Former Member of Parliament for Anyaa Sowutuom, Dr. Dickson Adomako Kissi, has lauded Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin for his firm stance and independence during the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) tenure in government, describing his leadership as a vital check on executive overreach.
Speaking on Break Fast Daily on Channel One TV on Tuesday, May 6, Dr. Adomako praised Bagbin for his ability to uphold the autonomy of Parliament despite being a member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) during President Nana Akufo-Addo’s second term.
“In some ways, we were lucky in the second term of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to have an opposition Speaker of Parliament. And I must say that though he was annoying sometimes, he was putting the executive in check, so that the executive could not get away with anything, whatever the executive wished after cabinet,” he said.
He added that Bagbin’s impartiality and firmness benefited Ghana’s democratic process, ensuring that the separation of powers was maintained.
“It was in the interest of Ghana that God gave us a Speaker who had a different political ideology, to the extent that the NDC thought it remarkable to repeat the same person as the Speaker of Parliament.”
Dr. Adomako Kissi commended Speaker Bagbin for neither allowing executive pressure to derail his duties nor compromising the independence of the legislative arm.
“Despite Bagbin being an opposition Speaker of Parliament, he made sure and ensured that the executive is put in check to prevent the disruption of his work or the independence of Parliament,” he stressed.