Ghana has lost out heavily in the distribution of key positions in the sub-regional grouping, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), including the ECOWAS Parliament. At the second session of the sub-regional Parliament, which ended on Saturday, ?Chronicle learnt that virtually all positions had been given out to national of other countries because of the clumsiness of the Ghanaian authorities and the failure of the Speaker of Ghana?s Parliament to act timeously, despite promptings from the ECOWAS Parliament.?
The position of Clerk of Parliament, described here as Secretary General, should have gone to Ghana, according to the reports, but it eventually went to neighbouring Nigeria, after an extended debacle over nomination.
The Speaker of the House, Honourable member of the Malian Parliament and several years Speaker of that country?s Parliament, was reticent about speaking on the issue last Friday when interviewed about the subject.
He had written to Ghana?s Parliament asking about nomination for that position and received a list of names, including that of Ghana?s former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Pobee Orleans, Dr. Niyi Alabi of Choice FM and Mr. Rex Owusu-Ansah, former Clerk of Ghana?s Parliament, the Chronicle reports say.
?I was the one who successfully tabled the motion to zone the office of Secretary General to Ghana,? noted Hon. Heirat, a very articulate and outspoken member of the ECOWAS Parliament and runner-up in the Gambian presidential elections.
?The fact of Ghana?s entitlement to that position is not in doubt here as the leader of the Ghanaian ECOWAS MPs here, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, Kofi Asante, leader of the House Committee on Energy, confirmed that in joint interviews with the Chronicle.? While Hon. Asante was blunt about the apportionment of blame, Hon. Osei Bonsu opted to be more diplomatic.
?Chronicle independently gathered that the Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, wrote first to confirm the government?s support for Mr. Rex Owusu-Ansah and later wrote to withdraw the support for him after he had retired from position as Clerk of Ghana?s Parliament.?
?Hon. Osei Bonsu tried to explain that the reason was that Rex had hit the age of sixty, but he was quickly shut down by Hon. Asante who argued that, it was not a question of age because, there were officers who were over sixty from the countries working at the Secretariat. It was gathered that the Speaker of the ECOWAS Assembly preferred Rex whom he had met over the years at numerous international conferences, and was impressed with his experience which is still badly needed here since that kind of experience is in short supply here.?
Ghana?s Speaker of Parliament, Peter Ala Adjetey worsened matters by not, sending any more names, even after he was written to by the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament that letters from the Executive cannot be recognised.
The final letter gave a deadline to Mr. Ala Adjetey asking him to send a name or names of his preferred candidate or risk losing that slot completely. His letter was widely circulated and the assembly (ECOWAS) was informed on the floor.
It had absolutely nothing to do with the position of Hon. Ibn Chambas as ECOWAS Executive Secretary being threatened.
Mali, which was given the first refusal, did not take it up because they were gunning for an international West African Health post based in Abuja.
?Finally, the Speaker had no option but to pluck a smart young lady lawyer with no record as parliamentary clerk and catapulted her to the position. The job comes with free accommodation, all the perks that go for an international job and a minimum of $6,000.00 a year. After more than 18 years? experience, Rex was taking home to his Filipino wife less than $400.00 a month, less than 10 per cent.?
Mr. Adjetey himself who was anxious for some sort of role in the ECOWAS position was disqualified, simply because he, unlike others from other countries, is not an elected Member of Parliament. The assembly holds quarterly business meetings and actually sits twice a year.
Other countries have absorbed the two slots of deputy clerk (parliamentary deputies), Gambia and Nigeria. Nigeria also holds the position of Treasurer of the ECOWAS Parliament on grounds that they contribute the most. The meddlesome and costly politicization and interference provoked some heat in the last sitting of the ECOWAS Parliament.
According to the report, Hon. Asante, an NDC MP who is also a member of the ECOWAS Parliament ?sank his teeth condemning the very practice that informed the formation of the ECOWAS Parliament ? insulating parliamentarians from Executive influence and control.
Hear him, ?Mr. Speaker, a letter has been written by the Executive arm of the government of Ghana to the ECOWAS Parliament withdrawing the nominations made by the Parliament of Ghana for the ECOWAS parliament. This was done without reference to the Ghanaian Parliament that made the nominations. Mr. Speaker, are we going to be subservient to the ever-changing government of the sub-region? The ECOWAS Parliament can never fulfill its obligation, if it is treated as an arm of the executive. It is to guarantee the independence of this parliament that the protocol provided that members of government shall not be members of the ECOWAS parliament.
I therefore, call on this House to condemn the unnecessary executive interference in the administration of this Parliament.?
