Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has called on Members of Parliament (MPs) to work closely together for the ultimate good of the country.
In an acceptance speech after his election, Speaker Bagbin said the events that led to his selection as Speaker were signs that the time has come for all political actors to build bridges.
According to him, he intends to superintend a unified House which members are dedicated to working towards the interest of the nation, intimating, “I will submit myself to the will of this House and pledge to faithfully serve my dear country, you and all Ghanaians of his ability.”
“I will also conscientiously discharge my duties as a Speaker of this Parliament. I want to promise whole-heartedly to put at the disposal of the country the store of knowledge, immense experience, and the huge database I have accumulated and accommodated over the 28 years that I have been a member of this House,” he stated.
The former National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member for Nadowli Kaleo voluntarily retired from Parliament after serving seven consecutive terms.
He won the Speaker position in a closely contested election on Thursday in an eventful night inside the Chamber of Parliament.
Speaker Bagbin polled 138 votes against 136 votes secured by Prof. Mike Oquaye, who until the dissolution of the 7th Parliament on the night of Wednesday was the Speaker of the House.
Mr. Bagbin, who holds an Executive Masters in Governance and Leadership from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), served both as a Minority Leader and a Majority Leader during his 28-year in the House.
The process leading to his election as the Speaker was characterized by rancour, acrimony, and chaos, lasting for over nine hours.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House