A member of the National Communication Team of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Awal Mohammed, has condemned the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, for suspending four Members of Parliament, labeling the action as unconstitutional.
Awal disagrees with the Speaker of Parliament and asserts that he does not have the authority to suspend any Member of Parliament. He stated that Alban Bagbin only has the power to dissolve the vetting committee but not to suspend any member from it.
He said: “The Speaker suspending the four members from the vetting committee is unconstitutional. The Speaker has the right to dissolve, but he does not have the power to suspend any member from the committee. We disagree in the sense that he does not have the power to do that. When he said he has suspended our members, it shows that the vetting cannot continue; why then, within an hour, did they approve six people?”
During a panel discussion on the Angel Morning Show (AMS) on Monday, February 3, 2025, Awal explained that he does not understand why they should approve six people within an hour while the committee has been dissolved.
Awal further urged the Speaker of Parliament to take his time before making any final decisions. According to him, Alban Bagbin often repeats mistakes; however, he should do the right thing when there is a misunderstanding in Parliament.
He pointed out that the Speaker’s statement did not quote any portion of the Constitution that shows he has the right to suspend any member from the committee.
“The Speaker should not be in a hurry to make any final conclusions when something happens. He has been making too many mistakes. I’m not a lawyer, but I am a student of politics. From his statement, there is no place where he quoted from the Constitution that gives him the right to suspend someone from the committee,” he added.
