I can remove Akufo-Addo from office; he can’t remove me – Alban Bagbin

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has said he can remove the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo from office.

He said the law gives Parliament to powers to remove a president but does not give the same powers to a president to be able to remove a Speaker of Parliament.

Speaking at the post-budget forum held at Ho in the Volta Region over the weekend, Mr. Bagbin was concerned that Parliament approves budgets that benefit the executive more than the legislature and the judiciary.

This, he said was their own making and asked that steps be taking to fix the situation.

“This year, all the laws we have been passing are laws we passed to benefit the executive, even we forget about Parliament in the language we use, this is self-inflicted; it is not a deficiency in the constitution, it’s a deficiency in Parliament itself. We must correct it”, he said.

He also reminded the Members of Parliament of the powers they wield in law and that they must as Parliament be able to stand for themselves and not to play to the whims and caprices of the executive. He cited for example that the house has powers to remove the president from office.

“Let me reemphasized that the 8^th Parliament is properly positioned not to allow itself to be bullied into playing second fiddle to the executive. Parliament can remove His Excellency the President; His Excellency cannot do that to Parliament. As Speaker, His Excellency cannot remove me, but I can through Parliament get him [the president] removed”.

He however added that though he has such powers, he will not do it.