Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has declared that no Member of Parliament will be shielded from accountability, following reports linking the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo to an attack on a National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) taskforce.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, November 4, the speaker dismissed claims of lawmakers being protected from investigations, assuring Ghanaians that Parliament remains fully cooperative with security agencies probing its members.
“There are so many Members of Parliament who are under investigation, and my office has never shielded any Member of Parliament. Many have volunteered themselves without coming through my office, and so let it not be said anywhere that Members of Parliament are being shielded from the rule of law,” he stated.
The NAIMOS task force reportedly faced resistance from a group of youth during an operation near Bronikrom–Hwediem. The task force was said to have arrested two suspected illegal miners and seized vehicles and weapons a move that allegedly sparked unrest among locals who disrupted the operation.
Bagbin, while reaffirming Parliament’s cooperation with security agencies, urged the Ghana Police Service to respect the privileges and immunities of lawmakers, particularly when the House is in session.
“I want to urge the Ghana Police Service to ensure that at all material times the privileges and the immunity of Members, especially when the House is in session, are adhered to,” he said.
He, however, cautioned that such privileges are not absolute and must be exercised responsibly and within the confines of the law.
“I want it to remain clear once more that these privileges are not absolute; they must be exercised responsibly and in accordance with the laws of the land. I assure all Ghanaians, in particular the security agencies, of the full cooperation of Parliament in this and all other pending investigations involving Members of Parliament,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, has been arraigned before the court following allegations that he incited the attack on the NAIMOS task force.
