Former Member of Parliament for Essikado-Ketan, Joe Ghartey, has criticized Speaker Alban Bagbin’s handling of the suspension of the four Members of Parliament (MPs), stating that the Speaker should have established the Privileges Committee at the start of the parliamentary session.
In an interview with ABC News GH on Thursday, February 6, 2025, Mr. Ghartey emphasized that the Privileges Committee is responsible for handling disciplinary matters involving MPs, and its absence led to procedural errors in the suspension process.
“This matter should have gone to the Privileges Committee,” Ghartey stated. “But the Privileges Committee has not been established yet. The first thing we learn from this is that we must establish the Appointments Committee and the Privileges Committee almost immediately. Because as soon as Parliament starts sitting, someone can be in contempt of Parliament. And I’m not talking only about fighting—contempt of Parliament takes various forms.”
Speaker Bagbin, on January 31, 2025, suspended Frank Annoh-Dompreh, MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Alhassan Tampuli Sulemana, MP for Gushegu, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, Weija-Gbawe MP, and Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, MP for South Dayi for their involvement in a chaotic altercation during the vetting of ministerial nominees. The Speaker described their conduct as “an embarrassment to Parliament” and directed the Parliamentary Marshal to bar them from entering the chamber for two weeks.
However, Mr. Ghartey who served as a 2nd Deputy Speaker of the 6th Parliament believes the Speaker overstepped his authority, citing Parliament’s Standing Orders, which outline specific procedures for handling misconduct.
“The Standing Orders say in rule 5 that, subject to the provisions of the Constitution and any other enactment, where there is default, these orders shall be interpreted by the Speaker,” he explained. “It says in the case not provided for in these orders, Mr. Speaker shall decide on a procedural question. But it also states that in exercising the power conferred under this order, Mr. Speaker shall act in accordance with the Constitution.”
He maintained that this situation should serve as a lesson for Parliament to prioritize the timely constitution of key committees to prevent procedural missteps in the future.
“We must ensure that the Privileges Committee is set up from the beginning to avoid such procedural missteps.”
Meanwhile, Speaker Bagbin has lifted the suspension of the four MPs following public backlash and legal concerns raised by governance experts and legal practitioners. This was after both the majority leader and minority leader appealed to the Speaker to lift the ban on the four MPs.
