The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, strongly opposes President Akufo-Addo’s decision not to assent to the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill and Ghana Armed Forces Amendment Bill.
In an address to Parliament, Mr. Bagbin accused the President of being “tragically wrong” and “ill-informed” in his reasoning for rejecting the Bills.
President Akufo-Addo, in a letter, cited financial implications on the state’s consolidated fund and potential breaches of Article 108 of the Constitution as reasons for his refusal.
He specifically pointed out the financial burdens associated with replacing the death penalty with life imprisonment in the Ghana Armed Forces Amendment Bill, sponsored by MP Francis Xavier Sosu.
President Akufo-Addo indicated that, in consultations with the Attorney General, he was advised that the Ghana Armed Forces Amendment Bill 2023, a private member’s bill sponsored by the Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis Xavier Sosu, seeking to replace the death penalty with a life sentence, had financial implications on the state’s consolidated fund due to the associated cost of incarceration.
But, Mr. Bagbin vehemently dismissed these concerns, asserting that the President was misguided in his assessment of the Bills’ financial implications.
“We vehemently disagree with the position taken by the President. The President has got it tragically wrong, and I will submit, in the form of a statement under Article 53, my position in this matter and allow members of the house to make comments so that we can take a clear position in this matter. I will do so during this week. The President has not been properly advised. The President has not been properly informed about the processes this bill has gone through so I will submit a detailed write-up on it for members to make their comments. But I am very clear that this message and the contents are irregular, wrongful, and unconstitutional.
The responsibility to decide whether a bill should come from a private member or not rests on the person presiding. The procedure in the act clearly states what the President is expected to do. It is not for the President to decide on the constitutionality or otherwise of a bill that has been presented and considered by parliament. This power of Parliament will not be taken away by any exemptive authority,” he said.