The Minority in Parliament are demanding the resignation of the Attorney General and her deputy for permitting the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to issue guarantee for a power purchase agreement without recourse to Parliament.
The GNPC is expected to issue two bank guarantees of US $ 50 million each to Karpower on behalf of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for the deployment of 450 megawatts of power to Ghana.
However the Member of Parliament for Effutu ,[who made the call on behalf of the Minority], Afenyo Markin, said the Attorney General and her deputy “unconstitutionally” signed the deal and refused to seek Parliamentary approval.
“My view is that for giving such an advice, unless the Attorney General otherwise withdraws this, this is sufficient to call for her resignation and that of her deputy who actually signed the letter. On the basis that the grounds for the advice given to the GNPC to issue the guarantee without Parliamentary approval,” Afenyo Markin stated.
Marietta Brew Appiah Oppong is Ghana’s Attorney General Describing the decision as illegal, the Effutu legislator wondered why the Attorney General by-passed Parliament to approve the deal when the constitution mandates it to seek the latter’s decision.
“I cannot understand how the learned Attorney General could ground his advice on his interpretation of a statute, forgetting that there is a constitutional provision which clearly requires certain institutions or government to come to Parliament for approval. ”
“The Attorney General’s decision to issue the guarantee without Parliamentary approval was very unconstitutional. This means that we now have an Attorney General who would have a very poor interpretation of the law…”
Afenyo Markin remarked that the Attorney General should have studied the law carefully and consulted broadly with Parliament and other stakeholders before taking such a decision.
“…because the Attorney General is a Chief Legal Advisor and her position is constitutionally defined under Article 181.That is the more reason why she needs to study law carefully, she needs to do broader consultation within the circles that she finds herself to arrive at a conclusion that will not be inconsistent with the law.”
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