Former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central Constituency Inusah Fuseini has faulted Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin’s decision to suspend four MPs.
The Speaker, Inusah Fuseini said in an interview on State of Our Nation on Dreamz FM, has no authority to suspend MPs for two weeks as he did.
“I think that the speaker, because of the level of anger that the activity generated in him, also overshot the mark,” he stated.
“He acted ultra vires. He acted without authority, or in excess of his authority.”
The two-week suspension, which has now been lifted, was slapped against three MPs from the Minority Caucus and one from the Majority Caucus over their involvement in the chaos that erupted at the Appointments Committee.
The Speaker announced the suspension on Friday, January 31, 2025, describing the conduct of the MPs as disorderly.
While many especially in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) applauded the decision, the New Patriotic Party and its Caucus in Parliament denounced as unlawful and vowed to challenge it.
The Minority Leader, however, backed down and together with the Majority Leader prevailed upon the Speaker to lift the suspension.
But Inusah Fuseini believes the Speaker’s decision to suspend the MPs and for two weeks was inconsistent with the rules of the House.
He explained that the current Standing Orders of Parliament permits a Speaker to suspend an MP for 4 sitting days on a first account and up to 8 and 12 days on a second and third accounts respectively.
“Reading the Standing Orders, I don’t see anywhere that a speaker can suspend a person for more than four days. A member of Parliament, Minister or Deputy Minister is 12 days maximum.”
“And in my reading of 129 and 130 suggests to me that the second suspension must be on the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges. So will be the third suspension.”
The second and accounts, however, must be on the recommendations of the Privileges Committee.
Inusah Fuseini also raised concerns over jurisdiction, stating that, “contempt of Parliament in the face of Parliament means that a thing must happen before a speaker. And this didn’t happen in a committee”.
