Speaker sworn in as acting President

Centre Spread, Nov 10, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Speaker of Parliament, Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo was yesterday sworn in by the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Wood as the acting President of the country.
She will, however, have to wait until this morning for the President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, to leave for Nigeria to confer with President Goodluck Jonathan before assuming office.
With the Vice-President, Mr John Mahama, already in the Czech Republic to attend a Ghana-Czech trade and investment forum, the mantle falls on the Speaker when the President leaves for Nigeria today.
This is the second time in less than two months that the Speaker has to be called on to act as the country’s President.
The first time was on October 1, 2010 when the President was in China and Mr Mahama had to leave for Nigeria to attend that country’s 50th anniversary celebration.
Even though the Speaker spent only five hours as acting President, she will today spend the whole day as acting President.
The swearing in of the Speaker received a thunderous applause and shouts of “hear, hear” from both sides of the House.
But when the First Deputy Speaker, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, reminded the House that the Speaker would assume duty today, the backbenchers at the Minority side shouted “now, now, Madam Speaker, Cabinet reshuffle”.
Commenting on the swearing-in ceremony, the Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, observed that communication to the House about the absence of the President from the country was an improvement on the previous one when the Vice President left hours before the Speaker was sworn in, leaving a vacuum.
He, therefore, commended the presidency for listening to the concerns expressed by the MPs the previous time.
Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said even though the Constitution stipulated that the swearing-in should be done while the President was leaving the country, the House had found it expedient to swear in the Speaker earlier to assume duty soon after the President had left the shores of the country.
“This is the first time we are doing this and it is an innovation to remedy the situation that occurred the previous time,” he said.
The Majority Leader, Mr Cletus Avoka, said it was historic for the Speaker to be sworn in twice in less than two months to act as President.
He stated that given the rich background of the Speaker, “she will be able to hold the fort and take far-reaching decisions that will benefit the whole country, especially women”.
Mr Avoka wished the Speaker well in her endeavours during the period that she would act as the President of the country.