Adjaho should’ve allowed Ford debate – Ex-Clerk

A retired Clerk of Parliament, Mr Samuel Ntim Darkwa, has said the motion filed by the Minority Members of Parliament, which sought to have President John Mahama probed and possibly impeached for accepting a Ford Expedition SUV as a gift from a Burkinabe contractor, was properly admitted and tabled before the house and, therefore, ought to have been debated.

Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho threw out the motion of inquiry filed by Minority legislators on Thursday, 1 September, explaining that the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), a constitutional body, was already investigating the case.

Mr Ntim Darkwa, however, said on Saturday, 3 September that the minority went through the appropriate procedure in filing the motion and, therefore, the Speaker should have allowed a debate on the floor of the house.

He noted that even though the Speaker has the sole prerogative of admitting or dismissing a motion brought before the house, once it had been captured on the order paper, it should have been debated on the floor.

“Parliament is the highest institution in this country which is responsible for making laws and imposing taxation and raising matters of national interest. That is the highest forum where they can go and debate on such matters. So, at least, the best you can do for the house is that let them have a motion to debate and then agree on that motion because if you look at the numerical strength of the parties there, if the government side is the majority, they will defeat you. But at least the opposition would have had their say and the majority would have their way,” he told host of Newsfile Samson Lardi Anyenini on Saturday, 3 September, on Multi TV.