The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, is scheduled to meet with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo today, November 28, to address concerns related to the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023.
On Monday, the Speaker expressed his displeasure with the President for not communicating to Parliament about his approval or rejection of the bill. The proposed legislation aims to criminalize attacks on individuals accused of being witches and prohibits the activities of witch doctors or witch finders.
In response, the presidency issued a statement clarifying that Parliament officially presented the bill on Monday, November 27, 2023, the same day the Speaker raised his concerns.
During parliamentary proceedings, Haruna Iddrisu, the Member of Parliament for Tamale South, raised the issue, emphasizing the need for respect between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. He mentioned awareness of the presidency’s official communication on the matter and assured an appropriate response.
In reaction to these developments, the Speaker stated, “What I can say for now is for us to hold on a bit because there are some developments I’m following up on. Immediately after my pronouncements, a few pieces of information were shared with me. I will follow it up, and I will be in the office of the president on this matter today. After that, we could follow up tomorrow, as we progress.”
Source:Omanghana.com