Speaker of Parliament, Rtd. Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin has appointed the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, to the six-member Parliamentary Service Board.
Others include the Member for Suame Constituency and Majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Minority leader and Tamale South MP Haruna Iddrisu, former Majority leader Abraham Osei Adu, the Clerk to Parliament and the Speaker who doubles as chairman.
The Speaker communicated the composition of the Board to members of the House on Monday, March 29, 2021.
There were, however, some dissenting voices to the addition of the NDC General Secretary who was also a former MP for Wenchi West, to the Board.
Some members of the Advisory Committee contended that the membership of Asiedu Nketiah on the Board may amount to an undesired intrusion into the governance of Parliament by a political party.
This, they believe, may not in the circumstances bode well for the independence of Parliament since Mr. Asiedu Nketa is the General Secretary of a major political party.
Speaker Alban Bagbin, however, argued that the only authority prescribed by law to appoint members of the Board allows the NDC scribe to be appointed as a member.
He pointed out that former MP for New Juaben North, Hackman Owusu Agyeman, served as a member on the former Board despite being a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government adding that Hackman Owusu Agyeman also later became the Chairman of the Council of Elders of the NPP.
“He queried, “That one was not an intrusion into the governance of Parliament by a political party? What is good for the gander is also good for the goose.”
“As we speak today, the Chairman of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GHAPOHA) Board is who? …Yes Hon. Mac Manu, the former Chairman of the NPP. Anyway, that is on the lighter side.”
Members of the majority side did not take kindly to the addition of Mr. Asiedu Nketia to the Board and let out howls when his name was mentioned while the minority members cheered.
Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, however, declined to challenge the decision of the Speaker and indicated that would amount to disrespecting the Chair.
The Parliamentary Service Board makes regulations prescribing the terms and conditions of service of officers and other employees and promoting their welfare for the effective and efficient administration of the Service.
It also has general control of the management of the Service in matters of policy but the Speaker has the ultimate responsibility.
Last week Deputy Minority Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, drew the attention of the House to the fact that the Parliamentary Service Board was not yet in place and warned it was a very serious constitutional breach.
The Speaker, however, indicated that he had not received the recommendation of the Advisory Committee appointed to advise him on the composition of the Board.
The Speaker subsequently threatened to go ahead and compose the Board if the Committee failed to present its report after issuing an ultimatum.
However, on Monday the Speaker stated, “I now have in my hand, the advice of the House. The advice is to the effect that the Committee after a long period of discussion submits the names for the appointments to the Board.”
“The Parliamentary Service Board will be properly constituted and we will start our work,” he assured.