News:
February 2, 2021
Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has said the office of the President Nana Akufo-Addo got Article 89 clause (2A) wrong when parliament was not consulted in the appointment of members of the Council of State.
And directed that this message should be carried to the office of the president as Parliament needs to convey its views to the president in the appointment but he is not bound to accept whatever the House says.
“I am told the consultation could be by telephone and after that I would have to act as a channel to get in touch with parliament and we could do same and the president would be authorised to go ahead and make appointment to the Council of State”.
He further pointed out that the purported list out there in the public domain is not appointment, it is the president just conveying his intentions and that should be taken along as the transaction of business in the future.
This incident occurred on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 on the floor of the House when Member of Parliament for Tamale South drew the attention of the House of some names purported to be on social media as list of members of council of state without respecting Article 89 (2A) of the 1992 constitution.
Article 89 (2A) of the 1992 Constitution, states “the Council of State shall consist of, “the following person appointed by the president in consultation with Parliament”. And served notice that he would not follow wrong practices, as the consultation is to be with Parliament which is chaired by the Speaker and this are issues that parliament has to iron out’. “I have not received any formal communications from the Presidency with regards to the list on members of the Council of State”.
“Things should be done properly now, because now that the names are out there, if there is consultation and we disagree with some of the nominees, you all know the implication so it is proper we do some of this consultations before it goes public”.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com