What power does Asante Bediatuo have to write to the clerk of parliament? – Haruna Iddrisu quizzes Akufo-Addo

The Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, has slammed Akufo-Addo for his disregard for the other arms of government with respect to a letter written to the clerk of parliament.

According to him, the president’s secretary has no power to write to the clerk of parliament urging parliament to refrain from transmitting the recently passed anti-LGBT+ Bill to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for assent.

“I am unable to sleep because this is a monumental threat to Ghana’s democracy and a monumental threat to parliament as an institution. This letter only reflects President Akufo-Addo’s quest for predominance over other organs of the state. That is unacceptable and must be fought by all persons who love democracy and cherish the principles and values of the 1992 Constitution.

“Politically, what power does the president’s secretary have to write to the clerk of parliament? And not the president himself writing directly to the Speaker of Parliament as required in the Standing Orders, so that officially, this can be read as communication from the president. So ideally, this paper means nothing and should be ignored by the clerk because communication to parliament must be signed by the president, addressed to the Speaker of Parliament,” Haruna Iddrisu said in an interview.

In a statement released on Monday, March 18, 2024, Nana Bediatuo Asante, the Secretary to the President, urged parliament to refrain from transmitting the recently passed Anti-LGBT+ Bill to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for assent.

The presidency cited two pending applications before the Supreme Court for an order of interlocutory injunction against the Bill.

He disclosed that the Attorney-General had informed President Akufo-Addo via a letter dated March 18, 2024, regarding the pending legal actions.

“It has come to the attention of this Office that while the President and other senior officials of the Presidency were at Peduase for a Cabinet Retreat on Thursday, March 14, 2024, you attempted to submit the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2024 (the “Bill”) to Jubilee House for the president to signify his assent or otherwise to the Bill.

“This Office is aware of two pending applications for an order of interlocutory injunction, both filed on March 7, 2024, in the Supreme Court in Dr. Amanda Odoi v. The Speaker of Parliament and The Attorney-General (J1/13/2023) and Richard Sky v. The Parliament of Ghana and The Attorney-General (31/9/2024), respectively, to restrain you and Parliament from transmitting the Bill to the President and also to restrain the President from signifying his assent to the Bill, pending the final determination of the matter,” part of the statement said.