Following the recent development between the Supreme Court and the Speaker of Parliament on the former’s ruling on the declaration of vacant seat in Parliament, lots of Political Analysts and governance experts have waded into the conversation.
In interview on Peace Fm’s flagship program, kokrokoo, a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow of the Kumasi Technical University, Professor Smart Frimpong has called out the Right Honorable Speaker of Parliament for not recognizing the ruling of the Supreme Court to hold his declaration of four vacant seats in the Chambers.
According to Prof. Smart, Speaker Bagbin should be aware that, being the Speaker of Parliament is therefore a privilege that has befallen him and that makes him no Ghanaian than the rest of the over 31 million citizens. He quizzed if the Speaker would expect Ghanaians to adhere to the laws being made by Parliament when he has overlooked the rulings of the Supreme Court?
“Which of the members of Parliament including senior Bagbin is more Ghanaian than someone else? It is a privilege that has befallen him. Only a few people will get the chance to be speakers of Parliament until the world comes to an end. You are not a Ghanaian than the person living in the village”, he said.
His statements comes on the back of the speaker of Parliament’s decision to overlook the ruling of the Supreme Court. He added that, even though the Speaker of Parliament is a legal practitioner of good standing, he has no experience in writing judgment.
He further advised members of Parliament who have issues with Supreme Court’s Judgment to rather resign from Parliament and apply for the Supreme Court job than rather undermining the works of the Judges just because they are lawyers.
“I will advise both NPP and NDC lawmakers in Parliament who want to be on the bench to resign from Parliament , apply and go sit where they are, otherwise you have no job undermining the work the judges are doing because you are also a lawyer”, he added.