Former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has accused Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon Alban S.K. Bagbin of overstepping his authority by unilaterally imposing sanctions on four Members of Parliament for misconduct.
The controversy stems from an incident at the Appointments Committee on Thursday, January 30, 2025, where a heated altercation led to the destruction of gadgets and furniture in a chaotic brawl.
In response, Speaker Bagbin suspended the four MPs for two weeks and referred them to the Privileges Committee for further action.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu
However, speaking on Joy News on Saturday, February 1, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu challenged the Speaker’s decision, arguing that neither the 1992 Constitution nor the Standing Orders of Parliament grants him the power to impose such punitive measures.
“The Speaker has not only jumped the gun but has gone outside the prescription of the law to impose his sanction. His attitude and conduct are questionable,” he asserted.
While the former Majority Leader agreed with the Speaker’s decision to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee under Order 342 of the new Standing Orders, he strongly opposed the direct suspension of the MPs.
“The Speaker is right to have availed himself of the imperative of Order 342 of the new Standing Orders,” Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu acknowledged, emphasizing that referring matters of privilege to the Committee of Privileges and Immunities was the proper procedure.
However, he maintained that suspending the MPs before the Committee’s determination was inappropriate and exceeded the Speaker’s constitutional mandate.
He condemned the Speaker’s use of discretionary powers and stressed they are part of the appropriate disciplinary mechanisms within Parliament.
The suspended members included Chief Whips Rockson-Nelson Defeamakpor, MP for South Dayi, and Frank Annoh-Dompreh, MP for Nsawam Adoagyiri. The others are Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli, MP for Gushegu, and Jerry Ahmed Shuaib, MP for Weija Gbawe and 2nd Deputy of the Minority Caucus.
The Speaker stressed that these suspensions were only the beginning and that further sanctions could follow after an official investigation by a committee of the House.
The suspension would last two weeks without pay.
Apology
The Speaker also offered a heartfelt apology to the people of Ghana for the national embarrassment caused by the events and expressed his deep disappointment in the behaviour of the leaders and MPs involved.
He vowed to take every necessary step to restore the dignity of the institution.
He stated, “I am deeply disappointed by the fundamental leaders in this shameful attitude. Their actions have brought disrepute to Parliament and undermined the democratic values we have sworn to uphold.”
By Osumanu Al-Hassan/thenewsbulletin24.com
