The opposition National Democratic Congress, (NDC) members in Ghana’s Parliament, has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to uphold the tenants of good governance by publishing the Emile Short Commission’s report.
According to the MPs’, their demand is due to the public interest nature of the issues investigated by the Emile Short Commission.
Addressing Journalists in Accra, on Wednesday, May 29, The Ranking Member of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament and Member of Parliament, (MP) for Builsa North, James Agalga said the President Akufo-Addo must immediately published the Emile Short Commission’s report in furtherance of the work of Parliament in relation to the passage or otherwise of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Bill.
He said:, “Any attempt by the Executive arm of government to stampede parliament to enact legislation on political party vigilantism without recourse to the Emile Short Commission’s report can only result in the enactment of a half-baked legislation not capable of dealing sufficiently with the extremely dangerous phenomenon of politically related violence orchestrated by political vigilante groups in Ghana.
He said, “President Akufo-Addo was very clear in his mind that the Emile Short Commission ‘will enable us chart a path to ending politically related violence in our country’ and so, when he delivered the message on the State of the Nation in accordance with Article 67 of the constitution on Thursday, 21″ February, 2019, President Akufo-Addo stated at pages 28-29.”
According to him, “there is no gainsaying that the vigilantism and Related Offences Bill is an attempt to end politically related violence in the country through the disbandment of political vigilante groups. If so, the Emile Short Commission’s report ought to influence the content of the vigilantism and Related Offences Bill”.
At the very least, the Emile Short Commission’s report ought to be published to enable Members of parliament to deliberate on the Bill bearing in mind the recommendations of the commission, he added.
“The Minority is not oblivious to the provisions contained in A1ticles 208 (3) and (4) of the 1992 constitution which requires the President to cause to be published the report of a commission of Inquiry within six months after the date of the submission together with the white paper on it except that; where the report is not to be published, the President shall issue a statement to that effect giving reasons why the report is not to be published.
Story by Edzorna Francis Mensah
