Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has reiterated that he is not obligated to follow directives from the President, stressing that his primary allegiance is to Parliament and the nation.
Speaking during a courtesy call by the Supreme Court 150th Anniversary Planning Committee on Thursday, June 11, Mr Bagbin emphasized that the office of the Speaker is independent and not an appointment made by the President.
According to him, there remains a misconception among some members of the public that the Speaker serves at the pleasure of the President.
“I am elected by an electoral college. But in the minds of the populace, they still refer to me as appointed, and I have to keep on correcting them that I’m not the President’s appointee. No, I am not. The Speaker is not appointed by the President,” he said.
The Speaker explained that although the President may express a preference regarding who should occupy the position, the final decision rests with Members of Parliament.
“The President will have a say, but that say doesn’t mean that that will be the intention of the House, and we’ve seen it in this House, at least in my case in 2021. The Presidency’s say did not carry the day,” he stated.
Mr Bagbin said his election by Members of Parliament means his loyalty lies with the House and the Ghanaian people rather than the Executive arm of government.
“It means that really the Speaker is an appointee of the members of the House, and so I owe my loyalty and allegiance to them and to the nation. Yes, I can listen to what His Excellency and others say because it is part of the conversation, but I am not bound by what they say,” he added.
The Speaker also used the occasion to advocate reforms to the appointment process for Supreme Court judges, arguing that the judiciary should play a greater role in selecting its own leadership.
According to him, allowing members of the judicial profession to determine who becomes a judge or heads the judiciary would strengthen the independence of the institution.
“The appointments need urgent attention. We don’t want to allow other people to appoint who should be a judge or who should be the head of judges. They should have the opportunity to do it themselves. That profession should have the opportunity to do it themselves,” he said.
Mr Bagbin further noted that Members of Parliament and the Speaker are elected rather than appointed, suggesting that similar principles of self-governance could be considered within the judiciary to enhance institutional independence.
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