Kennedy Osei Nyarko, the MP for Akim Swedru, has criticized Speaker Alban Bagbin for suspending four MPs after the tumultuous vetting session on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
He explained that it was against parliamentary procedures for the Speaker to suspend MPs, including three members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and three members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He emphasized that the suspension was an extreme step that, in his opinion, ought to have been conducted in accordance with due process, which includes consulting the appropriate parliamentary structures beforehand.
“If any MP does anything wrong, his/her conduct is referred to the privileges or special committee to investigate and report to the house.
The committee will give the particular MP the opportunity to respond to the allegations before the committee will write it’s report.
The speaker will only act after the committee’s recommendations are adopted by the house.
All the laws and rules Mr Speaker quoted define a procedure for getting to the point of administering sanctions,”Kennedy Osei Nyarko wrote on his official Facebook wall.
“If any MP does anything wrong, his/her conduct is referred to the privileges or special committee to investigate and report to the house.
The committee will give the particular MP the opportunity to respond to the allegations before the committee will write it’s report.
The speaker will only act after the committee’s recommendations are adopted by the house.
All the laws and rules Mr Speaker quoted define a procedure for getting to the point of administering sanctions,”
Kennedy Osei Nyarko opposed the Speaker’s jurisdiction to enforce such penalties, claiming that neither the Constitution nor the Standing Orders provide him this authority.
He also criticized the Speaker’s behavior, arguing that Bagbin had gone too far.
Although the Minority does not support the violence that took place during the committee’s vetting session, he said, the Speaker’s actions might create a dangerous precedent.
