Suspension of Regional Minister: Deputy can’t act – Haruna

Suspension of Regional Minister -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.

While commending the swift decision taken by the President to suspend the Regional Minister, Haruna Iddrisu stated that it was authoritative that the President does not breach the Constitution in his effort to address the situation.

According to him, the 1992 Constitution of Ghana does not allow for a Deputy Regional Minister to act in the absence of the substantive Minister.

“We welcome the swiftness of the President’s action against the Regional Minister for attempting to frustrate efforts at getting an end to the lawlessness in the country by the masquerading NPP youth in that region and other parts of the country. But the President himself is a respected legal practitioner and must do what is appropriate legally and constitutionally within the meaning of the Supreme Court ruling on the status of deputy Ministers. It is wrong in law and constitutionally for the deputy Minister to be asked to act in the absence of the regional Minister,” Haruna Iddrisu said

Speaking on Accra Based radio station, Haruna Iddrisu believes that the President could direct another Regional Minister to assume the role of Acting Upper West Regional Minister until he makes a final determination on the fate of Sulemana Alhassan.

“What the President should be doing is to get any other Regional Minister to step in while the investigation continues until he decides whether he is revoking the suspension or enhancing it with a revocation of his appointment. There is a Supreme Court judgement on the status of deputy Ministers and they cannot act in the absence of Ministers. The President must get a Minister, probably a Regional Minister within the decentralization regime to act in that role. I expect the President to act within the law and within the Constitution and within the ruling of the Supreme Court. What he has done is legally untenable and inappropriate.”

His comments came hours after the president suspended the Upper West Regional Minister Sulemana Alhassan for allegedly instructing the release of some NPP thugs who were arrested after they attacked some officers of the Upper West National Disaster Management Organisation.

Following the incident, workers of NADMO in Upper West went on strike in protest of the actions of Sulemana Alhassan the Upper West Regional Minister.

According to the NADMO workers, the Minister's conduct demonstrated that he did not value their lives, given the attack on the NADMO officers which led to the NADMO Regional Director's Aide being beaten to a pulp.
Though the Minister has denied the allegations against him, that did not stop the President Akufo Addo from cracking the whip.

Also, Political analyst and lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo has said much as the suspension of Sulemana Alhassan is a swift decision by the President, it is not enough to deter people at the top position who act with impunity.

According to the Professor Gyampo, the culture of impunity in Ghana has reached a level that as a matter of urgency requires drastic intervention including dismissal of appointees who are directly involved in activities which goes contrary to the laws of Ghana.

 

primenewsghana.com/Ghana News