The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, yesterday walked the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sefwi Wiawso, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, out of the House for “disrespecting” the Speaker.
The MP had questioned the Speaker’s authority to suggest to the Appointments Committee areas it should consider for the approval of the House when it presents its report to plenary on two new nominations to the Supreme Court.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a letter to the Speaker, indicated that he (President) had nominated two justices to the apex court to constitute the “full complement” of the Court.
The nominees are Justice Sophia Rosseta Bernasko Essah, a Court of Appeal judge and Professor Richard Frimpong Oppong, an academic.
The President said the nominations were on the advice of the Judicial Council under the signature of its Chairman and Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo.
Referring the nominations to the Committee, the Speaker said there was the need for a national dialogue on what constitutes “full complement” and whether or not there should be a cap on the number of justices on the Supreme Court bench.
“What this means is that we are being called upon by this letter of the President as a House to look at the issue of full complement of the Supreme Court.
“We need to look at what makes the full complement of the Court. Should it be 13, 14, 15 or 20? It is for this House to decide and I’m urging you to look at this issue during the constitutional reforms or to pass a legislation to give an upper limit of how many people we can have at the Supreme Court for a country of 33 million people,” Mr Bagbin said.
But, Dr Afriyie was of the view that the Speaker’s recommendations were “prejudicial”.
The MP said: “Mr Speaker, these pronouncements you are making are prejudicial and as representative of the people of Sefwi Wiawso, I believe that it doesn’t lie in your mouth to remind us of the things that you have said.”
Describing the remarks of Dr Afriyie as “completely rude”, the Speaker asked the Marshall to “take him out of the House”.
“This is a completely rude remark. You represent the people of Sefwi Wiawso and I represent the whole people of Ghana and I can send you out of the House now. It lies within my authority to do so.
“Marshall, take him out of the House. I will not entertain such disrespectful comments,” the Speaker ordered.
The Majority Chief Whip, and MP for Nsawam, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, however, rendered an “unqualified apology” on behalf of the MP, who walked out of the House as instructed by the Speaker.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
