Bawku Central Member of Parliament (MP), Mahama Ayariga, has called on Parliament to have President Akufo-Addo impeached for refusing to assent to the “Witchcraft Bill” and two others.
In his submission in Parliament, he accused President Akufo-Addo of violating the 1992 Constitution. Mr Ayariga argued that the President missed the opportunity to object to the Bill before Parliament passed it.
According to him, once the bill is passed, the President cannot unilaterally decide not to assent and should instead take the matter to the Supreme Court.
Following the Speaker’s ruling, the former Information Minister called for Parliament to initiate impeachment proceedings against the President.
“I think that what we should be beginning to do now is to trigger the constitutional provisions for impeaching the president. President Akufo-Addo has violated the constitution and we must not take it lightly. We should begin to trigger that constitutional provision to have him impeached.”
The bills in question are two amendments to the Criminal and Other Offences Act to criminalise accusations of witchcraft, abolish the death penalty, and the Wildlife Resources Bill.
According to the president, parts of the bills infringe on the constitution of the republic and the financial constraint on the Consolidated Fund has not been taken into account, hence his refusal to sign those bills.
Speaker Alban Bagbin however, disagrees with the president, whom he argues was “ill-informed.”