Habib Iddrisu questions Speaker Bagbin’s rejection of motion after Parliament recall

Tolon MP and Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrisu, has questioned the rejection of a Minority motion seeking a parliamentary inquiry into recent major narcotics seizures linked to Ghana.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, the Tolon MP said he was surprised that Speaker Alban Bagbin declined to admit the motion after recalling Parliament from recess.

“Yes, I was very, very surprised that the motion was rejected or was not admitted by the Speaker. Because I was very convinced that the Speaker was going to admit the motion, but he didn’t.”

The Minority had petitioned the Speaker to recall Parliament over concerns arising from major drug seizures involving consignments linked to Ghana.

The request was triggered in part by the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at France’s Port of Dunkirk from a container that had departed Ghana.

The Minority said the developments raised questions about Ghana’s ports, customs controls, intelligence gathering and narcotics enforcement.

The Speaker subsequently summoned Parliament for an extraordinary sitting on September 29 under Article 112(3) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 53 of the Standing Orders.

Ahead of the sitting, Mr Iddrisu filed a private members’ motion seeking an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate the narcotics seizures and the circumstances surrounding consignments linked to Ghana.

However, Speaker Bagbin rejected the motion during Tuesday’s sitting.

Mr Iddrisu said the decision was difficult for him to understand because, in his view, the motion reflected the same concerns contained in the memorandum that led to Parliament being recalled.

“In the first place, the motion was not different from the reference in the memorandum that actually seeks for Parliament to be recalled. Exactly the text that I put in the memo for Parliament to be recalled, so the Speaker have prior knowledge or information for the reason for a recall.”

He said the Speaker’s decision was therefore unexpected.

“So he recalled Parliament anyway. So there was no way I could think that the Speaker would not admit the motion because the motion was exactly what I put on the memorandum for the recall.”

Mr Iddrisu, however, acknowledged the Speaker’s authority over the admission of motions.

“But he is the Speaker of the House. The right to admit motions or otherwise lies on his bosom. And what our standing order says is that he’s the right person to admit the motion, but he decided not to. Even though he has given some reasons.”

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