MPs revise road traffic L.I, Haruna Iddrisu calls for siren privileges for Speaker and Chief Justice
Members of Parliament have retreated from the controversial road traffic L.I that initially proposed allowing MPs, Ministers, and other public officials to use sirens and disregard speed limits.
Following strong public opposition, the Legislative Instrument (LI) was withdrawn and later reintroduced, this time excluding MPs, the Speaker of Parliament, and the Chief Justice from the list of officials permitted to use sirens and bypass speed limits.
Despite these changes, Tamale South MP and former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, voiced his concerns in Parliament, advocating for the Speaker and Chief Justice to retain their privileges. He argued that it was inappropriate to deny these key officials motorcades and police accompaniment, given their importance to national leadership.
“If the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament is not entitled to a motorcade or police accompaniment, in my view, it is wrong. The Chief Justice of Ghana has also been excluded from the regulation.
“We can remove ministers and MPs from this provision, but the republic has four key personalities: the President, Vice President, Speaker, and Chief Justice. If I had my way, this LI would be reconsidered because leaving the Speaker and Chief Justice out of this privilege is inappropriate.”
Haruna Iddrisu stressed the need for special provisions in emergencies, suggesting that the regulation should be reconsidered to avoid creating a leadership vacuum during crises.
“Colleagues, when you consider an ordinary day, also think about an extraordinary day. In the event of a crisis in Ghana, we cannot afford a vacuum in our leadership. Therefore, laying an instrument before the House that denies the Speaker and Chief Justice the right to a motorcade and siren is untenable and wrong,” he added.
