Speaker Bagbin has never considered the national interest; only NDC's - Afenyo-Markin

Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has accused the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, of being overly partisan in the discharge of his duties, to the detriment of the country's development.

Speaking in an interview on Adom TV, as monitored by GhanaWeb, the leader, who is also the Member of Parliament for Effutu, stated that the Speaker has, in most cases, prioritized the interests of his party—the National Democratic Congress (NDC)—over the nation's welfare when making decisions.

"In the last four years, the NPP has suffered in Parliament; it has not been easy. From the era of Kyei-Mensah Bonsu as majority leader, and even when I took over, we have suffered a lot. The Speaker has not dealt with us well; we have really suffered at his hands. At all material times, he looks at the interest of his party. He doesn't look at the national interest; neither does he look at the interest of Ghana."

He added, "It is not all matters that I can speak about in the public domain. With some of the issues, you, as the leader, will enter your casket with it. Even when you get to Heaven and you are asked about it, you have to plead with God that you don't want to speak about it. Some of the issues are really troubling."

Meanwhile, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has declined a request by the majority in Parliament to recall the House.

In a memo to the Majority on Tuesday, November 26, Speaker Bagbin clarified that Parliament would resume after the elections to address essential matters, ensuring a seamless transition to the 9th Parliament of the Fourth Republic.

"The House will resume sitting after the elections to complete all essential matters before a seamless transition to the 9th Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana," Bagbin stated.

Addressing the Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Speaker acknowledged the parliamentary calendar's accommodation of election campaign periods, stressing its significance in Ghana's democratic process.

"This season is for the government, parties, and both presidential and parliamentary candidates to present their manifestos to the people and to account and justify how the mandate given them by voters for the four-year term of office has been applied to the benefit of the people," he added.

On Monday, the NDC caucus in Parliament called on the Speaker of Parliament to reject the recall request made by MPs from the NPP.

In the last four years, the NPP government has faced challenges as the speaker prioritizes party interests over national or government concerns - Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Majority Leader/MP, Effutu Constituency #Mpensenpensenmu pic.twitter.com/whpxxlfbVn

— Adom TV (@adom_tv) November 28, 2024

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