Businessman, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, has taken a swipe at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) following the Supreme Court’s ruling that Deputy Speakers can vote and can also constitute quorum.
The ruling of the court, which favoured the Majority Group in the chamber, struck out Parliament’s standing order 109 (3), declaring it unconstitutional because it prevented a Deputy Speaker who was presiding over Parliamentary business from casting vote during decision-making process.
The NDC caucus in their reaction to the verdict delivered by the seven-member panel led by Justice Jones Dotse, described it as “Judicial interference on time tested Parliamentary practice and established conventions…”
Thus, they accused the Court of breaching the rule of Separation of Powers as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.
Mr. Woyome, who considers himself a victim of wrong interpretation of constitutional provisions, alleged that the NDC was responsible for what it is suffering today as per the writ filed by the law lecturer, Justice Abdulai.
According to him, the then NDC government formed an ally with the New Patriotic Party in the famous prosecution case filed against him on the Waterville project.
He noted that though the court ruled in his favour based on “properly interpreted constitutional provisions,” the decision was overturned after a commissioner who was appointed to investigate him had wrongly indicted him.
“The Sole Commissioner did his job by indicting me wrongly, and overruled the judgement of the High Court presided over by Justice Tanko, which ordered payment to me even though, he, the Sole Commissioner had no such powers to do so,” Mr Woyome said.
He therefore held that the alleged action by the party set the precedent for the Judiciary to breach the Separation of Powers as apparently is the case in the recent ruling.
“The NDC’s repugnant collaboration with the NPP against justice created everything the Ghanaian public are crying about today,” his statement sighted by Angelonline.com.gh added.