A letter from the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, informing President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo about a travel to the United Arab Emirates has popped up a day after the majority alleged the Speaker did not inform the president anytime he left the country in 2021.
The letter dated 6/1/2022 informed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo about a trip to Dubai for medical review.
The Majority in Parliament had expressed concerns that Mr Bagbin does not inform the President when travelling out of Ghana.
The caucus says it is expected of the third gentleman of the land to inform the first gentleman anytime he is exiting the jurisdiction and vice versa.
But in a statement issued on Monday, January 17 to respond to concerns raised by Minority on the withdrawal of military officers from the security detail of the Speaker, the Majority observed Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin flouts this not unlettered protocol.
“The Speaker of Parliament, in terms of precedence, is the third gentleman of the land and one expects that when he is exiting the jurisdiction he must inform the presidency ahead of time since the Speaker is the person to act as the President in the absence of the President and the Vice President.
“In all the many travels of the Speaker in 2021, he did not find it worthy to inform the Office of the President. What is the import of that?”
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament (MPs) insist the regularisation of the military’s role in the Speaker’s security is not politically motivated as claimed by the Minority.
“What is the proof? Or is it the case that they consider that since the Rt. Hon. Bagbin is NDC he is there to do the bidding of NDC and hence any critique of the Speaker or any action aimed at the Speaker is a critique of or action against the NDC, and therefore should be considered as being politically motivated?
“The people of Ghana know better and certainly can make the distinction between truth and sheer propaganda.”
Below is the letter which confirms Speaker Bagbin indeed notified Akufo Addo the President before traveling
