Suspended MPs must sue the Speaker of Parliament – Kpebu

Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has encouraged the suspended members of parliament to sue the speaker of parliament.

According to him, even though the speaker is expected to maintain the dignity of parliament but to totally suspend members for two weeks, it is difficult to justify legally.

He believes that as a democratic country, everything done should be very clear in the law.

Martin Kpebu was speaking on Accra-based TV3 when he made this known.

“The speaker has quoted sections; yes, we’ve seen the Parliament Act, Act 300. The speaker is to maintain dignity in parliament, but to totally suspend a member from the sitting is difficult to justify legally, so perhaps the suspended members should be looking at suing. Either he withdraws the decision or they should sue.

He continued, “That is a democracy we are building. We are a country of laws, so if you want to take such a drastic action, let it be very clear in the law. When you read those sections that the speaker has the power to maintain the dignity of the house and all that, does that also involve just outright suspension of a member without a hearing?

Where the constitution wants to give express powers of suspension, it does so….This speaker’s own is very difficult to justify because in law we have this common principle that where the lawmaker wants something done, the lawmaker will ask for it expressly”.

Chaos at ministerial vetting: The suspended MPs should be looking at suing the Speaker of Parliament. – Martin Kpebu #TheKeyPoints pic.twitter.com/jlBhk8PAhf— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) February 1, 2025

Background

Four Members of Parliament have been suspended from parliamentary sittings for two weeks following their roles in the chaotic scenes that erupted during the Appointments Committee’s vetting session on Thursday.

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, announced the disciplinary action on the floor of the House on Friday, January 31, 2025.

The affected MPs are Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Alhassan Tampuli, and Jerry Ahmed Shaib.

Their suspension comes after heated clashes between the Majority and Minority caucuses, which disrupted proceedings and led to a breakdown of order.

The decision by Speaker Bagbin signals Parliament’s resolve to uphold discipline and ensure decorum in legislative proceedings.

The suspension means the four MPs will be absent from parliamentary activities, including debates and committee meetings, for the next two weeks.

Thursday’s vetting session, which was expected to be a routine exercise, turned chaotic when disagreements over scheduling escalated, resulting in disruptions that forced security personnel to intervene.

The suspension of the four lawmakers serves as a strong message against disorderly conduct in the House as Parliament seeks to restore calm and uphold its integrity.

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