The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader in Parliament has officially, resigned from his post handing over the mantle to his Deputy, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Effutu constituency in the Central region, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
Mr Afenyo-Markin has now been confirmed formally as the new Majority Leader in Parliament.
This follows the Suame MP, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu’s resignation from his position as the Majority Leader on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, two days after the Majority Caucus had held a press conference to counter rumours that the Majority side was going to make some changes to its leadership.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu immediately after his resignation has been appointed as the Chairman of the 2024 Manifesto Committee of the ruling New Patriotic Party ahead of the upcoming General elections.
Addressing the floor of the House, on Friday, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also named the MP for Asokwa, Patricia Appiagyei, as the new Deputy Majority Leader, as the MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri and Tolon, Frank Annoh-Dompreh and Habib Iddrisu maintains their position as Chief Whip and first Deputy Chief Whip respectively.
The New Majority Leader, Afenyo-Markin in his inaugural address urged cooperation and solidarity from both sides of the house and says he will not allow rancour to prevail under his leadership in Parliament.
Alexander Afenyo-Markin further paid tribute to his predecessor, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, for his wealth of knowledge and experience with which he navigated parliamentary proceedings.
He described Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu exit as a “big shoe” he was going to wear, acknowledged the challenge of matching his predecessor’s profound grasp of parliamentary intricacies and pledged to seek guidance from the MP for the Suame Constituency, recognising the invaluable wisdom he brought to the table.
Mr Afenyo-Markin further called upon fellow MPs to exemplify unity within the chamber and to communicate to their constituents the commitment to peaceful discourse, emphasising that “we do not fight in this chamber”.
The Effutu MP emphasised the importance of bipartisan support from the Majority and Minority sides of the house to ensure the smooth functioning of parliamentary proceedings.
“Mr Speaker, the crux of my message is this: Yes, let us contest keenly for the people’s votes out there, but within these hallowed walls and on this floor, let our actions and deliberations reflect our unwavering commitment to the welfare of the people. Our quest for political capital must not overshadow the pressing needs of our nation. The road ahead calls for heightened cooperation between the Minority and the Majority”.
“This unity of purpose is essential for realizing the mandate entrusted to us by the people of Ghana. I dare say that the dangers of politicizing every issue must be consciously avoided. We must strive to build greater consensus, foster intimate dialogue, and engender a spirit of bipartisanship that is focused on national development,” he stated.
-BY Daniel Bampoe