Bagbin Explains Why Parliament Was Recalled Over 3.9 Tons Of Cocaine Seized In France

Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has explained the constitutional basis for recalling Members of Parliament for Tuesday's extraordinary meeting.

According to the Speaker, the recall was done under Clause 3 of the Constitution of 1992 and Order 53 of the Standing Orders, following a request submitted to him by the requisite number of Members of Parliament.

The request, dated 18th September 2026, was presented by the First Deputy Minority Whip and Member for Tolon, Hon. Habib Iddrisu, for and on behalf of a number of undersigned members.

The members represented that they constituted not less than the constitutionally required fifteen percent of the membership of Parliament and requested an extraordinary meeting to consider matters which they described as being of urgent national importance.

Speaker Bagbin said he counted and they truly represented more than fifteen percent.

He disclosed that the principal matter identified in the request concerns the reported seizure by French authorities of approximately 3.9 tons of cocaine at the Port of Dunkirk from a container reported to have originated from Ghana.

The request, he said, raises broader questions concerning narcotic trafficking, the security of Ghana's ports and borders, the role of relevant regulatory and security institutions and Parliament's oversight responsibility.

The Speaker clarified that there is a distinction between this recall and the August 2026 recall, noting that this is the second occasion within a relatively short period that members have been recalled during a recess.