Afenyo-Markin Commends Speaker Bagbin’s Leadership, Calls for Retention in 9th Parliament

Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has praised Speaker Alban Bagbin for his exemplary leadership during the 8th Parliament and expressed his desire for Bagbin to be retained as Speaker in the upcoming 9th Parliament.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Monday, December 17, Afenyo-Markin acknowledged the Speaker’s efforts in steering parliamentary affairs, despite occasional disagreements. He commended Bagbin for prioritizing the welfare of Members of Parliament (MPs), noting, “Mr. Speaker, let me commend you for the four years of your leadership in this House. We may have had our disagreements, but it is clear that the welfare of members has been key to your leadership. Nobody can take that away from you.”

The Effutu lawmaker also highlighted Bagbin’s impact on institutionalizing the power of Parliament, emphasizing that such strides were possible due to his experience as a longstanding member of the House. “The institutional empowerment you have given to Parliament is unmatched, and it is likely because we have you as Speaker coming from within,” he said.

Afenyo-Markin further spoke on the possibility of a new Speaker being appointed, should the National Democratic Congress (NDC) decide to make a change. While he expressed his hope for Bagbin’s continuation, he clarified, “If they decide to maintain you, I know Parliament will continue to benefit. But should they decide to retire you, which I know they can do, if they choose to bring in a new Speaker, that person should come from within. We don’t want an outsider.”

The Monday sitting of Parliament was held at the Accra International Conference Centre, where members gathered to discuss and deliberate on pending matters before the current Parliament’s closure.