The speaker being sworn into office again
Speaker of parliament, Prof Mike Oquaye, was sworn into office for the second time in a week on Saturday to become the acting president of the country in the absence of President Nana Akufo-Addo and his vice, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
He was sworn into office in parliament by the Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo.
The speaker took the oaths of allegiance and office as was done in the previous swearing-in barely two weeks ago.
President Akufo-Addo left the country with Ghanaian delegation on Saturday for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the African Union (AU) Summit. From there he would proceed to South Africa to attend the funeral of South African jazz legend, Hugh Masekela, and is expected back in the country on January 31.
After the swearing-in, the minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, said that it would be constitutionally prudent to look at Article 60 (11) and (12) again, especially when those provisions make it clear that the speaker will have to be sworn into office when the president and the vice president are unable to perform their duties; and not when the president and the vice are merely out of the country.
He said it could create constitutional crisis one day because when the president travels on a national assignment, he is still performing his role as the first gentleman of the land.
He said the portion of the oath of allegiance which says that ‘I, having been elected to the office of president…’ must be looked at again when it is being administered to the speaker because the speakership is not an elected position.
The majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, said that parliament has powers under Article 298 to offer the necessary amendments to the constitution to get the appropriate order.
He however, said that there is no ambiguity in the Article 60 (11) and (12) because it says ‘when the president among other reasons, is unable to perform his duties…’ and so absence from Ghana could mean being unable to perform his functions as the president of the Republic.
The first deputy speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, commended the MPs for responding to the call to witness the swearing-in of the speaker.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr