A member of the Constitutional, Legal & Parliamentary Affairs Committee of parliament Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor has expressed shock at the response of the Minister for Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah to the minority’s call for the publication of the Emile Short Commission report.
A member of the Constitutional, Legal & Parliamentary Affairs Committee of parliament Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor has expressed shock at the response of the Minister for Information Kojo Oppong to the minority’s call for the publication of the Emile Short Commission report.
The minority at a press conference argued for the publication of the report but Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says the President who is the custodian of the report has no obligation to release the report to the public.
“I don’t think that we were second-guessing the constitution of the Republic. The constitution of the Republic is clear that when you have a commission of enquiry, you have up to six months to make a determination—a. Whether the report will be made public and if so you publish it and the white paper that goes along with it or—b. If the report contains something for which reason it cannot be made public, the president is required to issue a statement explaining why it cannot be made public,”
“This is just about what… three months after the commission’s report was submitted, so it will be strange for anybody who knows the law, knows the constitution and is very familiar to it all of a sudden feign ignorance about what the constitution says. I think it is quite clear and we don’t need to belabour that point unless somebody just wants to do some mischief with it,” Oppong Nkrumah said.
Member of Parliament for South Dayi however disagrees stating that Kojo Oppong Nkrumah is misinterpreting the constitutional provision.
In a press release, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor said Article 280 (3) of the 1992 Constitution does not say President Akufo-Addo can only publish the Emile Short Commission report within 6 moths.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the provision was emphatic that “within six months” which does not in anyway, indicate that the six months must necessarily expire or about to expire before we see a White Paper from government on the report, or in instance where the President decides to operate under Clause 4 of Article 280 of the 1992 Constitution, before we are informed of his decision, giving reasons,” he stated.
The South Dayi MP also expressed disappointment at the reluctance of government to publish the report of the Emile Short Commission at a time when the President was pressurizing Parliament to pass the Vigilante Bill.
According to the MP, the contents of the Emile Short Commission report will help Members of Parliament and the public make informed inputs into the Vigilante.
It would be recalled that the President set up the Emile Short Commission of Inquiry after the public expressed outrage at the brutalities meted out by persons in National Security attire.
The vigilante bill was subsequently drafted to provide a legal framework for dealing with incidents connected to vigilantism as a result of the Ayawaso West Wuogon brutalities.
Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor believes the Commission’s work and Vigilante are connected and are of public interest.
“What is of material importance to us is that, at a time when a Bill bothering on curbing vigilantism is before Parliament, every matter bothering on this issue is of public interest. The Emile Short Commission Report is of paramount public interest especially to Parliament if credible and time bound inputs are to be made. How can the President tie our hands and deny us information that is critical towards informing our decisions on the way forward on the Bill before us and expect that we act to fulfill a promise he gave to the public?”
He accused Kojo Oppong Nkrumah of rushing to judgment on the concerns of the minority.
“It also appears my friend, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah Esq., the Honourable Minister of information simply reacted to our demands ‘on air’ without reading the statement that was actually issued, else why will he fail to react to the essential matters we pointed out instead of being busy with the tangentials?”
“This Government appears to see only the messenger and not hear the essence of the message. Any listening and reasonable Government would not react in the manner it has to our position on this matter,” he stated.
The minority at a press conference argued for the publication of the report but Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says the President who is the custodian of the report has no obligation to release the report to the public.
“I don’t think that we were second-guessing the constitution of the Republic. The constitution of the Republic is clear that when you have a commission of enquiry, you have up to six months to make a determination—a. Whether the report will be made public and if so you publish it and the white paper that goes along with it or—b. If the report contains something for which reason it cannot be made public, the president is required to issue a statement explaining why it cannot be made public,”
“This is just about what… three months after the commission’s report was submitted, so it will be strange for anybody who knows the law, knows the constitution and is very familiar to it all of a sudden feign ignorance about what the constitution says. I think it is quite clear and we don’t need to belabour that point unless somebody just wants to do some mischief with it,” Oppong Nkrumah said.
Member of Parliament for South Dayi however disagrees stating that Kojo Oppong Nkrumah is misinterpreting the constitutional provision.
In a press release, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor said Article 280 (3) of the 1992 Constitution does not say President Akufo-Addo can only publish the Emile Short Commission report within 6 moths.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the provision was emphatic that “within six months” which does not in anyway, indicate that the six months must necessarily expire or about to expire before we see a White Paper from government on the report, or in instance where the President decides to operate under Clause 4 of Article 280 of the 1992 Constitution, before we are informed of his decision, giving reasons,” he stated.
The South Dayi MP also expressed disappointment at the reluctance of government to publish the report of the Emile Short Commission at a time when the President was pressurizing Parliament to pass the Vigilante Bill.
According to the MP, the contents of the Emile Short Commission report will help Members of Parliament and the public make informed inputs into the Vigilante.
It would be recalled that the President set up the Emile Short Commission of Inquiry after the public expressed outrage at the brutalities meted out by persons in National Security attire.
The vigilante bill was subsequently drafted to provide a legal framework for dealing with incidents connected to vigilantism as a result of the Ayawaso West Wuogon brutalities.
Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor believes the Commission’s work and Vigilante are connected and are of public interest.
“What is of material importance to us is that, at a time when a Bill bothering on curbing vigilantism is before Parliament, every matter bothering on this issue is of public interest. The Emile Short Commission Report is of paramount public interest especially to Parliament if credible and time bound inputs are to be made. How can the President tie our hands and deny us information that is critical towards informing our decisions on the way forward on the Bill before us and expect that we act to fulfill a promise he gave to the public?”
He accused Kojo Oppong Nkrumah of rushing to judgment on the concerns of the minority.
“It also appears my friend, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah Esq., the Honourable Minister of information simply reacted to our demands ‘on air’ without reading the statement that was actually issued, else why will he fail to react to the essential matters we pointed out instead of being busy with the tangentials?”
“This Government appears to see only the messenger and not hear the essence of the message. Any listening and reasonable Government would not react in the manner it has to our position on this matter,” he stated.
