when you are talking about matured democracy and spariless parliament, leadership is very matters.
You must be prepared to take responsibility and defend your position.
If the people knew as you do, they wouldn't have elected you.
So, they expect to lead them and to be able to persuade them that you are doing so in their interest. "There are only two people elected on December 7 any election year, the president and the member of parliament and the two of you are to lead the people to make their lives better," he stated.