A Sekondi High Court has declined hearing the case brought before it by five MP’s from the Minority side of Parliament seeking to nullify aspects of an agreement signed between the Ghana government and British firm Lonrho Ports.
Parliament, in July 2014, approved an agreement between the government and Lonrho Ports, for the development of an oil and gas Freeport in the Western Region.
The agreement bars Takoradi Port from further expanding its facilities until Lonrho has built its Freeport, recovered all its cost, and made enough profit.
[contextly_sidebar id=”qfc3DUZShpo40iZR28uP8NddtxgxfpHp”]The MP’s who sued government over the matter say the agreement is not in the best interest of the country.
But the court on Friday said it has no power to adjudicate such cases.
Citi News’s Western Regional Correspondent, Obrempong Yaw Ampofo who was in court said the Judge explained that the court has no power to vary the decision of Parliament.
The Judge according to Obrempong added that “the high court can only question Parliament of its decision only when it did not follow all the procedures that parliament is supposed to go through before approving this particular agreement. According to the judge parliament followed all the processes and the MPs are also in court not challenging the processes parliament followed but portions of it.”
He added that the judge however advised the five MPs to “appeal in a different court.”
Meanwhile, the MP for Takoradi, Kwabena Okyere Darko speaking to Citi News said they will appeal.
“The judge didn’t want to take a decision on the substantive matter we sent to the court but we feel otherwise. We feel that he could have taken a decision on it so we will definitely appeal the matter. We are in discussion with our counsel and we will be looking at either going to the Supreme Court of the Appeals Court,” he said.
The five MP’s are; Kwaku Kwarteng (Obuasi West MP), Kwabena Okyere Darko (Takoradi MP), Joseph Cudjoe (Effia MP), Mavis Hawa Koomson ( Ewutu Senya MP) and Kofi Brako (Tema Central MP).
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By: Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana