By Iddi Yire
Accra, Jan 6, GNA – Mr Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, the outgoing Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Monday delivered his final remarks as leader of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.
In his farewell speech prior to the dissolution of the House at 12 midnight of January 6, Mr Afenyo-Markin said: “It’s a moment of emotion for me, having had the opportunity to lead the House a little over nine months…”
“…And the fact that, Mr Speaker, by tomorrow I will be seated to the left of Mr Speaker leading the charge for and on behalf of the Minority”.
He said one defining feature of the Eighth Parliament was its near equal composition, 137 members from each side and one independent member.
“Notably, this Parliament elected the Speaker of the House from a party of the opposition, something which was and still continues to be a novel development to our democracy,” he stated.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said the House also had an equal number of female representation from both sides of the aisle, 20 female members apiece, bringing the number to 40, and accounting for 14.5 per cent, the highest female representation in Parliament ever recorded in the Fourth Republic.
The Eighth Parliament at both sides of the House had had the course to change their leadership to give opportunity to some members to serve in the front bench.
“It is therefore right to conclude that the 8th Parliament truly pushed our parliamentary democracy to its limits and tested how far we can go with our practice of parliamentary democracy,” he said.
In spite of the turbulence that the House witnessed in some few instances, the Majority Leader said his honorable colleagues in leadership and himself worked so hard in ensuring that the Business was conducted in a convivial and congenial atmosphere.
Rising from Deputy Majority Leader to Majority Leader, Mr Afenyo-Markin said in his days as a Deputy Majority Leader of the House, he received a lot of good counsel not only from his side but from his friends opposite.
He expressed gratitude to Mr Osei Kye-Mensah-Bonsu, a former Majority Leader, from whom he took over, for the mentorship.
He also thanked some colleagues for their counsel at the time he was a Deputy Majority Leader, namely; Mr Haruna Iddrisu, a former Minority Leader, Mr Cletus A. Avoka, Member of Parliament (MP) for Zebilla, Madam Patricia Appiagyei, the Deputy Majority Leader, and Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, MP for Bekwai.
“I’m thankful to you for all you did. And my able Deputy (Mrs Appiagyei), she was more than a mother to me, to calm me in difficult moments. Her wise counsel has made it possible for me to lead the house till this day”.
Touching on the Judiciary, Mr Afenyo-Markin said it was rather unfortunate that the House failed to approve the nominations of two presidential nominees to the Supreme Court.
He said the Eighth Parliament, however, witnessed some unfortunate sad situations, mentioning the loss of Mr Philip Atta Basoah, MP for Kumawu and Dr John Ampontuah Kumah, MP for Ejisu, as well as some 18 former Members of Parliament and the former First Lady, Mrs Theresa Kufuor.
“Mr. Speaker, all these persons who were in public service passed on within the period and I say, may their souls rest in peace,” he said.
GNA