Attorney General (AG) and Minister for Justice Godfred Yeboah Dame has said “there is nothing before the Supreme Court “ that restrains Parliament from proceeding with the vetting and approval of ministerial and deputy ministerial nominees presented to House Parliament by the President.”
According to the AG, a search conducted at the Registry of the Apex Court on Thursday, March 21 2024 revealed that though a writ has been filed, it lacks the necessary processes that should restrain Parliament from discharging its duties.
The AG also contends that, “the substance of Mr. Dafeamekpor’s suit is a challenge on the power of the President to relieve Ministers serving in his government of their portfolios and reassign them to different Ministries and that has no bearing on approval of newly nominated ministers and deputy ministers.”
This was contained in a response Statement to the Speaker of Parliament on the decision of the House to halt the approval of ministerial nominees presented to Parliament in the lights of North Dayi Member of Parliament Rockson-Nelson Dafeamakpor’s writ at the Supreme Court.
“Whilst it is true that a relief stated on the writ filed on 18th March 2024 referred to above, purports to be an ‘an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the Speaker of Parliament from proceeding with the vetting and approval of the names of the persons submitted by His Excellency the President to Parliament…’, it goes without saving that same is not an application for interlocutory injunction. Every application for interlocutory relief in any of the Superior Courts, as is trite, must be by a motion specifically filed and praying for the desired relief.
“The mere statement on a writ of summons of a prayer for interlocutory relief is inconsequential and of no effect. It does not constitute a pending motion for such a relief, and no one is required to take notice of same.
The AG stated that “In any event, it is pertinent to indicate that the substance of Mr. Dafeamekpor’s suit is a challenge on the power of the President to relieve Ministers serving in his government of their portfolios and reassign them to different Ministries. It has no bearing on the approval of persons newly nominated by the President as Ministers and Deputy Ministers and duly presented to Parliament for approval in accordance with articles 78(1) and 79(1) of the Constitution.
“In light of the foregoing, Parliament, in my respectful view, has no inhibition in proceeding with the approval processes for the ministerial and deputy ministerial nominees.
“There is no risk of a prejudice to the authority of the Supreme Court in determining the substance and essence of the suit filed by Mr. Rockson-Nelson Etsa Dafeamekpor should Parliament continue the approval processes for the nominees,” the AG stated.
Attached is Attorney General’s response to Parliament
