Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Member of Parliament for Sefwi-Wiawso, has clarified his actions during a discussion on the nomination of two justices to the Supreme Court by President Akufo-Addo.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, had asked the house to examine the issues surrounding the full complement of the Supreme Court when the Appointments Committee presents its report.
However, Dr Afriyie disagreed with the Speaker’s comments, stating that it was not within the Speaker’s purview to make such remarks.
The Speaker subsequently sacked Dr Afriyie from the house, describing his comment as “rude” and “disrespectful”.
In an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Dr Afriyie maintained that he had done nothing wrong as he did not intend to challenge the Speaker.
According to him, he was rather drawing the Speaker’s attention to the rules and procedures within the judiciary.
Dr Afriyie stated that he had approached the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh to express his misgivings about the Speaker’s posture and was waiting for him to intervene.
He expressed shock that the Speaker could not take dissenting views and was surprised by the Speaker’s reaction.
“I wasn’t challenging, I wasn’t advising the speaker. I was drawing the attention of the speaker to our rules and procedures…Maybe there were some antecedents. I went to Hon. Annoh-Dompreh to express my misgivings about the posture of the speaker, so I was waiting on Annoh-Dompreh to make an intervention. When I took my seat, I was engaging in some conversation with MP for Subin. But of course, I will not deny anything, my posture, the speaker rightly interpreted it that I wasn’t happy with what he was saying.”
“So, he rightly called me to air my opinion and in fact, he even called me as a senior member of the house. So, I proceeded to speak firmly that with respect, I believe that per our orders, what he is saying is prejudicial and does not lie in his mouth to direct us about a course of action in matters like this and he took offence like this. I do not know why the speaker cannot take dissenting views, I was shocked,” he stated.
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