General News of Sunday, 28 January 2018
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2018-01-28
Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader in Parliament
The Minority in Parliament has criticized President Akufo-Addo for traveling out of the country leading to the swearing in of the Speaker of Parliament as acting president.
Prof. Mike Ocquaye was sworn into office as acting president on Saturday for the second time in 6 days.
This became necessary per the provisions of the Constitution because Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia is on medical leave in the United Kingdom after he was initially reported unwell.
President Akufo-Addo is in the Ethiopian capital, Addis-Ababa for a meeting of the African Union from where he is expected to travel to South Africa to attend the funeral of music icon, Hugh Masakela.
Speaking to JoyNews however, Member of Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee and MP for South Dayi, Rockson Dafeamekpor says the president could have sent other high ranking government officials to the AU meeting.
“…we [minority] acknowledge that Hugh Masekela is a global icon but giving the situation of the Vice President’s health, we are of the view opinion that he could have detailed the Foreign Minister and other officials to the AU meeting and the funeral” he stated.
“He ought not to jet off but remain at home to superintend affairs of the state”, he added.
However, both minority and majority in parliament have agreed that the tradition of swearing in the Speaker when both President and Vice are out of the jurisdiction, will need some review.
NDC MP for Kunbungu, Ras Mubarak has indicated that he is heading to the Supreme Court to seek review of Article 60 (11) of the 1992 Constitution because absence from Ghana cannot be interpreted as inability to perform presidential functions in his view.
“I have given an indication to my lawyers to file the necessary processes for us to look at it again,” he told JoyNews.