New MPs In Parliament

The outcome of the December 7 elections indicate that even though a number of experienced MPs would be missing, the new line-up will definitely include a number of familiar faces. When the next Parliament is inaugurated on January 7 next year, some faces who will take their seats will include Daniel Kwaku Botwe, former New Patriotic Party (NPP) general secretary and one-time Information Minister; and O.B. Amoah, currently deputy Minister for Education, Science and Sports.

Both of these leading NPP members are expected to join their colleagues from the other political parties in learning the ropes of parliamentary proceedings when the next House resumes sitting.

The new parliament would be robbed of experienced hands, with some of them crashing out in their parties’ parliamentary primaries or willingly hanging their gloves.

Whereas Dan Botwe now represents the Okere constituency, his counterpart, O.B. Amoah is in charge of Aburi/Nsawam. Also among the freshmen are Joseph Osei-Wusu, former Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) boss, for Bekwai constituency; and Seth Adjei Baah, a.k.a. Shaaba, a businessman, for the Nkawkaw constituency.

Interestingly, both Shaaba and Osei-Wusu are going into the legislature as independent MPs, having failed to clinch NPP tickets in their respective constituencies.

Kojo Adu Asare emerged victorious in Sunday’s polls and therefore represents the constituents of Adenta in Parliament while the Subin constituency has also sent a new person, Isaac Osei of COCOBOD to the august House as MP. The constituency with the largest number of voters in the Ashanti Region, Manhyia, has on the other hand delegated Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh to represent them, and from the Asante Akyem constituency comes Anyimadu.

The Ellembelle constituency in the Western Region, which has Hon Freddie Blay as the incumbent, has now gone for Kofi Armah Buah as its MP. From the Ledzokuku constituency in the Greater Accra Region comes a new MP in the person of Nii Nortey Duah, who replaces one of the few female MPs in the legislature, Dr. Gladys Norley Ashietey of the NPP.

Dr. Kwei Kumah is the representative of the Krowor constituency also in the Greater Accra Region. Perhaps to make up for the lost female MP in the House is the entry of Irene Naa Torshi Addo from the Tema West constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Beatrice Boateng of New Juaben South in Koforidua, Eastern Region, and Catherine Afeku, for Evalue Gwira constituency in the Western Region.

Others making it to Parliament as greenhorns are Kobby Darko-Mensah from Takoradi in the Western Region, and replacing Alhaji Boniface Siddique for the Salaga constituency is Ibrahim Dey. From the Upper West Region comes Ambrose Dery for the Lawra/Nandom constituency who knocked out Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor.

The saying that “Kwame Nkrumah Never Dies” would be given substance when the country’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s daughter, Samia Yaba Christina Nkrumah, takes her seat as MP of Jomoro.

Fritz Barfuor (NDC, Ablekuma South), Mike Allen Hammah (NDC, Efutu), Alowe Leo Kabah, boss of the National Youth Employment Scheme (NYEP), (NPP, Chiana/Paga), Adamu Dramani, (NPP, Bawku Central) and Yiadom Boakye Boateng, for Asutifi South are other prominent names in the fresh line-up.

Parliamentary proceedings according to observers, is a task which is learnt on the job. The experience comes with time, and perhaps that is the reason why some persons would rather the experienced ones are around to take the new ones through the rudiments of the job.

Although independent Members of Parliament are supposed to be considered as such, it is envisaged that the allegiance of some of them would be to the NPP from which they broke away.

People usually take the independent alternative when they are unable to secure the nods of their party machinery to represent the political groupings, and so are the cases of Shaaba and Osei-Wusu.

But the biggest blow to the house is the fact that both the First and Second Deputy Speakers, Freddy Blay and Malik Alhassan have lost their seats. This means the next Speaker needs to be a very active and experienced person.