Tolon MP and Deputy Minority Chief Whip Habib Iddrisu said he was “very, very surprised” when Speaker Alban Bagbin rejected the motion that had prompted the recall of Parliament. The motion, he said, was the same one that led to the House being recalled in the first place.
Speaking to Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, Iddrisu said he expected the Speaker to admit the motion because it contained the same substance as the memorandum he submitted to request the recall. “Exactly the text that I put in the memo for the parliament to be recalled, so the Speaker have prior knowledge or information for the reason for a recall,” he said.
The Minority had pushed for the recall over concerns about Ghana becoming a transit hub for illicit drugs. They called for urgent action from Parliament to address the issue, which they outlined in the memorandum and later in the motion.
Iddrisu expressed confusion over the Speaker’s decision to reject the motion. “Yes, I was very, very surprised that the motion was rejected or was not admitted by the Speaker. Because I was very convinced that the Speaker was going to admit the motion, but he didn’t,” he said.
He acknowledged that the Speaker has the authority to admit or reject motions under Parliament’s Standing Orders but said the decision still caught him off guard. “But he is the Speaker of the House. The right to admit motions or otherwise lies on his bosom,” Iddrisu said.
He added, “And what our standing order says is that he’s the right person to be able to have admitted the motion, and he decided not to admit the motion. Even though he has given some reasons.”
The Speaker recalled Parliament despite rejecting the motion. Iddrisu said this made his surprise even greater. “So he recalled Parliament anyway. So there was no way I could think that the Speaker would not admit the motion because the motion was exactly what I put on the memorandum for the recall.”
Iddrisu’s comments came amid ongoing concern in Ghana about drug trafficking and the country’s role as a transit point for illicit substances. The Minority’s push for parliamentary action reflected a demand for stronger responses to this challenge.
The exact reasons Speaker Bagbin gave for rejecting the motion were not detailed by Iddrisu. But the Deputy Minority Chief Whip’s insistence that the motion was identical to the earlier memorandum raises questions about the internal handling of parliamentary procedures.
The rejection of a motion that triggered the recall of Parliament is unusual. It suggests a tension between the Minority’s agenda and the Speaker’s interpretation of his role in admitting motions. This episode adds a layer of complexity to ongoing debates about how Parliament addresses national issues.
For now, the Speaker’s decision stands. The Minority has voiced its surprise but also acknowledged the Speaker’s authority. The question remains how Parliament will proceed on the drug transit issue after this setback.
According to Joy Online.
