Lawyer Martin Kpebu has called for the resignation of Controller and Accountant-General, Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem.
His demand comes on the heels of Kwaning-Bosompem's decision to contest the parliamentary primaries on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Akim Swedru Constituency of the Central region.
According to Kpebu, Article 94(3) of the constitution clearly outlines that certain officeholders, including members of the Police Service, the Prisons Service, the Armed Forces, the Judicial Service, the Legal Service, the Civil Service, and the Audit Service, are prohibited from contesting for the position of Member of Parliament.
Kpebu emphasized that civil servants or local government service members are required to resign immediately upon their nomination or expression of intent to contest for political office.
He clarified that the clause is not merely concerned with political affiliation but explicitly addresses overt engagement in political activities.
"The CLOGSSAG clause actually says that if a civil servant becomes overt in his political affiliation, then he has to resign. It is not just about nomination alone.
"He is already campaigning, he has a campaign team, it's overt. Look, this is beyond redemption. He just has to go," myjoyonline.com quoted him to have said.
Responding to arguments suggesting that the Controller and Accountant-General does not fall under the civil service, Kpebu clarified that members of a ministry, including the Ministry of Finance under which the Controller's office operates, are indeed considered civil servants.
"What we cannot run away from is the Controller and Accountant-General is a department. It is under the Ministry of Finance, and members of the ministry are civil servants," Kpebu noted.
AM/SARA
You can also watch the latest episode of Everyday People on GhanaWeb TV below:
Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.
Martin Kpebu, Lawyer