Alban Bagbin
There is a line in our National Anthem that reminds Ghanaians to resist oppressor’s rule.
There is a parallel between the anthem and the attitude of Speaker Alban Bagbin, following his declaration that the seats of the four Members of Parliament (MPs) who have decided to run as independent candidates be made vacant, and the directive from the Supreme Court that the action is null and void.
It appears to us that Speaker Bagbin finds it difficult to swallow the humble pie.
Speaker Bagbin finds it difficult to come to terms with the humiliation occasioned by his attempt to fight the Supreme Court. Since assuming office on January 7, 2021, the Speaker who misses no opportunity to call himself Number Three, has used the position to frustrate the Akufo-Addo government to govern without the political hiccups.
Although a lawyer of repute, Speaker Bagbin listens to only National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawyers and people affiliated to the Umbrella Family, in the discharge of his constitutional duties. While Justice Atuguba, a known sympathiser of the NDC has counseled Speaker Bagbin to respect the Supreme Court ruling, another fanatic of the NDC, Martin Kpebu is asking him to resist the directive of the Supreme Court.
It is sad that the people who are officers of the court, and will always advise us to respect the sanctity of the law, are disrespecting the rule of law.
In 1997, the veritable statesman, J. H. Mensah challenged the directive of then President J.J. Rawlings to his ministers to continue in office, a decision J. H. Mensah considered to be unconstitutional.
He tested the law in the Supreme Court, and when the eminent jurist, Justice D.F. Annan was served with the writ, he directed that the ministers await the outcome of the court proceedings, despite the fact that the time was ticking for the presentation of the government’s budget.
Justice D.F. Annan never behaved like Speaker Bagbin who claims he respects the Constitution but will disregard the Supreme Court which is mandated by the Constitution to interpret the supreme law of the land.
The various explanations being offered by lawyers and political commentators are inconsequential.
This constitutional crisis could have been avoided if Speaker Bagbin had provided the leadership or acted as a true umpire and desisted from pandering to the whims and caprices of the NDC Minority.
The Speaker has all this while tolerated the NDC Minority to have the impression that it is in the leadership of Parliament when that position is a fallacy.
Like Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia said, the majority is gained from the ballot box.
We had earlier made reference to the National Anthem, and we are drawing attention to it because we want Ghanaians to resist oppressor’s rule as well as the tyranny of the Speaker.
We cannot be reminding ourselves about the lyrics in the National Anthem but acquiesce to the tyrannical posturing of Speaker Bagbin.
Our courts remain the last arbiter in any dispute, and as human beings we are likely to have disagreements. That is why Ghanaians who are sovereign and elected MPs who voted to make Bagbin the Speaker must not be mute while he tries to sow a very dangerous seed to destabilise the peace and stability of the country.
If our people decide to follow the pathway of Speaker Bagbin to disrespect the Supreme Court, the country is on the way to the state of nature where might is always right.
Fellow Ghanaians, it does not matter which side of the political duopoly one belongs. The time has come for us all in one accord to demand that Speaker Bagbin respects the rule of law.
This is not the time for “machoism” but the finest hour for society’s role models to show the way. It is not about might or rule of man but the rule of law, where every person is equal before the law while our judges discharge their duties without fear or favour, ill-will or affection.
The NDC is on the campaign trail pleading with the people to give them the mandate to “reset” the country. We urge the NDC and its apparatchiks including Speaker Bagbin to reset Parliament to discharge its mandate to the people of Ghana.