Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has parried what he says are orchestrations by the Majority in Parliament to paint him as a partial arbiter in parliament following his recent vocal expressions.
He has assured that contrary to the propaganda by the Majority, he remains a very impartial Speaker.
“Please the branding will not wash. I have always done everything to show that in the performance of my duties as a Speaker, I am impartial. As a member of a party, then you can classify me as NDC. But in the performance of my duty, I will do everything to assure everybody in Ghana that I am impartial. That will happen,” he said.
The Speaker made the comment while addressing a gathering of MPs and resource persons at a workshop on the 2022 budget presentation held at the Volta Serene Hotel in Ho over the weekend.
Apparently, the Speaker gave the assurance in response to an allegation by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensa-Bonsu, who complained about being left out of a courtesy call to the overlord of the Asogli State by the Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin.
According to Rt. Hon. Bagbin, the Majority Group has consistently failed to show up for courtesy calls saying although he is trying to carry everyone along with him as the Speaker of the 8th Parliament, the Majority Group has been undermining his efforts.
“I have always tried to let us move together as one family. And so even at the public forum in Kumasi, which actually is called the Speaker’s Breakfast Forum. Usually, as a tradition, we have to pay a courtesy call on the overlord of the land we enter to hold an activity. I did invite both sides of the House. Surprisingly when I got there, it was only my friend the Second Deputy Speaker who showed up as the one in between the middle,” Bagbin complained.
“My friends from the other side, led by some friends (the Majority Leader) did not show up. Today, the same thing has been repeated. In fact, if you look at the manifest to come here, the list is very clear, everybody was included. When I entered the plane, I was told that they would be joining me this morning.
Mr. Bagbin who is a dye in the wool member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) had had his work cut out for him when he was voted in to preside over Ghana’s unprecedented Hung Parliament.
He has recently been flexing his powers knowing that the lawmaking chamber is virtually split equally between the opposition NDC and the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He recently warned that his position cannot be touched by the executive, but based on constitutional provisions, he could determine the fate of the President if a potential impeachment move is made on him.
This statement has riled the NPP as the chamber increasingly becomes acrimonious as they prepare to debate the contentious 2022 budget.