Minority Files Motion To Remove Recalcitrant Attorney General

The Minority in Parliament has filed a motion to remove the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, from office.

The motion is in response to Mr. Dame’s dangerous disregard for a parliamentary resolution and his refusal to comply with Parliament’s recommendations for him to facilitate the admission of 499 students who were refused admission into the Ghana Law School in spite of them passing entrance exams.

A memorandum addressed to the Speaker of Parliament by Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed-Muntaka Mubarak, asked the Speaker to schedule a censure vote on the Attorney General.

“That this Honorable House passes a vote of censure on the Honourable Attorney General and Minister for Justice Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame, in respect of the following conduct: Refusal, without justifiable basis, to implement the resolution of this Honorable House unanimously passed on October 29, that the General Legal Council admits into the Ghana School of Law, 499 students who sat for and passed the entrance examination of the Ghana School of Law for the 2021/22 legal year In accordance with its own published ground rules, Impugning the image and integrity of this Honorable House through statements unbecoming of the holder of the office of Attorney General and Minister of Justice of this Republic”, the memorandum read.

A motion of this character will require at least two-thirds majority of MPs to pass. Godfred Yeboah Dame’s party, the NPP has the majority in Parliament and so it would appear that the Minority’s motion may not fly unless Dame is disliked among his own party to warrant some voting for him to be removed.

On October 29, 2021, Parliament passed a resolution directing the General Legal Council (GLC) to admit the 499 students into the Law school.

The House had resoundingly voted in support of a motion filed by Afenyo-Markin the ruling party’s MP for Effutu, who had prayed the House to compel the GLC to admit all candidates who passed the entrance examination per the advertised rules.

Parliament then directed the Attorney General to ensure this resolution was adhered to by the Council.

However, in what has been described as an arrogant rebuttal, the AG wrote back to Parliament saying the House cannot direct the GLC on its admission processes by resolution.

“Whilst recognising the general legislative powers of Parliament in Ghana, except as have been circumscribed by the Constitution, I am constrained to advise that Parliament is devoid of power through the use of Parliamentary resolutions, to control the process of admission into the Ghana School of Law. The mode of exercising legislative power enshrined in article 106 of the Constitution does not admit resolutions,” Dame fired the legislators.

Article 82 which deals with censure also requires the censure be carried out after the motion has been debated within 14 days upon receipt of the motion by the Speaker of Parliament.