Speaker Was Wrong, Referral Of Censure Motion To Ad Hoc C’tee Unconstitutional – Amidu

Martin A.B.K. Amidu, who used to be the Special Prosecutor, says it was against the constitution for the Speaker of Parliament to have the power to send a motion of censure from the minority to any ad hoc committee.

In his most recent letter to Parliament, Mr. Amidu criticized the Speaker for what he called an unconstitutional statement. He also said that the way the Speaker has handled the motion of censure so far leaves a lot to be desired.

He said that because Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak, the Chief Whip of the minority caucus, had filed a motion of censure, the Minister for Finance was aware of it and had to show up in Parliament on November 10, 2022, to talk about the motion of censure and vote on it.

“The Speaker knew that the subject of the motion of censure was absent from Parliament in spite of the mandatory injunction of Article 82 of the Constitution but glossed over the Minister’s absence and proceeded to have the motion of censure moved and seconded,” he said.
He added: “The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, never appeared in Parliament on 10 November 2022. He is reputed to have been abroad on that day, instead of respecting the Constitution and laws of Ghana by his presence in Parliament…the Speaker then followed this with his unconstitutional referral of same to an unconstitutional ad hoc committee of Parliament for investigation.”

Mr Amidu admonished the Speaker to watch his conduct in the House to maintain his impartiality as an umpire.

“This conduct of the Speaker underscores the urgency with which patriotic citizens must be ever watchful of every step and pronouncement by the Speaker of Parliament. This is the first Speaker of Parliament under the Fourth Republican Constitution who thinks his words on the Constitution and the procedure and practice of
Parliament is gospel and so infallible that citizens must swallow them line, hook, and sinker as a matter of faith. I agree with the Speaker that the minority motion will eventually fail, but the processes toward that failure must be fair and transparent. It must not be orchestrated.”

Source: starrfm