Accra, Dec.18 - Mr Sam Okudzeto,
Member of the Council of State, has called on Parliament to make a formal
application to the President for the return of the Assembly Press to the
legislature.
He explained that when the
Council met President Nana Akufo-Addo and briefed him about the issue, he was
receptive to the idea that the Assembly Press which was originally part of the
setup of Parliament should be returned to its rightful place.
Mr Okudzeto made the statement
when he led a two-man delegation of the Council of State to call on the Speaker
of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye at his office in Parliament House.
Mr Okudzeto and Mrs Georgina
Wood, former Chief Justice who are members of the Legal Committee of the
Council of State have advocated for the returned of the Assembly Press to
Parliament to help simplify work of the legislature in terms of printing
works.
The mission of the Council
members was to dialogue with the Speaker and deepened relationship between the
two institutions.
Mr Okudzeto and his delegation
early in the year met the leadership of Parliament to discuss the issue of the
Assembly Press, and assured them that the Council of State would meet President
Nana Akufo-Addo to consider the matter.
Mr Okudzeto also explained that
the Assembly Press was originally part of the setup of Parliament but because
of the various military intervention, and the legislature was boycotted the
institution was then taken-way from Parliament.
He said the time had come for the
Assembly Press to be returned to its correct place to assist the work of the
legislature.
He noted that when the Council
met the President and briefed him about their earlier deliberations with
Parliament about the Assembly Press, his immediate reaction was why has the
legislature not made any approach to him.
“It is important for Parliament
now to formally approach the President for the institution that was originally
part of the setup to be returned to the legislature,” he added.
He said the Assembly Press was
still a state property and that there cannot be any argument for the state to
acquire it.
Mr Okudzeto also suggested that
the relationship between the Council of State and Parliament needed to be
formalised through memorandum of standing among others.
He said currently there was no
process by which the Council could make suggestion to Parliament on Bills that
come before the House and yet sometimes they were expected to advice the
President on legislation that has been passed by the House.
He said it was the opinion of the
Council for the two institutions to workout modalities for their cooperation.
Mrs Georgina Wood on her part
noted that the State had power to revert the Assembly Press to its lawful place
in accordance with the law.
Prof Mike Oquaye on his part
commended the delegation for the good work done and pledged to ensure that the
Assembly Press was returned to its legitimate place as envisaged by the people
who set it up.
He said the Council of State had
a broad advisory role to play in the current democratic dispensation.
GNA
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