Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu
The Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, went agog on Saturday as the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu returned home after his election as the Acting Vice Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
Hundreds of residents from his Suame Constituency lined up at the Kumasi Airport singing and cheering to welcome the leader as he stepped out of the terminal.
The crowd even included some chiefs, assembly members, and NPP supporters and sympathisers, and it was meant to congratulate him for his new position.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was recently elected Acting Vice Chairperson of the CPA by the Executive Committee Members of the Association, having polled 16 of the valid votes cast to edge out his contender, Gerry Brownlee from the CPA New Zealand Branch.
Addressing the crowd, the Majority Leader expressed gratitude for the respect accorded him, saying, “I appreciate enormously what people have done to acknowledge the little that we have been able to do to help promote democracy in Ghana and also grow democracy in Africa.”
“African Parliamentarians met in Kenya and it was the Kenyan Speaker who submitted my name that I should represent Africa on behalf of the Commonwealth countries in Africa. It was overwhelming, 16 regions voting for me as against 6 who voted for the MP from New Zealand.
“It means that not only what we have been doing in Ghana has been appreciated, but also been appreciated by all from far and near,” Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, indicated.
According to him, his election is a plus for Ghana on the global stage, while pledging to help contribute to ensure good governance, democracy and human rights for the Commonwealth nations.
The Majority Leader was later presented with his portraits by members of the Greater Kumasi Assemblymen Association, Ashanti Regional Coordinators of the New Patriotic Party and the Breman Electoral Area.
By Ernest Kofi Adu