Why is NDC thinking they must win court case at all cost ? — Afenyo-Markin shreds Minority

The Deputy Leader of the Majority group in Ghana's Parliament who is also the Member of Parliament for Effutu constituency, Hon Alexander Afenyo-Markin has bemoaned the reckless posture of the NDC in destroying the enviable democratic credentials of Ghana.

"Let me draw the attention of the NDC to the fact that if they continue to break down the institutions of democracy one day they will come back to cross the bridge and there will be no bridge to cross back home," he stated.

Hon Afenyo-Markin made this call in an exclusive interview following the unprovoked and baseless attacks on the Supreme Court Justices by the Minority NDC MPs and their party communicators after the Supreme Court delivered its ruling to allow the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament exercise his franchise when presiding over the House.

He explained that the NDC was destroying everything needed to sustain good governance.

"Extremist attacks cannot be the way to go, argue forcefully when you lose, graciously accept it when you lose like what the NPP did when in opposition. we didn't go out to attack the Supreme Court when we lost in the Kojoga Adra vs. AG case.

"It will be recalled that Ghanaian times carried the story in their banner headline on July 16, 2022 with the caption Afenyo-Markin dismissed" a move he described as a severe ridicule to the minority whilst the majority NDC was jubilating and parading people from the Public service to contest party positions because the Supreme court had ruled that those category of public servants have not been prohibited under article 94 3b," he noted.

The Deputy hinted that the Supreme Court in its 29-page ruling dealt extensively with the three issues it set out to determine. He noted that SC provided ample legal precedent to back its arguments including the question of interference or sovereignty. "It traced the constitutional history of the powers of Parliament from previous republics. Anyone who seeks to disagree with these must at least provide some law as a basis for disagreeing or make some sound and justifiable legal argument to support this disagreement."

On that basis, he wondered why Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu would make a statement to the effect that the Supreme Court is attempting to support the passage of the electronic levy when it is an established fact that the plaintiff of the case is a known NDC member and a lawyer. "So why the sudden display of arrogance, media assassination and insults on the bench and the supreme court. For the NDC immediately they go to court they must win their case at all cost, that is certainly uncivil, not fair" he quizzes.

He questioned the NDC's baseless argument saying "the constitution doesn't prohibit the deputy speaker from voting, but their argument is based on parity of reasoning that Mr. Speaker is prohibited when presiding and that the deputies should also suffer same, knowing very well that the 1st and 2nd deputy Speakers are representatives of constituencies unlike the Speaker of Parliament who is not an MP."

The Effutu lawmaker continued, "In the controversy of Mark Assibey Yeboah vrs ECG, Dr. Assibey Yeboah a former MP for New Juaben North lost in Supreme to the NDC majority in 2015 in connection with serious flaws in the power purchasing agreement the NDC brought before Parliament, when the minority evoked article 181, but the supreme court said NO and ruled for the NDC majority when the ECG was undertaken that enterprise on its own balance sheet and the fact that it was the board of directors that approved the transactions it had nothing to do with the government of Ghana irrespective of the residual guarantee, we still accepted it in good fate, not long after the same NDC in minority today says certain agreement by state institutions should come to Parliament.

"When we referred them to Mark Asibey Yeboah's case at the Supreme court, then suddenly they break lose and resort to insults and attacks on the same court that delivered them countless win, this goes to justify that the NDC MP's and their members are not principled and honest, but always wanting to operate on the basis of convenience and when they lose too they want to bring down the whole super structure.

"It is incumbent on us especially members of Parliament to respect the decisions of our courts "if we are not ready to accept and respect the decisions of our courts, then we have no business running to them; but once you run to them and they deliver their decisions we should take it as a bitter pill or sweet chocolate. If its bitter take it, if its sweet take it, because that same verdict could be an alternative for your course.

"The NDC must learn to accept defeat graciously, when they lose, they should accept defeat, they should respect our courts, they should respect the bench regardless of the verdict not only when it goes in their favour. For us in the political class if we are able to uphold this rule, it is the only way of sustaining our hard-earned democracy."