Founder and President of IMANI-Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has argued that Members of Parliament, Ministers and Judges cannot make laws arbitrarily.
He emphasised that while Parliament has the authority to make laws, it cannot perform the impossible, such as changing a man into a woman.
The Ministry of Transport has laid before parliament a Legislative Instrument (L.I) seeking to amend portions of the Road Traffic Regulations 2012 which when passed, will grant Members of Parliament (MPs) and Ministers of State privileges previously reserved for emergency and specialised vehicles.
The amendment of Regulation 74 of LI 2180 will now permit the fitting of sirens or bells as warning appliances on specific classes of vehicles, including those owned by justices of the Supreme Court, Members of Parliament, and Ministers of State.
In an interview with Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Franklin Cudjoe argued that, “Parliament has the authority to make laws, but MPs and judges making laws arbitrarily is unhelpful.”
Mr. Cudjoe recalled that the Executive issued stern warnings in 2017 and on May 25, 2021, to MPs and Ministers to stop using sirens. He questioned the rationale behind reintroducing this issue.
“I don’t know who is sponsoring this bill. Is it the executive now approving that everyone in parliament and the ministers can use sirens? I don’t understand it, and I want to know if this is the situation” he stated.
He called for the proposal to be aborted, asserting, “I think they have heard it loud and clear, I don’t think they will dare proceed.”
He concluded by stressing that leadership requires decisive action: “You either lead, follow, or get out of the way,” and urged caution in passing any such new laws.
Global CEO of HuD Group, Dr Yaw Perbi, also expressed his opposition to the bill on the same show, criticising the proposed amendment as reflecting a misplaced sense of entitlement among MPs and judges. He explained, “The word ‘minister’ itself means servant. Our leaders must act responsibly and plan their lives accordingly.”
Dr Perbi shared his personal experience to illustrate his point: “I was supposed to be on a radio station this morning at 8:30 am. I left my home in West Legon at 6 am because I knew I would be stuck in traffic. Our leaders need to do the same.” He added, “These leaders must truly serve the public rather than catering to their own whims and caprices.”
He added that, these leaders of ours must be seen to be truly serving us, and not forcing us to cater to their whims and caprices.
Lawyer Martin Kpebu, also appearing on the show, argued that special laws for ministers and parliamentarians are unjustifiable.
He stated, “Ministers and Parliamentarians should not be given special treatment. The laws must be fair and address the more pressing issues in the country.”
Kpebu pointed out the severe hardships faced by the population: “About 10% of our population cannot find food to eat. People are hungry, and we are all feeling the cost-of-living crisis. Yet, our parliamentarians and ministers focus on such trivial laws. It’s infuriating.”
He stressed the urgency of addressing real problems, saying, “Times are really hard, and we are all feeling the pains of this crisis. This proposal is very annoying.” He concluded, “Ministers need to wake up early and go to work like everyone else. People are struggling, and such proposals only exacerbate public frustration.”
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