Not wearing face masks in public violates the COVID-19 Restriction Act - MP
Executive Instruments do not need Parliamentary Approval - Egyapa
South Dayi MP Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor has bemoaned the decision of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to lift the country's COVID-19 restriction unilaterally.
He said that the president lifting the restrictions without the approval of parliament was wrong and even amounts to him undermining the house.
In a Neat FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, the MP (Member of Parliament) indicated that since the COVID-19 Restriction Act has not been amended, lifting the restrictions is unlawful.
"The EIs (on COVID-19) are subject to the COVID-19 Restriction Act, which was passed by parliament to give the president the power to execute these Executive Instruments (EIs).
"If the mother act, which is the COVID-19 Restriction Act, says if you are not wearing a face mask in a public place, it is an offence under the law, there are now two ways about it," he said in Twi.
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On the reopening of Ghana's land borders, the MP said, "you (Akufo-Addo) are the one who came to parliament to say you want to close the borders, and we accepted it. If you are reopening it, you have to come back to parliament."
"The government should have brought some of the amendments so that Parliament will repeal some of the provisions under the COVID-19 Recovery Act to give the president the mandate to reopen the country's borders," he said.
He added that the president even acted late in reopening Ghana's borders because most of the countries in the West-African sub-region have already reopened their borders.
For his part, the MP for Sekondi Constituency, Andrews Kofi Egyapa Mercer, refuted the suggestion of Dafeamekpor that the president should have sought parliamentary approval before lifting the measures.
Egyapa Mercer argued that the Executives Instruments (EIs) do not need parliamentary approval.
"Executive Instruments (EIs) are not Legislative Instruments (LI) which are laid in parliament and debate and voted upon. Executive Instruments are from the power of the president, so what should he come and do in parliament," he said.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has announced that wearing a nose mask is no longer mandatory from Monday, March 28, 2022.
"...from tomorrow, Monday, March 28, the wearing of facemasks is no longer mandatory. I encourage all of you, though, to continue to maintain enhanced hand hygiene practices, and avoid overcrowded gatherings," President Akufo-Addo said whilst delivering his 28th televised address on measures taken to fight the COVID-19 pandemic on Sunday, March 27.
The president announced that "outdoor functions at sporting events, entertainment spots, political rallies and funerals may resume at full capacity, again, as long as all persons at these events are fully vaccinated," adding that all of Ghana's land borders are opened.
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