Restrain Parliament from vetting & approving nominee ministers – Supreme Court warned

Member of Parliament for South Dayi Rockson-Nelson Etse K. Dafeamekpor is asking the Supreme Court to restrain the Speaker of Parliament and the Chamber from vetting and approving some nominees referred to the House for consideration and appointments as ministers.

Mr Dafeamekpor, the Plaintiff is also seeking a declaration that any Ministerial appointment which has not been subject to prior Parliamentary approval is in direct violation of Article 78(1) of the 1992 Constitution.

In an action filed on March 18, 2024, against the Speaker of Parliament (1st Defendant) and the Attorney General (2nd Defendant), the legislator contends that, “a Minister of State shall be appointed by the President with the prior approval of Parliament.”

He contends that the failure of the President to refer some of his re-assigned Ministers to Parliament violates provisions of the 1992 Constitution.

Per his writ to the Apex Court, the Plaintiff is seeking 11 reliefs which comprised of seven declarations and four orders.

“An order directing the President of the Republic of Ghana to submit to Parliament for approval, the names of the Ministers of State and the Deputy Minister of State whose appointments were revoked or terminated on the 14th of February, 2024 and who were subsequently supposedly re-assigned to other Ministerial and Deputy Ministerial offices for purposes of appointment as Ministers of State and Deputy Minister of State.

“An order of interlocutory injunction restraining the Speaker of Parliament, the 1st Defendant herein, from proceeding with the vetting and approval of the names of the nominees of the President submitted to Parliament until the requirement that a Minister of State shall be appointed by the President with the prior approval of Parliament is satisfied in respect to the Ministers of State and the Deputy Minister of State whose appointments were revoked on the 14th of February, 2024 have been re-assigned new Ministerial and Deputy Ministerial offices.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Speaker of Parliament, 1st Defendant herein, from proceeding with the vetting and approval of the names of the nominees of the Presidential submitted to Parliament until the requirement that a Minister of State shall be appointed by the President with the prior approval of Parliament is satisfied in respect to the Ministers of State and the Deputy Minister of State whose appointments were revoked on the 14th of February, 2024 and have been re-assigned new Ministerial and Deputy Ministerial offices.”