Speaker directs investigation of Section 8 of University Ghana Act

Accra, Nov 1, GNA - The Speaker of Parliament, Mrs Joyce Bamford Addo, has directed leadership to investigate and report to the House on Tuesday November 2, 2010 an anomaly detected in the University of Ghana Act 806.

Section 8 of the Act is about the appointment of the Chairperson of the University of Ghana Council. The decision by Parliament is that the Chairperson should be appointed from among members but this differs from what is stipulated in the relevant section of the law. Papa Owusu-Ankoma, Member of Parliament (MP) for Sekondi raised the issue on the floor of the house.

Papa Ankoma said if the decision by parliament contravened the constitution and was found to be wrong, the section should have been referred back to the house but this was not done. He said the bill was passed with the President assenting to it and implementation has taken effect.

Papa Ankomah said when the investigation was completed the house would determine whether it would be by an amendment or not. He said the house would compare the bill as passed by the house and what was contained in the Act. "All that we are doing is to promote democracy and do things in conformity with the constitution", he said.