Parliament must take legal action against Akufo-Addo for refusing to sign ‘Witchcraft’ bill – Sam George

Samuel Nartey George, the Member of Parliament for Ning-Prampram, is calling on Parliament to take legal action against President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for refusing to sign the contentious Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023 into law.

President Akufo-Addo recently declined to assent to both the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023 and the Wildlife Resources Management Bill 2023.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, criticized the President on November 27, 2023, for not communicating his stance on the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023, which aims to criminalize attacks on suspected witches.

Despite a communication from the Presidency claiming it had not received the bills until November 27, 2023, and denying any decision not to assent to the Bills, President Akufo-Addo, in a letter to Parliament on December 4, cited unresolved constitutional matters as the reason for his inability to assent to the bills.

In a passionate interview on Citi FM, MP Samuel Nartey George argued that the President is overstepping the Speaker's authority, emphasizing that the President has "absolutely no powers" to obstruct the passage of the bill.

Expressing frustration, he accused the President of violating the 1992 constitution and called for legal action if the President does not reverse his decision. Nartey George proposed that Parliament seek Supreme Court interpretations of Article 108, asserting that the President's actions are unconstitutional and could even warrant impeachment.

He stated, "The President has absolutely no powers under Article 108," and concluded, "If the President does not rescind his decisions, Parliament must take him to court. We should take him to the Supreme Court for the court to rule."

The MP contends that the President's interpretation of the witchcraft bill as a financial matter is an unwarranted overreach and a breach of constitutional powers.

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