Speaker Bagbin Defends the Appointment of Asiedu Nketia to Parliamentary Service Board

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has hit back at critics who are opposed to the appointment of the General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia onto the Parliamentary Service Board.

This follows what the former Nadowli Kaleo legislator described as resistance and opposition from some members of the Advisory Committee of Parliament over Mr. Nketia’s appointment with the claim that such appointment is “undesired intrusion of political parties into the governance of Parliament”.

Mr. Bagbin reminded his critics that a former member of the Board was affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“I want to note that the former Parliamentary Service Board had Honorable Hackman Owusu Agyeman as a member of the board and Hackman Owusu Agyeman later became the Chairman of the Council of Elders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“That one was not intrusion into the governance of Parliament by a political party. What is good for the gander is also good for the goose. Honorable members the board will be constituted and we will start our work,” he added.

Johnson Asiedu Nketiah would join three other persons to make up the Parliamentary Service Board.

The Parliamentary Service Board is chaired by the Speaker and it governs the activities of the legislature.

The Speaker announced that “After a long period of discussions, it has been agreed for appointments of the following persons: Honourable Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Member of Parliament for Suame and Majority Leader, also the Honorable Haruna Iddrisu, the Member of Parliament for Tamale South and the Minority Leader. The third person is Mr. Abraham Aidoo, a former MP and former Majority Leader, and Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, also a former MP and the current General Secretary of NDC.”