Former Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu, popularly known as Joe Wise, has accused the current Speaker, Alban Kingsford Bagbin, of exhibiting dictatorial tendencies in his parliamentary duties.
In an interview, the former Bekwai MP asserted that Speaker Bagbin oversteps his authority, acting as though he embodies Parliament itself, which leads him to operate beyond his designated role.
“Honorable Bagbin has a different approach, and I don’t agree with him on many things. He approaches the Speaker’s position as though he is Parliament. However, according to parliamentary architecture, the Speaker is not part of the proceedings in the House. Decisions about Parliament are not made by the Speaker; his role is merely to facilitate members in making those decisions. But with Bagbin, even when a letter is addressed to Parliament through him, he quickly responds, which is not right. There are many things he does without consulting MPs. I believe that because he has previously served as both Majority and Minority Leader in Parliament, he now behaves as though he is the leader of the House.”
He continued: “Before the LGBTQ issue arose, he had hired someone to write his memoirs. When that person came to interview me, I told him that I disagreed with the Speaker on many issues. The Speaker behaves as though he is Parliament. Matters that should be addressed by Parliament as a body are often preempted by him. As Muntaka has said, he behaves like a dictator, but that is not how a Speaker should act. A Speaker must create a platform for members and serve only as a guide. While the Speaker can express personal opinions on certain issues, Bagbin acts as though he is the sole voice of Parliament in all matters. That is why I strongly disagree with him on many counts. He even took actions that seemed to deliberately frustrate government business when the NPP was in power.”
Joseph Osei Owusu, who previously served as the Chief Executive of the Driver, Vehicle, and Licensing Authority, noted that during his time as Deputy Speaker, former Speaker Prof. Mike Oquaye never attempted to direct him on how to manage proceedings. However, he claims that the same cannot be said for Speaker Bagbin.
“Bagbin gave me instructions on multiple occasions regarding how to manage proceedings. If you observed, I once stated that when a Deputy Speaker or any presiding member is in charge, they exercise the same powers as the Speaker. Bagbin may be the Speaker in terms of administration, but when it comes to presiding over the House, I am not his subordinate to the extent that I must follow his directives.” Osei Owusu stated.
