Parliament Speaker Alban Bagbin has delayed his ruling on a motion filed by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin. The motion asks the Speaker to overturn an earlier decision made by First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor on March 5, 2025.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin is pushing for Parliament to investigate alleged mass dismissals of public workers by the current government after the NDC won the December 2024 elections. However, Mr. Ahiafor had ruled that no such probe could begin until a related court case, Henry Nana Boakye vs. Attorney-General, is decided.
Afenyo-Markin believes that the ruling was wrong. In a written request, he said the Deputy Speaker misunderstood the “sub judice” rule, which limits discussions on matters in court. He argued that Parliament’s oversight role must not be blocked just because a lawsuit is pending.
He referred to a recent Supreme Court ruling, Vincent Ekow Assafuah vs. Attorney-General, delivered on May 6, 2025, which states that public institutions should continue their work unless the court says otherwise.
He also mentioned a 2012 decision by then-Speaker Joyce Bamford-Addo that supported Parliament’s right to discuss issues, even if they are before the courts.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin warned that allowing court cases to delay Parliament’s work could set a dangerous example and be used to stop important investigations.
Speaker Bagbin, in Parliament on Friday, June 13, said he needs more time to study the legal arguments before giving a final decision. He said the matter is serious and involves two different views from the Supreme Court, which must be carefully reviewed.
He also reflected on his own past experiences. He recalled a time when the Supreme Court said he should have paused a parliamentary announcement due to a pending case.
While he didn’t agree with that view then, he acknowledged that a newer court decision supports continued parliamentary work unless the court orders a stop. “It’s important for us to take time to go through this,” Speaker Bagbin said.
His final ruling will be delivered at a later date. Until then, Parliament’s ability to investigate the alleged mass dismissals remains uncertain.
