Oquaye is acting president

Speaker of Parliament, Prof Aaron Mike Ocquaye is the acting president of Ghana following the absence of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his vice Dr Mahamudu Bawumia from the country.

Where is Akufo-Addo?

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo left Ghana on Saturday, 6 July 2019 to attend the 12th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, that was held in Niamey, Niger.

After the Summit he departed Niger on Monday, 8 July 2018, for a three-day official visit to France, at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Nana Akufo-Addo left France on Thursday, 11 July and proceeded to take a week’s leave of absence, as part of his annual leave.

He returns to Ghana on Thursday, 18 July 2019.

Where is Bawumia?

Dr Bawumia left Accra, Ghana for Havana, Cuba, on Tuesday, 16 July 2019 on a two-day official visit.

He will be the Special Guest of Honour at the Graduation Ceremony of 232 Ghanaian doctors trained at the University of Medical Sciences, Cuba.

Dr Bawumia will depart Havana on Saturday, 20 July 2019 for Vancouver, Canada to lead Ghana’s delegation on a Trade and Investment Mission, organised by the Ghana High Commission in collaboration with the Canada Africa Strategic Investment Group Inc.

He is expected to return to Accra on Wednesday, 24 July 2019.

What Does The Constitution Say?

According to Article 60 (11) and (12) of the 1992 Constitution, “(11) Where the President and the Vice-President are both unable to perform the functions of the President, the Speaker of Parliament shall perform those functions until the President or the Vice-President is able to perform those functions or a new President assumes office, as the case may be.” “(12) The Speaker shall, before commencing to perform the functions of the President under clause (11) of this article, take and subscribe the oath set out in relation to the office of President.”

This is not the first time the speaker is acting as president under this government.

On 21 January 2018 and 27 January of the same year, Prof Oquaye was sworn-in as acting president under similar circumstances.

Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com