Amidu Criticises Speaker Alban Bagbin For Behaving Like A Village Chief: “Ghanaians Are Not Your Subjects"

Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has criticised Speaker Alban Bagbin for constantly bullying MPs with his experience

• The outspoken former Attorney General said the Speaker has for a long time been talking down on MPs
• He said the Speaker was always behaving like a village chief and Ghanaians were his subjects

Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has slammed Speaker of Parliament Alban Baghin for abusing his authority at the legislative house.

Amidu has said in an opinion piece that Bagbin has the penchant of bullying Members of Parliament by touting his long experience in Parliament.

Writing in the article titled "Games in Parliament – The Speaker and the Minority’s Motion of Censure", Amidu criticised the Speaker of Parliament talking down legislators who try to disagree with some of his views.

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The former Attorney General made the following statements about the Speaker:

"Mr. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin needs to be told to stop talking down on Ghanaians as though he is a village chief and we, his subjects.

"No humble, learned, erudite, and experienced person will ever seek to silence his critics in a constitutional democracy by telling them that: 'In all humility, please note that there is deep thought in whatever I do. Don't underrate my knowledge, skills, experience, and expertise in Parliamentary practice and procedure.'"

The outspoken lawyer said the Speaker is constantly trumpeting his self-proclaimed competencies and knowledge in parliamentary affairs to the world when it would have been best for his professional peers and the public to make those assertions.

Amidu wants Bagbin to learn for Justice D. F. Annan, Ghana's first Speaker of Parliament in the Fourth Republic,.

“The conduct of Mr. Bagbin in the processes leading up to the passage of the 2022 Budget Statement and subsequent Appropriation Act, 2022 and the current motion of censure filed by the Minority Caucus of Parliament against the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta vindicate the assertion that Mr. Bagbin behaves more as a transactional Member of Parliament than the Speaker of Parliament as an umpire,” Martin Amidu hit hard.

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2023 budget: Abena Osei Asare Calls On Parliament To Expedite Approval, "Any Further Delay Will Worsen Crisis"

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported that the government through the finance ministry has made a passionate appeal to Parliament to expedite the passage of the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy document.

A Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei Asare, says any further delay will worsen the current economic crisis.

She made this known during the opening of the debate on next year’s budget of the Akufo-Addo-led government.

Source: YEN.com.gh