NDC member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga has said that President Akufo-Addo's decision to suspend the Upper West Regional minister is unlawful.
He argued that the President did not follow the laid down procedures as he should have either reshuffled the Minister or dismissed him, while Parliament tenders a motion for censure against him.
The MP revealed that he might head to court to ensure that finality is brought to the matter if the President does not reverse his decision noting that it will serve as a means for the constitution to be tested in relation to the conduct of the President.
“It’s illegal, it is unconstitutional. It is not an action contemplated under our constitution. There is no provision in the constitution that empowers the president to suspend a minister. The president cannot suspend a minister, it should have been a dismissal.
“If the President believes Sulemana Alhassan has done something wrong and needs to be sacked…he should go ahead and do so. I don’t think the Regional Minister being in office would have affected the investigations in any way. From an administrative perspective, the President has goofed. How can he punish a person before investigating him,†Mr Ayariga said.
In a related development, the leader of the Minority in Parliament Haruna Iddrisu has described the order by President Nana Akufo-Addo for the Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Amidu Ishaq to act in the stead of the suspended Regional Minister, Sulemana Alhassan as unconstitutional.
President Akufo-Addo yesterday suspended his Upper West regional minister, Sulemana Alhassan, following reports of political vigilantism in the region.
Sulemana Alhassan is alleged to have instructed the release of some NPP thugs who were arrested after they attacked some officers of the Upper West National Disaster Management Organisation.
In the statement of the Minister's suspension, the deputy Upper West regional Minister, Amidu Ishaq was to act as Regional Minister in the interim pending the conclusion of an investigation into the incident.
www.primenewsghana.com/GhanaNewsÂ
Â