I'm grateful to those who have been part of my success story — Afenyo Markin

Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin

The new Majority Leader of Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has paid glowing tributes to the distinguished personalities who have been part of his success story.

In his acceptance speech as the newly appointed Majority Leader on Friday, February 22, 2024, on the floor of Parliament, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin emphasized that but for the support he got on his political journey, he wouldn’t have been where he is today.

“I never saw this day coming. I want to express my profound gratitude to everyone who has been supportive through my political journey,” he stated.

According to him, he faced ups and downs on his political journey but for the advice and encouragement from some personalities, he may have given up.

“My long journey to this Parliament, as you are all aware, received a lot of setbacks,” he told the House.

He recounted how, in 2004, when he won his primaries and just two days to the filing of his nomination, the party elders in Effutu said he was too young to be an MP.

According to him, he was denied the opportunity to contest in the parliamentary elections.

He added that in 2008, he contested again and the regional executives, in cahoots with the then MP, eliminated him through rough tactics.

Though it was a bitter pill, he had to accept it for the love and forward march of the party.

The Majority Leader also used the occasion to tell the House the other elections he contested and won despite the setbacks in the parliamentary ones.

“In 2012, when I finally got the nod to lead Effutu, none had confidence in me to win,” he indicated. "It was through the benevolence of President J. A. Kufuor who asked Hon. Hackman Owusu Agyemang to talk to the people."

He stressed, “Hon. Stephen Asamoah Boateng (Asabee) joined later where we did our house to house campaign. By the Grace of God, I won.”

After winning the 2016 elections, an election he had worked hard for the NPP, he indicated that he had great expectations but it never materialized because 'that was not my time."

His young colleagues who had joined the House for the first time in 2016 were made Cabinet Ministers and others were made chairmen or vice chairmen, but he never got such an opportunity but “I never complained.”

His nomination to the ECOWAS Parliament also suffered a major setback because though the slots were 8, they were nine and one colleague MP wanted to continue to be in the ECOWAS Parliament.

According to Afenyo Markin, he sacrificed himself and came back home. “I expected to be honoured with an appointment to the committee level but that did not happen and I never complained,” he told the House.

Afenyo Markin said he continued to work hard for the NPP and today, he has been rewarded, and for that matter, he is grateful.

He recalled how he was so afraid to speak on the floor of the House and to undertake certain basic things due to lack of confidence.

“It took a true brother and colleague, Dr. Mark Assibey Yeboah who called me one day when I was in Winneba that Kwamena come to Parliament, we are debating the budget. I said how will I start? He said, come, I have prepared some notes for you. Mark Assibey Yeboah said, 'you can do it! Come on! I have done mine!' It happened. I thank you, Mark, how I wish you were here with me. I miss you dearly, you’re a true brother. You are selfless and you made it happen,” he praised Dr. Assibey Yeboah.

He also thanked his professors who taught him in law school: Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor and Hon. Paapa Owusu Ankomah. He also showed appreciation to the late E. T. Mensah for being there for him in his early days in Parliament.

Like a prophecy has come true, in his early days, he stated, he received a call from Hon. O. B. Amoah informing him that the then Majority Leader Osei Kye Mensah-Bonsu was traveling to Hanoi, Vietnam which he was supposed to be part of the trip but for some reason, he could not make it and requested that he (Afenyo-Markin) joined Leader in his stead.

“Upon arrival in Hanoi, in one of the nights, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah had a good discussion with me. He advised that I stayed close to the standing orders and he realized that many people don’t pay attention to the standing orders. He added that if you do it well and you discipline yourself, perhaps you may succeed me, you never know,” Hon. Markin recounted what his predecessor, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu told him back in the days.

He added that in Kenya with Hon. Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, he repeated the advice he gave him in Hanoi.

Afenyo Markin thanked him profusely for his mentoring and advice after taking over from him.

He also showed gratitude to the New Patriotic Party for honouring him as the Majority Leader in Parliament.

“Today, I stand before you in profound humility and great honour to say that the party NPP has honoured me to be the primus of this great chamber,” he stated.

He also pledged to work assiduously to ensure that the good works of his predecessor, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu are continued.

“I will work hard as the new Majority Leader in Parliament in order to continue with the good works of my predecessor,” he assured the caucus.