Contributing to a statement made by the Deputy Minister for Works and Housing and Member of Parliament for Subin Constituency, Hon. Eugine Boakye Antwi on the proliferation of secret recordings and the need for Parliament to legislate, the Majority Leader, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu drew the attention of the House to Article 21(4) of the Constitution, which talks of the general Fundamentals which requires Parliament to legislate, and thinks the House should apply itself to it in this particular instance.

Indicating that legislation in this case is about safeguarding the people of Ghana, and that Parliament cannot “fold its arms” unconcerned whilst these injustices go on in our society.

He supported his claim with Article 41 which concerns duties of citizens; and indicated that subsection C provides “to foster harmony with others”, adding that spreading secret videos or recordings is certainly not fostering harmony in the society, and it is a breach of that article.

He added that subsection D provides that “citizens shall respect the legitimate rights of others” and that secrete recordings clearly breach these provisions.

“These are matters that should be of interest to the House, or “else we wouldn’t know where this country would be heading”. The Majority Leader indicated.

The Minority Leader of the House and Member for Tamale South Constituency, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu on his part disagreed with the earlier speakers on the call to formulate a legal regime to deal with the rising trend, but believed that an attitudinal change instead would be the solution.

He said, the mobile phone is a universal tool to store, process and release data, and that Ghanaians should stop and end the reckless use of mobile phones, because “legislation cannot stop or prevent the abuse.

He indicated that according to the law, no right is absolute and that even in the Article 18(2) as quoted by the speaker, one’s right to speak ends at another’s right not to listen.

He also revealed that in the office of the Special Prosecutor Act 2017 and in particular the section on communication, the power to intercept communications has been given to the Special Prosecutor and that the only way out is through an attitudinal change.

 

Exclusively Newslinegh