Invoke the proper jurisdiction of Parliament – Speaker urges SALL People

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin has urged members of the Joint Steering Committee of the Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lipke and Lolobi (SALL) Traditonal Areas to properly invoke the jurisdiction of Parliament to thoroughly address the non-representation of the SALL people in the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic.

He said although he presides over the house as Speaker, he had no voting rights and therefore did not participate in the decisions making process on the floor of the House hence his advise for the delegation to officially petition Parliament.

“I can only advise that you may have to come through the proper procedure to invoke the jurisdiction of the House to go into this matter in detail,” he said.

Speaker Bagbin was addressing the joint steering committee of the SALL Traditional Areas when the delegation paid a courtesy call on him in Parliament on Monday.

He explained that the situation needed to be addressed in detail to help preserve the country’s budding democracy.

Dr Joe Addae, the leader of the delegation said the visit was to brief the Speaker on the absence of a legislative representative for the people of the SALL traditional areas in the current Parliament.

It would be recalled that the Electoral Commission (EC) through a release issued on the eve of the 2020 elections caused the exclusion of SALL to vote and elect a member of parliament.

Although voters in the SALL traditional areas were allowed to vote in the Buem constituency for the Presidential elections, they were directed by the EC not to participate in the Parliamentary elections.