The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has dismissed suggestions that the executive branch wields influence over his actions or the operations of Parliament.
Responding to remarks by Asante-Akim Central MP, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, during Thursday’s debate on the Appointments Committee’s report on Chief Justice nominee Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, Mr. Bagbin firmly stated that no executive authority dictates his conduct or decisions.
“The statement you just made is a very serious statement. As I sit here, there’s no executive that can control me,” the Speaker declared on Thursday, November 13.
Mr. Anyimadu-Antwi had alleged that the executive was exerting undue influence over both the legislature and the judiciary, claiming this explained the Minority’s walkout during the vetting of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie.
He also argued that ongoing court cases challenging the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo made it inappropriate for Parliament to continue the vetting process, asserting that the executive sought to “control Parliament and Ghana.”
In response, Mr. Bagbin reaffirmed Parliament’s independence, stressing that the House operates strictly within constitutional boundaries and remains free from executive manipulation.
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