I take full responsibility for controversial L.I on Road Traffic Amendment – Dominic Ayine

The Chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament, Dominic Ayine, has accepted responsibility for the proposed Legislative Instrument (LI) Road Traffic amendment that would have allowed Members of Parliament to use sirens and be exempt from speed limits.

According to Dominic Ayine, who acknowledges his role as chairman, he said he takes full responsibility for the committee’s actions, even though he did not personally advocate for the amendment when it was submitted.

The amendment, which faced significant backlash from Ghanaians and the Minority Caucus in Parliament, was part of the Road Traffic Regulations Amendment presented to the committee.

In an interview on Eyewitness News, Ayine clarified that the amendment was merely a proposal and not a compulsory directive to the Ministry of Transport.

“I didn’t say that personally; my position is not that MPs must be given sirens and be exempted from the speed limit. I never held any such position.

“The point is that it came before my committee, and as chairman, I take responsibility on behalf of my members. As chairman of the committee, I take responsibility for everything that the committee has done,” Ayine stated.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of Palriament has denied knowledge of an alleged Legislative Instrument (LI) seeking to allow Members of Parliament to use sirens, and drive without a speed limit.

According to him, no such LI has been brought before parliament.

“… There’s nothing like that before parliament. And so, I thought maybe something was being done behind my back so I started calling all over and all my directors said no, they have not seen anything like that. I have a responsibility of admitting many of these things, sometimes they may elude me but I haven’t seen any such thing and later on I was told it was a regulation, that one too was amended,” he said while addressing students at the University of Ghana.

Explaining further, Speaker Alban Bagbin said the supposed LI was rather a regulation that was amended, however, parliament does not have the authority to amend regulations or instruments.