Parliament has referred the petition presented by the Youth Wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to a joint committee made up of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and the Defence and Interior committees.
The two committees are expected to look into the demands raised in the petition and report back to the House.
Both sides of the House agreed on the decision.
Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noted that the peaceful outcome of the demonstration by the NDC is evidence of the thriving democracy in Ghana.
“Mr Speaker, it doesn’t mean that our democracy is perfect and we must correct the processes and procedures to ensure that we straighten up our living within the remit of democratic rule and we want to believe that the necessary processes will be triggered to ensure appropriate inquiry and investigation into the circumstances of the matters that have been referred to in the petition.”
The Suame representative in Parliament said for the same police – who were being marched against by the NDC – to provide security for Tuesday’s March for Justice “is commendable”.
On his part, Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu said Parliament must live to its mandate of holding the police and the Ghana Armed Forces accountable “as is required of us”.
“Parliament remains a guardian of the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens.
“We have a duty to preserve and protect our constitution. We have a duty to safeguard our democracy and we have a responsibility to ensure that Ghana remains a peaceful [and] stable country.”
Despite the absence of the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, to receive the petition, leadership of Parliament was at hand to assure the protesters led by NDC’s Deputy Youth Organiser Ruth Sedoh that their demands will be looked into.
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