The First Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrisu, has taken on President John Dramani Mahama over his recent request to have the Private Member’s Bill on the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, Act 959, withdrawn.
A statement issued by the Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, on Thursday indicated that the President has requested Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and the Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Else Kwami Dafeamekpor, to withdraw the Bill following his public pronouncement on the vitality of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in the fight against corruption.
But speaking on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, Habib Iddrisu, who is also the Member of Parliament for Tolon Constituency, found it as interference in the work of the legislature by the Executive.
“Now the President is dictating to MPs,” he began.
“He has written to [Mahama] Ayariga and [Rockson-Nelson] Dafeamekpor to drop their bill to repeal OSP.
“Why? Because of what?” he wondered, insisting: “The Executive has no authority to dictate what happens on the floor of Parliament.”
After the conversation of the repeal of Act 959 came up on the floor, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, also revealed that he was against the legislation to create a special prosecutor in the fight against corruption.
He was then MP for Nadowli-Kaleo Constituency in the Upper West Region.