The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has vehemently rejected allegations that the executive arm of government exerts control over his decisions or influences the workings of the legislature.
The rebuttal came during Thursday’s parliamentary sitting on November 13, as the House debated the Appointments Committee’s report on the nomination of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as Chief Justice.
“The statement you just made is a very serious statement. As I sit here, there’s no executive that can control me,” he stated in direct response to remarks by Asante-Akim Central MP Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi,
Mr. Anyimadu-Antwi, a member of the Minority, had accused the executive of undue interference in both Parliament and the judiciary.
He cited such influence as a key reason for the Minority’s walkout during the vetting of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie.
The MP further argued that ongoing court cases challenging the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo rendered Parliament’s vetting process inappropriate, alleging the executive was attempting to “control Parliament and Ghana.”
In his sharp response, Speaker Bagbin reaffirmed Parliament’s independence, stressing that the institution operates strictly within the framework of the Constitution and remains free from external manipulation.
The debate by the House follows the submission of the Appointments Committee’s report on the vetting of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie on Monday.
Presenting the report, the Chairman of the Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, said the committee had recommended the approval of the nominee by a majority vote.
He added that the Minority members on the committee had voted en bloc to reject the approval of the nominee.