Next Speaker of Parliament will come from the coast – Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has given hints of who the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would propose for election as the next Speaker of Parliament from 2017 to 2020.
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Even though he did not mention a name, his description of the candidate fits either Papa Owusu Ankamah or Professor Mike Ocquaye whose names have come up in media publications as probable candidates as Speaker.
Prof Ocquaye has widely been speculated as the next Speaker and when journalists asked him how he felt about it at the NPP's Thanksgiving Service at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday, his response simply was, "We are looking to God."
According to Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the NPP’s choice was for someone who will help bring about regional balance in governance.
In a radio interview on Okay FM Monday morning, the Minority Leader said his reason was that since the President-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo was from the "middle belt" [Eastern region] and the Vice President-elect, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was from Northern Ghana, it makes sense for someone from Southern Ghana, preferably, the coast to be made the Speaker.
The Office of the Speaker of Parliament is the third highest office in Ghana. The Speaker acts as President in the absence of the President and his Vice.
With the NPP winning about 170 seats out of the 275 in Parliament, the party gets to propose two candidates for election as Speaker and First Deputy Speaker whilst the Minority NDC would provide the Second Deputy Speaker.
In consultation with the President-elect, the majority in the next Parliament [NPP] would propose the names of the candidates for the new Members of Parliament to vote on them on midnight January 6, 2017.
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Prof Ocquaye, an indigene of Accra, and a former Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, serving from 2005 to 2012 has widely been speculated as the most likely Speaker of Parliament to take over from Mr Edward Doe Adjaho.
He served as Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament from 2009 to 2012 and Ghana’s High Commissioner to India from 2002 to 2004 as well as Minister of Energy and Communications from 2005 to 2008.
Apart from Prof Ocquaye, other names, such as that of Papa Owusu Ankomah have also come up which also fit the description hinted by the Minority Leader.
Papa Ankomah from Sekondi in the Western region has vast experience when it comes to Parliamentary duties, having been in the House since 1996 representing the people of Sekondi.
He did not seek re-election in 2016.
Apart from the two gentlemen, that of Mr Freddie Blay, the acting national Chairman of the NPP, veteran lawyer Sam Okudzeto and former Attorney-General Joe Ghartey, have also come up.
Mr Blay, from the Ellembele area in the Western region served for two terms as Member of Parliament from 2000 to 2008 during which time he also served as First Deputy Speaker.
Joe Ghartey on his part is presently the Second Deputy Speaker, serving from 2013 to 2016. He has been the Member of Parliament for Essikado/Ketan since 2004 and has just been re-elected to serve another term from 2017 to 2020. He served as Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Minister of Justice in March 2005 before being promoted and appointed the substantive Attorney-General and Minister of Justice in June 2006.
The name of 81-year-old Mr Sam Okudzeto is also doing the rounds. Also a former Member of Parliament in the Second Republic, Mr Okudzeto served as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.
He was also onetime President of the Ghana Bar Association and in 2011, he was Chair of the International Advisory Commission of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and a member of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association.
Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh
Follow on Twitter @enochfrimpong