Hon. Joseph Osei-Owusu, MP for Bekwai and former First Deputy Speaker has questioned the legal authority for Speaker Bagbin’s suspension of MPs involved in the recent vetting scuffle.
He argued that while referring the matter to the Privileges Committee was appropriate, due process was not followed before imposing sanctions.
Speaker Bagbin suspended MPs Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli, and Jerry Ahmed Shaib, who were at the center of the scuffle during the vetting.
Accordingly, Osei-Owusu stressed that parliamentary rules and the Constitution do not grant the Speaker unilateral authority to punish MPs without a proper disciplinary process.
“And then at the end of it all, if the people are found to have misconducted themselves, the procedure and the rule, the sanction regime applied by the Constitution, the Parliament Act will then be applied. And so I think he rushed into making a decision or announcing a decision that he has no power to do. Right.
“Indeed, if you look at the Privileges Committee that he ordered to be set up was to deal with the same matter. So the committee should be set up so that all those matters will be investigated and then a proper recommendation is made to the House”.
Hon. Joseph Osei-Owusu
Hon. Osei-Owusu further expressed concern over the apparent breach of prior agreements during the vetting process as alleged by Minority Leader Hon. Afenyo-Markin.
Hon. Afenyo-Markin stated that the Chairman of the Appointment Committee, Hon. Bernard Ahiafor, had breached an agreement to vet only five nominees per day.
Afenyo-Markin also pointed out that Hon. Ahiafor disregarded this agreement by allowing the committee to vet more than the agreed number.
Accordingly, Osei-Owusu emphasized the importance of upholding negotiated decisions, stating that any changes should be agreed upon by all parties involved. He urged the chairman to stand firm on previously agreed terms unless there is mutual consent to make adjustments.
Drawing from his experience as former Chairman of the Appointment Committee, he noted that negotiation is central to parliamentary proceedings, and disagreements are normal.
However, if changes are necessary, he advised revisiting discussions with the relevant leaders and stakeholders.
He also acknowledged the pressure from nominees and colleagues advocating for specific approvals. “But I insist on agreeing to what we have agreed upon”.
Appointment Committee Reconstitution Emphasized Post Suspension
Furthermore, Hon. Joseph Osei-Owusu emphasized that the reconstitution of the Appointment Committee can only occur within the boundaries set by the current standing orders.
He clarified that certain leaders, such as statutory members and chiefs, are integral to the committee’s structure.
These roles cannot be altered unless there is an amendment to the standing orders, a process that would require the collective agreement of the entire House.
Therefore, any reconstitution, Osei-Owusu indicated, must respect these established rules unless formal changes are made.
“The standing orders provide who can be members of the appointments committee. And that is those who are statutory members [and] these members include the chief whips of both sides.
“But the other members are not permanent. They get changed. Some get replaced as and when the subject matter changes. So the real challenge is whether Mr Speaker had the right to remove the statutory members. As for the other members, they are rotating. They can be taking off. New people will be brought in”.
Hon. Joseph Osei-Owusu
He also pointed out that Speaker Alban Bagbin is not a member of parliament and, as such, should be cautious about assuming powers that could interfere with or regulate parliamentary matters.
Specifically, he highlighted concerns over the Speaker taking actions such as suspending or removing members of parliament, given that the authority to make such decisions should rest solely with elected members, not with someone who is not part of the legislative body.
He maintained that the powers the Speaker wields are granted by members of parliament through the standing orders, but ultimately, decisions concerning members must be made by parliamentarians themselves.
Hon. Osei-Owusu further emphasized that the recent scuffle during the vetting process should not be attributed to the NPP being a small minority, as some people might believe.
He clarified that the issue was not about the number of MPs, but rather about respecting each other’s right to participate in the proceedings.
Whether the party is large or small, the core principle should always be that all members have an equal right to engage in the process without interference.
Meanwhile, the NPP had staged a walkout during the vetting following the chaos, which allowed the NDC to proceed with the process without them.
In response to this, Hon. Osei-Owusu remarked that if the NPP chose to stay out, but the NDC had the necessary quorum to continue with the business, there was nothing wrong with them proceeding.
However, he reiterated his condemnation of the scuffle, emphasizing that such behavior was completely unacceptable, regardless of which party or individual was involved.
He stressed that the conduct during the vetting process fell short of the standards expected of members of parliament. “Parliament should resist any temptation to get into this cost and violent confrontation”.
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