The Member of Parliament for South Dayi and Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, says his actions in court are aimed at addressing what he describes as an injustice done to the people of Wakpal.
Speaking on the matter, Mr. Dafeamekpor dismissed claims by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the case was filed prematurely, following the publication of a Gazette notification.
According to him on Joynews, the NPP argues that the Gazette notice was published on January 24, and therefore Parliament should not have been taken to court on January 23, the same day the Clerk of Parliament wrote to the House.
However, he explained that the Gazette notifications at the time were confusing and contained serious errors.
“The Gazette publications were in a confused state,” he said.
Mr. Dafeamekpor noted that the notifications listed 274 parliamentary seats and later added four more, bringing the total to 278 seats, which he said exceeds the constitutionally mandated number of parliamentary seats.
“If you gazette 274 seats and add another four, you get 278. Where is the overlapping two coming from?” he questioned.
He explained that steps were later taken to correct the situation, leading to a new Gazette publication on January 6.
However, he accused the opposing side of denying the January 6 Gazette publication in court and describing it as a genuine mistake.
“He now comes to court and denies the January 6 Gazette publication and calls it a genuine error,” he stated.
Mr. Dafeamekpor questioned how such an error could be considered genuine, insisting that the number of parliamentary seats cannot be mistaken.
“The number of parliamentary seats is fixed. There is no fraction. It is either 276 or it is not,” he said.
He further alleged that the Head of the institution responsible was prevented from continuing communication with Parliament, even though she had earlier provided Parliament with an exact number.
According to him, the matter goes beyond passion and politics and touches on fairness and constitutional order.
“This is not about being passionate. It is about the injustice done to Wakpal,” he stressed.
Mr. Dafeamekpor said he will continue to pursue the matter to ensure that what he describes as a constitutional wrong is corrected.
By: Jacob Aggrey
