News:
March 16, 2021
The Rt Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 clearly stated that, Parliament will never allow itself for the Executive arm of government to impose anything they wish on them.
He said, Parliament has the final power to approve or disapprove any request from the Executive or Presidency.
Mr. Bagbin further explained that, it is not for the Executive to impose ceiling on the Judiciary or Parliament and that, the Executive have to do the proper thing by making a recommendation on the 2021 annual budget for Parliament to make a final decision on its approval.
“We are not to receive an order or instructions from the Executive to give an approval to the budget estimate for the year 2021”.
This was when the Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediako wrote to the Speaker that nothing can be done about the ceiling given to the Judiciary and parliament to ensure that public debt does not balloon up in 2021.
But the Speaker direct the committees that in considering this year’s budge estimate, they should take on board his directive and tell the House about the negotiated figures and not the ceiling that has been given by the president.
And that is not the internment of the1992 constitution, “if you do otherwise, I as your speaker would not append any letter submitted to the president for his assent, I mean what I say, the weaker link in our democracy is Parliament”.
He further noted that because of that they are unable to control things like corruption, to hold the Executive to account and get the rule of law going, and so far as he remain the speaker, Parliament is the arm of government to lead that, “I will insist that the right thing is done”.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com