The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has bemoaned some actions exhibited by the leaders of both the Majority and Minority caucuses in the chamber.
During parliamentary proceedings on March 4, 2025, Speaker Alban Bagbin criticised the leaders of both the Majority and Minority caucuses for attempting to undermine his discretionary power that enables him to make decisions without being bound by rigid rules or fixed regulations in the chamber.
“The small discretion the Speaker wants to exercise, you leaders want to take that one too away from me. Small discretional powers that is left for the Speaker, you the leaders of the business committee want to take that away. It is very clear,” Bagbin lamented.
Bagbin, in an effort to highlight the severity and implications of the leaders’ actions, referenced the Standing Orders of the House, which grant him such discretionary powers.
He stressed that the actions of the leaders undermine his authority, control, and the respect that should be afforded to his position.
“… A member who intends to speak shall rise in the member’s place and address the chair while standing only after catching the eye of the speaker. This one too you want to close my eye and decide on what to do,” he emphasised.
Bagbin vowed to resist any attempts to undermine his authority as Speaker of Parliament, firmly stating, “It will not happen.”
Watch the video below:
MAG/AE
Meanwhile, watch this Ghana Month special edition of People and Places as we hear the story of how the head of Kwame Nkrumah’s bronze statue was returned after 43 years, below: