Grant Legislature and Judiciary Financial Independence – Asantehene

The Occupant of the Golden Stool, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has mounted a campaign for constitutional review to render the Judiciary and the Legislature full autonomy from the Executive.

He notes that despite this provision being stipulated in the 1992 Constitution, it is not in practice in the country since the two arms financially depend on the Executive headed by the President.

According to him, this tends to give the Executive more power over them, intimidating their independence and the separation of powers.

“When we all agreed to unite and submit to the 1992 Constitution, there was no lawyer but remained effective. The arms of government were developed. They were supposed to be equal in powers and independent of each other but work together.

“But then the finance for the budget of the legislature and the judiciary is sanctioned by the executive making them dependent. How then can they work effectively and put the Executive in check when they need to?” he asked during a courtesy call by the Speaker of Parliament and some MPs.

He intimated that this is the reason most of the government’s policies pass through the House seamlessly without Parliamentary resistance even when they are not in the best interest of the country.

Hon Alban Bagbin was accompanied by his wife, Linda Ofosuaa, the Second Deputy Speaker, Hon Andrew Adomako Asiamah, the MP for Asokwa, Hon Patricia Appiagyei, the MP for Sekyere Afram Plains, Hon Alexander Adomako Mensah, the MP for Asante Akim Central, Hon Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, Clerks of Parliament and other Parliamentary staff.