A Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has urged the Speaker of Parliament not to kowtow to parliamentarians seeking to undermine his authority.
He described the said parliamentarians who are ‘politically’ misbehaving towards the speaker as persons who are ‘mentally shackled’ by executive dominance.
According to Prof. Gyampo, it is baffling to see some parliamentarians, particularly from the majority group, trying to undermine attempts by the Speaker to restore the lost glory of Parliament as countervailing authority to the powers of the executive.
Describing parliament as a rubber stamp operating in the shadows of the executive since 1993, he commended Speaker Alban Sumana Bagbin’s efforts at stabilizing the balance of power between the executive and the legislature in Ghana’s democracy.
In a statement, Prof Gyampo urged Speaker Bagbin to do his work because well-meaning Ghanaians are in full support of his efforts.
“Do not pander to comments from parliamentarians who are yet to liberate their mentality from the shackles of overbearing executive dominance over the legislature”.
The statement added that “steer the affairs of the House in a manner that strengthens parliament as an effective oversight body and a countervailing authority to the powers of the executive”.
While stating that Ghana’s democracy is evolving and cannot have executive dominance over the other arms of government in perpetuity, he stressed that the speaker must “assert the independence of parliament in a manner that forces the executive to learn the rudiments of “real politik” in their relationship with the legislature”.
The Political Science lecturer believes that there must be a power that would counter the exercise of power, and the bitter comments of a few parliamentarians who only know the bogus norm of parliamentary subservience to the executive.
“Is the attitude of those who now have problem with Bagbin’s assertiveness born out of ignorance or a subservient mentality ingrained in their psyche as a result of long period of executive dominance over parliament?”, he lambasted the majority caucus.
“The minority group must not sit aloof and leave this battle to the Speaker alone!”, Prof Gyampo told the minority caucus.
