The Member of Parliament for Ning-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, has called on Parliament to take President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to court for his refusal to sign the contentious Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023.
President Akufo-Addo recently declined to assent to both the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023 and the Wildlife Resources Management Bill 2023.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, criticized the President on November 27, 2023, for not communicating his stance on the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill, which aims to criminalize attacks on suspected witches.
Despite communication from the Presidency claiming it received the bills only on November 27, 2023, and denying any decision not to assent, President Akufo-Addo, in a letter to Parliament on December 4, stated he couldn’t assent until associated constitutional matters were resolved.
In an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Nartey George accused the President of exceeding his authority, asserting that Akufo-Addo has “absolutely no powers” to impede the bill’s passage.
He criticized the President for violating the 1992 constitution, suggesting that if the President does not reverse his decision, Parliament should take legal action.
The Ningo Prampram MP proposed seeking Supreme Court interpretations of Article 108, emphasizing that the President is overstepping constitutional powers.
He even suggested that the President’s actions could constitute grounds for impeachment.