News:
June 1, 2017
Former Second Deputy Speaker in the sixth Parliament of the fourth Republic, Honorable Joe Ghartey, says the speaker of Parliament is more powerful than a judge, when it comes to ruling on a matter.
He made this remarks, when selected students of various Senior High Schools (SHS) under the chief justice’s mentorship program visited Parliament to familiarize themselves with workings of Parliament.
The Chief Justices mentorship programme which is an annual programme, has been running for the past ten years. The Chief Justices mentorship programme was under the theme “mobilizing for Ghana’s future, the right duties and obligation of a responsible youth”.
Students numbering more than two hundred (200), had the opportunity to have a feel of how the chamber of Parliament looks like, whiles the Second Deputy Speaker took the visiting students through how Parliaments works.
He noted that, when a judge rule against you, it can go for an appeal and travel through the court system where judges are empanel to deal with the issue.
“Speaker one person just sitting here, when he rules it is final, even if you come by a substantive motion against his ruling it will come back to same person”, he remarked.
People say Members of Parliament do not have a mind of their own, “yes it is true, if you want to have a mind of your own come as an independent candidate” As a parties representative 99 % percent of the time the party will not tell what to do, but on sensitive matters where the party has position they will tell you what to do, he said.
As Speakers we do not contradict ourselves in our rulings, when a first or second Deputy Speaker of Parliament makes a ruling and a Member of Parliament wants to be smart, when the speaker takes the chair. The Speaker will point out to him or her that the ruling of the first and second Deputy Speakers holds, the Essikado-Ketan legislator said.
Mrs Iren Afrifa a teacher at Akropong School for the blind, in an interview with ghanamps.com was so grateful for the opportunity given by the chief and her happiness to visit Parliament with some of her students.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com