“Oppong Nkrumah is Constitutionally moot” — Haruna Iddrisu

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Haruna Iddrisu

Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has dismissed Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ofoase-Ayirebi, demands for a parliamentary scrutiny of government policies.

According to Haruna Iddrisu, he has enormous respect for Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, but he is constitutionally moot and out of place.

He disclosed that the 1992 Constitution highlights that the President must present before parliament a coordinated program of action within two years, which President John Mahama has fulfilled.

Haruna Iddrisu further urged Kojo Oppong Nkrumah to seek a Supreme Court interpretation, however, adding that his case will be thrown out.

Speaking on TV3 Newday in an exclusive interview, Haruna Iddrisu stated, “You know I have enormous respect for Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, particularly that he worked with you people in the media, but he is constitutionally moot and out of place constitutionally.

Article 36 (5) imposes a burden on the President to present before parliament a coordinated program of action within two years. President Mahama has honoured that”.

He added, “I am told reliably that on the 4th of February, that particular bill was laid before parliament, so it’s much ado about nothing. I am not sure there is any constitutional issue he ought to be raising non exist. He should go to court; the Supreme Court will throw him out. They will not tolerate it”.

His comments follow, Oppong Nkrumah, who revealed that the minority is considering a move to the Supreme Court of Ghana to compel the government to present its policies and programmes to the Parliament of Ghana for scrutiny.

Speaking on TV3, Oppong Nkrumah stated, “…We are thinking of going to the Supreme Court to get the Supreme Court to make a declaration that all of those programs that they have been launching should be brought to Parliament”.

“We need to, as the people’s house, take on the task of doing proper oversight, particularly over the government policies and programs. If you read the constitution, Article 36(5), it says that when you come to power, the programs you are going to run, present them to parliament,” he noted.

He added, “Why? So that the people of Ghana will be seized with clarity on what you want to do. We can appropriate budgets for you, and we can now keep an eye on it. Are you doing this? Is this being fulfilled? Is it meeting its objectives?”

“What is happening is that the government is literally refusing to bring its policies and programs, to Parliament. You’ve heard me several times asking them to bring it. And that ask that we ask is in concordance with Article 36(5)… Once parliament doesn’t have them, you can’t even exercise oversight,” he stated.

Oppong Nkrumah further added, “Currently, the government has launched about 17 programs. We’ve been keeping track of it. It’s only one, the 24-hour economy program after we insisted over and over again that the program has now been brought to Parliament, and even that one, they brought the bill before they brought the program itself,” he indicated.

“Nkoko nkitinkiti, the program document is not before Parliament, the National Apprenticeship Program is not before Parliament, the Feed Ghana is not before Parliament. I follow it keenly, and it’s not there. And what that does is that it limits how much oversight Parliament is doing,” he concluded.

Some Ghanaians reacting to the development stated, “By telling Oppong Nkrumah to seek “judicial interpretation,” Iddrisu is daring the Minority to try and stop him through a long, drawn-out legal process, knowing they likely can’t block the policy in the House”.

Another X user added, “Haruna says go to court. Fine But, but if the Supreme Court throws out every case that challenges the government, then the only thing being thrown out is the people’s faith in the judiciary and the last I checked, oversight duties are not a crime”.

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