A Political analyst and educationalist, Mr. Boakye Yiadom is calling for an amendment in the selection of Deputy Speakers of Parliament in Ghana.
The apex court ruled on a case that, Deputy Speaker can vote and form a quorum whiles presiding in Ghana’s Parliament. The ruling has raised a lot of confusion in parliament.
Reacting to the Supreme Court judgment on Oyerepa Breakfast Time, hosted by Bismark Brown, he suggested that, someone who is not a Member of Parliament, MP, should rather be selected as deputy speaker.
“Someone who’s not an MP should be appointed to be Deputy Speaker of Parliament to avert further confusion in the house.” He said.
On Tuesday, February 22, 2022, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu in a move, ruled dismissing a motion that had already been admitted by Speaker Bagbin for a bi-partisan Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry into Government’s COVID-19 Expenditure.
A lawyer cum law lecturer, Justice Abdulai subsequent to the November 30, 2021 clash between Speaker Bagbin and his First Deputy, invited the Supreme Court to pronounce as unconstitutional, Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei Owusu’s action of counting himself for the purposes of quorum.
Lawyer Abdulai argued in the context of articles 102 and 104 of the 1992 Constitution that the Deputy Speaker was not permitted to count himself for the purposes of quorum, since he had neither an original nor a casting vote as Speaker presiding.
However, Boakye Yiadom believes that, the deputy speaker is a member of parliament and can’t be denied of his right to vote.
According to him, such actions to prevent the deputy speaker who is an MP from voting would be a natural injustice.
He however commended Lawyer, Justice Abdulai for taking the matter to the Supreme Court.
Source: Oyerepafmonline.com
