“As Speaker, his Excellency the President cannot remove me but I can, through Parliament, remove him”, Speaker Alban Bagbin has said.
Despite stating these powers are enshrined in the law, he indicated he will not do it.
Mr Bagbin made these comments when he expressed his displeasure at how the Executive Arm of government treats the Legislature and Judiciary with regards to budgetary approvals.
Mr Bagbin in March 2021 warned that any slash in the budget estimates for the two institutions will not be entertained.
In response, President Nana Akufo-Addo, through his Executive Secretary, Nana Asante Bediatuo, announced to the Speaker a GH¢77 million slash in the estimate presented by the Judiciary and Judicial Service and over GH¢119 million from the estimate of the Legislature.
The presidency cited current economic challenges for the decision.
But speaking at a 2022 post-budget workshop for Members of Parliament in the Volta Region, he said the situation was self-inflicted and must be corrected.
“This year, all the laws we have been passing are laws that benefit the Executive, even we forget about Parliament in the language we use, this is self-inflicted; it is not a deficiency in the constitution, it’s a deficiency in Parliament itself. We must correct it,” he fumed.
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He further cautioned members of the 8th Parliament to be able to stand up for themselves in accordance with the law.
“Let me re-emphasise that the 8th Parliament is properly positioned not to allow itself to be bullied into playing second fiddle to the Executive. Parliament can remove His Excellency the President; His Excellency cannot do that to Parliament,” he charged.
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