Bagbin Declares War On Speaker

Mr. Alban Bagbin Minority Leader on Thursday declared war on the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey for attacking his personal integrity.

Bagbin said, "The speaker has attack my integrity and I will go after him. The people elected me as a member of Parliament, I elected him as a speaker, and I lead the minority, he cannot attack me on the floor of the House and refuse to allow the chance to reply to the accusations.

"Unless the speaker apologised to me I will go after him," the Minority Leader told the parliamentary press corps just after the minority walked out of the House in protest against the Speakers' refusal to allow their leader hearing.

It was after the Speaker had explained issues pertaining to alleged vacancy of the Wulensi constituency and the role the Speaker played in asking the Clerk of Parliament to write to the Electoral Commission and how he and the Minority Leader communicated on the issue through letters.

The Speaker said he regretted that a letter Mr Bagbin wrote to him on the issue was divulged to the press saying, "I like consulting the leadership on many sensitive issues and basis of consultation is
confidence."

Mr Ala Adjetey said Mr Babgin had abused the confidence he reposed in him.

Mr Bagbin told the press that he had not abused any secrecy between him the Speaker and that he did not give the letter he wrote to the Speaker to the press.

He said throughout last week he was at Akosombo attending a workshop on the Dagbon crisis and that the only fellow he talked to on the phone was Mr Kwaku Baah, who is a council to Mr Samuel Nyimakan who is seeking the review of the Supreme Court on his seat being declared vacant.

Mr Bagbin said the Speaker has the right under the Standing Orders of the constitution to make a statement in the House and that he should not be drawn into debate and once he had made a statement specially mentioning a member's name he the Speaker by parliamentary practice allow the member who
was mentioned the chance to speak.

He said all that the Speaker said on the floor of the House were recorded in the Parliamentary Hansard and that he should not "be the usual dictator to a House where free speech was the norm of democratic practice."

Mr Bagbin declared, "I have the right to be heard. Why should the Speaker deny me that right after abusing me."

"We have been tolerant to the Speaker and that is why he is able to let his knowledge in law to rule. Although the Speaker said he had not declared any seat vacant yet he has descended into the arena of confusion because if he had not declared any seat vacant then there was no vacancy."

Mr. Alban Bagbin Minority Leader on Thursday declared war on the Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey for attacking his personal integrity.

Bagbin said, "The speaker has attack my integrity and I will go after him. The people elected me as a member of Parliament, I elected him as a speaker, and I lead the minority, he cannot attack me on the floor of the House and refuse to allow the chance to reply to the accusations.

"Unless the speaker apologised to me I will go after him," the Minority Leader told the parliamentary press corps just after the minority walked out of the House in protest against the Speakers' refusal to allow their leader hearing.

It was after the Speaker had explained issues pertaining to alleged vacancy of the Wulensi constituency and the role the Speaker played in asking the Clerk of Parliament to write to the Electoral Commission and how he and the Minority Leader communicated on the issue through letters.

The Speaker said he regretted that a letter Mr Bagbin wrote to him on the issue was divulged to the press saying, "I like consulting the leadership on many sensitive issues and basis of consultation is
confidence."

Mr Ala Adjetey said Mr Babgin had abused the confidence he reposed in him.

Mr Bagbin told the press that he had not abused any secrecy between him the Speaker and that he did not give the letter he wrote to the Speaker to the press.

He said throughout last week he was at Akosombo attending a workshop on the Dagbon crisis and that the only fellow he talked to on the phone was Mr Kwaku Baah, who is a council to Mr Samuel Nyimakan who is seeking the review of the Supreme Court on his seat being declared vacant.

Mr Bagbin said the Speaker has the right under the Standing Orders of the constitution to make a statement in the House and that he should not be drawn into debate and once he had made a statement specially mentioning a member's name he the Speaker by parliamentary practice allow the member who
was mentioned the chance to speak.

He said all that the Speaker said on the floor of the House were recorded in the Parliamentary Hansard and that he should not "be the usual dictator to a House where free speech was the norm of democratic practice."

Mr Bagbin declared, "I have the right to be heard. Why should the Speaker deny me that right after abusing me."

"We have been tolerant to the Speaker and that is why he is able to let his knowledge in law to rule. Although the Speaker said he had not declared any seat vacant yet he has descended into the arena of confusion because if he had not declared any seat vacant then there was no vacancy."