The controversial Road Traffic Regulation Amendment Bill 2024 which sought to allow MPs, Ministers, and other public officers to use sirens and drive without speed limit has found its way back to Parliament.
The Legislative Instrument (LI) was withdrawn following public backlash and subsequently reintroduced.
However, the reintroduction excluded provisions that would have allowed MPs, the Speaker of Parliament, and the Chief Justice to use sirens and bypass speed limits.
But the lawmakers have voiced concerns over the removal of particularly, the Chief Justice and the Speaker of Parliament.
According to Tamale South Member of Parliament and former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, such high personalities must retain the privilege of using a motorcade and sirens.
“If the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament is not entitled to a motorcade or police accompaniment, in my view, it is wrong. The Chief Justice of Ghana has also been excluded from the regulation.
“We can remove ministers and MPs from this provision, but the republic has four key personalities: the President, Vice President, Speaker, and Chief Justice. If I had my way, this LI would be reconsidered because leaving the Speaker and Chief Justice out of this privilege is inappropriate, he stated.
Mr Iddrisu added that, the regulation take into consideration extraordinary circumstances, emphasising the need for seamless leadership during crises.
“Colleagues, when you consider an ordinary day, also think about an extraordinary day. In the event of a crisis in Ghana, we cannot afford a vacuum in our leadership. Therefore, laying an instrument before the House that denies the Speaker and Chief Justice the right to a motorcade and siren is untenable and wrong,” he urged.
Source: Ohene Amponsah
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