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General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Aseidu Nketia has called for an immediate and thorough investigation into the conduct of the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah.
According to him, the clerk was involved in a ‘calculated ploy’ to disenfranchise the MP-elect of Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson from partaking in the voting exercise that sought to elect the Speaker for the 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic.
Mr Nketia in a press conference maintained that the NDC had concrete evidence to prove that the clerk had compromised his office.
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The NDC General Secretary said the Clerk had to explain “how an order of injunction that was allegedly dispatched from Cape Coast at 4:44 PM could be served on the Clerk of Parliament at 4:55 PM.”
“The clerk ruled that he had received the court order so the MP-elect of Assin North could not participate in the proceedings, a calculated ploy to reduce the voting strength of the NDC side.
“An NPP official actually served the Clerk with the court Order, and not a bailiff. It is the considered view of the NDC that this act of connivance by Clerk of Parliament constitute serious misconduct on the part of the occupant of the high office of the Clerk of Parliament of the Republic of Ghana and must not go unaddressed,” Aseidu Nketia said.
According to the evidence, the Clerk of Parliament convened the house in the absence of a Speaker and invited the nominees from the floor of parliament.
Consequently, MP Tamale South and In-Coming Majority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu proposed Hon. Bagbin to take the chair as Speaker of the 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana.
The General Secretary stated that while Asawase MP, Muntaka Mubarak rose to second the motion, “in a bizarre twist of events and in clear breach of the standing orders, the Clerk of Parliament recognized NPP MP for Efutu Afenyo Markin who rose on point of order.
“Hon. Afenyo sought to find out from the Clerk whether he had received service of a Cape Coast High Court Order restraining the MP Elect of Assin North from being sworn-in as a Member of Parliament.”
According to Mr. Johnson Nketia, “a debate ensued but before all sides could be heard adequately… the Clerk ruled that he had received the court Order so the MP-elect of Assin North could not participate in the proceedings, a calculated ploy to reduce the voting strength of the NDC side,” he said.
Mr. Nketia further stated that the Clerk was “compelled by his own embarrassment to reverse his earlier decision when he could not provide further and better particulars of the service including the name of the bailiff who effected the service.”
On the whole, he stated that it was a big shame that the Clerk of Parliament scandalously lent himself as a tool in the conspiracy to reduce the NDC’s Parliamentary numbers and give the NPP an unfair advantage in the speakership election.
