When we affirm that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) behaves like the child who takes his ball away because he is not having his way on the field of play, some of John Mahama’s allies in the media, academia and civil society complain about our stance.
We do not make wild claims because politically, we are in a parallel line never to converge on any issue of public interest. Our arguments have always been anchored on the truth, the evidence and data.
That is why for sometime now, we keep saying that Speaker Bagbin is just out to destabilise the government machinery to pave the way for the NDC Minority to engage in a kind of cantata in Parliament.
If really the NDC, Speaker Bagbin and John Mahama are truly patriotic citizens, they will not engage in acts to make the country ungovernable less than a month to a crucial election.
We know elections are won on the campaign platform and not in Parliament House, which has become a kind of battle ground since Speaker Bagbin became the umpire. His words and deeds expose him as the most partisan Speaker of the Fourth Republic, who sees that exalted office as an opportunity to challenge the President of the Republic.
If the Constitution guarantees Parliament to hold the purse string of the government and by extension have oversight over government actions, these responsibilities do not give the Speaker the right to engage in adversarial relationship.
The three arms of government are independent and have to respect the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances, but not to create a constitutional crisis where nothing happens in Parliament House.
While Speaker Bagbin thinks he is above the Supreme Court by virtue of the fact that he carries the Number Three position like a badge of honour, the NDC is celebrating the decision of the Sekondi High Court to overturn the injunction imposed on the Amenfi Central parliamentary candidate of the party. This same group of people including their lawyers have taken on the Supreme Court judges for daring Speaker Bagbin, but hailing the Sekondi High Court judge for upholding the rule of law.
The Speaker himself, a seasoned lawyer, has in the case of the four MPs dropped his legal garb to engage in the debate wearing his NDC lens as always, dressed like some king in the Speaker’s seat.
Speaker Bagbin even had the audacity to accuse the Executive and the Judiciary of sinning against the Constitution when he has ignored the decision of the highest court of the land.
The double standard of the NDC has come to a head. We have believed that in all the brouhaha or melee, the parties in dispute, especially Speaker Bagbin, will place the public good above the NDC agenda, which is parochial and partisan but not in the national interest that puts Ghana first.
Whatever the agenda of Speaker Bagbin and the NDC, Ghana will not burn. We shall come out of this dilemma in the name of God and carry out the business of governance from now to the elections, leading to a peaceful transition on January 7, 2025.
We commend the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Majority in Parliament led by lawyer luminary Afenyo-Markin for refusing to enter the gutters with Ato Forson’s Minority, with the intent of achieving their failed agenda to “reset” the country with the electorate. The most dangerous thing to ever happen to our democratic process is the advent of the NDC with revolutionary roots whose leading members care less about democratic and legal tenets.
We look forward in the coming days for actions to test the law as regards Speaker Bagbin’s disrespect for the Supreme Court, and if found guilty can be liable to a prison term of not less than ten years. Certainly, this devilish plan by Speaker Bagbin and his NDC to destabilise the country will again fail, just like they tried to use all kinds of agitations including the anti-galamsey protests to cause disaffection for the NPP government. This too shall pass, and Ghana will continue to be the beacon of hope in Africa, Speaker Bagbin!!!